attending an HBCU is bad

NO, i do not believe this. but this is what i've heard after telling people that i want to attend an HBCU (Spelman). They say it closes your network making you only appealing to black companies and also it is not realistic. what are some advantages and disadvantages about attending one. KEEP IT REAL PLEASE a little about me I attend a PWI (all white) college prep school. I am a senior and hope to attend Spelman College. Its the only HBCU i am applying to.. my other schools are Boston College,Boston University,Syracuse and etc.. i currently live in boston..could ppl also tell me about down south..ppl tryna tell me ima hate it cause people down there are "****" and what not AGAIN i do not belive this.. i love spelman college and down south i just want a lil something to know i am making the right choice...

Don't believe everything you hear. The HBCU experience is beyond compare, nothing like it! Attending one doesn't shrink your network, it enlarges it. I have classmates who have went on to become doctors working for large companies and PWIs and I have some that have gone on to take jobs at black companies and HBCUs. HBCU graduates can run the full spectrum of job placement so don't let what other people speculate determine your future. Telling you about "down south" will vary from city to city/town to town. It all depends on where you want to be. Since you want to go to Spelman, Atlanta is one of the livest cities in the south. There are a couple people on here that can give you their perspective of Atlanta better than I can. And we aren't "****"...that's so politically incorrect!

I was basically in your shoes a year ago. I only applied to 2 HBCUs out of a total of 11 schools. I turned down a bunch of PWIs like the University of Michigan and Boston University to attend. So far, I love it. The adjustment from a college prep school was not difficult. Spelman has a lot of students who come from predominately white high schools. Negative Aspects 1. less financial resources 2. less name recognition 3. unorganized administration Positive Aspects 1. small learning environment 2. vibrant social life 3. sense of community 4. (sisterhood) Specifically for Spelman. 5. Great Grad School Preperation Spelman is an overall great institution. I do not feel like I'm missing out on anything because i chose to attend an HBCU. Spelman provides a sense of community that i feel is unmatched at most PWIs.

Personally, I think the HBCU experience is something that can’t be equated monetarily. Therefore, I recommend Spelman College. Spleman is a great HBCU that will challenge you academically. Since your heart is at Spelman, you should attend there. I think HBCUs are good for Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate degrees. I attended an HBCU for undergrad and PWI for graduate school. From experience, I did not notice a difference in terms of academics. However, I definitely noticed a difference in the social life. When I attended Tennessee State University, the activities were geared toward blacks. When I attended the University of Central Florida, the activities were geared toward the majority. However, it was not bad, but just different. In terms of only appealing to black companies, that is definitely not true. From what I have experienced, companies recruit at HBCUs very aggressively. When I attended Tennessee State University, I received a job due to their career fair, which consisted of more than 100 companies (IBM, Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, Sun, Dell, JP Morgan Chase, etc.). As far as networking, I recommend joining professional organizations (IEEE, NSBE, NBMBAA, ACM). This will expose you to a diverse group within your field. As far as Down South, I was born, raised, and currently reside in the South. I personally think it’s a great place to live, learn, work, and play. Best wishes with your future endeavors.