Going to Harvard College opens all sorts of doors-and admissions statistics show that applicants with a College degree may have an edge in gaining admission to Harvard graduate schools as well.

Schools such as Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) accept more applicants from Harvard College than any other undergraduate institution, although admissions officers in Harvard graduate programs say they do not have any official policy that gives preference to College graduates.

Joyce Curll '65, dean of admissions at the law school, said that one of three Harvard graduates is admitted to the J.D. program, whereas the overall admit ratio is one of eight or nine applicants. Last year alone, the law school admitted over a hundred graduates of Harvard College.

Yi Qian '01, who was recently admitted to the Ph.D. program in Harvard's Economics Department, said the she feels being an applicant from Harvard is not necessarily an advantage.

"Being a Harvard graduate could help or go against you. It could be easier if you know the professors," she said, but also noted that the economics department wants to get students who have had a variety of undergraduate experiences.

And most Harvard graduate schools admit far more Harvard College graduates than graduates from any other undergraduate institution.

At the medical school, roughly 20 percent of each class is made up of Harvard graduates.

"The success rate of Harvard College graduates is greater than that from many other schools," says Jules A. Dienstag, dean of admissions for the medical school. "But the fact of the matter is that the graduates from the College are a lot more accomplished."