College Hunt Resources for African-American Students

African-American students and their parents often have additional questions that aren't typically answered by the standard one-size-fits-all college guidebooks.

The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education often has informative research data on how African Americans fare in the acceptance process and makes a good first stop. If you're looking at liberal arts colleges, for instance, JBE has pulled together numbers black applicant admissions at the highest-ranking liberal arts colleges over the past decades - information not easily found in most guidebooks. According to the article's findings, The top five colleges in terms of acceptance percentages for African-American applicants are:

1. Middlebury College - 71.6% acceptance rate for black applicants
2. Macalester College - 56%
3. Trinity College (CT) - 54.4%
4. Oberlin College - 52.2%
5. Pomona College - 51.5%

Davidson, Colgate, and Harvey Mudd College had the lowest acceptance rates for black applicants. To learn more, read The High-Ranking Liberal Arts Colleges Where Black Students Stand the Best Chance of Admission.

The Black Issues in Higher Education website posts an annual list of the Top 100 Colleges and Universities for Minority Students using degrees awarded as the measuring stick. The list includes both traditionally white institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

If you're interested in an HBCU such as Howard or Spellman, several websites are good places to gather information and connect with current students and alumni. HBCU-Central offers news and a searchable database of HBCUs. One added feature: members can get access to video tours of HBCU campuses. Another, similar website, is the HBCU Network. Worth checking out: The Black College Expo, a college fair featuring HBCUs with stops in several major cities.

Finally, if you're looking for a college guidebook specifically geared to the issues and questions faced by African American students, I suggest Black Excel African American Student's College Guide Although slightly dated, the book provides excellent profiles of 100 top colleges for black students, tips on admissions and details on scholarships and financial aid.