Bowie University/Howard University

Answered

Are you looking for insights from someone who attends Howard or was accepted there? I'm not sure you'll get that, unfortunately, since most people using CV are still applying to college.

I'll admit, while I know of these schools, I don't know enough to provide insights you haven't already read. After researching a bit it seems like your pros/cons for Howard are pretty accurate. As you said, it sounds like the financial aid (both the office and actual money you receive) is pretty awful. While anecdotal, I read multiple people say you get offered a great aid package for your freshman year and then that aid will basically disappear or be drastically lower the following years. It got so bad students did a sit in at the aid office. Communication from the school to students seems pretty bad too - I guess that's similar to your point on administration. I also read that the campus can be very dangerous. If you're concerned about safety that is something to consider. Seems like the professors can be pretty hit or miss too. Finally, and this can be a pro for some people, it seems like a pretty big party school. If that's not your thing I would look elsewhere. The school is also majority female (70%) so that might be a pro or con depending on what you want.

I'd recommend checking out reviews from Niche: https://www.niche.com/colleges/howard-university/ and reviews from RateMyProfessors: https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/campusRatings.jsp?sid=421 and of course our live student panel we held last fall: https://www.collegevine.com/livestreams/294/howard-university-student-panel. Also consider using Youtube or other sites to look for reviews from current/former students.

I didn't look into Bowie as much but it looks like if you don't have a car on campus it can be tough to get around. It's also about 60% female. I'd recommend checking the sites I mentioned for Howard.