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Rising Enrollment at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Since Advance Friends Select, the school’s college planning office has simultaneously grown.

In the past six years, the college planning office added an associate director of college planning, more targeted programming, and an increase in intentional college counseling. Now the office is more prepared than ever to recommend college “matches” to all upper class students, which includes appropriate HBCU and PWI matches for Black students.


Undergraduate enrollment in colleges and universities across the United States dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a total two-year decline of 4.2% after 2020, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.


But for the 107 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the country, applications have increased nearly 30%, with many serving as a first choice for college-bound students. 

The increased interest in HBCUs has also been apparent among Friend Select students. In her two decades at Friends Select, director of college planning Tracy Matthews has supported 14 alumni in their acceptance and enrollment at HBCUs. In addition, five students from the class of 2023 have applied to a cumulative six HBCUs to date. Last spring, Tracy presented on the history and benefits of attending HBCUs to Friends Select’s Black Student Union and outlined for students the demographics of such schools, trends in enrollment and factors that influence them, and why students choose HBCUs. 

Catalysts for the increased enrollment have included the calls for racial justice and rise of the Black Lives Matter movement following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. “I think there is 
a connection with what is happening in society, combined with our Black students’ lived experience of being Black in white America, which would influence their desire 
to attend an HBCU,’’ Tracy reflected. “Students want to be in a place where their culture and experience are understood, and not the minority but rather the majority.” 

Although Nyasia Arrington ’20 applied to local colleges like the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University, attending an HBCU was her priority. “I definitely knew when it came down to which school I was going to pick of the schools I got accepted to, my top choice was going to be an HBCU,” Nyasia explained. “After attending a predominantly white school for nine years, I really wanted to be surrounded by people who look like me.” Nyasia is currently majoring in elementary education at Morgan State University, a Baltimore-based HBCU that reported a historic-high 58% increase in undergraduate applications in 2021 compared to 2019. 

Private philanthropy and federal funding for HBCUs in recent years 
has also brought attention to these schools. In 2020, MacKenzie Scott, author, philanthropist, and ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, donated more than $400 million to HBCUs. And as part of the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Black Americans, the Biden-Harris administration reported last year nearly $6 billion in cumulative investments to HBCUs, including $500 million in grant funding to help HBCUs and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) expand their capacities. 

Prospective students are also attracted to HBCUs because of 
the positive outcomes for graduates and preparation for navigating professional life in White America. “In my research, HBCUs accelerate Black entrepreneurship and professional leadership. HBCUs also increase Black upward economic mobility historically,” Tracy explained. “There is a stronger sense of support and mentorship Black students experience at HBCUs over that at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). Not only are HBCUs known for having great career planning and networking opportunities, they also have strong alumni networks that help lift up the younger generation.” 

Nyasia is building relationships as a member of FUTURE (Females United to Uplift, Reshape, and Educate), a campus group “dedicated to establishing a sisterly bond through community service, uplifting the campus, reshaping the world, and educating the community by any means necessary.” As a junior, she is already teaching in a kindergarten classroom and is experiencing the network afforded to her by Morgan. “Students at HBCUs get a lot of opportunities, especially from other people of color who are looking for other people of color to work with them,” she said.

Since Friends Select launched its strategic plan, Advance Friends Select, the school’s college planning office has simultaneously grown. In the past six years, the college planning office added an associate director of college planning, more targeted programming, and an increase in intentional college counseling. Now the office is more prepared than ever to recommend college “matches” to all upper class students, which includes appropriate HBCU and PWI matches for Black students.

 


 

Friends Select alumni
have attended the following HBCUs in the past 20 years:


  • Delaware State University

  • Hampton University

  • Howard University

  • Lincoln University

  • Morehouse College

  • Morgan State University

  • Xavier University of Louisiana 

 

 

 

 

 

Thu, 29 Aug 2024

2024-25 New Employees List

Please join us in welcoming the following new employees to the Friends Select community:

Sun, 05 May 2024

Michael Gary Speaks Spring 2023

I am so proud of what we have accomplished together since we launched our strategic plan, Advance Friends Select.

Sun, 05 May 2024

Giving Back: Lon and Bonnie Greenberg GP’25, ’27

Former Friends Select grandparents and longtime supporters of the school, Lon and Bonnie Greenberg GP’25, ’27 recently made a significant contribution to create an endowment fund for SummerSessions, a facet of the Advance Friends Select: Transformation Campaign.

Tue, 30 Apr 2024

Upper School Writer Program Thrives

To enrich the educational experience of upper school students and celebrate Philadelphia’s vibrant arts and culture, Friends Select School established the upper school Visiting Writer Program in 2019 with support from the John M. Dallam ’49 Endowed Fund. Each year, a distinguished Philadelphia-based writer is invited to engage with students and share their expertise, insight, and literary talent.

Tue, 30 Apr 2024

Successfully Navigating the College Application Process as a Student-Athlete

For students interested in pursuing a collegiate athletic career, the college search and application process add layers of complexity. Balancing academic and athletic commitments requires foresight, careful planning, and a strategic approach.

Tue, 30 Apr 2024

Students Participate in the Mayor’s African American Historic Statue Advisory Committee

Two Friends Select students had the privilege to serve on former Mayor Jim Kenney’s African American Historic Statue Advisory Committee convened by the Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy (OACCE).

Tue, 30 Apr 2024

Students Lead Voter Registration Drive at Shackamaxon Powwow

Friends Select upper school students facilitated a voter registration drive last September at the Shackamaxon Powwow at Penn Treaty Park. Hosted annually by the Native American House Alliance (NAHA)—a nonprofit organization that supports family, housing, and employment services to the local Native American community—the Shackamaxon Powwow honors Lenape culture and heritage.

Tue, 30 Apr 2024

Michael Gary Speaks Spring 2024

Watching and reading the news about boards of education at various levels throughout the United States purposefully censoring books and altering curricula to fit their political ideology, I am grateful to be an educator at Friends Select School.

Tue, 30 Apr 2024

From the Archives: Creating A Friends Select Docuseries

Friends Select School history was recently made with the production of our nine-part documentary series. Through archival footage, as well as interviews with alumni, faculty, and staff, A Friends Select Docuseries was meticulously crafted to honor pivotal moments in our school’s history and legacy.

Tue, 30 Apr 2024

ESF Becomes Friends Select’s New Summer Camp Partner

Friends Select School is embarking on a new partnership with ESF Camps & Experiences this summer. ESF will bring to Friends Select a premier collection of camps featuring over 60 fun-filled enrichment and character-building activities for students of all ages.

 

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