50 Best Colleges for African Americans

Attending college is a rebirth of sorts. You’re smart, ambitious, young, and for the first time in your life, you get to do things your way. Heather Booker’s chapter in her family’s

Hampton University story began when she was 6 months old. She bounced on the knee of her great-grandpa as he and the school’s alumni association members made grand plans for the thriving university, such as erecting a statue of Booker T. Washington, still a centerpiece of the campus.

Booker, 20, has since gotten to know the campus more intimately as a student. She hails from a long line of Hampton graduates that includes her parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Her grandmother, Deloris Bryant-Booker, is a director of grant development for Fulton County Schools in Atlanta, while her grandfather, James Avery Booker Jr., is a retired trauma surgeon and colonel in the Air Force. In fact, she practically grew up on the campus with her mother, Dr. Karla Booker, an OB-GYN.

“I went [to Hampton] because these people have such love for the school,” says Booker, referring to the network of support from professors and alumni that exists for students. “I wanted to be in a place where I was more than just a number. The experience of being at a black school offered me a foundation of history, resources, and examples of who I wanted to become.”

As the senior prepares for graduation, she remains focused on keeping up her 3.5 GPA (as a Presidential Scholar); chairing the women’s caucus; and taking an active role in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, which she pledged last spring. “Being involved in different associations, you never know who you’re going to meet. It’s a chance to find students that are on the same track as you, and most important, it’s an opportunity to be an example for someone else.”

In addition to getting to know students like Booker, BLACK ENTERPRISE will show you what it takes to get the most out of your college years. We’ve developed a year-by-year strategy, from your freshman through senior years, that is chock-full of expert advice on how to make a smooth transition from college life to the professional world. Each subject has completed the year in which he or she appears.

We’ve also included our exclusive ranking of the 50 Best Colleges for African Americans for your social and academic needs. There are few surprises on this year’s list. The University of Chicago is the lone newcomer, mostly because of its increase in black student graduation rates. (For more information on how we crunched the numbers, see the methodology.)

It’s up to you to choose the school that’s best for you. This ready reference is designed to keep you on point during your college years.

MARCIE GRAHAM, New York University, Metropolitanb Studies, Freshman Year
Since most of her family went to historically black colleges and universities, everyone thought Marcie Graham would attend one, too. Yet in September of 2003, the rising sophomore landed right in the heart of the Big Apple as a metropolitan studies student at New York University. So why break family tradition? “I wanted to do something different and more career-focused,” says Graham, 19, originally from Memphis, Tennessee. The aspiring entertainment lawyer knew her career preference would land her in either New York or Los Angeles.

Armed with a 4.9 GPA out of a total of 5.0, Graham received a Presidential Scholar award worth $25,000 over four years — the highest honor a student can receive — and headed north. While catching the subway to classes and strolling through Manhattan’s Washington Square Park, she learned a few things during her first year in college. “Grades should always be the focus of why you’re there. It has to come from [within],” she says. Graham also suggests that students should hit the road for their college experience: “If you’re from the South, go north; if you’re from the East, go west. You have no money, you can’t cook, and those experiences are what you need to build character.”

Many experts say freshman year yields all sorts of discovery. “This time is all about learning about college life, familiarizing yourself with organizations, clubs, and the resources that the institution offers,” says John Augliera, career coordinator at the Career Services Center at Lehman College. In essence, attending college is about moving to another level and implementing these tools are the first steps.

Get to know your new environment. When you have freshman orientation, you receive a lot of material that explains the school’s resources. Don’t simply stack the materials in a corner; take the time to read them, highlighting areas of interest. Next, find out how to get involved. Take note of where the health services, career centers, tutoring centers, and financial aid offices are located. You will spend a lot of time in these places if you’re taking full advantage of your college’s resources. Also, visit the minority/diversity office for more services. Or maybe there’s a school newspaper, an Intranet, or a school Website that you can peruse. For example, Georgetown University outlines a full plan on its Website to let you know what you should be doing each year. Also, consider volunteering as a tour guide to experience your school and gain firsthand exposure to all it has to offer.

Make the grade. Although some say the economy is picking up, it’s still an employer’s market. That means you want to do all you can to distinguish yourself from the pack. “I plan to make As,” says Graham. “I know I have to study more … but I look around the class to see who’s naturally talented and then look at what I need to do to get there.” Even if you’re not the smartest kid in the class, you can improve your GPA by getting a tutor, attending a writing workshop, going to study groups, and asking your professors for help. When you get in front of potential employers, however, “they are not just looking for that top GPA; they are looking for students to articulate what they’ve learned, expecting to hear what you bring to the table,” says Jean Muhammad, a former visiting professor at Florida A&M University who taught professional development courses until last spring. “It’s that business entity that goes beyond the grades.”

Develop a team of supporters. It’s very important to gather with like-minded individuals, from peers to mentors to advisers. “Surround yourself with achievers — peers who are really serious about succeeding. Share your story with them and vice versa to help you get through the tough times,” says Kim Wells, director of the career services office at Howard University. “You can seek them out just by conversation. You’ll hear the ones who have lofty goals about being a doctor, senator, etc., and then decide for yourself who has the same level of energy that you have.” In addition, meet with your academic adviser to discuss career goals, registration requirements, deadlines, and perhaps, upcoming internship opportunities.

Your adviser can offer academic support throughout your college career, so consult him or her often. It might be prudent to speak to the dean of students and the head of the major and minor academic departments you’re considering. It’s this group that will help you focus on the task at hand — whether the goal is to become a world-famous botanist or travel the globe on a peace mission. Ask lots of questions, pay attention to the advice, and commit to the process, even if you are not clear about the end result.

Put the social scene into perspective. This is a great time to make friends with people who will become lifelong buddies. But you don’t want to become a social butterfly to the detriment of your schoolwork. “Often, it’s hard to make the transition into having that much freedom,” says Carol J. Carter, author of Majoring in the Rest of Your Life, Fourth Edition (LifeBound; $16.95).
“It’s better to be moderate as you enter your freshman year. Don’t skip going to parties; just don’t go to them five nights a week.” For tips on time management, see sidebar “Back-to-School Basics.”

Start small. You don’t have to do everything at once. “You need to take care of yourself first,” says Carter, who is also founder and president of LifeBound (www.lifebound.com), a seminar and coaching company for high school and college students. “For example, instead of taking 18 credits, take 12. Once you’ve proven yourself [and have mastered the amount of work], you can increase your course load.” The idea is to start small so that everything you do builds on each other over the following years.

N. RASHAD JONES, Georgetown University, International Politics, Sophomore Year
Just call him the diplomat. N. Rashad Jones knew that he would pursue a career in international affairs and foreign policy. Naturally, he headed north from Atlanta to Washington, D.C., where he attends Georgetown University. “Initially, I received full scholarships from American and Howard universities, but after visiting campuses and speaking to students, I decided on Georgetown.

The 19-year-old junior is making the best of his opportunities by getting involved in activities that will lead him down the path to becoming a political foreign service officer. Take, for instance, the Woodrow Wilson Foreign Services Fellowship he recently received. “I did a lot of research to find it [back in high school],and met students that had applied for the program and asked them how they felt about it,” says Jones, who knew he was on the right track. “It’s basically a training program for the State Department. I was asked grammar-related questions in economics, politics, etc., and you even take yourself out on a date to find out what your interests are.” Jones recently finished teaching a debate course at Emory University.

Although it’s a bit more rigorous than Jones lets on, the program is preparing him to protect our foreign interests abroad and to find peaceful foreign policy measures through meetings with dignitaries. Preparation is vital during your sophomore year. As you enter it, start thinking about what you really want to do after college and engage in the following activities to help you get there.

Select a major. Choose something that you’re good at and would enjoy. To figure out what academic areas fit those criteria, make an appointment with your academic adviser. You may also want to talk with a career center adviser to see what professions suit your talents. “There is a battery of assessment tests [available] such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the Sigi/Plus, and the Discover System, to help a student focus their interest,” says Wells. Contact your career center to find out about taking these tests. No need to worry, there are no grades involved. You simply get a chance to be honest with yourself. The assessment tests match your likes and dislikes, and strengths and weaknesses, with your skills. You may be able to audit classes, attend without receiving any academic credit. This way, you can see if the coursework makes sense for your career aspirations.

Set up an internship for the summer. Upon graduating from college, every student should have completed at least two years of internship experience. “Internships provide students an

opportunity to put into practice concepts discussed in their college curriculum and to make contacts with professionals in their area of interest,” says Richard A. Smith, area manager of INROADS (www.inroads.org), an organization that recruits students of color who are interested in careers such as business, nursing, and accounting.

You should apply for internships in the fall of each year. “Those students who are searching for internships [early in their college years] are more successful at getting internships and employment upon graduation than their peers who may have waited until their final summer in college to begin their search,” says Smith. Go to sites like Monster.com and MonsterTrak.com to view various companies and internships.

Also, don’t be afraid to think outside the box. If a company you have an interest in doesn’t have an internship, simply volunteer, says Carter. For example, during Christmas break, “You can say, ‘I know you don’t have a formal intern program, but if you’re pleased with my work, maybe I could stay through the summer and you could create a formal internship,'” says Smith.

“You’ll get a chance to see what these people’s lives are like in these organizations. You’ll see what it takes to be a Fortune 500 executive, and you’ll start to identify different types of competencies that you need,” says Wells. If your company is big on presentations, for example, and you need the practice, consider joining an organization like Toastmasters International (www.toastmasters.org) to improve your public speaking skills. At the very least, you can put that experience on your resumé.

Once you land the internship, Smith recommends looking at it not as a summer job, but as the beginning of a career.
He also offers this advice:

• Show up on time.
• Continue to do well academically.
• Network and get to know your peers.
• Dress appropriately.
• Give others a chance to see your skills.

Join organizations that you care about. The purpose of joining organizations is twofold: (1) to make contacts in your field of interest, especially if it’s career-related and (2) to show your leadership skills and volunteer for a cause you believe in. For some, it means pledging a sorority or fraternity. For others, it’s joining a business or leadership organization such as the student government. By joining these organizations and taking an active role, you will be able to articulate how you handled problem-solving scenarios, how you managed a team, met deadlines, and achieved the overall goal of a particular project.

Reapply for scholarships. Many scholarships last a year. Review your papers to see if your scholarship renews annually or if it’s a one-time opportunity. If it’s a one-time scholarship, see if you are eligible to reapply and look for other scholarships and financial aid resources.

Smith recommends avoiding the following:

• Discussing personal issues or having inappropriate conversations
• Consistently arriving late or missing too many days
• Missing deadlines
• Using company equipment or e-mail for personalbusiness

College isn’t just for 18-year-olds.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 68% of college students over age 24 work full time and are enrolled part time. They are also more likely to be married and have children. Consider these tips as you plan your continuing education:

BE PREPARED. Before applying to college, consult an adviser. Margaret Stumpf, adviser to nontraditional students at the Friday Center for Continuing Education at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, encourages prospective adult students to review the school’s catalog, which contains academic major requirements and descriptions of classes. “Weigh the major you might love against the one that will get you a job,” she advises. Stumpf emphasizes the importance of keeping a copy of your high school and college transcripts for your own records.

TAKE YOUR TIME. “Adults feel they are behind and often take on too much to make up for lost time,” says Pauline Drake, president of Spelman University’s Continuing Education Program. Don’t pressure yourself into trying to finish school as soon as possible because you didn’t attend college sooner. Drake advises students to take one or two courses to get adjusted, gain confidence, and build a strong academic foundation.

BREAK UP TASKS. Spending time on schoolwork will affect your personal and family time. Don’t overwhelm yourself
by taking on too many tasks at once. If you are having trouble remembering important class notes, record class lectures and play them in your car as you run errands. Create a daily and weekly schedule of tasks to ensure that you remember deadlines.

MANAGE TIME WISELY. Arrange for others in your household to help with chores in order to relieve pressure and successfully balance your education, career, and family. Use personal time to reflect on your day. Remember to praise yourself for striving to finish college, an achievement for people of all ages.

KHALILAH KARIM, Stanford University ,Urban Studies, Junior Year

She had it all mapped out. About three years ago, Khalilah S. Karim created a five- to 10-year plan that included attending Stanford University in California, going abroad with the Peace Corps after graduation, and then returning to the states to obtain a master’s degree in public policy. It might sound like a full load but not when you have a master plan.

A great deal of her success, says the 21-year old, is a result of growing up with 10 siblings. “I’ve had all of my brothers and sisters as my confidantes. My mom and dad died when I was young, so I looked to them for guidance.”

The counsel she received from seven college graduates has paid off. Karim worked three jobs this past summer. She served as an intern for

the American Civil Liberties Union on the Capital Punishment Project, which is fighting against death penalty sentences for juvenile offenders; wrote for The Washington Informer, a grassroots Washington, D.C., newspaper; and completed an independent study project on the effects of racial integration on academic performance in low-income neighborhoods. Moreover, she has taken advantage of everything Stanford has to offer. How can you do it? Follow these tips:

Travel abroad. Whenever you visit another country, you get to sample the sights and sounds of a different culture. “This is firsthand experience that you can’t get from a book,” says Carter, who traveled to Spain while in college. Traveling will also open you up to new opportunities such as volunteering at a foreign mission after leaving college.

Take a research position or conduct an independent study. In academia, you gain access to a plethora of brilliant minds. Take an interest not only in what professors are teaching but also in what they’re studying. Often, those trying to achieve tenure are required to conduct research, write papers, and become published. This may serve as an excellent opportunity to volunteer as an assistant or to ask your professor to let you handle specific research you can convert into an independent study project.

Sign up for a leadership role in an organization. Now that you’ve joined a few groups on campus, it’s time for you to play a bigger role. Run for student government president or seek out other leadership roles. Keep in mind that effective time management is a must. The rewards are limitless: You get to attend conferences, write speeches, participate in panels, and make executive decisions. “Getting involved in various professional associations allows you to connect upward with deans and alumni,” says John Mixon, vice president and client service consultant at Atlanta-based Right Management Consultants. “You have to look at everyone as an opportunity.”

Build your resumé. Your resumé is a vehicle to showcase skills relative to the position for which you are applying, your coursework, and it provides a mission statement of what you expect to accomplish. When developing your resumé, make sure it’s “free of spelling and grammatical errors, eliminate abbreviations, and do not overinflate accomplishments,” says Smith. Create a general resumé that highlights skills and experiences as well as one tailored to specific career goals.

Tighten your interviewing skills. First impressions are lasting ones. Preparing for an interview is a detailed process. “Research the organization [and] its vision and values,” says Kim Wells of Howard University Career Services. “You want to identify organizations that have a perfect place for you, so look at reference guides and resources.” Visit sites like www.salary.com for figures and read Job Interviews Made Easy by Jan Bailey Mattia (McGraw Hill; $7.44).

Wear appropriate dress to the interview. “Wearing pants down to your knees may be stylish, but it’s not professional,” says Mixon. “Being well-groomed is [extremely important] because wherever you are, people are making a judgment [about you], without even talking to you.”

LEON MASSEY, Florida A&M University, Computer Information Systems, Senior Year
About a month ago, Leon Massey received his diploma from Florida A&M University, and has just started working at Lockheed Martin Corp., the $31.8 billion aeronautics juggernaut. Having been recruited by INROADS right out of high school, Massey gained an edge over most of his competition. The 23-year-old notes, however, that “it’s up to the INROADer to be able to successfully pass, know how to mingle and have a balance.”

Initially, it was difficult for Massey to gain balance because “I would stay in, or go to the library and do miscellaneous research.” But he soon got disgusted with the work and learned “you have to go out and have fun and meet people.” After two internships — one with Cingular Wireless and the other with Lockheed — he’s quick to speak, melding into the corporate culture as an African American professional. “When you’re interviewed, know your research, know your competitors, give a firm handshake,” he says. “Be business-oriented.”

Even though it may sound like common sense, lots of students don’t know these simple but critical rituals. Massey learned them well. Now he’s using his knowledge in computer information systems to work on sophisticated, computer-aided integration management software.

He appears ready to handle the corporate environment with an unyielding confidence and strong cultural ties — by-products of his education at an HBCU. “[In] history classes, there would be a picture [or] a short paragraph [about African American contributions] and that was it,” he says of his high school textbooks. “I felt like I was being cheated and an HBCU would meet that requirement.”

As you complete your last year as an undergraduate, take these tips with you:

Send out cover letters and resumés. Now that you’ve mastered resumé-building and cover letter writing, it’s time to send them out. If you’ve followed our guidelines, you have a good sense of what you want to do as a professional. If you’re trying to get on a path to a career, send out about 50 cover letters and resumés by using contacts, the Internet, job postings in newspapers, and your school’s career center.

Prepare for a new school. If you’re thinking about law school, grad school, or medical school, prepare to fill out applications, take aptitude tests such as the GMAT or LSAT, write essays, and meet deadlines. Take time the summer before your senior year to get all of your applications together and study for fall testing. Even consider a refresher course. But don’t view graduate school as a backup in case you don’t get a job. Use it as the next step to meet your goals. For example, get an M.B.A. to become more competitive in a business environment or as preparation for a higher-level job.

Get started now, it’s not too late. Developing a support network, sharpening interview skills, and even traveling abroad can happen early in your senior year. So if you’re a late bloomer, it’s not too late. It may take you longer to accomplish some goals if you wait too long into your final semester, but the resources at your school are there for you when you’re ready, not the other way around.

Develop plans B, C, and D. What if you don’t get that f
ellowship in England? By having more than one plan, you won’t be stuck if the first one doesn’t work out. If there is a lull between plans A and B, keep busy by taking on part-time work, volunteering, and temping. Temporary work is a good opportunity to try different companies and make valuable contacts. Having backup plans will reduce the stress level you otherwise might have encountered had your first plan failed. “People should really pay attention to what their gifts and passions and talents are,” Carter says. “If they keep asking [questions of] themselves and listening to themselves, they will ultimately get the information they seek.”
— Additional reporting by Stephanie Young

CRASH COURSE:MONEY 101
Besides your diploma, you may get something else upon graduatingfrom college — DEBT!

Sallie Mae calculated the mean undergraduate debt for African Americans to be $15,300 in 2002. Use these tips to help you balance your budget.

GET A JOB. Counteract debt by working during your summer or winter vacations. If you choose to work during the school year, work part time to allow yourself enough time for schoolwork. According to the Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, the effects on undergraduates working more than 21 hours per week included limited class schedules and access to the library, as well as a negative effect on grades.

Take advantage of on-campus jobs such as work-study and assistant positions, which allow you to work around your class schedule. A balanced combination of work and school can result in better time management and less procrastination. Make sure you are able to handle your course load before determining if a part-time job is right for you.

RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIPS. Apply for scholarships every year. “The Internet has revolutionized how students learn about college scholarships,” says Baird Johnson, vice president of product and marketing for FastWeb.com, the Internet’s leading scholarship search service. “Over $1 billion in scholarships is awarded each year — much of it earmarked for students with particular backgrounds or unique qualifications. Using a free online search engine such as FastWeb allows college students to search a database of 600,000 scholarships to create a personalized list of scholarship opportunities unique to them.”

COMPARE CREDIT CARD OFFERS. Consider these five elements when choosing a credit card, advises the National Foundation for Credit Counseling: finance charges, annual fees, grace periods, penalty fees, and balanced calculation methods. “Beware of introductory low-interest-rate credit offers,” warns the NFCC. “Frequently, the interest jumps dramatically within six months to a year.” Never sign anything you do not completely understand.

BE FINANCIALLY ORGANIZED. “Debt isn’t the problem; buying decisions are the problem,” says Scott Bilker, author of Credit Card & Debt Management: A Step-By-Step How-To Guide for Organizing Debt & Saving Money on Interest Payments (Press One Publishing; $19.95). “Have a list of all your bills and always pay them on time.” Use the worksheets in Bilker’s book to successfully manage your bills. NFCC members provide free and affordable confidential money management, financial education, budget counseling, and debt management services via in-person and telephone sessions. For more information, call 800-388-2227 or visit www.nfcc.org.

CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS
A total of 482 colleges and universities were selected based on the following criteria:

1 Accredited four-year colleges or universities with an African American student enrollment of at least 3%.

2 Colleges or universities that did not meet criteria one, but are large or well-known (e.g., the University of Southern California).

The goal was to be as inclusive as possible while targeting schools that would be of interest to black students.

We surveyed 1,855 African American higher education professionals with titles such as president, chancellor, and provost, for their assessments of the social and educational environments of the nation’s colleges and universities for African American students. Each school received a rating from 2 (strongly recommended) to -2 (strongly not recommend

ed) with 0 being neutral. Schools were categorized according to the college classification protocol developed by U.S. News and World Report, which is a modified version of the protocol developed by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Survey respondents were asked to rate only schools that they were knowledgeable about.

The BE top colleges list was developed by Thomas A. LaVeist, Ph.D., professor of health policy, management, and sociology at Johns Hopkins University, and CEO of DayStar Research. LaVeist is the author of DayStar Guide to Colleges for African Americans (Kaplan/Simon & Schuster; $20) and co-author of 8 Steps to Help Black Families Pay for College (Princeton Review; $13). The list, based on the DayStar rating, was calculated by developing a regression-based, weighted, multiplicative index combining four variables:

1 The school’s five-year graduation rate forAfrican Americans
2 The school’s percentage of African Americanundergraduate students
3 The school’s average survey score for theschool’s academic environment
4 The school’s average survey score for theschool’s social environment

TOP COLLEGES LIST: https://blackenterprise.com/CollegeOpen.asp?id=880