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Published August 1, 2024
ISBN: 978-1-880463-54-3 | 130 Pages
Available on Amazon Kindle ($2.99) and Paperback ($12.95)

Why Attend an HBCU is Volume I in the Why Attend an HBCU series and provides insight into the history of HBCUs and the plethora of opportunities available at HBCUs. The book identifies the HBCUs affiliated with the United Negro College Fund and HBCUs affiliated with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Readers will gain insight into the graduate school and career pathways, internship opportunities, post-college employment opportunities, and scholarship opportunities available to HBCU students that are not available elsewhere. The book also profiles the largest employers of HBCU students; top industry supporters; and top government partners. The reader will also learn why students interested in attending an HBCU must engage in thorough and deliberate research, as profiled in later volumes, to identify the HBCUs and scholarships best aligned with each student’s educational and career aspirations. The book continues footnotes with links to a variety of resources.

Why Attend an HBCU provides facts and dispels myths

Learn:

  • How a family of triplets are all attending college on full scholarships, including North Carolina A&T and Claflin University
  • How Biden-Harris Administration funding has expanded HBCU opportunities across majors and career pathways
  • How HBCUs continue to provide a counterbalance to K-12 schools that do not teach Black history and limit access to books written by Black authors
  • How to identify HBCUs that provide the best match for your career aspirations and financial need
  • Why academically accomplished students do not have to choose between an HBCU and the Ivy League, but how they can have both
  • How to identify HBCUs that offer as many as 16 guaranteed graduate school pathways
  • How to identify HBCUs that offer full scholarships based on grades and test scores
  • Who takes out the highest student loan debt
  • How to approach scholarship research with intentionality
  • The concept of ‘Body of Work” and how it will impact your scholarship success
  • Why this book is important for any counselor advising Black students about college
  • The facts about how HBCUs really compare to PWIs
  • Why HBCU graduation rates do not tell the whole story
  • Why Ivy League schools consider HBCUs as leaders in higher education and which Ivy League schools are actively collaborating with HBCUs
  • Why the UMBC Meyerhoff Scholars Program was modeled after HBCUs
  • How Black students see themselves in HBCU classrooms
  • Why the US Congress needed to pass a second Land-Grant Act to create public HBCUs
  • How the state with two of the most recognizable HBCU brands, did not admit Black students to its flagship public university, and nationally ranked football program, until 1961
  • 6 reasons why choosing an HBCU is more than just getting a degree
  • The many relationships that HBCUs have with the public and private sectors leading to top salaries and emerging careers from Esports to self-driving vehicles
  • Top 50 employers of HBCU graduates
  • Top 20 HBCU industry supporters
  • Top 20 HBCU government and nonprofit supporters
  • Media outlets that support HBCUs
  • The top HBCU producers of medical school applicants, engineers, congressional leaders, and Black who earn science PhDs
  • The top HBCUs for business, pharmacy, and STEM
  • The Divine Nine—who they are and where they were founded
  • Links to reports that provide “facts” about HBCU success

 

 

  • Mr. Wynn, I could have never imagined that you and Ms. Nina's guidance when I was a third-grader would result in 6 full college scholarships (Amherst, Duke, Princeton, Vanderbilt, Washington & Lee, and Williams) upon my graduation from high school. Like myself, many of the students at my high school had never heard of Williams College (or the full scholarship opportunity). Even more amazing was how Ms. Nina encouraged me to pursue graduate school fellowships, which I have received to support my journey as a Ph.D. student in math at Iowa State University. [BA Math and Chemistry]Kimberly [GA], Williams College
  • Mr. and Mrs. Wynn, words cannot express how grateful I am for all of your guidance and support through each step of the college planning process. As a first generation student from Viet Nam, with non-English speaking parents, I do not know what I would have done. I had 3 full college scholarship opportunities (Elon, UNC-Greeensboro Honors College, NC-Chapel Hill). Not only did your suggestion that I accept the Elon Odyssey Scholarship result in an extraordinary experience, I have received a dual degree BS/MS in Accounting.Yuzu [NC], Elon University Odyssey Scholar
  • Although a top student attending one of the top ranked public high schools in Georgia, I was totally unaware of any college pathways beyond the Ivy League or Georgia Tech/UGA—the only schools that students at my school talked about. Being introduced to the UMBC Meyerhoff Scholars Program changed my life. In addition to my scholarship, I received 3 degrees [BS in Math and Science, and a BA in Economics], and was selected as a Rhodes Scholar. I am now pursuing my Ph.D. in Economics at Oxford University.Sam [GA], UMBC Meyerhoff Scholar
  • As the first in my family to attend college and receiving no college-planning guidance whatsoever at my school, I was lost. I had no idea how I would pay for college and assumed that student loans were inevitable. Then my Godmother introduced me to Mr. and Mrs. Wynn and the rest is history as I am now attending Vassar on a full scholarship.Tiffany [PA], Vassar
  • Mr. and Mrs. Wynn have been a part of my journey since the 8th grade. They guided my pathway throughout high school and into a full scholarship at Georgia Tech as a Clark Scholar. They have continued to support my journey with prayer and insight into learning strategies and study skills to help me through my biomedical engineering program. They are like my second parents.Tyra [GA], Georgia Tech Clark Scholar
  • I am so grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Wynn. As first generation Vietnamese immigrants, my parents could not offer any college planning guidance, but Mr. and Mrs. Wynn were there to guide me every step of the way and introduce me to the QuestBridge Program, fly-in programs (UPenn, Caltech, and Dartmouth), and help me write essays that told my story. While a top academic student, their guidance helped me to stand out as a leader. Now, being on a full scholarship to Caltech is like a dream. Tuyen [FL], Caltech QuestBridge Scholar
  • Oh My God! I can’t believe it. Due to problems at my school, I missed the QuestBridge deadline and was devastated. However, Mr. and Mrs. Wynn pulled me together and kept me focused on developing a solid college list and game plan. They helped me with my Common Application and UChicago Supplemental essays, guided me in strengthening my academic résumé, reviewed my Common Application, and supported me in developing the strongest possible application for UChicago. They assured me that Early Decision was my best chance of being offered admission and that I UChicago would offer me a full scholarship if I could get in. Everything worked exactly as they said it would—this is surreal! Sydney [FL], University of Chicago Odyssey Scholar
  • I served on the cohort youth leadership board and developed the body of work that Mr. and Mrs. Wynn told me would help me receive a full scholarship to an HBCU. After following their advice, I was offered a full scholarship to the honors college at Claflin University and the Alumni Scholarship to the North Carolina A and T Honors College. As a result of their guidance, everything has been paid for through my scholarship, including books, fees, room, board, and tuition. It has not cost me anything!TaRetta [GA], North Carolina A and T Honors College
  • My journey has been incredible. I was offered over $2.5 million in scholarships, including full scholarships to Tuskegee, Wake Forest, and the University of Richmond; and generous financial aid awards to Amherst, Williams, Swarthmore, Duke, and Davidson. I attended the University of Richmond as a Richmond Scholar and have received my BS in Biology [debt free]! I am now iin the MSN Program at Duke.Kristen [NC], University of Richmond - Richmond Scholar
  • I am 1 of 8 siblings from rural Lake City, South Carolina. Prior to joining the cohort as a 10th grader, I had resolved to attend school in South Carolina and take out student loans. However, through the cohort, I learned about Bates College and The George Washington University, both of which I was offered admission together with full scholarships. Mr. Wynn also nominated me for the Northeastern University Torch Scholars Program and accompanied me to Boston for the Interview Weekend. My journey as a Northeastern University ‘Torch Scholar’ as been surreal. I am so grateful to the Florence County School District 3 College Planning Cohort Program and Ms. Yvonne Scott, the Director of College and Career Readiness. I have now received my BS in Political Science [debt free] and I am a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Graduate Fellow at Northeastern University.Damian [SC], Northeastern University Torch Scholar
  • In the 10th grade, when I joined the cohort, I did not know anything about colleges beyond South Carolina. As the valedictorian of my high school class and first in my family to attend college, I had no idea that I needed a body of work beyond academics to get into top colleges or being awarded a full scholarship. I will be forever grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Wynn, and my discussion group leader, Rev. Dr. Yolanda Davis, who guided me on an amazing journey through the Yale Young Global Scholars Program, fly-in programs, being selected as a QuestBridge College Prep Scholar, and into a full scholarship as only the 2nd student in the history of my school district to be offered admission to Williams.Jayla [SC], Williams College
  • I joined the cohort in the 10th grade and discovered so much about the college admissions process—the importance of building your leadership and community service profiles, applying to fly-in programs, applying to QuestBridge College Prep Scholar program, and putting myself onto the campus of my top college choice. The wealth of knowledge and support that I received through the cohort program resulting in a full scholarship to Johns Hopkins and being selected as a 2022 Jack Kent Cooke College Scholar as the only student in my school district to receive these honors.Joanne [FL], Johns Hopkins University
  • During my mid-year assessment as a high school junior, Mr. and Mrs. Wynn pointed out all of my weaknesses in leadership and service and guided me in developing a plan beyond being a top academic student. The plan worked! I was offered admission to my top college choice—Georgia Tech—and received a full scholarship as a Georgia Tech Gold Scholar, an honor only offered to the top 2% of entering freshmen, who demonstrate scholarship, leadership, and service. Mr. and Mrs. Wynn are experts. Their expertise helped me to see beyond grades and test scores to the intangibles of college admissions.Justin [GA], Georgia Tech Gold Scholar
  • My mother and I am so grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Wynn for all of the time they poured into me and personalized guidance they provided my family. This has been an extraordinary journey that I would have never had imagined to end with a full scholarship to Amherst College. I have now received my undergraduate degree [debt free] and have a full graduate school fellowship. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Brenna [NC], Amherst College
  • I joined the cohort in the 9th grade. Working through the online curriculum and presenting my college plan in our monthly discussion group with Rev. Dr. Yolanda Davis guided my pathway step-by-step in developing my 4-year course schedule, summer programs, and building my leadership and community service profiles in a way that made me stand out in the college admissions process. The proof is in my admission to Brown and selection as a 2023 Jack Kent Cooke College Scholar!Omar [GA], Brown University
  • Mr. and Mrs. Wynn are amazing. I cannot think of a single part of the college planning process that they did not help me with from preparing my application to the Spelman Honors College, comparing my financial aid award letters, applying for the CodeHouse Scholarship, and preparing for interviews. Nowhere was their support more meaningful than in challenging my thinking and guiding me through the emotionally stressful and mentally exhausting essay writing process.Joie [GA], Spelman Honors College
  • Mr. and Mrs. Wynn, when I joined the cohort and read about the stories of students who had received full scholarships, I thought my only full scholarship pathway would be through athletics. Wow, was I wrong! Being offered a full scholarship to Northeastern and receiving a full scholarship as a Cheatham-White Scholar to North Carolina A and T was unimaginable. My mother and I can never thank you enough for all that you have done.Jada [GA], North Carolina A and T Honors College
  • Even after qualifying for the highest level of the Bright Futures Scholarship, my parents would have had to pay nearly $20,000 a year for room, board, books, and fees for me to attend the University of Florida. However, I learned through the boot camp that my GPA and test scores qualified me for full scholarships at several HBCUs. After a road trip with my parents to visit several schools, I applied to Tuskegee University where I received the Distinguished Presidential Scholarship. I am on the baseball team and majoriing in mechanical engineering.Ryan [FL], Tuskegee University
  • As an undocumented student from a state that does not offer any financial aid to students like me, the idea of college was wishful thinking until I met Mr. and Mrs. Wynn. They encouraged me to dream big and guided me through each step of my college-bound journey as the first in my family to attend college and the first student in the history of my school district to be offered admission, together with a full scholarship, to Williams College.Juliana [SC], Williams College
  • Receiving my BA in English from Amherst College landed me a job writing and designing online curricula for several Ivy League universities. However, receiving my certification as a college admissions counselor, supporting the college-bound aspirations of first generation students, and being part of their journey into previously unimaginable spaces and places students has been my most fulfilling work .Mychal-David Wynn [GA], Amherst College

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