College Stereotypes: Prairie View A & M University

Minority serving institutions have been an integral part of the education system in the United States since before the Civil War (LeMelle, 2002). Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have, for much of their existence, been criticized for the level of academic rigor, political context, and their social agenda have created controversy for generations. With that being said, HBCUs hold a valuable place in the landscape of US higher education institutions. The culture, history, and perspective that is taught and shared are unparalleled and cannot be replicated at a predominately white institution (PWI).

Acceptance into an Ivy League University is often considered the pinnacle of educational achievement. Thousands of students from around the country stress and panic, thinking that their future success is based on their acceptance into elite universities. Frank Bruni aims to change those beliefs and give parents and students some peace of mind in: Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be: an Antidote to the College Admissions Mania. Bruni explains in his book that, “where we go to college will have infinitely less bearing on our fulfillment in life than so much else: the wisdom with which we choose our romantic partners; our interactions with the communities that we inhabit; our generosity toward the families we inherit and the families that we make.”

With May 1 quickly approaching, I approach a serious crossroad. A major decision is looming. For the first time in my life I have complete autonomy over my next move, and many subsequent choices following. This decision is essential to the rest of my entire life. Of the options presented to me, each and every one have colossal ramifications tied with them. Employment opportunity and financial security, potential life long relationships, and several other consequences are on the line. This begs the question, what exactly am I looking for these next four years and beyond. I have two vastly different options that may be presented to me. On one hand, I can potentially attend University of Michigan, the school I’ve been bred to attend since day one. Also however, I can potentially

As many African-American students are making their college decisions, they are torn between the mixes. The two routes they have, are the many predominantly white institutions that the vast majority deem as the most elite institutions in America and the few historically black institutions that many and even African American students look down upon. In this instance, this was the same experience our reporter, Marcus Lee encountered. Instead of attending Emory University, his dream school, because of financial issues he later “settled” for his backup school, Morehouse College, a well-known HBCU. Before entering Morehouse, Marcus had many insecurities about Morehouse. On his first day of freshman orientation, he quickly figured out that his decision

From the time I was in junior high, my grandmother had been telling me about College of the Ozarks and trying to convince me to attend the college. After much consideration, I decided to make College of the Ozarks my top priority when applying to colleges. The atmosphere of the college, the perfect distance from home, and the opportunity to work for my education were all major factors when making this decision. I had attended private Christian schools for most of my life, so the small campus and Christian values of College of the Ozarks appealed to me much more than the chaotic partying ways of a larger university. I knew if I attended College of the Ozarks, many of my classes would be more difficult than at a public university; however, I saw the difficult classes as an opportunity to learn more, which I believed would help me later in life. I also knew the professors at College of the Ozarks would be more caring and more willing to help than those at other colleges.

Community College Students Community college students should be better understood for who they are and not by stereotypes and misconceptions. A stereotype is a conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image. A misconception is a view or a opinion that is incorrect because it is based on faulty thinking. Not all stereotypes and misconceptions are negative towards groups but are assumptions. People have stereotypes because humans are quick judgers and jump to conclusions based on what society hears on certain types of groups that sometimes are true.

Attending college has always been in my plan because I want to further my education in order to receive a highly ranked job. My original plan for college was to attend Northern Arizona University. This was my original choice for schooling because the atmosphere and physical look reminded me of Colorado. I miss the beautiful scenery of Colorado so much that I had hoped NAU would have satisfied that idea. I decided at the very end of my senior year that a major that captivates my interests the most would be Sports Media or Sports Broadcasting. I was informed that NAU did not offer this major; however, Arizona State University specializes is in it. In the month of May, it was a no brainer for me that I needed to make the switch to ASU. My initial interest was captivated by the Walter Cronkite School. I knew that I would achieve any major I desired in regards to the broadcasting or media aspect if I attended ASU. Currently, my my major is business, sports media studies. I have yet to decide if I want to go the business or journalism route. I chose this major because ever since I was little, I have had this passion and fascination for sports. This fascination grew from both playing and watching

Twenty-six years ago. I began the quest to find the perfect college. As I drove down the driveway of Bay Path College, I knew this was the college I was going to attend. I was drawn to the rural setting, the beautiful campus and the small academic community. My intent for life after high school was to get my associates degree, earn some money, then begin working toward my bachelor degree. In retrospect, I did not possess the confidence or drive needed to be a good student. I struggled for the next couple of years to earn my Associates degree, however was apprehensive to commit to the time or expense it would take to continue my education. After a very long break in schooling, I now approach education with a new mindset and ready to commit

The drastic and exponential rise in college tuition and fees has thousands of Americans questioning if the education is worth the high costs. Knowing that a college education may open doors and allow for career opportunities that would not be there without a college degree, many feel pressured to attend. High school seniors specifically feel this pressure as the topic of whether or not they want to attend college and where comes into question. Not only do students have to be concerned about if the college they wish to attend has particular degrees, but also the cost of the secondary education. As a senior in high school I personally understand the frustration in considering the cost of college when choosing the right college to attend. Student

Many high school students succeed with a little leniency through their four years. The transfer from high school to college becomes overwhelming and a struggle for some. For students do not comprehend the importance of changing more than their location during the transition. A student must be psychologically, physically, and emotionally mature to pursue college and not venture into a point of no return. Dropping out of college makes the outlook of the conversion difficult to acquire. Individuals should take their time on deciding which college and/or university is the best match for them. There are various reasons that cause persons not to prosper. Issues that individuals may come upon might leave a lifelong scar. Matters such as these

I will admit that being in college has opened my eyes a whole lot more in regards to my culture and my past. Before, I would never even ponder over how me speaking Spanish or my mom coming to the United States already pregnant with me from Mexico would affect anyone, and I certainly never questioned that there were stereotypes for me, a female, Mexican-American teenager in high school. Now that I am older I look at how sickening the things that people do are and how unaccepting people can be. I know there are people out there in this country that are genuinely bothered by the fact that I speak Spanish with my family in public, that I am a female, and above all that I come from two immigrant parents who have done nothing, but work their butts

Wood, J. L., & Harrison, J. D. (2014). College Choice for Black Males in the Community College: Factors Influencing Institutional Selection. Negro Educational Review, 65(1-4), 87-97.

When I first starting thinking about colleges, I figured that I had plenty of time to find a suitable one and apply. However, to my dismay, I soon realized that not only was the application process long and confusing, but it also cost a lot back then. Because of my busy schedule, when I discovered how time-consuming and expensive college was, I almost gave up looking entirely. I was just about ready to throw in the towel and find a suitable part time job and work my way up from there. Just when I felt I was getting overwhelmed, I took a break from college admissions for a while, and later picked them back up again. Little did I know that later in 2017, I would be accepted into ASU and successfully earn a bachelor’s degree in

While an effort has been made to allow for a more seamless transition from high school to college or from AEL to college, there still is not a strong effort to increase persistence among African American students. According to Bush and Bush, (2010), African American males, in particular, are “under-achieving and lag behind their counterparts in the community college system. . .” (p. 52). With AEL aligning with the community college model, one could conclude that African American males are lagging behind their counterparts in AEL as well. According to Bush and Bush (2010), “There is a pronounced scarcity of educational literature and research about the community college system in general and African American

Low enrollment of Black students contributes to their often referenced unique and isolating experiences at tier-one institutions, and at predominately white institutions (PWI) in particular. This remains true even when compared to other traditionally marginalized groups. For example, Latino/a students comprise between 22 to 24% of the UT freshmen class compared to Black students at four-and-a-half to five-and-a-half percent. By representing nearly a quarter of the freshmen class, one can argue the experiences of Latino/as differs quite drastically from Black students. Therefore, this pilot study aims to give voice to and highlight the experiences of UT’s Black students during the college search process. As such, the major research questions this study seeks to address