DR. WALLACE: I'm a high school junior and will graduate in June of 2016. I plan to attend Howard University because I'm black and Howard is predominately a black university. Since my parents are both professionals (in medicine), I won't be needing scholarship money. I've been told that Howard is the premier predominately black university. Will you please list other excellent predominately black colleges? I'd like to compare a few of them with Howard. — Nameless, Detroit, Mich.

NAMELESS: I've done a little research and found that there are 116 colleges and universities in the United States that have a large majority of black students. Ask five people familiar with the merits of black schools which one's the best and you might get five different answers.

Careers and Colleges, a magazine geared toward college-bound students, lists 10 notable predominately black schools: Cheney, Clark, Fisk, Florida A&M, Hampton, Howard, Lincoln, Morehouse College, Spelman College and Tuskegee.

This is what Careers and Colleges magazine says about Howard University in Washington, D.C.: Founded in 1867, enrollment of 11,000 students, coed. Of all the historically black colleges and universities, Howard is the most renowned and considered by some to be the best of many fine schools. The most popular fields of study at Howard are business administration, pre-medicine, liberal arts and engineering.

I'm sure the graduates of Howard agree with this assessment, but the alums from the other 115 predominately black schools might not.

SLIMMING TAKES MUCH SELF-DISCIPLINE

DR. WALLACE: I have a big problem. I'm 5 feet 2 inches tall and 20 pounds overweight because I love to eat. I also love to buy designer clothes, but I feel like such a slob when I wear them. I hate being fat, but like I said, I love to eat. It seems like I'm on a merry-go-round. Help! — Karen, Denver, Colo.

KAREN: Slimming down and acquiring proper eating habits takes a lot of self-discipline, but you are worth the sacrifice. The key to losing weight is not how much you eat, but rather what foods you eat. Foods that contain sugar, fats and salt should be kept to a minimum. Whole grains, fish and chicken are in, and so are fresh fruits and vegetables. Please contact a professional nutritionist and have an eating and exercise program designed especially for you. Your family doctor can provide you with a recommendation. Once you have changed your eating pattern, the excess pounds will start disappearing. Write to me in a month and let me know your progress.

CALL HIM — HE WILL BE GLAD TO HEAR FROM YOU

DR. WALLACE: I met Corey at a birthday party. We danced a few times and he asked if he could take me home. I thanked him, but told him that I came with a friend and I wanted to go home with this friend. We then exchanged cell numbers and he said that he would call me in a week or two. I said that I would enjoy hearing from him. Well, two weeks have passed and he hasn't called. I really would like to see him again and was wondering if it would be all right to give him a call. We're both 17, but we attend different high schools. — Debbie, Providence, R.I.

DEBBIE: Yes, give him a call and tell him that you would enjoy seeing him again. I'm sure he will be glad to hear from you. There is also the chance that he has misplaced your number and your call will make his day!

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.