The Black Excel Newsletter

                                May, 2001

The Black Excel African American Student's College Guide is now on sale at Amazon.com for $15.95. "This book will have a rallying impact on our aspiring college students." --Isaac Black,         Black Excel Founder and Author
 

TOPICS:

(1) Spike Lee Speaks at Texas A&M University
(2) Sidney Poiter Talks to Saint Augustine's Film
     Program Students
(3) Law Schools to Reassess Use of LSAT Scores?
(4) Average Law and Medical School Student Debt
      after Graduation
(5) Black Colleges Must Recruit Whites Under Miss.
     Settlement
(6) Book Corner: No Ways Tired: A Public Historically Black College Dilemma
(7) Cornell University to Establish Cornell Medical
     College in Qatar
(8) What "Feeder" Colleges Do Black Law Students
      Apply from?
(9) Black Excel Good News and Update!

 

    Spike Lee Speaks at Texas A&M University

On April 24th, Spike Lee spoke at Texas A&M as a guest at the week-long celebration called "Unity 2001."  Spike answered questions on race relations and film making after a screening of his movie Bamboozled.  Many controversial issues were raised. At one point, Lee said that much of Hollywood has dumbed down its product to market it to a mass audience. He also said that negative stereotypes that haunt blacks today are encouraged by gangsta rap. "If one rap artist graduated from college, and another just got out of prison, who's gonna get the record contract?" Mmm? "Unless you've shot somebody and have a criminal record, you're not authentic," he complained. Unity 2001 was sponsored by the Memorial Student Center to promote diversity.
 

         Sidney Poiter Talks to Saint Augustine's
                     Film Program Students

Saint Augustine’s College, an HBCU in Raleigh, North Carolina, has entered its third year of offering a bachelor of arts degree in Film. The program focuses on hands-on experiences in directing, acting, writing, and making you part of "a production team."  Students train on state-of-the-art equipment, and often dialogue with professionals in the field. Sidney Poiter recently invited students to the set of his latest movie, which is expected to air as a "Movie of the Week " for CBS.  Sidney talked to the film students, introduced them to his crew, and answered questions.
FOR MORE INFORMATION about this HBCU film program CONTACT Mrs. Thompson at the Film Program Office at (919) 516-4364.
 

   Law Schools to Reassess Use of LSAT Scores?

(This recent exccerpt was written by John Polley, for the Michigan Daily (U. of Michigan).

The Law School Admissions Council, the organization that administers the LSAT, has urged law schools in recent months to reassess the emphasis placed on LSAT scores, aiming to change admission norms. "We've been concerned for some time about the historic over-reliance on the LSAT that many law schools have had," said Ed Haggerty, a spokesman for LSAC. "Essentially, what some schools do is place too much emphasis on the LSAT score and numbers alone, rather than looking at the whole student," Haggerty said. "We're asking law schools to rethink their use of the LSAT score, so that the score is placed in the proper perspective." To this end, LSAC introduced a five-year, $10 million effort in December called the "Initiative to Advance Education on the LSAT." The program, the largest in the history of LSAC, was approved in response to concerns of law schools
about student diversity in the face of recent court rulings.
 

  Average Law and Medical School Student Debt
                after Graduation (Sample List)

Indebtedness per student as per latest US News and World Report figures as reported in "Best Graduate Schools" edition 2002.

Howard University (Law)---$45,000
Boston College (Law)---$67,551
New York University (Law)---$86,706
Duke University (Law)---$80,000
Emory University (Law)---$67,427
Brooklyn Law School (Law)---$66,500
Wayne State University (Law)---$40,565
University of Maryland (Law)---$54,990
Yale University (Law)---$70,798
Georgetown University (Law)--$79.020

Boston University (Medical) ---$133,000
SUNY-Syracuse (Medical) ---$70,036
Temple University (Medical)---$109,083
Johns Hopkins University (Medical) ---$75,150
Wayne State University (Medical)---$82,071
Harvard University (Medical)---$83,825
UMNNJ-New Jersey Medical School---$90,627
U. of Michigan (Medical)---$84,071
U. of Southern California (Medical)---$121,584


          Black Colleges Must Recruit Whites
                    Under Miss. Settlement

There's been a recent bid to settle one of the nation's longest-running desegregation lawsuits. Mississippi has agreed to invest $245 million over 17 years to improve conditions at three Historically Black Colleges. The proposed settlement is the result of a lawsuit filed by the family of Jake Ayers in 1975. The family argued that the state failed to adequately fund its black universities. The award totals $503 million, including $83 million already spent to upgrade facilities and programs at Jackson State, Alcorn State, and Mississippi Valley State universities. But now
the schools must "diversify" and recruit students who aren't
African-American. When enrollment of "other-race"enrollment
reaches 10 percent, the three schools will assume control of a $105 million endowment. At this time, the "other" student amounts to about 7 or 8 percent.
 

                           Book Corner

    No Ways Tired: The Public Historically Black
                          College Dilemma.
 

This book by Kyra Robinson is an excellent source of information on the history, legacy, and ongoing problems that have faced our HBCUs. It's an invaluable research tool for any student, educator, or researcher who might need an overview of this topic. You'll find an extensive bibliography, lots of historic data and information, and profiles and perspectives on several colleges. The writer has done a commendable job. Readers who might want more info can reach Kyra (the author) at ckrob7071@aol.com or go to www.1stbooks.com (the publisher), or amazon.com to order.  
 

          Cornell University to Establish Cornell
                  Medical College in Qatar

Hailed as "First of Its Kind" and an "Important Diplomatic
Initiative," Cornell University has announced that it will establish the Weill Medical College in the nation of Qatar. The new medical college will offer a complete medical education  leading to a Cornell University M.D. degree. The school will use the same admission standards and curriculum as the college at the New York campus. The operating costs are projected at $750 million over 10 years, and will be paid by a Private Foundation in Qatar under the guidance of Qatar's Emir and Head of State. This agreement is a first in Cornell's 136-year history and, in fact, a first for U.S. higher education.  Weill Cornell Medical College (formerly known as Cornell University Medical College) is among the top-ranked clinical and medical research centers in the world.

Footnote: Qatar is a major energy producing state on the Arabian Gulf with one of the world's largest reserves of natural gas.
 

          What Feeder Colleges Do Black Law
                      Students Apply From?

This is a list of feeder colleges for Black students provided by the Law School Admissions Council for the 1997-1998 Academic Year.  Thanks to the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education for publishing the information. Note: the totals refer to the number of Black undergraduates who applied to law schools, not how many were accepted.

From HBCUs:

Howard University---208
Hampton University---114
Spelman College---108
Morehouse College--100
Florida A&M University---98
Southern University---78
North Carolina Central University---62
Texas Southern University---61
Clark Atlanta University---56
North Carolina A&T University---54
Morgan State University---53

From Mainstream Colleges:

John Jay College (NY)---99
Univ. of Calif-Berkeley---78
Univ. of Maryland---69
Univ. of Michigan---68
St. John's University----66
UCLA---66
Univ. of Virginia---65
Univ. of N. Carolina---64
Harvard University---58
Temple University---58
Florida State University---53

Putting things into perspective? UCLA was the top feeder college, with 859 applying applicants of all colors and cultures. Although the HBCUs have more students of color in their pools, the numbers are still telling. -Editor's note.
 

             Black Excel Good News and Update!

The Black Excel African American Student's College Guide (available at Amazon.com for $15.95 and at major bookstores), will inspire and rally our students and their parents. The book is a "super counseling tutorial," with how-to help, college profiles,
essay samples, 300-plus SCHOLARSHIPS, get-the-money chapters...and more. Upcoming features on Black Excel are scheduled for Black Voices Quarterly magazine and at BlackParentingToday.org.  Past articles have appeared in Emerge and Career Focus. In Feb. 2001 alone, students and educators from over 750 colleges and universities visited our website (www.blackexcel.org).
 

(Information provided by Isaac Black, Founder, Black Excel:
The College Help Network.)

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The Black Excel African American Student's College Guide, by Black Excel Founder Isaac Black, is now on sale at Amazon.com for $15.95. "This book will have rallying impact on our aspiring college students."
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