With the passage from summer to fall comes a time for big sweaters, football, pumpkin spice – and for seniors most prominently – applying to college! For those who wish to stay in the state, there are many options. These include the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, and a variety of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Atlanta’s University Center (AUC) for Black students includes Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University, and Spelman College.
The U.S. News & World Report: 2024 Best Colleges List named Spelman, a women’s college, as the number one HBCU, keeping the school’s reputation and distinction for the 17th year in a row. The school’s exceptionally high graduation rate is one of the reasons for its great success. Spelman continues its legacy for academic excellence in creating generations of novelists, mathematicians, artists, STEM fields, activists, journalists, and higher income careers that promote leadership and business positions alike for women of African descent.
Senior Christiana Campbell is applying, hoping to become an epidemiologist in the future. She is very excited to apply to Spelman, where the community offers an opportunity to make lifelong friends.
The college, since its founding in 1881, has famously created undisputable images and careers of women. Stemming from figures like Roslyn Pope, who wrote An Appeal for Human Rights during her schooling and made great strides during the Civil Rights Movement. More prominent female leaders include the author of The Color Purple, Alice Walker, and former Georgia state representative Stacey Abrams.
Former North Atlanta student Emma Simmons just started her freshman year at Spelman. She has enjoyed her time so far and is excited for the times to come. Simmons was drawn to Spelman’s health sciences major, which is the largest and most sought-after in the school. Simmons plans to continue a higher education at Morehouse Medical University to become a nurse practitioner, a popular choice for many Spelmanites in this respective field looking to advance into Medical School. “Receiving the Achieve Atlanta and Hope Scholarships were great motivators to attend Spelman, as well as staying close to Atlanta family,” she said.
Simmons’ roommate, Brooke, a Los Angeles local, was looking for what she calls a jumpstart into entrepreneurship, using the Spelpreneur Program to achieve this dream. Being from California, Brooke explains that attending college is a unique adventure. “It feels like I’m living a new life,” she said.
The two unlikely friends now live like sisters, enjoying all the amenities of the campus together. Deeply rooted in the community, the school adopts a family-like atmosphere. At Spelman, one can become an individual shaped by greatness, prestige, and affinity while at the same time being part of a united group of Black female students.
