The impact of higher education has been known to help an individual and or student improve the quality and growth in life. Choosing to further your education after high school results in being able to gain the experience of a lifetime. High education enables new students, and current students who enroll into college to increase and expand their knowledge and skills, to express themselves effectively in their own creative way, and to explore different learning techniques and resources that will help then grasp and comprehend the choice of the education relating to major and desired degree. Choosing which institution to acquire certification in higher education can be complicating, stressful, and difficult because it is important to recognize that the time you spend in college takes up 50% or more of your life, so you ask yourself questions like, “What school is academically challenging, but affordable?”, “What school will help me excel in networking”, and most importantly, “What school is overall best fit for me?”. Today there are 5,300 universities and colleges in the United States of America. The U.S. Department of Education has more than 4,000 non degree-granting academic institutions.
Out of curiosity I researched why weren’t schools such as Spelman or Morehouse discovered or counted as Ivy League schools until I learned that they were considered as “Black Ivy League” Schools. So, what is the difference between an Ivy League School and a Black Ivy League school? Ivy League schools are considered to be the most prestigious institutions in America, while Black Ivy schools are considered to be the most prestigious institutions in American that provides similar educational strategies for African American students who were intelligent for the typical Ivy League school, but weren’t accepted in a certain time of history. The difference between both types of schools sparks a conversation of PWI and HBCUs, which is another conversation pertaining to higher learning and education.
During a student’s college selecting process a countless amount of people are there to encourage high school students who plan to further their education to visit colleges, apply for financial aid in a timely manner, and of course boost their ACT scores if they haven’t already taken the ACT and received a high score. Visiting prospective universities is a great way for seniors or any high school student to see how they feel about the school outside of virtual tours and internet research. Tours can be scheduled over the phone as well as on college websites. As a senior in high school, there was a lot of pressure on which college I should have chosen to go certain institutions and for the most part everything seemed biased. My first semester of college was okay, but I found myself not really applying myself simply because I chose the only college I’ve ever known, the college where many of my family members graduated from. I personally believe that students should reach more out of their comfort zones and make their own decisions when it comes to choosing a university that provides the proper higher education that will meet their needs.
It is understandable that some institutions are challenging to get in to. Desiring to go to a high-class university can be a blessing and a curse sometimes. There are higher requirements for ACT and SAT scores, as well as cumulative grade point averages. Students who have their eyes on schools such as Harvard, Yale, etc., are considered as over achievers in high school simply because their dream or their parents dream is for them to go to an Ivy League school. Ivy League schools are the most sought out universities of higher learning around the country and in the whole entire world. To many people and students, getting accepted into an Ivy League institution is like hitting the lotto.
During my research, I decided to acquire more information pertaining to one top Black Ivy League Schools in the country that is also considered as a Historically Black College University (HBCU). There are eight Black Ivy League schools in America, Fisk University, Morehouse College, Spelman College, Dillard University, Clark Atlanta University, Hampton University, Tuskegee University, and Howard University being the number one Black Ivy League school in America. Howard State University was founded in the year of 1867, in Washington D.C. Howard University is a private institution that was federally chartered as a HBCU on March 2nd, 1867. The school provides education in areas such as Engineering and Architecture, Nursing and Health Sciences, Pharmacy, Arts and Sciences, Dentistry, Business, Communications, Medicine, Law, Mathematics, Divinity, Education, and Social Work. Howard University is now celebrating 150 years of its Education Graduate program, which was established in 1934. The mission of Howard University is “attract and sustain a cadre of faculty who are, through their teaching, research and service, committed to the development of distinguished, historically aware, and compassionate graduates and to the discovery of solutions to human problems in the United States and throughout the world. With an abiding interest in both domestic. and international affairs, the University is committed to continuing to produce leaders for America and the global community.”.
Being one of the most rewarding Historical Black Colleges in America, Howard U’s graduate program is among the nation’s most-largest producers of African American students who complete doctorates in engineering, technology, and physical sciences. The school consistently produces 100 or more doctoral recipients. As a mass communication major, I took it upon myself to look at what the prestigious school communications and media department offered and what success comes with the program of Mass Communication. The Cathy Hughes school of communications offers education in Media, Film, and Journalism where students are well prepared for the media world of today. Graduate, Kehbuma Langmia appeared as the key note speaker at the Communications Educators Conference in Ghana recently and acknowledge his Alma Mater graceful during his speech. The student outcome data at Howard U when it comes to public relations are up to par, from the year of 2018-2019 Public Relations and Advertising from graduate and undergraduates at a percentage of 82%. There is no doubt that Higher Education is important, and how it leads to a numerous amount of benefits, but from my perspective I feel as if its about how you perceive, and it’s about making the right choice for yourself and working hard prior to embarking on the new journey, whether he school is upscale and a little less unnoticeable than others.
