4 TALENTED BLACK STUDENTS, THEIR PARENTS, AND THE PROFESSIONALS THAT SERVE THEM and want them 2 Win!

College Confidential Community
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Part ONE (my apologies for rambling)

I write this missive for an intended audience. I wrote this because I love Black people and I want Black Students to do well and inform Black students of the benefits of HBCUs and PWIs. What HBCUs are important and the pros and cons. I also want to discuss the importance of the top Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities. Sometimes our African American students do not have the resources to make a good decision nor do they have the guidance to assist them. That ends today. I am going to discuss issues that are germane to Black Students only because that is my focus. Ok let’s get it going!

If you are an A student, 3.6 or better and a 600 or better in all the categories for the SAT you should be applying to the top 50 liberals colleges and universities. Do not go to a state school. Yes some state schools are solid but the only state schools you should be looking at are in the top 50 universities. These schools tend to have more money and resources than ANY HBCU could ever dream or imagine. If you get into Colgate and Syracuse, please go to Colgate. The education is qualitatively different and better. Top National Liberal Arts colleges have better resources, smaller class sizes, and your peers will ALL be smart. Sure there are going to be smart students everywhere but the depth a Colgate is far deeper in terms of talent than SUNY BING or SYRACUSE. The SUNY schools will boast that its just as good–that’s a lie, trust me. They are CHEAPER and that’s all. Check the list for these schools in the top 50. If you have the grades to get accepted to a top liberal arts college run to the school. Why? There are very few teacher Assistance at top liberal arts colleges. Schools like Williams, Wellesley, Colgate, Smith, Holy Cross, Trinity, etc have you in mind to give you the best education possible. The professors all have Phds and you learn from them and have ridiculous access to them. It matters!! The Campus is better, the gyms are better, studying abroad is better, almost everything in terms of the college is better.

The only HBCU that competes with these schools is Spelman which is by far the best HBCU hands down

If you cannot get accepted to the the Top 50 than I say give Spelman, Howard, Hampton, Florida A&M, and Moorehouse a shot. These schools will give you a solid education and have the goodwill and name recognition you will need after you graduate. Recruiter go to the same 5 HBCUs!! But you will see the disparity of resources because they have far less money, that’s just facts. I have a niece who got accepted to Smith but chose Hampton. I had a heart attack but Hampton proved to be a chief support for her in ways that I do not think Smith would have. Her professors take great interest in her because she was a star. A whale in the Lake as opposed to being a shark in the ocean. Only thing is that Smith’s living conditions are far superior, the food, the campus, the faculty, and the women at Smith are ALL very smart, Hampton just does not have the depth. At Hampton it is possible for a C- student to be sitting in the same classroom as the A student. That does not happen at Smith. Its the depth in the student body. This is not to say that Hampton students are not smart and successful but the depth is simply different.The depth of the students affects your study groups, class discussions, who you date, and your social outlets. For example, the Black engineers at MIT are tight knit group, they support each other. They are certifiable nerds but they are affirmed in their “nerdom”. They all got 700 or better in math. The sister that goes to Wellesley has a smarter dating pool than the sister at Morgan State. why because she is going to class at harvard, MIT, Boston college, etc.

Also, you will find that many students who attend these small liberal arts colleges have a very close community and social network, uncanny to any other type of schools. The black students at Colgate, Bowdoin, Holy Cross, Smith, etc are usually just like family for life.

Don’t believe the Hype that you are gonna get more money from an HBCU. Just not true. Numbers matter and the headache with HBCUs’ business offices is well known to be an absolute crapshoot. Many times you will get more money from these top liberal arts colleges because they are seeking notable future scholars and put a premium on diversity. Plus they just have more money to burn. So if you get in to Williams or Wellesley or Amherst, Bucknell, Lehigh, Laffeyette, or Barnard–go!!!

Socially…HBCUs are simply the best for Black students. The parties are awesome, the history is amazing, the social scene is simply outstanding. No PWI can even come close. You will not have the same experience–trust me. But you are not going to college to party. And the Admissions officer at NYU Law is not going to say Moorehouse–where is that? I would advise going to a PWI that lens itself to both such as John Hopkins or Georgetown where you are a stones throw from Howard or Morgan State. That’s the best of both worlds if your social life is more important than the education.

Parents, the moment you mention cost to your child, you have made the college decision about you and not about your child. Sure, money matters but if you pressure your child to go to a cheaper school it will haunt your child and build a great deal of resentment. People make the argument that going to a National Liberal arts College is not worth the extra money and they are flat out WRONG. That extra 10k you may pay is worth it. It will open doors for your child like never before and historically, Black student alums will benefit greatly because of the Presumption of Brilliance they will receive when they apply to grad school and employment opportunities will pay great dividends FOR LIFE. Black students at say Amherst, Williams, Bowdoin, Colgate, Holy Cross, Smith, Bryn Mar, Mount Holyoke, leave to become monsters in their field and the opportunities are crazy.

However, if you really can not afford to send your child to the school of their choice own it but be open to the top HBCU named above. Your child will be a star at Hampton, Howard, Moorehouse, Spelman, and Florida A&M.

OK…thats what I have for today, more to come!!

UMOJA!!!

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Thank you for sharing your insight. I have copied it to the AA Class of 2018. At PWIs we have heard of social isolation of AA students and lack of inclusion so it is indeed a difficult decision without even mentioning the political climate. It is a choice between greater access to resources and connections or a place you can call home.

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I think one thing being overlooked is that HBCU’s have been a tradition of over a century in the black community. Students go to explore their identities and interact with their culture/history in ways they might not have otherwise done at a PWI. HBCU’s are already in danger of closing and many feel that its very important to keep these institutions open for the next generation. If students don’t go, there’s little reason for even the most historically significant of schools to keep their doors open.

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I disagree with most of what you wrote (so poorly, I might add). I’ll just leave it at that.

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I apologize for the rambling in the beginning. If you can get past that I would like to know what you disagree with. I will be sure to proof and edit my responses better next time

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itgettingreal17…What do you disagree with? I do not think you can dispute the resources argument. Spelman has been noted as the best HBCU annually for over 20 years. You can not dispute my depth argument at all because the numbers do not lie. I did not write the missive to undermine HBCUs, I just think they should be a viable alternative for our brightest and best student. No student that gets accepted to Williams and Moorehouse should go to Moorehouse thats just foolish–unless the social party scene trumps the educational component. Our talented Black students should not have to suffer in class with other students who are taking remedial courses in math and english. How can you disagree with that?

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@Hamlon I agree. HBCUs have the uncanny gift of making sure our student graduate irrespective of their high school performance. So as long as their is a “miseducation” of our people HBCUs will be necessary and needed. The Ivies and the top 50 National Liberal Arts schools are not going to coddle or hold our children’s hand. Their is NO algebra at Bowdoin or Barnard. They expect you to sink or swim. HBCU want our kids to swim, so its necessary that our children who need that extra assistance attend HBCUs. I think there will always be a demand as long as their are those of us who understand and prioritize Black Institutions.

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@CollegeGriot

I agree with your comments on parents mentioning money (as someone who is in that current predicament)…but

I disagree with you saying that Spelman, Howard, Hampton, Morehouse, or FAMU are the only HBCUs that students should consider if they’re not going to a Top 50 school…that’s a bit of a stretch imo. Realistically speaking, these are the only 5 HBCUs I can think of that have solid accreditation in all majors/programs they offer ; however, I feel as if students should consider HBCUs that are strong & specialized in their area/choice of study and being somewhere where they will standout & make an impact.

For example, someone who wants to work in the agriculture field shouldn’t only consider Howard & Spelman because they’re considered the ‘elite’ HBCUs,etc…in my opinion, they would be better off considering Tuskegee U or North Carolina A&T (two schools that have better hands-on & specialized programs for that particular type of field)

& of course, if a student is scoring in the 25th percentile of a standardized test, they should be considering the best! However, let’s keep in mind, what you think is best for someone may not be what THEY think is best for them.

Interesting discussion post

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@CollegeGriot You’re clearly ignorant on the mission, purpose, culture, and the quality of HBCUs. You can’t even spell MOREHOUSE correctly. Don’t speak so boldly on something you clearly know little about.

And P.S. … rankings and test scores don’t tell the whole story when it comes to determining quality and it never has. Some of the most fascinating and brilliant people I know have ZERO degrees (Bill Gates is a college drop out) and ZERO years of college.

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OP, what’s the source of your advice? You have some expertise or these are just your thoughts?

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@xvibesx …The reason why I made the statement is because our children need the best resources possible and the best professors. The 5 HBCUs that I named pay their professors more as well, My source of information comes from 5 years as an admission counselor at a top 5 PWI, recruiter at a top financial institution, and a parent/uncle who has guided over 75 college ready students over the past 7 years to both PWIs and HBCUs.

Also, I recognize money is an issue but if your child applied to Trinity, Barnard, Colgate, Williams, Holy Cross, Smith, etc…they are gonna meet your need because they are need blind and very few of our HBCUs are need blind. In short, the money is there so do not be deterred by the sticker price.

If your child has a niche study area by all means go to A&T. Nothing I said is an absolute but if your chid is trying to be a doctor, lawyer, engineer, teacher, etc our HBCU are competitive but they are NOT better at the end of the day. You can not mess with schools who have almost a billion or more in their endowment. Just saying.

Lastly, what I may think is best may not be what’s best for your child. However, better resources and smaller classes are usually always better. Depth in student body is always better in the long run. You do not want your A student in class with the C+ student, that’s a recipe for disaster. Now if the quality of Academics is your top priority my advice is on point but if you are factoring social life, not so much.

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@NuScholar…your tag is certainly appropriate. I understand Booker T. Washington’s clarion call to cast down your buckets where you are. My niece is at Hampton. I have sent at least 18 students to HBCus, some with my blessing and some not so much. I think there exist, a certain cognitive dissonance that some HBCUs alum have to deal with when they engage in this dialogue because their is a lot of pride involved. I am not trying to undermine HBCUs but please do not undermine the data. My students who have attended HBCUs all had to take placement exams. Why? because the student population’s college readiness varies from student to student. There are some students that literally have to take College Algebra at Fisk, Hampton, Morehouse, and FAMU. The great gift is that those same students are on point when they graduate…

But In the end, I do not think our talented tenth if you will should suffer. They should be rewarded with luxury and the most nurturing environment possible. Iron sharpens Iron, not copper which is nice but it doesn’t sharpen iron. Take a look at John Hopkins or Georgetown and then take the train to Morgan State or Howard and be fair in your assessment–its not even close. Will your child be fortified with pride? Yes, but my hope is that they will leave their home with their black pride already in tow. If your child needs to see Black People in leadership because they have not been exposed to Black leadership at home, at church, than certainly an HBCU is a good choice but that pride is not going to help them solve the three variables in a Calculus equation nor will it help them when they are studying Organic Chemistry.

Lastly, Bill Gates attended Harvard, not sure if he graduated but he spent his formative years in Cambridge. Let’s not digress.