As usual, there is no such thing as a simple answer when it comes to college admissions.

Almost 18,000 students, a record number (and a nearly 50 percent increase over five years) applied for admission to the class of 1999. The class was chosen from an applicant pool unprecedented in its quantity and quality. On every measure, the academic quality of the applicant pool rose. Over the past five years, the number of applicants ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school classes has risen from 1,993 to 2,828; those averaging 1400 or better on their combined SATs climbed from 3,884 to 6,099; students with a math SAT of 700 or higher rose from 6,053 to 9,463; and while 1,263 applicants scored 800 on the Math II Achievement test five years ago, this past year 2,158 did so.

Well beyond standardized test scores, the academic, extracurricular and personal accomplishments of the incoming class were once again extremely impressive. Thirteen of the 20 students recognized by USA Today as the top high school scholars in the nation matriculated with the Class of 1999, as did six of the top 10 Westinghouse science competition winners.

Of the 17,582 who comprised the final applicant pool, only 12 percent could be admitted, our lowest admission rate ever. The yield remained 75.3 percent, the highest in over a decade and the highest of the nation's selective colleges by a wide margin.

This year's entering class included 368 National Merit Scholars, while the next four institutions enrolled 168, 158, 129 and 124, respectively. National Achievement Scholars (a similar competition recognizing outstanding African-American students) included 57 at Harvard, with 23, 20, 19 and 18 at the next four institutions. Our undergraduates also continued to do well in competitions such as the Putnam mathematics contest and the Rhodes and Marshall programs.

Already this year we have witnessed extraordinary interest in Harvard and Radcliffe. A record number applied under the Early Action program--3,913--surpassing last year's high of 2,990. This year's total is not final, but it has already exceeded last year's record and has gone over the 18,000 mark.

Many factors contribute to the College's success in attracting outstanding applicants.

* The quality of the faculty and Harvard's academic reputation.

* The vitality and excellence represented by the student body.

* The excellence of the facilities, especially since the extensive renovations of the past decade.

* The attractions of Cambridge and the Boston area.

* The April Visiting Program for admitted students, with recruitment efforts by the Undergraduate Admissions Council, the Undergraduate Minority Recruiting Program and members of the Faculty.

Much of the credit for the College's success in attracting the country's and world's best students can be attributed to the Faculty's commitment to need-blind admissions and to our financial aid program. This year students were offered more than $70 million in scholarships, loans and jobs, with scholarships alone totaling some $39 million. About two-thirds of undergraduates are eligible for some form of financial aid, and about 45 percent of undergraduates this year are on scholarship, an all-time high. The average grant is $12,650, toward a total aid package of more than $19,000.

The College Access Plan continues to ensure that students from all economic backgrounds, including middle-income families, will have access to a Harvard education. Other forms of financial assistance, such as the Faculty Aide Program and the Ford Program, continue to provide outstanding undergraduates with the opportunity to pursue special research interests with faculty members.

A significant percentage of our outstanding undergraduates require financial aid to enable them to attend Harvard. Without such students, the quality of the student body would be greatly diminished, and Harvard would also be far less attractive to those families able to meet the full expenses of a college education.