GFXPOLL

PWI educated me!

Educated black people understand that the world is not all black and do not HBCU's to validate their blackness. I received an excellent education for a state PWI. They always processed my paperwork on time, never screwed-up my financial aid and it didn't cost me $5000 a semester to attend.

PW! educated me and my doctor daughter

I attended a HBCU and it wasn't too prove my blackness. I received nurturing and opportunities that were extremely valuable to me as a student at an HBCU and now as a grad student at a PWI. I received an excellent education and was taught that the world owed me nothing! My paperwork was processed on time, my financial aid was never screwed up and graduated owing no one. That's not an PWI/HBCU issue!

I went to a PWI for undergrad that had problems with processing my paperwork, but more importantly had a problem with my being there. The administration and white student body treated me and the rest of the Black students with thinly veiled hostility. Once I graduated the school was more than happy to solicit donations from me.



I went to a HBCU for law school where I received twice the opportunity to start my legal career for a quarter of the price of a PWI and with priceless personal connections. And I had no problems with my financial aid. Everyone is different. Each institution has value depending on the person. However, I believe that HBCUs are invaluable.

Of course since I graduated from Florida A & M University (albeit with a 2.7 GPA from way too much cutting class), I had to vote HBCU.

I believe the question should be - Which type of school provides the best education for African American students? In my honest opinion, HBCU's are the best choice. I am an African American woman who received her BA from an HBCU (Go Hampton!!!) and is currently in a doctoral program at a highly ranked PWI. Both research and personal experience/observation has shown me that HBCU's are a better option for African American students.



In a recent study by Flowers (2002) it was found that attending a HBCU had significantly positive direct effects on reported gains in understanding the arts and humanities, gains in personal and social development, gains in understanding science and technology, and gains in intellectual and writing skills.



Personally, I found that my undergraduate institution provided an environment where I could grow as a scholar and learn how to negotiate in the real world. When I graduated from Hampton, I was adequately prepared to begin graduate studies and was accepted to a number of competitive programs. In addition, a number of my HU colleagues have gone on to graduate school and successful careers within their fields of study. At my current institution, I have observed that Black students are continuously disenfranchised. They do not receive quality guidance and many slip through the cracks academically. In addition, the institution does not cater to their social needs. For instance, they have had to create a Black Homecoming because they are completely left out of the formal Homecoming activities. Quite honestly, I feel sorry for them.



I think that we need to examine why many of us assume that PWI's are better than their HBCU counterparts. Just because its White doesn't mean that its Right.

A PWI was a better fit b/c I come from a diverse city and was looking for that in a college; but since our percentage on campus was so small we had no choice but to promote & interact as a tight community. There are pros/cons for attending both but I loved my undergraduate education at my PWI. Never felt so Black in my life & thank God I had the support & friendship of other brothas & sistas who were in the same boat. But let's not get caught up in which is better, an HBCU or a PWI. It's about what's right for you at that stage in your life.

When you attend a PWI whether you like it or not you are a BLACK student.There your views are a representation of what black students think delivering a politically correct view from the black psyche. At a HBCU you are just a student and your opinion is just that, your opinion. There are just somethings PWI can't do for the black student.

um..PWI!



Go Terps!

I enjoyed my PWI experience. The population was 11% black which meant that we really stuck together.

I didn't choose an HBCU to prove my blackness. I chose an HBCU because I wanted to not only receive an education, but I also wanted to become a well rounded individual in a family environment. Yes, my paperwork may of not been processed on time, but in the end, I enjoyed going to school where the majority of students had the same struggles to over come and hurrdles to leap over.



HBCU's serve as a great support system for our community, but in the end, as long as you are in a DESK and not a JAIL cell, I'm happy for you.

I needed to be educated by Blacks and immersed in Black culture and education . It was what i needed at 18. I still needed that at 38 when i returned for Grad School



It's what I NEEDED. To each their own.

How divisive is this crap??? The bottom line is you can get a good education at either type of institution. It's what YOU make of it! I went to an HBCU for undergrad and a PWI for grad school. Both have their pros and cons. Both have their merits. I would NEVER trade my HBCU education. This isn't a fair question anyway! Your comparing apples to grapes!

My husband and I attended PWI schools for both undergraduate and graduate degrees. My parents and grandparents both attended HBCU's. My mother wanted me to have a different experience. My parents and grandparents graduated from Alabama State University completing their BS and MS degrees. I had wanted to attend Howard University or Spellman. I know that I missed out on many of the social attributes that are paramount at the HBCU's. At my PWI I never felt a part of the campus. If it were not for the BSU and the BGO survival would have been difficult.

My daughter graduated from Howard University where she received an excellent education. She experienced exceptional pride on her campus and has established lifelong relationships. She is a travel nurse and where ever she goes she finds Howard Alumni.

She did not attend because she needed to affirm her Blackness. She received that from her parents. My son attended my alma mater, which has changed since I graduated he is getting an excellent education, however the same supports that my daughter had do not exist. If he were not a member of a fraternity, his network would be different. He plans to attend a HBSU graduate school. My youngest son will be attending a HBCU this fall.

I am a collegiate advisor for my sorority at a HBCU. I love the experience and admire the decisions that these young people have made. They are intelligent and about the business of educating themselves. Many did not have the top scores on the SAT however they were given a chance and they are using this opportunity to advance themselves academically. The University is actively involved in campus Greek Life. The students cannot become involved with Greek O. unless they have a certain GPA and community service often above the requirements of the organization.

Our young people must decide what is best for them and what meets their needs socially and academically. They must be given the opportunity to pursue their dreams and goals.

I went to San Francisco State Univ. One day during lunch hour a group of Indian male students dressed in their native clothing and performed a ritual dance. Aferwards they rocked the house with a rap show in their own language. It was awesome! The audience was filled with Palestinians, Russians, Greeks and every other extraction not commonly known to mainstream Americans. In that environmnet you know that we live in a global environment--not black and white. HBCU have their purpose but I'd rather be exposed to the world not a segment of it.

As an educated black woman who likes advanced degrees, I'd like to say that I don't think you can lump all HBCU's into the same category in terms of the quality of education. They are not all created equal both from a resource and future opportunity perspective. In some cases, I think students could be better served going to a PWI. But having attended an HBCU for undergrad and a top PWI for grad school I can certainly say that my HBCU experience was the more positive of the two on a personal level, while from an educational perspective they were about the same. Oh and the stuff about our paperwork not being processed on time, that just makes us stronger!

PWI offer the best education along with quick feedback, even before graduation job offers are thrown at your door. The PWI I attended was diverse depicting the reality of society, showing that this world is not ALL BLACK nor WHITE.

as an educated half black, half white male, I attended a PWI--UCSD in California--for both my BA and MA. I think HBCUs have value but I definitely wonder about the reality of a university where you are surrounded by only black people--that doesn't happen in the professional world at all.

Went to an private HBCU undergrad, currently at a private PWI for graduate school. Both institutions have educated me well. However the word education is subjective. Hampton offered me an education for life, invaluable! Would not be the driven, solid, affirmed dude I am without it. Vanderbilt is my ticket into the real world and the scholarship here has challenged and refined me further.

I understand how people who didn't attend HBCU's could have difficulty understanding the educational benefits of such. If you think that fast paperwork is more important than learning the political theory of Walter Rodney or Marcus Garvey then more power to you. As a Political Science major at Clark Atlanta University I learned enought to get me into my PW law school, and to beat down some of my Ivy league classmates. Don't get it twisted, I wouldn't give up my CAU education for anything!

Personally I think it depends. I think HBCUs provide a nurturing environment where one can feel welcome and learn. PWIs (I attended 2) can be hostile and one's grades can suffer.



That being said, I saw many HBCU graduates come to the PWI I attended for grad school and get hammered. Many made the adjustment and prevailed. Others went home.

I was educated at both an HBCU and an Ivy League institution. It was at an HBCU that I learned about the history of my people, the importance of giving back, and the pursuit of academic and personal excellence. My Ivy League experience taught me how to be ferocisouly competitive. I also learned that cheaters do win and subtle racism ion academia stings.

I saw that FAMU shout out! Go Rattlers!

I love my PWI...

I'm a Pitt Panther 'till I die bleeding that Blue & Gold (and BLACK!)



Undergrad was one of the best times of my life. However, I'd hate to see HBCUs disappear. Everything is not for everybody. HBCUs have an important historical relevance and contemporary presence. Besides, even on its best day, Pitt's marching band could never do what those FAMU Rattlers do on their worst.

Its everyone else then us. If you feel we have arrived, then you are dead wrong. The HBCU experience will help you understand purpose and why you need your education.......TO SERVE. If you are not helping your people, what good are you?



an HBCU GRAD

I am a Howard University graduate and a native Washingtonian and I think they kind of overdid the whole BLACK experience. I learned a lot, got a great job after college, met my husband at Howard but I was so paranoid about the

White Man and all the things that he might do to me. I got a job at a predominantly White computer firm and it took years for me to trust the people that I worked with everyday. I kept waiting for the ax to fall and all they ever did was try to help me advance my career. Once I put away my fears and realized that not all White people are out to harm you my life and opportunities flourished. It was a far better experience than when I worked with predominately Black coworkers one summer in the DC Government where I got very little help and it seemed everyone was back stabbing someone.



My daughter now goes to Virginia State because she went to predominantly White schools growing up and the wanted the HBCU experience which I think is great for her but it certainly is not a requirement to justify your Blackness.



Howard needs to focus on other things like building a new gym so that we can attract quality athletes. Recruiting quality freshmen...my husband and I are both alumni and she did not get one brochure from Howard when she was considering colleges. Upgrading their dorms and computer labs is another ongoing issue.



I am a Bison for life but, let's support all of our HBCU's and at the same time teach or kids that stereotyping anyone or anything can be dangerous. Choosing a college is a personal choice and people should choose what's best for them whether it's a HBCU or PWI.

In terms of the education itself (not evaluating the administrative or financial aspects) I believe the education offered by an HBCU, or at least by my HBCU (go RATTLERS!) is not only invaluable, but superior to that which I may have received at a PWI. That being said, there are pros and cons for each type of institution which leads me to believe that the choice should be evaluated on an individual basis.

One can obtain a great education from a HBCU and PWI but the connections one makes and keeps from a HBCU is amazing. I went to Howard undgergrad and a PWI for my MBA but my HBCU connections are stronger. I believe I received the same quality of education undergrad that one would receive at a PWI, I just had a lot more fun! Sure we had a little registration drama but hey I survived and it made me stronger and gave the alumni something to laugh about.

I would say that PWI provides the better education for white people, but I am not sure of that either. While going to school for an advanced degree, I met several PWI grads. They were usually ill-prepared for their advanced degree studies. On the other hand, little ol' HBCU me received honors.



idk...education is what you make it...but I think HBCUs esp FISK do an excellent job.

I attended a PWI because I went to an all black high school. I know it sounds funny but we always want the opposite of what we were immersed in. I.E. anyone who grows up in the suburbs wants to live in a major city. Anyone who grew up in a major urban environment loves a yard and space. If I had it to do all over again I always said I would have went to a HBCU. I just get tired of hearing how the stories always end the same way when people talk about them. Ah you know it' s a black school! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Educated black people understand the importance of HBCUs. Those who prefer PWI are in fact assimilated black people, not educated. LOL.

As a Spelman Alumnae, I voted for an HBCU. It was my HBCU education that got me to Harvard to earn my masters. I honestly don't believe a PWI would have motivated, encouraged, or invested the confidence in me to apply and successfully graduate from this Ivy League Institution.

HBCUs all the way! The standard of excellence was unparalled in my opinion and it set a foundation for me to go on to pursue my graduate education at a top university (PWI).

Lucky you Leslie #2 ... too bad not everyone has the same experience you have at a PWI.

Hbcu's give me a education that actually benefits the world

Leave it to us to try to sow discord between black college grads. Let me begin by saying that I am a proud graduate of an HBCU, and I'd recommend it to any black student. I grew up attending PWIs, and I, in addition to my other black classmates chose to attend HBCUs upon graduation, because we wanted a different experience. I always find it amusing how some graduates of PWIs feel the need to validate themselves by stating that HBCUs provide a false sense of reality. What's even more amusing was that they'd break their necks to get to our campus for parties, step shows, probates, etc. Hmm, I thought we were living in a false sense of reality! Why don't y'all stay on your campus and party with each other? Why are ya'll pressed to show up at our Homecoming? HBCUs provide black students with the opportunity to be in the majority; a chance to live and socialize with other students who look like them and share some of the same interests and experiences. HBCUs aren't for everyone, but don't try to discourage students who may be considering attending one - that sounds like the crabs in a barrel mentality to me. I earned my degree just like you did!

I am from a HBCU. What I fine to be true about education is that if you do not know all that you can about your heritage and people, then at jobs, and social event with other races, most black tend to be accepting the other races turpetations of what they see black culture as. Usually they get even the most educated black to agree with their opinions. Since I went to school with whites from 4th thru 12th grade, I already knew their ways and habits. Believe me they do not know what they lead you to believe. A example of this is, presently the American society have a upset with the Rev Wright's church. My HBCU education and experience teaching school in Southern Africa during the heights of apatheid, I learned, The black church is the symble of freedom to most people in the world, also that while living in Southern Africa, it was against the US government rule to go to white doctors there. It was a known fact that the doctors were passing on virus of all types among the people. (to include whites)

In 2003 60 minutes had the well known doctor (Dr. Death) on a piece. He set there and told the world, he and two west coast doctor were doing all types of things to the people. He talked of how they put virus materials on envelope and stamp glue. Hey PWI are there to hide such information from the people. Because you go to the PWI do not mean that they let you in on all the information they give out to other students. They do that right under your nose. I been around the other races all my life, and those that know me, know I help them to see thing about Black America that the average black never think about. In this century, you have to be able to inturpet who you are, otherwise they throw their own opinions at you about you. At any social event one must be able to correct other races interpetations othewise you are giving them just what they can handle, another black person that do not really know what eduacation in about.

Several of my EBP's attended a HBCU and I appreciate my experience at a PWI. I believe that it gave me a realistic view of the world I lived and would soon work in versus a utopian type experience that exists at an HBCU. And everyone that I know who attended an HBCU had issues with timeliness in the administrative departments (e.g. financial aid)

I think this is a divisive question. Institutional fit is dependent on the individual. I attended an HBCU for undergrad and grad. I work at a PWI and am finishing up my doctorate here also. I've enjoyed both experiences. I've seen bad customer service, lost paperwork, etc... at both institution types as well. Find the school that works best for you and STOP always trying to pit one type of school against another. Also, to those of you who love throwing around that the world isn't all black comment--guess what--HBCUs aren't all black EITHER!!! I had white professors, South Asian classmates, latina dormmates, etc...Don't allow yourself to internalize and perpetuate a cliche that is meant to undermine the value of an HBCU. Do you say the same thing about the all black church you attend or the fact that the majority of your friends may be black? Let's support the fact that we all need to go to and graduate from college and move on!! Pick which ever institution works best for you and be a proud graduate. Jim Crow ended years ago. Let it die people.

Howard UNiversity all they way! the real hbcu!!1

I attended a HBCU for undergrad and a PWI for grad school so I have experienced both worlds. I agree with several other commenters that this is a divisive question. But if I had to choose I will go with HBCU because not only was i educated academically, spiritually, and socially. I was the only boy in my 8th grade class. I went to a culturally diverse high school. I did not need a HBCU to validate my blackness. I went because the institution was great (Go Tuskegee!)

I chose an hbcu (spelman) over a more prestigious pwi (nyu) primarily for financial reasons but am 100% elated and grateful for doing so.

HBCUs nurture us to be future black leaders and bring high quality education tailored to integrate our history and our realities and our diverse perspectives.

i was accepted at several prestigious pwis, including columbia, for graduate school and when i did attend grad school at a pwi, i noticed the other black students who went to pwis for undergrad had more identity issues and lacked the astrong affirming foundation we got at spelhouse.

i feel sorry for them and im sending my daughter to spelman one day!

I went to Hampton (HBCU)! The education you get at an HBCU is both academic and social. It is invaluable. All you have to do is look at the stats on the achievement of HBCU-attendees. They are more likely to graduate and more likely to get an advanced degree. (By the way, I will have my PhD in 09). HBCUs cultivate the mind and the identity.

HBCUs are better. While many may have issues with financial aid and dorms, the education that you receive at an HBCU is superior to most PWIs. HBCUs make sure to challenge their students because they know that people who have not attended an HBCU will look at them as though they coasted thru school. This could not be further than the truth. While I was in college, some of my classmates actually took classes at the neighboring PWI because they were easier!



HBCUs will challenge and nuture. I don't know if the same can be said for a PWI.

I'm late to this and forgive my ignorance but what the heck is a PWI???

I know it can't possibly mean Pro-wrestling Illustrated or Pregnant without Intercourse!

Nevermind...Google to the rescue!



For those who don't already know, it means Predominantly White Institution (a little explanation abount the acronym's meaning somewhere on this site would've helped though).

BTW, I attended a PWI and I managed to gain a solid educational foundation before graduation.



I don't think one educational institution type is better than the other. I would gladly attend a good HBCU for grad school.