16-Year Old Headed to College, Chooses HBCU Over Yale and Harvard

Curtis Lawrence, a 16-year old boy from Washington, DC that has already graduated high school, has been accepted to 14 colleges including Yale and Harvard. However, he wants to attend an HBCU and has already decided to attend FAMU (Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University).

Two years ago, Lawrence was just 14-years old when he started college through a special program at the George Washington University.

Now, although he has received more than $1.6 million in scholarships to attend some of the most prestigious universities in the country like Harvard, Yale, and George Washington University, he has decided that he wants to have the HBCU experience at FAMU. Even more he has already decided to double major in biology and computer science.

“First I started thinking about what schools had good biology programs,” Lawrence told FOX 5 DC. “Then I started looking specifically at HBCUs because I wanted the HBCU experience and to be surrounded by the people who are just like me and who are not only Black but academically talented.”

His mother Malene said they have been supporting Lawrence in his plans and college preparations since he was in 7th grade.

“We’ve taught them from an early age that education is key to opening up the opportunities and having access to things that they want to life,” his father Curtis said.