Alternatives to an HBCU?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the suggestions. To clarify, I am not ruling out an HBCU (despite my own bad experience), rather I am trying to convince my son that he should also look at non-HBCU schools. I think he could get into UVA, but unfortunately, I have not heard positive news about the lives of the black students there. I will check out some of the suggestions here (e.g the Meyerhoff Scholars program at UMBC, Temple, VCU).

Excellent suggestions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the suggestions. To clarify, I am not ruling out an HBCU (despite my own bad experience), rather I am trying to convince my son that he should also look at non-HBCU schools. I think he could get into UVA, but unfortunately, I have not heard positive news about the lives of the black students there. I will check out some of the suggestions here (e.g the Meyerhoff Scholars program at UMBC, Temple, VCU).

OP just want to say, don't discount your own feelings/experience/gut. The posts here trying to devalue that are very offensive, IMHO. We all have college experiences which inform the advice we give our kids. OP is entitled to the same without DCUMers chiding her, "No, dear, HBCUs are amazing!!!" She went to one. She knows what it was like and how she was affected and has valid opinions.

[Anonymous]

University of Maryland- College Park

University of Maryland Baltimore County

Georgia State University


LSU

[Anonymous]

I feel like HBCU are best for low income Black students, Flagship State colleges best for middle class Black people, and Ivy League best for rich Black People

[Anonymous]

I'm a Duke alum and it pains me to say it but I agree with UNC. I know a number of highly successful AA UNC alums from our generation (graduated around the 90s) who had a great experience at UNC. They developed a tight network there that has helped them professionally as well but also felt very comfortable working in a predominantly white corporate world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Duke alum and it pains me to say it but I agree with UNC. I know a number of highly successful AA UNC alums from our generation (graduated around the 90s) who had a great experience at UNC. They developed a tight network there that has helped them professionally as well but also felt very comfortable working in a predominantly white corporate world.

why UNC over Duke, is it the state college effect?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Duke alum and it pains me to say it but I agree with UNC. I know a number of highly successful AA UNC alums from our generation (graduated around the 90s) who had a great experience at UNC. They developed a tight network there that has helped them professionally as well but also felt very comfortable working in a predominantly white corporate world.

why UNC over Duke, is it the state college effect?

Duke was more segregated. My perspective is dated so this could no longer be the case, and there were definitely plenty of exceptions to the rule, but there was a lot of pressure for black students to stick to themselves, which interestingly came more from their community than from being excluded by whites (though that also did happen).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Duke alum and it pains me to say it but I agree with UNC. I know a number of highly successful AA UNC alums from our generation (graduated around the 90s) who had a great experience at UNC. They developed a tight network there that has helped them professionally as well but also felt very comfortable working in a predominantly white corporate world.

why UNC over Duke, is it the state college effect?

Duke was more segregated. My perspective is dated so this could no longer be the case, and there were definitely plenty of exceptions to the rule, but there was a lot of pressure for black students to stick to themselves, which interestingly came more from their community than from being excluded by whites (though that also did happen).

good point

[Anonymous]

Not going to find one. Maybe compromise on a college in a city with Black people, like Atlanta.

[Anonymous]

A big state university will have a lot of Black people in a small area, even if the percentage isn't high.

[Anonymous]

What major?

STEM? Humanities? Business? Art?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He'll find other black students anywhere. Other then HBCUs, you aren't going to find a high caliber school with a high percent of black students. My high stats black DC will go to the best school DC gets into. Throughout my professional life, I've been mostly one of the few blacks people in the room. Your DC might face that as an adult. I went to a predominantly white institutions but had many friends of color. Don't limit your DC by requiring a high percent of black students.

I'm a minority as well (not black) but student demographics were never a part of our kid's college decisions. Yes, it helps to have some with similar life experiences but no need to limit your friend group to one ethnicity or race or religion. We are a sum of people close to us, its better for humans to have a diverse community. Just my 2 cents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Duke alum and it pains me to say it but I agree with UNC. I know a number of highly successful AA UNC alums from our generation (graduated around the 90s) who had a great experience at UNC. They developed a tight network there that has helped them professionally as well but also felt very comfortable working in a predominantly white corporate world.

why UNC over Duke, is it the state college effect?

Duke was more segregated. My perspective is dated so this could no longer be the case, and there were definitely plenty of exceptions to the rule, but there was a lot of pressure for black students to stick to themselves, which interestingly came more from their community than from being excluded by whites (though that also did happen).

I think Amherst has a black only dorm. Boggles my mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like HBCU are best for low income Black students, Flagship State colleges best for middle class Black people, and Ivy League best for rich Black People

Please tell you're not black as this is such a horrible take.

OP, as a HU grad myself, I implore you to look into some of the dual enrollment programs. Your kid can get the best of both worlds. For example, he can start his years at Morehouse and get a degree from there while also getting one from Georgia Tech. There are partnerships with Columbia, Notre Dame, Michigan, Brown, Dartmouth, Vanderbilt etc.

[Anonymous]

Emory
Oberlin
George Washington U
Drexel