September 12, 2025
New York Metropolis welcomed 125 inaugural college students on the metropolis’s first-ever HBCU prep highschool.
There aren’t any traditionally Black faculties and universities in New York Metropolis, however the metropolis remains to be proudly making ready students to attend one with the launch of its first-ever HBCU prep highschool.
On Sept. 4, HBCU Early School Prep Excessive Faculty (HBCUECP) opened its doorways in Jamaica, Queens, welcoming 125 inaugural college students to a singular program that permits them to earn faculty credit and graduate with an affiliate diploma. Made in partnership with New York Metropolis Public Faculties and Delaware State College, the college is designed to information college students towards attending an HBCU, a primary of its form in New York Metropolis, ABC 7 NY studies.
“You’re the inaugural class of this historic college that represents years of onerous work and transformation of your ancestors, who made certain the paved method was out there and accessible to you,” mentioned Melissa Aviles-Ramos, the chancellor of New York Metropolis Public Faculties. “You might be our future, we’re turning it over to you to make it higher.”
The varsity builds on Delaware State College’s Early School Excessive Faculty program in Dover, which has been working since 2013, permitting college students to earn as much as 64 faculty credit, equal to an affiliate diploma, earlier than graduating. Led by DSU alum Dr. Asya Johnson as founding principal, the college is considered one of seven new NYC colleges. It has attracted sturdy curiosity, receiving over 1,000 purposes whereas accepting simply 125 college students.
“That’s the thrilling half — the curiosity is there,” mentioned Dr. Kareem McLemore, DSU vp for strategic enrollment administration and worldwide affairs. “The robust half is understanding a thousand different college students wished this identical alternative and couldn’t get on this yr due to area.”
Many New York Metropolis excessive colleges give attention to trades, Macklemore notes, however college-prep excessive colleges like these provided by DSU are uncommon. The establishment hopes the brand new college will present inner-city college students with alternatives to discover HBCU pathways, notably at DSU, which attracts its largest out-of-state scholar inhabitants from New York Metropolis.
“New York has the best variety of out-of-state college students who select Delaware State as their HBCU,” McLemore mentioned. “It was solely becoming that we create a pathway for these college students proper in their very own yard.”
NYC Mayor Eric Adams helped minimize the ribbon on the new college and spoke to college students about their potential futures at an HBCU.
“We want an HBCU to can help you grow to be who you wish to grow to be,” he mentioned.
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