The Pipeline: HBCUs Forg Natio
By Christina Sturdivant
While fall semester for high school seniors is a pivotal time for those seeking to further their education, college preparation begins much earlier for students at many top performing high schools across the country. “We are a college prep school so as soon as we get our students in the 9th grade, we begin to talk to them about preparing for college,” says Valerie Wilson, guidance counselor at McKinley Technology High School in Washington, DC.
college night with representatives from at least local and out-of-state 30 colleges. A collection of at least 10 HBCUs each year also visit McKinley to host on-site admissions processes where students can apply to colleges and be accepted on the same day. Representatives from Bowie State University are consistent in interacting with McKinley students. They seek candidates who have shown academic preparedness by taking challenging courses and achieving high scores on standardized tests while focused on achieving a college degree, says Derrick L. Davis, director of admissions at Bowie State.
Although interests may change, freshmen and sophomores begin to think about intended majors. They research entry requirements of interested schools and strive to maintain desirable GPAs. Juniors and seniors take more rigorous courses to present marketable transcripts and prepare Davis and his team of for a higher level of recruiters hit the road academics. Guidance each fall, visiting high counselors meet Guidance counselors nationwide say HBCUs are making progress in reaching out to high schools, college fairs collectively and achieving students. and panel discussions individually with students throughout the Washington, DC metropolitan area. By the to assist them in narrowing down their choices to include end of the school year, they have visited approximately 100 reach, match and safety options. schools in the region. “As a graduate of an HBCU, I definitely always include “There's a lot of rich history on campuses that are HBCUs, some HBCU suggestions for them that I think would be a says Davis, “And I think it’s important for them to know it’s good fit,” says Wilson, a graduate of Howard University. an option when seeking a college degree.” At a school with a 97 percent black student population, not When speaking with students, Davis discusses the familyall McKinley students are expected to transition smoothly oriented nature of the school, opportunities inside and into more diverse environments. For those who may need outside of the classroom and benefits of attending a the extra support and nurturing associated with the HBCU university in proximity to the nation's capitol. experience, Wilson nudges the option a little harder. Students at the School Without Walls Senior High School, The presence of admissions officers and recruiters is ranked 1st in D.C. by U.S. News and World report, also constant at McKinley throughout the school year. During receive attention from college recruiters—from the Ivy college awareness month in October, the school hosts a
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