NO, i do not believe this. but this is what i've heard after telling people that i want to attend an HBCU (Spelman). They say it closes your network making you only appealing to black companies and also it is not realistic. what are some advantages and disadvantages about attending one. KEEP IT REAL PLEASE
a little about me
I attend a PWI (all white) college prep school. I am a senior and hope to attend Spelman College. Its the only HBCU i am applying to.. my other schools are Boston College,Boston University,Syracuse and etc.. i currently live in boston..could ppl also tell me about down south..ppl tryna tell me ima hate it cause people down there are "retarded" and what not
AGAIN i do not belive this.. i love spelman college and down south i just want a lil something to know i am making the right choice...
Don't believe everything you hear. The HBCU experience is beyond compare, nothing like it! Attending one doesn't shrink your network, it enlarges it. I have classmates who have went on to become doctors working for large companies and PWIs and I have some that have gone on to take jobs at black companies and HBCUs. HBCU graduates can run the full spectrum of job placement so don't let what other people speculate determine your future.
Telling you about "down south" will vary from city to city/town to town. It all depends on where you want to be. Since you want to go to Spelman, Atlanta is one of the livest cities in the south. There are a couple people on here that can give you their perspective of Atlanta better than I can.
And we aren't "retarded"...that's so politically incorrect!
_______________________________ Check me...New and Approved!
I was basically in your shoes a year ago. I only applied to 2 HBCUs out of a total of 11 schools. I turned down a bunch of PWIs like the University of Michigan and Boston University to attend. So far, I love it. The adjustment from a college prep school was not difficult. Spelman has a lot of students who come from predominately white high schools.
Negative Aspects
1. less financial resources
2. less name recognition
3. unorganized administration
Positive Aspects
1. small learning environment
2. vibrant social life
3. sense of community
4. (sisterhood) Specifically for Spelman.
5. Great Grad School Preperation
Spelman is an overall great institution. I do not feel like I'm missing out on anything because i chose to attend an HBCU. Spelman provides a sense of community that i feel is unmatched at most PWIs.
_______________________________
**Spelman College c/o 2012**
"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined"-Henry David Thoreau
lol thank you for response!
do you know about the "gay men" thing going on down there that i have heard soo much about
That's not my lifestyle so I don't know anymore about it than the next man. And that is that there's an abundance of gay men there. Again, not my cup o' tea.
_______________________________ Check me...New and Approved!
Personally, I think the HBCU experience is something that can’t be equated monetarily. Therefore, I recommend Spelman College. Spleman is a great HBCU that will challenge you academically. Since your heart is at Spelman, you should attend there. I think HBCUs are good for Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate degrees. I attended an HBCU for undergrad and PWI for graduate school. From experience, I did not notice a difference in terms of academics. However, I definitely noticed a difference in the social life. When I attended Tennessee State University, the activities were geared toward blacks. When I attended the University of Central Florida, the activities were geared toward the majority. However, it was not bad, but just different. In terms of only appealing to black companies, that is definitely not true. From what I have experienced, companies recruit at HBCUs very aggressively. When I attended Tennessee State University, I received a job due to their career fair, which consisted of more than 100 companies (IBM, Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, Sun, Dell, JP Morgan Chase, etc.). As far as networking, I recommend joining professional organizations (IEEE, NSBE, NBMBAA, ACM). This will expose you to a diverse group within your field. As far as Down South, I was born, raised, and currently reside in the South. I personally think it’s a great place to live, learn, work, and play. Best wishes with your future endeavors.
_______________________________ If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all. And so today I still have a dream.
-Martin Luther King, jr.
...From what I have experienced, companies recruit at HBCUs very aggressively...
This is also true for graduate schools looking for talented Black students. For example, Tuskegee University puts on a graduate school fair every fall.
thank you all for your responses!
im planning on going to spelman for ungrad then do grad school at a PWI hopefully IVY..
now all i have to do is pray that i get in..
This is also true for graduate schools looking for talented Black students. For example, Tuskegee University puts on a graduate school fair every fall.
I absolutely agree with your statement. I think HBCUs are good for Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate degrees. In Nashville TN, Meharry Medical College produces probably more black doctors than any other school. I am not sure about their current rank, but I know they fluctuate for the #1 position with respect to producing black doctors.
_______________________________ If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all. And so today I still have a dream.
-Martin Luther King, jr.
From an education perspective, I think some HBCUs are equal to PWIs. HBCUs are good for Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate degrees. If I had a choice, I probably would have attended an HBCU for graduate studies. Below is a response that I saw on another thread about Spelman. I hope it helps.
spel_diva2010 wrote:
Excuse me? A Spelman Alumna is the Dean of Undergraduate Studies at Harvard! I have met Spelman Alumnae from DC to Hawaii and still yet we have alumnae that are international. Not to mention women who graduate from single sex institutions have higher incomes than women who graduate from coeducational schools. We are a smaller school so our athletics are Division III, which is fine because there are still CAU and Morehouse games to watch in addition to the other 19 colleges in Atlanta. We have a smaller community, that means more people are looking out for you, the Atlanta people have southern hospitality, we have graduate communities at ivy leagues, because of Spelman Women who have come before us.
Let me run you some statistics on Spelman in comparison to other HBCUs and PWIs:
We are a top producer of Fulbright Fellows,
Top producer of Watson Fellows (we were the only HBCU to produce one for 2008),
Top producer of Carneige Mellon Scholars
Top producer of Gilman Recipients
We were the only school in 2008 (besides Brown University) to have all three of our nominated students for the Rockefeller Brothers Fellowship chosen as finalists
Women who graduate from women's institutions have higher incomes than women who graduate from coeducational institutions
We are the Number 1 Historically Black College in the Nation
I think Spelman speaks for itself. You not only have a network and connections with your Spelman Sisters, but also with the world. Our institution sends out women who can stand for the institution and themselves.
_______________________________ If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all. And so today I still have a dream.
-Martin Luther King, jr.
...
That's not my lifestyle so I don't know anymore about it than the next man. And that is that there's an abundance of gay men there. Again, not my cup o' tea. 
