I could have told you that! I dunno why people think Howard is such a good school. Don't get me wrong, in terms of value for money, it offers good value. However, having gone through the school myself, I am pretty much blah about it.
Surprisingly, my friend who went to GWU said the same thing about GWU. The grass always seems greener on the other side. 
Black people have brainwashed themselves into thinking that Howard is on par with Harvard.

Seriously, for most people it's the culture and legacy of the school, and the people who went there. A lot of people who go there (and to other black schools) have parents and grand parents who have also attended and joined the same frats and sororities, so it's almost like a social status thing.