Coaches also told of ordered lists they submitto the Admissions Office, contradictingFitzsimmons' claims that there are no such orderedlists and that advice is verbal and informal.

"All the coaches have a list, and we meet withthe admissions liaisons and give them that list,"says Ronnie R. Tomassoni, coach of the men'shockey team.

Director of Athletics William J. Cleary '54-'56and Senior Associate Director of AthleticsPatricia W. Henry confirm that the lists sent tothe office of admissions are, in fact,prioritized.

"Each coach will offer a list based on athleticand academic credentials," Henry says.

Looze says he rates the recruits eitherone-plus, two or three. "A one-plus they will lookmore closely at," Looze says.

Interviews with coaches and athletic departmentofficials verified findings reported in 1990 bythe Office of Civil Rights (OCR) in the Departmentof Education.

The OCR, detailing a lengthy probe into theCollege's admissions practices towardsAsian-Americans, disputed the Harvard's claim thatit emphasizes athletics on par with otherextracurriculars.

According to the report, federal investigatorsfound that "an applicant's ability and Harvard'sneed for such an athlete on its teams [reflectedin the coaches 'lists'] can be crucial if notdecisive in determining whether or not to admitthe applicant."

The 46-page report showed that recruitedathletes generally scored "significantly" lower inevery category used to judge candidates, includingteacher recommendations and SATs.

Readers' comments written on applicants'summary sheets indicate that the "tip" athletesreceive in admissions is often crucial toadmission.

"A straightforward case hanging on athleticability. Easy to do if a needed '1' [athleticrating], pretty ordinary if not," one admissionsofficer wrote.

"I fear that this may be tough without a fieldhockey push," read the notes on another folder.

The athletic "tip," it has been argued, islargely for fundraising purposes, since goodsports teams tend to correlate with high returnsin alumni donations.

"To beat Yale in football, especially for olderalumni, is a very heartwarming thing and hopefully[leads to] an unbundling of the wallet," saysErnest E. Monrad '51, a long-time fundraiser forthe University.

"The psychology is good--let's put it thatway," continues Monrad, who is also financial vicepresident of the Harvard Varsity Club.