Should I pick Brandeis or Howard University?

College Search & Lists
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<p>I have a dilemma. I am African American and was accepted into two very different universities: Howard University an HBCU and Brandeis. My first choice is Howard because I have always wanted to attend a traditionally black college. I believe it would be an excellent opportunity to learn at the heads of great leaders and learn how to be a role model to other young black people. Ideally, I would like to major in Sports Medicine and I am debating on going the Pre-Med track. As you can see, I have it all planned out for me to attend Howard University. However, Howard did not offer me any scholarships and I will have to take out loans to cover my tuition. Before I am done with undergrad, between my parents and myself I will owe $100,000. This is where my problem comes in. Brandeis has offered me a merit scholarship that will cover all of my financial need for the whole four years. To be honest, I have never really thought too much about Brandeis. My aunt helped me with my admissions and advised me to apply to at least 5 schools. I only applied to Brandeis because they invited me to do so. I honestly do not know much about them except that they are ranked really well with U.S. News. While they have very good stats, I am concerned about their low percentage of minority students especially African American students. At Howard, I feel like it would be a great fit for me. However, Brandies is offering a very good financial aid package. Also, I forgot to mention they do not offer sports medicine major. I am comfortable with majoring in Biology or Chemistry but would rather be with a school with a sports medicine program. In addition to them not having my program, I am not sure how comfortable I will be there. </p>

<p>My question is, do I pick Howard which seems to be a great fit for me but will rack up tremendous debt that my parents may or may not be able to help me with or should I go to Brandeis where I have been offered a prestigious scholarship but does not have a sports medicine program nor is a HBCU which was one of my main desires in a university? </p>

<p>I would also love to hear from some Brandeis students who can maybe shed some light on the African American experience at Brandeis or can just tell me why this would be a better choice. </p>

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<p>I think you should visit Brandeis before make your decision. It is a very good school, especially for med students. If you do well in Brandeis, you can get admitted in Howard medical school. At that time, you can start borrowing money as all med students do.</p>

3

<p>100k in debt should be a nobrainer that you have to leave behind you. How would you and your parents qualify for that much debt? 100k can’t be the total cost so you parents already have some contribution, right? You as a student can only take out 27k debt total for undergraduate, is that in your package already or not? I hear what you are saying about why Howard is desirable but if you go to medical school you aim should be good preparation for MCAT and as little debt as possible.</p>

<p>Now I think you should do some investigation of Brandeis. I don’t know too much about it except that it has a very good reputation and is a nice size as a small private university. That is a fantastic offer and they must be very interested in you. Yes the experience will be different than the AA experience at Howard. You would be helping to diversify the campus and likely your participation is whatever AA organizations there are will be a plus for the school. You might find ways to help the university attract more diverse ambitious students like yourself who need aid who didn’t know it is available there and become a spokesperson. Also you can also look into study abroad, visiting student at HBCU etc to broaden your experience. Go to the Brandeis forum for some discussion about that particular college.</p>

<p>I would not worry about sports medicine at the undergraduate level. That is overly specializing. But you might see if there are any opportunities to work with a team and get some background. Also check what they offer in exercise science. I might be talking out of my nether regions here as I’m out of my depth.</p>

<p>Did you have any other choices? If you can’t see yourself at B in the end, it is possible to take a gap year and reapply to some less selective HBCU. I would try to visit Brandeis asap, that is too good an offer to not investigate fully.</p>

<p>Edit: here is the individual college forum. Don’t overlook the preparation for med school available
<a href=“Brandeis University - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/brandeis-university/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>I think you should totally go to Brandeis. They have an excellent reputation and I think a financial package like that is very rare-- they’ve been phasing out merit scholarships for the past few years. I visited the campus and it’s extremely beautiful with a close community. You should know it’s very Jewish in population but there’s certainly diversity as well. You might be interested in these clubs or getting in contact with people in them: </p>

<p><a href=“https://www.faceb00k.com/BrandeisBlackStudentOrganization”>Loading...;
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<a href=“Brandeis African Students Organization (BASO)”>https://sites.google.com/a/brandeis.edu/baso/home&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>edit- it’s not letting me post facebook links? which is weird since CC lets you login/post through facebook…but yeah change the 0’s to o’s obviously.</p>

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<p>I went to Howard University undergrad and med school and one of the best parts was I had only a small amount of loans. The other best part was the wildly unique experience, but in retrospect, the few loans seems major. Husband went to Columbia and Einstein/Yeshiva, and is still paying loans, 25 years later. And we met at Yeshiva! Go figure. </p>

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<p>Go to Brandeis. I am a fan of HBCU but I would’t pass up a good scholarship just to experience one.</p>

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<p>$100,000 in debt is generally considered way too much, especially if you have to add medical school debt on top of that.</p>

<p>If you want to know how much medical school tuition and fees can be (not including living expenses), look here:
<a href=“https://services.aamc.org/tsfreports/”>https://services.aamc.org/tsfreports/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

8

<p>Well it looks like Brandeis has a bit of its own Black History. Angela Davis graduated magna cum laude in 1965.
And the University was renamed “Malcolm X University” for 10 days when the student center was taken over by protesters in the sixties.
.</p>

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<p>When I say $100,000 in debt, I generally mean combined because my parents will have to take out PLUS loans in order for me to attend and I will have to borrow the difference to attend Howard. Everyone has pretty valid points. The only thing was that my mind was so set on Howard. I never thought of Brandies as a possibility. Then they accepted me and offered me this wonderful opportunity. I am going to take everyone’s advice though and actually go visit and see what it is like for myself. As Brownparent mentioned this is too good of an opportunity to pass up. I just want to make sure I fit in. If any Brandeis students or people who know about the university wants to speak up, I would love to have your opinion. </p>

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<p>Honestly, no one’s opinion really matters except yours after you visit. You are the one going to have to live there, no one else. </p>

<p>Also remember, it is not $100,000, but closer to $175,000 depending on how fast you pay it off. Most likely, even be more - that is half a house or an entire house in some places. You need to ask yourself if Howard is really worth that, if you find Brandeis acceptable. </p>

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<p>ummm, combined, separate whatever, $100,000 is a massive amount of debt. You will be paying it off for at least 20 years. Do your parents have 20 years to pay their $70,000 amount of the debt without hurting their retirement?</p>

<p>Again, try the BRANDEIS forum, there are often current students or recent alum in them. I gave you the link. Talk to your Aunt too, she seems like a smart lady. Also there is an African American subforum under specialty admissions you may like to talk to people there:.</p>

<p>And let admissions know you are visiting so they can hook you up. They may roll out the red carpet since they clearly find you a highly desirable admit. Talk to students in general to see how it is to be a student there and talk to AA students to see how it is to be an AA student there. Totally valid to check out if you feel you will fit.</p>

<p>Also, Howard does have a visiting student program. Check if Brandeis approves it. See what it might cost you under the terms of the scholarship. You can have a semester of that experience.
<a href=“http://www.howard.edu/enrollment/admission/visiting.htm”>http://www.howard.edu/enrollment/admission/visiting.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Sorry to keep editing and adding to this but I don’t know if you understand how fin’l aid and loans work or not. As a freshman you can only borrow $5,500. That’s all. There are no other sources for you except your Federal Direct loan and that is the limit. All the rest of the cost of attending of $42,500 has to come from your parents. So maybe they pay 5,000 and borrow 32,000 in parent plus. Now next year then have to qualify for another 32,000. Now what if they are now 64,000 in debt, and year 3 they are denied plus loans because they have too much debt. Now you can’t go to school jr year. What do you do? So talk to your parents about how much they are willing to take in loans and how much they are eligible for. You yourself can borrow $27k for all 4 years. I would tell you to try to make ‘dream school’ work, but these are not workable numbers.</p>

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<p>You definitely have one interesting choice on your hands. And if you find Brandeis acceptable, and people keep pushing Howard, ask them if they would help pay your bill. Advice costs others nothing to give; your actual Howard college bills will cost you and your family real money. </p>

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<p>If the difference wasn’t as high as $100,000, I would tell you to go to the college you like best. However, that much money is serious debt, and I think Brandeis deserves serious consideration. It is also an excellent university.
I agree that it is a good idea to visit, but also make the visit work for you- see how you would fit there. I’m not personally familiar with Brandeis, but I am Jewish. With few exceptions, Jewish students are in the minority on most college campuses, and some also consider that when deciding if a college is a good fit. On the website, Brandeis mentions their commitment to diversity, social justice, and non-discrimination. I think the administration would understand your concerns and would be willing to answer your questions. </p>

<p>Don’t just visit, but make connections with other African-American students and any clubs or groups that interest you. If you attend a place of worship, look for that place or group on campus. Connect with student groups over common interests- music, politics…anything you like. Contact admissions before you visit. Some colleges will connect you with students, arrange for you to sit in on a class, or meet faculty. Attending an admitted students day is a good way to be introduced to the campus.
<a href=“Admitted Student Events | Admitted Students | Undergraduate Admissions | Brandeis University”>http://www.brandeis.edu/admissions/asd/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Besides connecting with your minority group, also connect with other students and the approximately 60% who are Jewish. What you will find is that, as a group, we are diverse in our ideas, with politics and interests that cross the entire spectrum- liberal to conservative, religious to non- religious. We are also of every personality type from outgoing to introverted. You are likely to meet people compatible with you, and like the rest of the world, there might be people you aren’t compatible with. As you know, that can happen anywhere. Attempting to convert others is not a principle of the religion, and it is acceptable to participate in cultural and holiday celebrations and also maintain your own beliefs. If you attend Brandeis, you are not obligated to become involved with Judaism. However, I encourage you to explore the culture if you wish to. </p>

<p>No matter where you get your education, you can always be a role model wherever you go. Every college campus is located in a community where there are schools, churches, clubs, and places where you can volunteer. If sports medicine is lacking at Brandeis, seek opportunities where you can be involved, through internships, study abroad, exchange programs. </p>

<p>Fit is so individual that you need to see it for yourself. Even if others offer advice, they can’t tell you how you would feel. Sometime the outcome of a college visit is that the student doesn’t feel a fit. If this is the case, then the visit is also well worth it. Either way, that scholarship is an accomplishment, and both colleges are great opportunities. </p>

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<p>@sjcarter,</p>

<p>My daughter was accepted to Howard. Her FA package? She will have to take out $10,000 loans/year. No dice. Another school, an Ivy League only wants her to spend $2500/year. Her summer contribution. That’s $10,000 for an amazing education. I know plenty of kids who are at HBCUs and their parents can’t afford the debt. They have had to return home. I find this to be heartbreaking.</p>

<p>I just hopped over to their website and checked out the cost of a Brandeis education. Roughly $61,000/year…not sure if that includes books or not. For Smiles & giggles, let’s say they are going to give you a $250,000 education. For FREE!!! </p>

<p>Now, Howard has it’s hands out for $100,000. Wow. </p>

<p>If you have 2 tables, one with $250,000 for you to pick up & take/spend…to educate yourself, to blossom, to explore, to grow, to learn amazing life lessons from others who are very different from you…</p>

<p>The other table tells you to place $100,000 plus interest…and you will be among people who look like you, most of which have shared the same experiences, and yes, you will be comfortable amongst your own…but where does the true learning come in? Remember this, learning should happen outside of the classroom as well as inside. </p>

<p>I am in no way knocking Howard, if they were offering the same package. Howard would be tops. But money is not easy to come by for anyone these days. </p>

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<p>Sometimes we are given amazing gifts in life & it’s up to us to be open minded & courageous enough to accept those gifts. Like the saying goes…never look a gift horse in the mouth. Good luck to you! Please keep us posted!!</p>

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<p>“Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.” Choose Brandeis.</p>

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<p>I don’t know if Brandeis is the right choice, because you haven’t said if there are any other options besides these two. But borrowing $100k for undergrad is just too much. It’s unfortunate that your #1 choice is unaffordable. What other HBCUs did you apply to? Did you try Fisk, Spelman/Morehouse, Tuskegee, Xavier, Florida A&M? Have all your schools gotten back to you about aid?</p>

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<p>Howard does have some serious financial problems, something I don’t think you should ignore. <a href=“In Surprise Move, President of Howard University Resigns as Budget Troubles Loom - The New York Times”>In Surprise Move, President of Howard University Resigns as Budget Troubles Loom - The New York Times; Brandeis is about 50% Jewish now and was originally founded because other very well-known academic institutions were discriminating against Jewish applicants. Brandeis has a much stronger academic reputation than Howard, and a full-ride at Brandeis is a terrific opportunity to get a great education and not incur $100K in debt. That $100K will “haunt” you for a long time and influence what you can and cannot do once you graduate. Is there a possibility that you could visit Brandeis?</p>

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<p>Lots of great, thoughtful advice. I am sympathetic to your dilemma, however. The Howard experience would have been unforgettable. (I guess the phrasing there reveals the side I am taking…)</p>

<p>Would Howard offer some aid if they knew how much Brandeis wants you? Sometimes you can bargain. </p>

<p>I like the idea of you doing a semester at Howard. Brandeis is big on study abroad. This isn’t exactly study abroad, but I bet they would stretch the rules…</p>

<p>Do visit Brandies and/or talk to black students there. </p>

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<p>All things being equal, I can see where Howard is the better fit. But all things are not equal. In fact they are $100,000 apart. Unfortunately it may be that Howard doesn’t have the available finances to provide scholarships at the same level as some other schools. Unless your family can comfortably afford the difference in price with no loans, I’d go to Brandeis and maybe see if you can do a semester or a year as an exchange student at a HBCU if you want that experience.</p>