By Globe Staff

Hundreds of Bay Area high school students, many with their parents, came to a vacant military hanger in Alameda last Saturday for the annual Black College Expo.

   “We are offering a seminar on hot careers and also a seminar for parents, and some seniors are being accepted to colleges,” said Theresa Price, an organizer and founder of the expo. “We have also given out over $200,000 in scholarships.”
    Every year, the expo stops in seven cities, including Los Angeles and the Bay Area.
   “Parents are selecting black colleges because 80 percent of our leaders have graduated from historically black colleges and universities, and so have 80 percent of [black] doctors, 50 percent of lawyers and 35 percent of engineers,” said Price.
    Enrollment at black schools has doubled from 250,000 to 500,000 over the last 10 years, she added.
    David Roach of Oakland was working the Morehouse College booth, distributing information and chatting with students. “Morehouse graduates more blacks every year than any other college,” said Roach. The college in Atlanta has graduated many notables, including civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and filmmaker Spike Lee, said Roach.
    Waves of students stopped by the many other booths, seeking information about enrollment criteria and financial aid. Some filled out applications or took information to review further at home.
    Representatives from Wells Fargo, the expo’s sponsor, were also present to hand out guides that detailed facts about colleges for students and parents. “Many of these parents are our customers,” said Dexter Hill, a bank vice president and manager in San Leandro. “College is a great investment, and we have a number of packages to offer.”
    Also present were staffers from Black College Today magazine, a publication founded 17 years ago in Florida.
    Many in attendance at the expo were struck by the fact that the ratio of women to men was eight to one.
   “The problem is there’s a maturity level that’s higher in our girls than our boys, and many of the boys lack a father figure to push them,” said one college recruiter. “The boys have to deal with a lot of distractions on the streets, and so we have to work harder to get them ready and thinking about college.”
    There are several groups in the Bay Area that arrange trips for students to black colleges. One operates in San Jose and the other is based at the School for the Arts at Oakland’s Castlemont High School.
   “Our kids don’t get the exposure to black colleges they need,” said V. Towns, who works at the Oakland campus. “So we take them to many schools.”
    Keith Chandler, working at the Fisk University booth, said more Bay Area students are seeking information on their own. “It comes down to getting the education that’s best for you,” he said. “Students are looking for challenges and academic growth.”
    Chandler said graduation rates at black universities are higher because there are mentors, and students are in a positive environment. “Everyone there lifts you up. You are not the only black student in the class, so you can’t say the teachers are biased. You know you are sitting next to the next great doctor or lawyer and that person looks like you.”
    Jackie Harrison, a high school student, said she came to the expo because “going to college is all about your future and getting a good job.”