Some people are lucky enough to emerge from the pandemic with support from multiple income streams, emergency savings, or employment that was not impacted or happened to reconvened in 2021 — or wealthy family members. However, many Gen Zers and millennials are grappling with how to recover from losing an entire year to the pandemic. Not surprisingly, a lot of people are choosing to get a higher education as a way to excel in a complex economy.
Spelman College reported that the number of applicants for the 2021-2022 admissions period increased by 20 percent in comparison to last year’s numbers. A record 11,000 applications were submitted — the highest amount since the school’s inception in 1881.
“The increased interest in Spelman is a testament to the College’s reputation of graduating Black women with a competitive edge who rise to leadership roles across industries and impact positive change in their communities,” said Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D., president of Spelman. “Our admissions team has done an excellent job of sharing our stellar outcomes with prospective students from across the nation. We are excited that these bright young minds are seizing the opportunity to experience our unique liberal arts education by applying to Spelman.”
Spelman was ranked the No. 1 HBCU in the nation, No. 4 in social mobility, No. 10 in innovation for small liberal arts colleges, and No. 57 in liberal arts, by the U.S. News & World Report. New curriculum additions, such as photography and documentary filmmaking, have also drawn more prospective students. Along with its reputation, the surge of applicants to the HBCU can also be attributed to the pivotal racial and social conversations that occurred in 2020 that sparked greater support for HBCUs and black-owned businesses.
“There is a sense of urgency around supporting HBCUs that is resonating with prospective students,” said Chelsea Holley, interim director of admissions. “From founding inaugural Black student organizations at their high schools to advocating for voters’ rights in the 2020 presidential election, this applicant pool has been civically engaged, committed to leadership and dedicated to the very mission of Spelman College.”
