Video: 4 Things Every Black Student Should Know Before Applying to College

Video Transcript

Lorraine Edwards, Editor, BestColleges: Today about 36% of Black adult women and 27% of Black adult men possess a college degree, according to the data from the Education Trust. And during the pandemic, enrollment among Black students dropped 8% compared to the national decline of 4.4%.

In today's video, I want to go over four major factors that Black students should consider when applying to college, and some resources that can help you get the most out of your college experience.

4 Things Every Black Student Should Know Before Applying to College

1. Choosing a College

It's important for any student to build a list of colleges that best suit their needs. But for Black students, we have to also consider which colleges will give us the resources and support necessary to not only graduate, but to also thrive.

Have you thought about what thriving looks like for you? I think it looks like:

Finishing Your Degree

Just over half of Black college students finish their degree within six years. Look for schools that have strong graduation outcomes for Black and other students of color. That's a sign the school has resources to help you succeed.

Robust First-gen Resources

Nearly 30% of Black students are also the first in their families to go to college. Learning to navigate a foreign environment while performing academically is really hard, so look for schools that are doing the work to support first-gen students.

Black Student Groups and Communities

Going away to school can be isolating at times, so it helps to have a community to lean on in good times, and those not so great ones, too.

And community doesn't look the same for everyone. Whether it's campus ministries, student unions, or even Greek life, find organizations that align with your personal interests and values, and will help you build a strong social and professional network.

Contact the School

Speaking of networking, that's something I wish I had understood better when I was a student. I relied on myself for everything, especially since it wasn't an area where my parents could offer guidance.

Here's something you may not have thought to do: contact the school that you're interested in and ask to speak with Black alumni. Ask them for info you can't get from a college website, like:

• Who should I ask for a mentorship at this university?
• What should I be doing now to make sure I'm successful at this school?

2. Choosing a Course of Study

Now, what to study. If it were up to my focus, I would have been a lawyer. Instead, I followed my passions...and then I changed my mind, and then I changed schools, and then I changed my mind again.

If you are one of the lucky few who always knew what you wanted to be, amazing. But if you don't know what you wanted to be when you grow up, that's okay, too. There are a lot of ways to get to where you're going.

One way is to focus on your potential earnings. In recent years, the major with the highest median salary salary for Black students was pharmacy, pharmaceutical science, and administration. In 2021, the median pay for pharmacists was $128,000. That's a nice chunk of change.

Another way is to focus on job security. Health and medical administrative services is one of the most popular majors for Black students, who make up 21% of degree-holders in this field. I can see why — healthcare is one of the strongest career paths regardless of what the economy is doing.

3. Applying to College

Ahhh...college applications. The waiting, the anxiety, the stress-eating. If you thought choosing your target school was hard enough, applying the colleges can be even more daunting.

When I went through this process, I felt so much pressure to get everything perfect. And application costs add up, and I applied to six universities. It feels like there's so much on the line, and I only had one shot to make my family proud.

But look: applying to school is pretty straightforward. The three most important things are:

1. Getting it in on time
2. Having strong recommendations
3. Having a powerful essay or interview

4. Paying for College

There's an overwhelming amount of student debt in the U.S., specifically in the Black and educated community. According to a study by the National Center for Education Statistics, 32% of Black students who entered college in 2011 defaulted on their loans within six years. Personally, I graduated with over $50k in debt, and that has impacted every decision I've made since.

The whole system of higher ed financing can seem like a rigged game, I know. But I'm going to help you play it to win.

So let's talk about paying for school. Maybe no one's told you this yet, but not all financial aid is created equal. You want to look for aid that you won't have to pay back — that means scholarships and grants.

Scholarships

Scholarships are the best form of aid because let's be real: it's free money y'all. Scholarships may come from many sources, including colleges and universities, and independent organizations like the Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship. Additionally, financial aid opportunities may offer funding for specific areas of studies, such as engineering or nursing.

One great opportunity to look into: STEM scholarships for Black students. Black students are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math majors. Despite making up more than 12% of the student population, Black students only represent 8% of general engineering majors, 7% of math majors, and 5% of computer engineering majors.

We have four STEM scholarships listed in our full article in the [YouTube video] description, and these are just a few of the opportunities out there.

Grants

Next: grants. Grants are also funds that you typically don't have to pay back. Think of it as a need-based gift to you from the government.

You'll need to complete the FAFSA if you want to qualify for grants or if you want to look into work-study opportunities to earn extra money towards tuition. A lot of work study jobs can be great: I was a receptionist at my college careers development center, and often got paid to do my homework.

Now if you do take out loans (and most people will have to take out some, at least), you should know that with many private loans the interest starts accruing right away. I wish I started paying my private ones off sooner, because it took me 10 years to pay off $5,000 after interest and deferments. Government-subsidized loans on the other hand won't start accruing interest until you graduate.

Final Thoughts

Making sure that prospective Black students are equipped with the info they need to make good choices around college is so important to me, especially right now.

We know that Black women for example are one of the most highly educated American demographics, but they also graduate with more student debt and continue to be disadvantaged when it comes to acquiring wealth over their lifetimes. Finding ways to thrive in college while decreasing the economic burden of getting a degree is one way to start turning the tide.

I hope you found this helpful or informative, and if you did, consider liking, subscribing, or commenting below with other topics you'd like to see us discuss. Until next time.