Congratulations on your admission and fellowship for graduate work at ………. It should be the beginning of a very promising career and I'll be glad to give you whatever advice I can on the subject.

In answer to your question, there is probably less overt discrimination against women now. Graduate admissions and fellowships look fairly good on the record. And although departments are still lagging in professorial positions and salaries for women, some of them are making an effort to catch up. It shouldn't be too long before most departments have their “quota” of assistant professors. The problem now is with the subtler forms of discrimination — “Phase II” of whatever it is we are involved in. (Phase II, like Phase I, uses sex as a basis for choice, but its arguments are more sophisticated. Phase I says “A woman's place is in the home.” Phase II says “We'd like to hire a woman, but …”)