HBCU College Panel

Webinar Transcription

2024-06-27 – HBCU College Panel

Lydia: Hello, everyone. Welcome to tonight’s, “HBCU College Panel.” My name is Lydia Hollon, and I’m going to be your moderator tonight. I’m a senior advisor at CollegeAdvisor, and I’ve been with the company for about three years now. And in addition to advising students, I’m also the proud co-captain of our essay review team.

I’m also a graduate of NYU, and in addition to my work with CollegeAdvisor, I’m a former high school teacher and an education consultant. To orient webinar timing for tonight, we’re going to start off with a Then answer your questions in a live Q and a on the sidebar. You can download our slides and start submitting questions in the Q and a tab.

We’ll also be recording this session so that you can review the webinar again. Later. Now, let’s meet our panelists.

Ertrell: Hi, my name is Ertrell Harris. I attended Howard University for undergrad and George Washington University for grad school. I’m a major was health science and. I have been with CollegeAdvisor for a month now as a senior advisor. Um, and then in my real life job, I, um, work for DC public schools with their college and career, um, department.

Desvaun: Yes. Hi everyone. I’m Desvaun Drummond. I graduated from Howard last May, 2023 with a BS in electrical engineering. And now I am a PhD Berkeley doing the same thing. Just finished my first year there and I’ve been my CollegeAdvisor for about a month or two now as a specialty advisor for engineering and I’m happy to be here. Be here today.

Tiffany: Hello, everyone. My name is Tiffany Nelson. I have a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Spelman College with a master’s degree in higher ed from the University of Michigan. I am also the former director of admissions and Spelman College several years ago, and I did that for 5.5 years. Um, I have been with CollegeAdvisor going on a little over A year and a half, close to two years in my day to day functions.

I am still an admissions and enrollment management director at a K-12 independent school.

Lydia: Great. All right. So before we get into the presentation portion of our session for tonight, I’m going to do a quick poll asking the audience what grade everyone is in. And while I give you all a chance to answer that question, I’m just curious to hear from each of you.

What was your What’s your favorite thing about attending an HBCU?

Desvaun: I can go first. I would say that the very strong community there, especially if you’re international student and new to the school and new to America, the community is pretty strong and you find it pretty easier to settle in, in my opinion. So that’s my favorite thing about being at an HBCU. Nice.

Ertrell: Um, I would say mine Where I’m from, it’s very small. I’m from a very small town in South Carolina. Um, and what I enjoy most about going to an HBCU is just seeing the plethora of different types of people who look like me. Um, cause when you’re from a small town, you only see you and your family and you don’t realize how vast the diaspora is until you are surrounded by people from all over.

Um, so that was, a good experience for me.

Tiffany: And I would say for myself, in addition to what my panelists, um, fellow panelists have indicated, I would say it would just be the overall HBCU culture and how much we were trendsetters and had so much fun. Everything from homecoming to the things you, the fashion we would see on the yard to just a variety of different scenarios that can never be.

duplicated anywhere else. HBCU culture is in and of itself a reason why. It is just Fantastic. Um, and that encompasses everything that you can imagine. So that would be another thing I just absolutely loved about being at HBCU.

Lydia: That’s great. Let’s make me wish I had gone to an HBCU. All right, so I will go ahead and put us into the presentation portion and hand it off to you all.

Ertrell: Okay. Um, what was my college application process? Like, um, well, it was very exciting and also very anxious. Um, I am a 1st generation college students, so neither of my parents went to college. Um, but my mom was very adamant about me going to college and so she put me in a program called upward bound, which is a college access program for low income students.

And then we, um, they help you apply to college, do your financial aid, which I was Most nervous about was the financial aid portion. Um, like I said, coming from low income first gen, affording college was the most important thing for me. Um, and I had already known if I wasn’t going to college for free out of state, then I was going to go to local community college, start there, um, simply because my mom could not afford.

Most colleges. Um, I honestly didn’t do a lot of research. Um, my intended career was physical therapy at the time, and I was adamant about going to an undergraduate school that had physical therapy. Um, and so I didn’t do a lot of research on the undergrad side. I mainly said what schools have physical therapy, what schools have the top physical therapy programs.

Those are the ones I want to apply to. Um, when I applied to college, I applied to Howard on paper, actually. Um, and so it seems like it was a long time ago. It wasn’t that long ago, but I did apply on paper. So I had to put all of my documents into one envelope, um, took it to the post office, make sure I got it insured, tracked all the things.

Um, but Common App was, it wasn’t new per se, but there weren’t as many schools as there are now on there. So I did apply to like maybe one or two schools. Um, via common app. I handled mostly everything on my own, um, while I was in upper bound. A lot of times the students who are in upper bound typically well, from where I’m from, go to a community college or like a local or college kind of close by.

And so they weren’t as versus some of the colleges that I wanted to go to. And so I kind of had to do mostly everything on my own, which turned out to instill a lot of responsibility in me. I would say, and then I applied early action and regular decision. So I applied early action to Howard and regular decision to all of my other schools.

Okay. Um, so Howard was always my number one choice. Um, I went to Howard. My uncle graduated from Howard with his occupational therapy degree when I was like eight. So it was like the first school that I ever stepped foot on. It was my first time in a major city, um, of D.C. And so I kind of just fell in love with it in elementary school.

And I was the type of student who just kind of stuck with that and was like, I’m going to go to Howard. I’m going to be a physical therapist. Um, I didn’t really look outside of that, and so I wish someone would have pushed me to explore my horizons and think of other things and other schools and majors because.

As you can see, I’m not a physical therapist, um, but you know, I had to learn that on my own. It was still a nice journey. Um, I did apply to one in state college, which was Wofford College, um, as a backup. And then I applied to Emory as a reach school, and those are the only 3 schools I applied to, which again, I wish somebody would have told me, like.

You should try, see what happens. Um, but I was very adamant in where I wanted to go when I wanted to do. Um, and I didn’t think I was going to get into Emory. Um, I wasn’t sure about Howard and the instate college I knew I would get into, but when I was accepted to all three of that kind of changed a lot for me.

Cause I just was like, Oh, now I have possibilities. I have options and I wasn’t prepared for options. Um, but at the end of the day, I attended Howard’s, um, admitted students day, which is a big celebration. A lot of colleges invite students onto campus to give you a better insight into the school and they got me with the students day.

Um, it just felt like home. And if we just to walk in a room and see everyone that looks like me, but then not have to explain certain things about myself. Um, you know, when the electric slide comes on, everybody starts doing it. Like, it’s just. It just felt right and it felt natural. Um, it didn’t feel like I had to try very hard.

And also growing up, I was known as a smart black girl and most of my classes, um, because I took APs and honors and there was one of maybe three black students in the classes with me. And so I kind of was coined, I guess, as a smart black girl. Um, I was the first black student to walk across the stage at graduation because I had, I was ranked like four out of the Class of 420.

Um, and so going to an HBCU, you no longer have that identity because everybody at Howard was a smart black girl or smart black boy. And so it forced me to get outside my comfort zone with that and challenge myself even more. And also, I just knew I’d never experienced anything like it ever again. Um, Going to the HBCU for four years, a lot of times you won’t have that experience ever again in life.

It’s like the one time that you’ll experience just being authentically you all the time, at least for me and how I was raised, um, and I was like, you know, if I’m going to do it, now’s the time to do it because I may not have the opportunity to ever do it again. And so that was one of the biggest reasons, um, why I decided to go to Howard.

And Howard set me up for success in a lot of ways. Um, like I said, it revealed different aspects about myself, introduced me to new emotions. Um, I never knew that I could be shy until I got to college. Um, because like I said, I’m from a very small town. And so I grew up with my classmates from, you know, Preschool even.

Um, and when I got to Howard, I didn’t know anyone. I was by myself and it forced me to realize like, oh, I can be shy sometimes. Um, I need to learn to step out of my comfort zone to actually talk to people. I don’t know. Um, and so it identifies some weaknesses within myself or some things about myself that I didn’t know.

And it forced me to address those, um, and tackle them head on. And then also taught me how to navigate the world. It’s my authentic self. I think sometimes HBCUs get a bad rap is like, Oh, that’s not the real world. Um, you won’t be prepared for the real world when you graduate. And what I like to say is they teach you how to be prepared for the real world without sacrificing who you are.

Um, and so I don’t feel like. I have to code switch, um, anymore after going to Howard. Like I feel like I can just walk into the room and be who I am confident in who I am. Um, and knowing that my resume and my abilities back me up and I don’t have to be someone else. Um, it is still the sense of my pride and my black identity, um, foster resilience and persistence because sometimes.

You know, administration, your classes, financial aid is sometimes it can be a struggle at an HBCU. Um, but I will say how it taught me not to take no for the first no as an answer and go and talk to other people, um, and really advocate for myself and also for my friends. Um, and then on top of that, provide a vast network of friends and professionals, um, that can lean on at any given time.

So, yes, that’s a little bit about me.

Now pass it on to the next presenter.

Desvaun: Yes. So for my college experience or my application process experience, I would say I’m a little bit more unconventional because I’m an international student. So I had to deal with my own examinations in my country and from Jamaica versus doing the SATs. So the first step of my college experience was to get the.

Examination done and we have centers in Jamaica that does test for us. And I only did one attempt at SAT and it took two months to study for it because I was still doing my own exams, trying to balance both classes. And it’s very hard to learn something new and still do my own thing. So I kind of just took it as, I know I want to go to college.

I want to have one shot at this. So I’ll give my all on that one shot and whatever happens, I’ll still push forward and got a decent score enough for my first attempt and I went for my applications. And I kind of did it more independently because I didn’t really have advisors at a time or someone that knows the ins and outs of admissions, the ins and outs of what school supplies so that reach target.

I didn’t do all of that. I just kind of, Oh, I like this school. I applied to this school. So minimal strategy for my part, but it worked out in the end. Um, I will say that for example, Howard was very popular in Jamaica because many persons either went to Howard or the black community or Jamaican community is very strong with Howard.

Many alumni, many administrators are. In charge for Jamaica. So we had a network and we had people that were okay. I applied to Howard. So, okay. I’ll apply there, but other schools are just kind of took it on my own and say, I applied to this, but for engineering, I wish I had done a lot more in depth search, but I ended up where I was supposed to be.

So more unconventional for me, but it still worked out in the end. And next slide, please. Yes.

So for my offers, I was all over the place. So other than Howard, I had NYU. I was thinking about aeronautical engineering or aviation, you know, becoming a pilot, but it’s a very expensive route. So I still tried to get my foot in there. So that’s where the Embraer and Flora Tech came from. And I got, um, invites to apply to Hofstra and I got accepted.

So these are my offers, but. I decided to go to Howard because one, I felt it would be a good community. I was really only thinking between Howard and NYU at the time. And NYU, of course, a well known school, but I just felt that Howard would give me a lot more community. Um, at the time, I had a friend that was in my tennis program that went to Howard, so I was kind of more familiar with what it was.

Um, yeah, and I just thought that it’s a campus environment, unlike NYU that’s more in a city. It’s a new environment. It’s a new area I haven’t been to before. I haven’t been to DC before. I could explore some of my new challenges myself. And yeah, it’s a great engineering program, many opportunities to connect.

And yeah, that’s the reason why I decided to go with Howard and I don’t regret it.

And how did Howard set me up for success? First, they have a very good community, as I said before, of students, staff, and faculty members. So, uh, if you don’t know, if you want some advice, You can go to anyone that happily help you. In my case, I was being international is hard in America because you’re not qualified for many opportunities, especially engineering and the tech world can be very difficult.

So when you’re, when all four or five of the big tech companies are fighting for international students, it’s going to be very limited in who they can accept and who they can sponsor for internships for full time. So tough market, but in my situation, I was hoping to get internships and, um, I knew faculty came to Howard and I took class with him and I liked his research.

So hey, I’m curious to talk to you to see what can happen. I was just interested in research. Never done it before, but I was curious about it. And that was the day that I kind of got a new mentor. So he pushed me for opportunities that I was kind of nervous to do. So through that network, I got to intern at Harvard University and MIT in 2022.

And then the following summer, which is last summer, I got to go to Japan. For internship. So, uh, didn’t really think about the PhD path as being my route, but things happen and things align and that’s where I am now. So networking is important, even if you’re nervous to do it, it’s something that can get you a foot in the door.

And along with that, uh, Howard comes with many programs for especially black students. So many colleges, many companies like to create developmental programs just for us, especially. And that came with opportunities to go to conferences. So especially. There’s an engineering conference called National Society of Black Engineers.

I got to travel three times in Howard on that. One was in LA, one was in Kansas City, and the last one was in Atlanta. So, or that was this year actually, this year actually. But yeah, many opportunities to travel, many opportunities to network, and with all the opportunities, I’m going to be where I am today.

So Howard definitely set me up for success, and despite being international, I found a way to make it work and throw it okay, so. Grateful to go to Howard and I think it’ll be great if anyone considering that.

Lydia: Great. So we’re going to take a brief pause from the presentation to do another poll, which is where are you in the application process? I’m just gonna open that up now, and I’m curious, um, to hear from all of you while people get a chance to answer the question. What do you all think is the biggest difference in experience going to an HBCU versus a PWI?

Um, besides just the demographics of the school, obviously.

Desvaun: I’ll go first. Um, I will say that since I’m in that shift right now going from. Harvard to Berkeley, where I am now. I would say the biggest shift is resources because the UC system is a very big school, especially Berkeley. They’re very research intensive, very important in society.

So everyone comes to campus to talk, CEOs, startup founders. So it’s a lot of things thrown at you when you’re just starting to get fresh and starting to get into the groove. So I would say getting used to one resources. And then of course at public school. I would say in grad school it is different. We don’t feel the same stress on resources compared to undergrad, but it’s still the case where, you know, you’re at a big school now, so many resources, so many things are thrown at you, so many research opportunities, so many things to do, so many things to learn.

So that, I would say, is the biggest thing that I felt trudging into different schools. You get used to it after a while, and you learn to adapt, so there’s no issues in that.

Tiffany: Um, I would have to say, One of the primary differences, first and foremost, the reason why our schools were founded, and with respect to that, and being that they were founded for the purposes of supporting, educating individuals, the culture of those spaces and the academic of those spaces, it permeates every single thing that you’re doing.

So you’re going into, um, Educational spaces, going into majors, going into classroom discussions, going into even math, whatever the case is from a very different lens than what you were previously conditioned in so many ways are educationally trained to review things and to understand things. So, for instance, going into your English class.

and reading To Kill a Mockingbird from a very different lens now, having read it in high school. So it’s a very unique scenario going in and going, we were reading it. How? Um, and questioning everything that you had previously been taught, um, and experienced in, and those professors, the, uh, Ethos of those classes.

Everything happens around your existence and why you’re here and looking at it from that lens from the African diaspora lens. Um, so that was so even of itself. That is one of the major differences between a HBCU and a PWI.

Ertrell: I don’t know if I have much to add to that. Like, both of those things are like probably the biggest two is like the resources are different. But then Um, your classes and things to that point, like I took a swimming class and I learned a lot about the slave trade and, um, the great migration all within just taking swim.

Um, and so it is a very, you are immersed in who you are at all times. Um, and I think outside of that, I feel like those 2 outside of like, the obvious, I think those 2 are probably. the bigger ones that are the major differences between the two.

Lydia: Yeah, I mean, I’m not a person, obviously, I went to NYU, so I didn’t go to an HBCU, but hearing you all describe your experiences is definitely really encouraging to me as someone who didn’t get that experience in college, even though NYU is a very diverse school in general. Um, but it kind of reminds me like when I was a teacher, I taught at a predominantly black high school in New York and just like constantly being surrounded by different iterations of blackness and just having that experience and even living in Atlanta now, like a very black city.

I think it’s it’s a unique experience is different than being anywhere else in the world. So I just appreciate you all sharing your experiences. But now we’re going to jump back into the rest of the presentation. So I will pass it on to you, Tiffany.

Tiffany: Thank you so much, Lydia. Wonderful. So, um, you know, thinking about my college application process, it was many, many years ago.

Um, and it did not include the common app, even though you’re trying, you had the common app. And it was on paper. Mine was completely on paper, and you applied directly to the school. Um, so, but some of the things that I can certainly say are pretty much standard and still the same that you may be using even to this day are some components of researching and thinking about the schools that you are most interested in and where that would come from.

So, I just did that and looked at a variety of different schools, um, and kind of where that came from. And had to prioritize. I did the list. I did the pros and the cons. I had all of that done. I didn’t do a spreadsheet, but I had it was on paper and thinking about what was going to be the best fit for me and what I was thinking about in terms of a college life.

Um, I used my college guidance counselor back then. Um, he was extraordinarily helpful with me kind of going through this process at the time we worked heavily on my essay, which the essay has Pretty much been a staple of the college admissions process throughout this for everyone. I don’t think that process has changed.

Um, but just being able to write a true why that particular college statement was really important. Um, one thing, of course, I appreciate about the common app. Now it’s these. out these essays that you can submit to very, to many different colleges. Unlike that time, you had to write for each individual college that you were applying to.

So it was a very different process. Um, but a lot of essay writing, that’s what my process was like. Uh, and then selecting my letters of recommendation. This was always fun because you really spent time with some teachers and I took this process probably even much more seriously than everything else. I really wanted to make sure that the recommenders, um, who I selected to submit a letter on my behalf to the schools that I was applying to, one really understood why I was applying to that.

So I’ll tell you in a little bit about the other schools that I applied to, but Spelman was the outlier. It was the one that was unknown. And so I had to really spend time with my recommenders to help guide them and help them understand what Spelman was about and why I was applying to Spelman. I worked a lot on my resume.

I was very busy in high school. Um, I did a lot. And so I really made sure that I captured that a great deal. So I tried to stay busy. I wanted to be a strong applicant because I was applying widely and I knew that I needed some activities and leadership and definitely community service, which kind of came up quite a bit during my high school career and then first and foremost, also rigor in terms of my academic coursework.

I. Was in the, you know, the, um, honors classes and college level classes. Um, and really focused heavily on that. But overall, my college application process, I think, was, um, much more intense, um, because we were applying to every single school individually. Um, but at the end of the day, it all worked out and went very well in my favor, I would say.

Um, so as I mentioned, I was looking at a variety of different schools. I should probably first say that I, Um, originally from California and not applying to your home school or your state school was not, uh, was very unheard of. So I applied to those UCs and those Cal States, um, which is actually where my parents wanted me to go.

And when I happened to mention to them, I was looking at Spelman and they were like, Oh no, um, and they didn’t think having me travel 3000 miles away to school was in the best interest, but they, after talking them through it, Spelman also rose up in their first choice for me as well. I also applied to several other HBCUs, um, both larger and smaller, um, who were very comparable to, to Spelman.

Um, however, I was admitted to every school actually that I applied to, and I think I applied to somewhere around six or seven, I don’t know. So I want to say it was maybe six, um, schools and was admitted to every school that I applied to. However, Spelman was my first choice. It was not going anywhere. Once I had learned about the history of the school, who they were, what they were about, um, having seen some Spelman alumni and, um, on TV and realized who they were, I fell in love and it, there was no other place for me for Spelman.

I, The moment I was admitted, I don’t think I ever went to the mailbox again. So it was, it was that, and I absolutely enjoyed it. And I must say, one of the other reasons I selected Spelman was because of the city of Atlanta. I wanted to come south. I wanted to come to Atlanta. I wanted to experience a very different culture than I had been raised in, in California.

And that was also one of the draws as well, coming to Atlanta. So. Those are my reasons. Absolutely. Um, and you know, how did attending Spelman set me up for success? I would say, first and foremost, it helped to help me identify my strengths. It goes back to what I was saying was one of those primary differences between an HBCU and a PWI.

You come into an environment. Where a school was specifically designed for you, I feel like you have no choice but to find out who you are, what your strengths are and to fill those gaps. And so it helped me to identify very slowly in some cases, but very quickly in others what my strengths were and how to position those.

to propel me forward in whatever it is that I wanted to do eventually. Um, and with that developing the strengths that helped me to craft and develop my voice of being able to walk into rooms, to walk into spaces, um, In my authentic self to no longer apologize, um, for having a difference of opinion, um, or to feel as though my intelligence and my, um, in my appearance or whatever that scenario is could possibly be taken as a negative.

There is nothing wrong with my difference of opinion or being or having wanting to ask me any questions. So crafting and developing my voice was so important and, um, And that was amazing. I think that was probably one of the most beneficial pieces that I take with me every single day, thinking about my time at Spelman.

Besides, of course, every single friendship and relationship that I have developed there, I am still very good friends with many of my hallmates. And my, um, in my first year, dorm space. Um, as we are approaching our 25th year of going out, um, we are still very much lifelong friends and relationships and they have become some of my, I would probably even change that and put that as now the, I consider each and every one of them family in a way they are now my family.

That’s it. Um, so friendships have turned into relationships. more than just that. They have become family and it’s amazing. Um, which adds into what you would consider your supportive environment in your community. There is nothing like wearing your T shirt or your sweatshirt out in the middle of nowhere and someone to either go.

I am a supporter. Hey, how are you? Or even so, Hey, HBCU grad, I see you. I went here. There is nothing like the supportive environment and community of not only your school, but of the larger HBCU community. Um, and so that has been amazing and putting it on your resume or interacting with a hiring manager or putting it out there.

whatever your connections are and to realize that you not only have mentors in spaces, but you have advocates in spaces because of your connection, not only to your school, but because you’re also an HBCU grad, which I even appreciate even more so that my community is not just limited to Spelman, but it’s vast between all the HBCUs.

We all want ourselves, we root for every single one of us in a way, um, which is also really great. So, that was where I am.

Lydia: so much. I loved hearing all of your perspectives on, you know, your experiences going to and that concludes the presentation part of the webinar. I hope that everyone watching found the information helpful and remember, you can download the slides from the link in the handouts tab. So now we’re going to go into the live Q and a, where I’m going to read through questions that you all submitted and give our panelists an opportunity to answer them as a heads up.

If your Q and a tab isn’t letting you submit questions, just double check that you joined the webinar through your custom link in your email and not from the webinar landing page. So now we’re going to jump into our first question, which is how do HBCUs, the real experience of attending an HBCU, compared to the way it’s portrayed on television?

For example, A Different World. I know probably most of the people watching this have not seen that show, but How does it compare?

Tiffany: Wow. Um, so I’ll say, has anyone else watched it besides me?

that’s okay. I’ve dated myself. It’s all right. Um, um, so does it compare? There are some similarities. Okay, because, of course, that show was written from that lens and from the context of that perspective. So, yes, there are some similarities. Yes, there are, you know, as I mentioned that the culture of that the HBCU culture is really something that’s extraordinary and certainly something that’s very unique.

Yes, we could have a step show in the middle, of the cafeteria. Yes, we could have, you know, you could have a variety of different scenarios happen. Football culture can happen on. We have just as much pride and excitement about our sports as larger, um, larger schools, etcetera. Um, you know, It can be all of those things, and it can also be at the same time.

You’re very traditional, which you would expect every single day. That’s not an everyday occurrence, but it could happen. It’s not uncommon, um, for it to happen. So you have this very interesting mix of that different world perspective, which, of course, was written for TV. So it is You know, it’s centralized.

It’s not always like that, but at the same time, you’re very, which would consider your traditional college environment of classes, et cetera. And, um, all of those things. So I would say there was, there was some. realism there. There was some things that were real there and some things that were sensationalized.

Lydia: That’s good to know. I know sometimes, you know, people, whether it’s a trail of HBC use or college in general or high school, sometimes students think that it will be just like what they see on TV. So I think it’s good to level set those expectations. Um, I know another thing that is crossing my mind and probably on the mind of a lot of other students watching right now is I think when a lot of people imagine HBCUs, we think of Spelman, Howard, Morehouse, but what should students consider when they’re thinking about going to an HBCU?

What’s the difference potentially between going to a Howard versus some of the smaller HBCUs in the country?

Ertrell: That’s a really good question. Um, so South Carolina has a couple of smaller HBCUs, um, South Carolina State, Claflin University are probably the two most popular ones. Um, and I think it’s more so about finding what’s best for you.

Um, like Howard is in DC, right? So it’s a very large city. It’s a very different space if that’s not where you’re used to. Um, but also thinking about like, you know, your major and what makes sense for your major. Like, Claflin is a great education, um, program and Howard does too. So then it’s just like, I think finding your fit is probably the best thing to look at, but also financial.

Um, I was fortunate enough when I went to Howard, they gave out scholarships like candy. Um, they don’t do that as much anymore. And so I think The financial piece is can be a big deal. So, for students, an in state, um, public HPC, you may be a better financial option for you than going to a Howard Spelman Hampton, um, or something like that.

And so I think really looking at when you’re looking at colleges from, you know. a complete lens and not just like, I want the Spelman experience. I want the Morehouse experience because while it is a great experience to have, like, there are things that come after your four years of college and debt is one of them.

And so I would say one of the biggest things that I’ve seen with students that I’ve worked with in the past is sometimes they do get more money from those smaller HBCUs than they do from the more popular big companies. Names quote unquote, and so just looking at it from a holistic point of view, as you’re researching colleges and list the best fit for you.

Lydia: Got it. for clarifying that, because I think sometimes those smaller HBCUs get overlooked and we focus just on, you know. The more houses, the Spellman’s, the Hamptons, the Howard’s. Um, so I think it’s good to encourage students to think, think beyond those because you can get a really rich cultural experience, even if you’re not going to the ones that it seems like everybody knows about.

Um, I have a question, I think more specifically for you, Tiffany, and I’m curious about how, um, the HBCU experience can be different if you go to a Spellman or more house where it’s a single sex. College versus an HBCU like Howard where it’s co ed.

Tiffany: Sure. Um, so I think, um, so yes, they can be very, it can feel different.

Um, and it could feel different. initially, but not always. And the reason why I say that is because while yes, you are in your single gender spaces of either a Spelman or Morehouse, there is a lot of overlap. Um, a lot of, um, things that are happening most days that feel that you are not in a, in those spaces, right?

And so, Again, while the charter and the, and the founding of those institutions were for the purposes of educating males or educating women and, and, um, and things of that nature, um, daily. The campuses do not feel that way. They feel very coeducational because you are either taking classes on Morehouse’s camp.

Morehouse takes classes on Spelman’s campuses. There are a variety of different things that are going on. Um, you know, co curricular activities or extracurricular activities are happening. together. So there are a variety of other things that are happening at the same time. So yes, initially can feel that way because you’re kind of focusing on yourself, et cetera.

And you attend that institution and that’s where your degree comes from. But the interactions, the activities, the engagement feels very coeducational, um, on some days. Um, And so it just really depends, but it always, it always works out. So I have, I would have students say, well, I’m not sure if I want to go to all, all women’s college.

And I’m like, okay, well, that’s fine. Well, you can go next door. Like, I mean, just stand there for two minutes and it doesn’t feel like it most days, um, depending on what’s happening on campus.

Lydia: That’s good to know. I think sometimes the idea of going to a single gender college can be somewhat intimidating, especially if you’re not used to it. Um, so I think it’s nice to know that there’s a lot of intermingling between a Morehouse for example.

Tiffany: And I think sometimes, you know, that, you know, tendency to kind of trend towards I don’t necessarily, um, I am not willing to consider the unfamiliar.

It could be more so, right? Because there are some unfortunate thoughts in main media about what it’s like to be in a single gender space, particularly of black women. That is unfortunate and having to kind of Pushed through that saying, that’s not the case. We are here to study. We are here to go to school.

I have equal amount of goals. I’m not sure why they would feel that way. And getting to the root of that usually comes up. Well, I saw it on this and I experienced it on media and I’m like, that’s not real. Um, Spelman is real. Spelman is a real place of, of women who are pursuing higher education for the purposes of.

contributing to society. That’s what we’re here to do. Um, so when you when you push through that kind of perspective, it certainly helps those students who are considering single gender schools. to think through it a little bit more broadly, um, and to analyze it.

Lydia: So, um, something that I know you all were talking about a bit earlier in the presentation was kind of the contrast between going to major PWIs, for example, UC Berkeley, in comparison to an HBCU, and sometimes how there’s a difference in terms of resources. So for a student that maybe is really, they really care a lot about having.

a lot of research opportunities or extremely rigorous academics. How should they weight those things when considering an HBCU? And can we expect them to have the same level of resources and opportunities and academic rigor at an HBCU as they would at a well established PWI?

Desvaun: I guess I’ll take that. Um, hard question.

Uh, I guess the way I see it is that PWIs, of course, will have the significant edge in research and opportunities because there tends to be historical developments with schools that are like, for example, Berkeley created the technologies that we use for chips today. Therefore, in your cell phones, they, they spread a lot of things.

So they’re known to be like a strong EE engineering department, not saying that you can’t HBCU, but there are differences in preparations. For example, In my personal situation, there wasn’t many engineering research opportunities at Harvard. There are many opportunities in the light of sciences, biochem labs, civil labs, but strictly engineering.

They’re starting up. They’re trying to get some partnerships. Like Apple is coming in to offer some support on the technical side, the experimental side. We have new people coming in to get some things going, but this is a big difference. Um, I would say that just to make a personal decision because Uh, if you want, if you know that you want to be in research, being at Harvard will still help you because, for example, every summer you can still go to internships and that will look very good on your profile.

So, for example, MIT always takes on Harvard, and that’s a big thing to have on your resume. So you won’t, I won’t say that you will be in any sort of disadvantage going to one or the other, but off the jump, it’s stronger to go to a PWI. But both schools still have to be able to meet this. For example, I went to MIT myself, Harvard.

So with my opportunities to get around and do research, so not limited that much at all.

Lydia: Yeah, I think, um, what you’re saying to me seems like something that you would have to consider with any college that you go to, right? Um, can there are PWIs that have smaller endowments or just smaller schools in general, or? Um, have, you know, less connections and things like that are in a more rural area and maybe won’t be able to give you the same kind of internship opportunities and things like that.

So, I think that, you know, uh, like you all were saying earlier, it’s important to not just say, oh, I want to go to an HBCU and just leave it at that. You have to also research the programs and make sure that it’s the right fit for you, depending on what you want to pursue. Yeah, so I think that’s definitely some helpful context.

Um, another thing that I wanted to ask you all about is how should someone approach applying to an HBCU in comparison to applying to a PWI? For example, should they highlight their race or their culture more when applying to an HBCU in their personal statement in comparison to applying to a PWI, or should The statements and the essays be pretty much the same, regardless of whether it’s an HBCU or PWI. Um,

Tiffany: I can take that one from the position of being a former the former director. Um, so necessarily highlighting your identity within the application process. Um, I think. In terms of the common app and the way it’s structured, um, and for your essay, it may or may not necessarily be needed. Um, We are assuming that you’re applying to our schools for a particular reason.

And so that’s, that’s the first and foremost. However, as with any other schools, we certainly have additional essays and supplementals that maybe you should certainly submit. And those usually are along the lines of the why, why that particular college. And that’s where You really have to nail that question.

You really have to come forward with the non Wikipedia reason why an HBCU or why this particular school. We are all, all, I think it’s 99 ish or 100 HBCUs, somewhere around there. are unique. And if you’re looking at from the larger ones to the smaller ones, being able to articulate the reason why an HBC you, um, because again, the missions of those institutions are so very distinctive.

And so, um, so, you know, I don’t think it’s necessary to to talk about it extensively. However, if you are given the opportunity to discuss why that particular HBCU, take that opportunity to be precise. Take that opportunity to really demonstrate your knowledge about that HBCU. Talk about how that HBCU will help you propel yourself for your career.

Whatever you feel is needed or whatever that question asks for you to address, be sure to address it very well and very thoughtfully. That’s how I would answer that.

Lydia: So we’re going to take a quick pause from the Q and a to just remind you all that CollegeAdvisors team of over 300 former admissions officers and admissions experts are ready to help you and your family navigate the college admissions process and one on one advising sessions. We’ve already helped over 6,000 clients in their college journeys.

And after analyzing our data since 2021, We found that CollegeAdvisor students are 3.6 times more likely to get into Stanford, 4.1 times more likely to get into Vanderbilt, and 2.7 times more likely to get to Harvard. So increase your odds and take the next step in your college admissions journey by signing up for a free 45 to 60 minute strategy session with an admissions specialist on our team.

Using the QR code on the screen during this meeting or review your current extracurricular list and application strategy and discuss how they align with your college list and that outline the tools that you need to stand out in a competitive admissions for all rights. So, now we’re going to jump back into the Q and a, and this is a question that I think.

It’s kind of similar to what we were talking about earlier with the portrayal of HBCUs on TV versus in real life, which is how much of an influence does black Greek life have on the HBCU experience? Can you have the full HBCU experience, even if you’re not interested in being a part of the divine nine?

Ertrell: I can start, and I am not a part of the divine night and I absolutely loved my experience. Um, I think, especially being a Howard, the divine, I have a very large presence since a lot of them were started on campus. Um, so there is. A lot of pressure to join. Um, I will say, or at least I felt a lot of pressure to join.

Um, even something as simple as going to events that they host on campus. Like, there were just, there was a lot of pressure around everyone wanting to join and it’s very popular at Howard. So, you think, like, a case can have 600 people at an interest meeting, and they only take, like, 50 every 2 years. And so it’s super competitive as well.

Um, it just wasn’t something that was for me. And so I didn’t go that route at all, but I don’t feel like I missed out on much of anything. To be honest, I found community and other spaces. So, whether that be, like, clubs or other organizations that I join, or even just within my friends, and I still heavily involved in Howard’s campus and did all the things.

And so I personally don’t feel like I missed out on. The Howard or the HBCU experience by not pledging, but some of my friends did, um, and some of them did go through that process and they had an amazing process too. I think kind of what we’ve been echoing is just like, you have to do what’s best for you.

And what’s best for what you feel like you want out of the experience. Um, and and I say that to say, like, had I gone that route, I feel like I would have had a great experience as well. And so I think it’s really about what you do. What for yourself and what you make of it.

Tiffany: I think the key word there and you just said it was community and what that community would be for you.

So it’s just about building that and whether or not you decide to pursue that or not, that completely is on you. Building your community is so vitally important when you arrive on any particular campus and particularly out of HBCU. So finding your people, um, and whether or not your people have that way or not, it’s all about About that really fantastic, amazing community. And. You just really need to stick with that. Figure that out for yourself.

Lydia: It’s good to know. And speaking of community, um, I’m curious about the alumni experience at an HBCU, both for students who are currently attending HBCUs, how engaged are the alumni? Is there a lot of support from alumni? To help progress the careers of people who are current students and also for people who do graduate from HBCUs.

Is there a strong sense of community? Are there a lot of networking opportunities to help you advance your career and also just make friends?

Tiffany: Um, I would say absolutely. I have been hired by Spelman alums along the way. Um, so they have not only been my, they have been my advocates in rooms when my name and have pushed my name forward for consideration for positions. So I appreciate them on that. And I, and I have hired. So when I see their name come through, I’m like, and we’re moving them up to the top of this conversation, you know, and everyone’s like, who is it?

Don’t worry about it. It’s an alumni and we’re keeping it moving. Um, and watching that student come in and do exactly what I knew they would do is both amazing. But again, as I mentioned earlier, it’s, I’ve seen that done, not only for the school, not only for me or, you know, Because I’m a Spelman alum, but I’ve seen it done because I have been an HBCU alum, and that has also been amazing.

So, it’s not just limited to my campus, it’s limited to a broader community of HBCUs, where I would do that for anyone. If I saw an HBCU resume come across my desk, I’m like, because that student went to Howard, because that student went to Hamden, I want to talk to them. I want to talk to that student. So, yes, HR, but you will move this.

student to to my cue and my conversation. Um, because of that, you just want to give that student that that individual, that professional a chance and want to talk to them. So I would say it is a very largely engaged community.

Ertrell: I think to, um, A lot of HBCUs, they have a pillar of service and giving back. Um, that’s kind of instilled in you from day one that you set foot on campus. And so I feel like on even the most minute level, like we all have in us something to want to help and want to give back, whether that be a mentor to one person or, um, like Howard has state clubs and so there’s a South Carolina club and sometimes I’ll just like pay for them to have pizza at a pizza party.

So I feel like we all just have this. instilled community service, giving back. And so because of that, I feel like. To Tiffany’s point, regardless of where you go, like you will feel that, um, which is why I always say, make sure you wear your HBCU sweatshirt in the airport. A lot of great things can happen in an airport, just sitting and waiting on your flight.

Um, so networking possibilities are endless because of it.

Lydia: It’s great. So we’re gonna go ahead and wrap up our session for tonight. Thank you so much to our panelists. I know I learned a lot tonight and If I were a high school student, I would definitely be excited about applying to an HBCU. And as a reminder, if you enjoyed tonight’s webinar, please, I encourage you to join us again later this month.

We have more webinars planned for June and for July. Thank you all and have a great night. Bye.