overduess

Hey!

I'm a junior high school student in a Texas high school. I had always wanted to go to Howard University. Here are my stats:

1/2 Black / 1/2 Hispanic Male

Current GPA: 4.25 (The max at the moment, given my AP classes are weighted)

Rank: Very, very likely top 10%, given that my GPA is the max possible so far in the school

SAT: 790-800-620 (Yikes, I know, my writing was bad...)
ACT: 34

AP Scores:
UH History-5
Calculus BC-5
Taking Statistics, English Language, Chemistry, Microeconomics AP exams this year

EXC:
-Volunteered at local hospital for 4+ years, perhaps 1000+ documented hours
-Secretary of school's GLBT club
-Secretary of school's math club
-Numerous local and a couple of regional awards in math competitions
-Did a research program at the local hospital for 2 years, had name published in one (admitably obscure) article
-Will become school's NHS president next (senior) year

Universities I am looking at:
-Howard University (#1 by far)
-University of Houston
-Rice University
-University of Texas at Austin

This isn't just a pure "Chance me" post...I also want to know if Howard University is gay tolerant. So far, I have found very little information on this subject. I would like very much to go to HU since it is a HBSC, but I fear the fact that it is a HBSC might work against me...since my race isn't known to be very gay-friendly. My parents freaked out when I came out (they are OK with it now). So...any answers?

Thanks,
James

Chi-town23_33

As far as being accepted, I'll guarantee it. The fact that you are gay may take some time for people to get used to (I know, we as African-Americans, collectively, are very homophobic). If you can visit and get a feel for it and talk to the students there, then you will know if it is worth it for you and if you will be tolerated. If not, there's always Rice (which I think you will get into).

cookietime

I can't really speak to the gay-friendliness of Howard (even though I am gay myself) but I can tell you that you are extremely over-qualified for it.

Honestly, considering your URM status, CR+M SAT scores, courseload, and ECs, I'd be confident in saying you should be looking at many prestigious schools across the nation, including Ivy League schools.

IsleBoy

You will be accepted, if the rest of your application + recs are good.

Like Cookie suggest, also look at some other universities and colleges. You have a shot at some great LACs as well and that are gay friendly like:

Grinnell
Wesleyan
Vassar
Amherst
Haverford
Oberlin
Swarthmore
Lawrence
Williams
Macalester
Whitman
Bowdoin
Middlebury
Reed
Earlham
Beloit
Occidental
Colorado
Pitzer
Pomona
Wooster
Marlboro
Hendrix
Denison
Bennington
Wheaton (MA)
Knox
The Evergreen State College

Universities that you might like:
URochester
Cornell
Tufts
Columbia
UWisconsin-Madison
UNorth Carolina-Chapel Hill
UMichigan-Ann Arbor
UIllinois-Urbana Champaign
UC-Berkeley
Emory
UCLA
UChicago
UC-Santa Cruz
UIowa
Northwestern
Brown
Washington U
UWashington-Seattle
UOregon
UPennsylvania
NYU

charnae91

You will get a full ride to Howard including tuition & fees, room & board, book allowance and I think a laptop(not exactly sure).Have you been to the website.I'm sure they will love to have you. I want to go to Howard too.I gotta raise those SAT scores for scholarships

arachnophobia12

umm, that's probably not a factor at Howard, seeing as 95%+ of the students are URMs... that being said, i would be extremely surprised if you were rejected-you seem like an auto-accept. good luck! (btw, sorry, i don't know about the general tolerance of gays @ Howard)...

cookietime

^^^^ (above poster)

If you read, the comment about his URM status pertained to his chance of admission at Ivy Leagues and top universities and LACs, not at Howard.

To be honest, if the OP goes to Howard he is essentially selling himself short. (not to disparage Howard)

Shrinkrap

I do think you will get into schools with more academic rigor and prestige but there is NOTHING like the experience of attending an HBCU. I went in the 70's, perhaps could have done "better", but I didn't think like that until I came to "college con.". FWIW, my D got into Spelman and Duke, but I'd prefer she go to Duke.

arachnophobia12

cookie:
ah, I see... sorry, i have a habit of skimming...

overduess

Thanks everyone for your replies!

I really would like to go to HU, but I won't hesitate to consider UH (2nd choice) if I find that the atmosphere at HU is too hostile.

People say that I should consider the Ivy Leagues (which I have). I won't jump to conclusions, but I will say that I will probably not like it there despite the liberal attitude towards alternative sexualities.

FutureSpelmanAKA

Guys not everybody with high test scores and wonderful grades wants to attend an ivy league university. Howard is an extremely good school, and the op could probably get a presidential scholarship. Howard, Spelman, and Morehouse are the ivy league of black colleges, and many people who attend got into ivy's and rejected those offers. at an hbcu it is about the experience you'll receive. The black marching bands, the sororities/fraternities of the divine nine, and the sense of community that a black student may not feel at a predominately white school. Good luck op, blacks tend to be one of the most homophobic races which is unfortunate. You should consider Morehouse College as well from what I heard they are less homophobic than Howard.

Northstarmom

Unfortunately, HBCUs are conservative when it comes to gays. I do not know of any exception to this. Saying this from the perspective of someone who has consulted at about 20 HBCUs.

While you'd probably get wonderful merit aid from Howard and probably any other HBCU, I don't think that you'd find the atmosphere to be gay friendly.

SomeGirl

If you're gay, you'd never survive Howard, sorry.