<p>#BBUM</a> in images: Being black at the University of Michigan | Detroit Free Press | freep.com</p>
<p>”Being Black at The University of Michigan" has received much recognition and support in the past few months. As a student of color planning to attend next year, I am extremely proud, yet curious.</p>
<p>How is the racial climate on campus? Is it changing?
How much are people really talking about #BBUM?</p>
<p>I am not a student, but I think for having such high stats (29-33, 3.8 GPA), UM does well with regards to minority enrollment. Especially considering that the average for Black students is around a 17 (lower, but similar to other URMs) on the ACT, the fact that they have about a 4% representation is not bad. Could be better, but not abysmal at all.</p>
<p>Another thing to consider is that due to federal guidelines, the demographic labeling is skewered. For instance, if you choose to check “Hispanic or Latino” you will be in that percentage, no matter what you pick next. Choose two or more races, and you’ll go into that category. So technically, there could be more “Black” students at UMich-- they are just under a different label.</p>
<p>Representation on campus doesn’t equate with tolerance though. Maybe a student could talk about the racial climate specifically?</p>
<p>Black representation on campus is completely understandable. UMich does a great job with admitting minority students. Although Affirmative Action was banned, many black students admitted fall in the lower percentiles regarding standardized testing. While this may lead people to believe that black students would be eager to attend such a prestigious and academically rigorous school, the yield for black students is surprisingly low. From personal experience, many black students from my area who are accepted to UMich do not attend. Instead, many choose to attend other state schools, especially MSU, or HBCUs.</p>
<p>It is all about tolerance. While many non-black adults in my life (Michigan alumni) encourage me to “be the best that I can be” and never “let anyone tell you that you don’t belong there”, I have also been discouraged by a particular Michigan alum, an African American male, who said that I would feel much more accepted and embraced at an HBCU. </p>
<p>Interesting article: <a href=“http://www.michigandaily.com/opinion/10viewpoint-being-black-ann-arbor02[/url]”>http://www.michigandaily.com/opinion/10viewpoint-being-black-ann-arbor02</a></p>
<p>I am extremely curious to hear about the racial climate!</p>
<p>I partly agree with you. My sister is a UMich alum, and even though she never experienced any direct hostility, she said she was always conscious of her identity being different than others . I also have a lot of family who went to Howard, and who absolutely loved it. I think that lends credence to what the Black alum you talk to says.</p>
<p>From my experience though, a lot of people from my area choose MSU (or similar schools) over UofM for a few reasons. For one, those schools are more accessible to their friends. UofM tends to be lax for students from poor “educational environments”, but it will generally only take the best of those students. UofM also requires the Summer Bridge Program for a lot of its minority students. I know students of color from private schools who’ve been bridged. I don’t believe many other schools do this do this.</p>
<p>By the way, I’m assuming from your username that you are from the Detroit area? If so, me too! Good luck if you’re applying EA!</p>
<p>Honestly, why go to a HBCU?
That’s just moving backwards towards segregation. </p>
<p>You can just go to a state school and mix yourself in your own ethnic clique but still be able to surround yourself with people from other cultures in different clubs/organizations and classes.</p>
<p>A lot of people go to HBCU’s because a few of them give great merit aid for students who would leave State school’s in debt. Also, some HBCU’s are great educational institutions. Moorehouse, Howard, Spelman, and others generally send students to top Grad, Med, and Law schools on a yearly basis.</p>
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<p>Perhaps some people would rather go to a school that has a large portion of students of their race? Just because they can go to a White school doesn’t mean they want to. </p>
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<p>What do you want to know?</p>
<p>I have heard alot about the Summer Bridge Program but, I am unclear on if you are a minority student entering UofM is this program required?</p>
<p>Is the campus generally accepting of miniority students? Do you feel like you belong? Pretty much what the OP asked, what is the racial climate?</p>
<p>I don’t think its required or strictly for minorities. I just know that most (I would actually say all) of the minorities I know who got in had to do the program.</p>
<p>[Michigan</a> State University Admissions: ACT Scores, Financial Aid & More](<a href=“http://collegeapps.about.com/od/collegeprofiles/p/Michigan_State.htm]Michigan”>Michigan State: Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores, GPA)</p>
<p>[Howard</a> University Admissions: SAT Scores, Financial Aid & More](<a href=“http://collegeapps.about.com/od/collegeprofiles/p/howard-university.htm]Howard”>Howard University: Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores, GPA)
[Morehouse</a> College Admissions: SAT Scores, Financial Aid & More](<a href=“http://collegeapps.about.com/od/collegeprofiles/p/morehouse-college.htm]Morehouse”>Morehouse College: Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores, GPA)
Howard and Moorehouse both give a bit more financial aid(grants) than a typical state school like MSU.</p>
<p>But both Howard and Moorehose still cost $40k+ yearly, both give on average
$13k and 17k in grants respectively.</p>
<p>In-state MSU costs $24k. Averages $8k grant per student. </p>
<p>however, a black student going to MSU could probably get $13k just as easily since MSU obviously has a much smaller minority %, so that dilutes the average grant per student significantly. </p>
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but there is 100+ HBCU</p>
<p>Howard also gives great merit aid. With just a 26 and a 3.0, you could get a full tuition scholarship at Howard. There are other African-American scholarship organizations and funds that work closely with HBCU’s as well.</p>
<p>bleedblue1, the Summer Bridge Program is for students from underrepresented areas or school districts that don’t have many resources. The program is essentially provided to students who may have a hard time adjusting to the rigor of UMich, and those students are likely to be minorities.</p>
<p>ForeverAlone, Anyone can apply and enroll in an HBCU. They are “historically black” not “for blacks only”. It isn’t segregation.
Also, HBCUs are very diverse. Blacks come from allover and attending an HBCU will allow you to be exposed to much diversity culturally and socioeconomically.
There is a sense of acceptance, pride, and progression found in HBCUs.</p>
<p>MathisAmazing, I’m from Detroit and applied EA. Good luck to you as well! </p>
<p>Coming from a school composed of all minority students, the transition will be hard for me no matter where I choose to go. I hear that UMich undergrads can be very prejudice and it scares me a bit. </p>
<p>Also, I would hate to be put in the mandatory bridges program. Although the three people I know that attend UMich went through bridges, it didn’t deter them. I know another girl who didn’t have to do bridges but she chose to attend Wayne for various reasons.</p>
<p>If I get deferred from Michigan tomorrow, I will submit an app to Howard, definitely!</p>
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<p>Well, I’m White, incase your impression was something else.</p>
<p>As a general rule, people will stick with their own. It’s no different at Michigan than it is at any other university I’m sure or the country as a whole. There may be exceptions though, I know one Black guy, but I’ve never seen him with other Blacks and it seems that all of his friends are non-Black. I can’t talk about anyone else because he’s the only Black guy I know here. </p>
<p>I don’t know where the 4% number comes from but I can tell you that:</p>
<p>-Only a few of my classes had any Blacks. Notably, half the time it’s been that same guy I mentioned before. I’ve now graduated (or well, will once my grades are posted) so I’ve taken quite a few classes.
-Most days, if I don’t see the one guy I mentioned before, I don’t even see any Black people on campus.</p>
<p>So take from that what you will. If you’re deciding whether or not to come to Michigan, if you’re comfortable with all your friends being Whites, Jews, or Asians then you should be fine. But if you want to have a group of Black friends, it’s going to be harder here than elsewhere simply because there aren’t many.</p>
<p>Vladenschlutte, that’s interesting. I always see a few black people when I visit campus, but maybe that’s because I’m looking for them, haha. I guess that goes to show how small 4% truly is. </p>
<p>Regarding myself, I have no problem being surrounded by and befriending non-blacks. I only fear that I won’t be fine because of the preconceived notion that every black person is only there because of affirmative action.</p>
<p>Anyways, congratulations on graduating! Good luck. :)</p>
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<p>I don’t think you should need to worry about that. There may be a few that think that but if you’re willing to ignore them most people will be pretty accepting and non-judgemental.</p>
<p>Hi, I’m an actual black freshman at Michigan and can give you some first-hand advice, because I believe that non-black students can give you accurate advice about what it’s actually like being a black student here, and I personally love it!</p>
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<p>HBCU are very diverse??</p>
<p>I don’t think you understand what the term stands for. Perhaps you should look it up because diversity !=Black.</p>
<p>[Morehouse</a> College Students - CollegeData College Profile](<a href=“http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg06_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=1517]Morehouse”>http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg06_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=1517)
Moorehouse College = 98% black
<a href=“http://www.howard.edu/assessment/documents/reports/2009-undergraduatestudentexitsurveyinstitutionalresults.pdf[/url]”>http://www.howard.edu/assessment/documents/reports/2009-undergraduatestudentexitsurveyinstitutionalresults.pdf</a>
Howard U = 88% black</p>
<p>All for as diversity culturally and socioeconomically, HBCU are not more than an average state school.</p>
<p>I didn’t say it was “segregation.” I’m saying it’s similar. </p>
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<p>Is “Lower your Standards” the school motto over there?</p>
<p>Whose standard? A 26 puts in you the top 20% of test-takers nationwide.</p>