Boston University Struggles to Increase Black Enrollments

The population of the city of Boston is now 25 percent black. But blacks are only 2.6 percent of the nearly 19,000-member undergraduate student body at Boston University. Black applicants to the university have increased by 39 percent over the past decade. In fact, between 2004 and 2005, black applicants increased by 18 percent in one year. But the number of blacks who enrolled remained exactly the same.

University recruiters now visit predominantly black high schools in several cities to encourage seniors to look at BU. These recruiters also attend minority college fairs throughout the country. A multicultural weekend is held on campus each year where prospective black students are invited to campus and are paired with an African-American host who is currently enrolled.

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