Becoming a Bison: How parents can support during admissions
By Simone Denard
The undergraduate admissions process can be tricky and daunting to navigate. Many parents and students are concerned about the best time to apply, personal essays and advice for standing out among thousands of applicants. Although Howard University attracts some of the top talent from around the globe, there are numerous ways to ensure students’ applications make a lasting impression. To provide a few helpful tools on admissions, Executive Director of Undergraduate Admissions Hugh Durham offers insightful tips for parents looking to help their students succeed.
Durham graduated from the University of Florida, where he studied business finance in sports management. Since serving as executive director of undergraduate admissions, Durham has collected a wealth of knowledge regarding the characteristics that encompass a Howard bison. Parents can be a great support for students during the admissions process, and one of Durham’s leading suggestions is to start the application early. While applying early is important, Durham states that understanding the different decision plans is just as crucial.
“Early decision is binding. You usually only apply to one or two schools during early decision because if accepted, you are committing to the institution and withdrawing all other open applications,” said Durham. “If Howard is not among the top two choices, then the student should consider early action. Both decision plans usually get the student an answer before January.”
Durham further explains that the number of applications received during regular decision-making makes the process significantly more competitive. In addition to applying early, it is important for students to take challenging courses that they will perform exceptionally well in.
“We look for involvement in clubs, activity and participation in the student’s school, church and community. It helps if these extracurriculars also closely relate to what the student plans to study. Leadership positions also help to determine the next cohort of incoming Bison,” said Durham.
Senior year is filled with exciting and time-consuming events such as prom, senior pinning, graduation and other activities. Parents can best support their students with applications by helping them stay focused and organized.
“There is nothing wrong with creating a spreadsheet to help students organize the schools of interest and the application deadlines,” suggested Durham. “Create a checklist of transcripts, essays and references and track when everything is due.”
Durham recognizes that many phenomenal students apply to the University and proclaims that the biggest challenge in his role is having to say no to an amazing applicant. Like all universities, Howard has a capacity and can only bring in a specific number of first-year students despite the number of applications received. “I always tell students that not getting into Howard is not a reflection of them as an individual. It does not mean that they do not have something to offer the University; it is, unfortunately, about Howard’s capacity,” said Durham.
As Howard University continues its tradition of excellence, applicants should prioritize highlighting their uniqueness. Students can increase their chances of acceptance into Howard by crafting a well-rounded picture of their academic achievements and extracurricular involvement, remaining organized and by applying early. No matter the outcome, students and parents should remember that pursuing higher education is no small feat, and with perseverance and tenacity, many things are possible.