Preparing for College Begins at Home!
Making time and space (at home or elsewhere) to think, read, write and be creative are necessary. The student who sets goals, explores curiosity, and seeks opportunities to learn will be doing the right things (even when the results are disappointing). Although we emphasize the value of college education, we know that many jobs require training and experience that are gained in other ways. People whose goals require college education should consider the full range of higher education institutions, and pay attention to their differences. If possible, visit colleges and talk with students and graduates. Look for indicators of the roles people play, especially in leadership. What positions are African Americans in at the colleges you are considering?
The U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics provides a College Navigator website that gives detailed information about U.S. colleges and universities.
The College Board offers information about colleges, admission tests, and financial aid. Students and parents can create accounts and search for practice tests and facts about schools. The CSS Profile is an online application used by colleges and scholarship programs to award Institutional (their own) aid.
Paying for college may be challenging. Start as early as possible to identify sources of possible support. In addition to colleges, professional associations may offer support for students who aspire to be educated in specific fields. These organizations include some, such as The National Conference of Black Political Scientists and the National Society of Black Physicists, that were formed by African Americans when white organizations excluded them from membership. These groups typically offer opportunities to meet and learn from Black members, as well as access to financial support. The now desegregated associations, such as the American Psychological Association, American Mathematical Association, and American Chemical Society, provide useful information to their future members.
UNCF (the United Negro College Fund) seeks to increase the total annual number of African American college graduates.
Scholly was created by Christopher Gray, who won $1.3 million in scholarships through grit, sweat, and hustle. In realizing how broken and time consuming this process was, he created Scholly to make things much easier.
