New York Beacon, The
08-30-2000
Ultimate College Guide For African American Students
The DayStar Guide to Colleges for African American Students by Thomas
LaVeist, Ph.D., is the ultimate guide for college bound African Americans.
The Guide is the only resource that contains the 'DayStar Rating' -
essential information to help African American students determine if the
schools they are considering are good matches for them.
DayStar Educational Research was established in 1996 by African American
university professors and focuses on issues of concern to African
Americans.
These exclusive ratings resulted from a survey of more than 500 of the most
qualified and best-informed people in the nation to advise African American
college-bound students African American college and university presidents,
professors, admission officers, financial aid officers and other
professionals in higher education. The 'DayStar Rating' is an assessment by
these professionals of the institution's academic and social environment
for African American students.
In addition to advice given by the 500 African American higher education
professionals, the Guide includes comprehensive data on 400 colleges
considered likely to interest African American students as well as in-depth
profiles on 100 four-year colleges. Unique data in this Guide includes:
whether campuses have NAACP chapters; notable African American alumni;
African American Faculty; African American undergraduate enrollment; and
whether the school offers an African American Studies program and major.
According to Dr. LaVeist, African American students need I their own
college guide. 'Most college guidebooks provide the basic information
students need to know about colleges. While African American students
benefit from these general guidebooks, they have unique information needs
that are not being served by the current crop of books,' said Dr. LaVeist.
'Additionally, many of the most popular college guides don't include some
of the colleges where African American students are thriving. These
students are more likely to succeed at colleges that have a sizeable number
of African American students and faculty compared with colleges where they
make up only a handful of the student body.
'However, some colleges with smaller numbers of African American students
have an excellent track record of graduating African American students.
Before the DayStar Guide, there was no authoritative source that these
students could turn to for the vital information they need.'
More than 500,000 African American students enroll in college each year,
but only 34% earn a degree within five years. An informed match between a
college's offerings and a student's needs, interests, and abilities can
make the difference between success and failure.
From describing criteria students and parents should consider when
evaluating colleges, to when to get started, and how to navigate the
financial aid maze, the experience of the broad assembly of experts rings
through in every paragraph.
The DayStar Guide to Colleges for African American Students is available
wherever books are sold. About the Author
Thomas LaVeist, Ph.D. is founder and president of DayStar Educational
Research, a firm specializing in research on African Americans. Dr.
LaVeist, an active health services researcher and scholar, is an Associate
Professor of Public health and Sociology at Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene
and Public Health. He is a widely recognized expert on African-American
issues.
Article copyright Smith Haj Group.
Article copyright Smith Haj Group.
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