Is There an Inherent Mismatch Between How Black and White Students Expect to Succeed in College and What Their Colleges Expect from Them?

Students enter college with expectations about how they will succeed; likewise, colleges configure their courses, resources, and activities according to implicit expectations of how their students will succeed. Data from 1079 students at 6 universities was used to explore whether college-success matches existed for Black students attending historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and for White students attending predominantly white institutions (PWIs) , and whether mismatches existed for Black students attending PWIs. Results confirmed these matches and mismatches, and suggested that Black students worked harder to persist at PWIs. So while Brown aimed to provide educational access across color lines, this study's implications are that once students enter college, they must be supported as individuals who succeed along many paths .