Providence College Top Questions

The school offers a great sense of community, and when there is a strong sense of community you are able to excel in your academics and extra circular activities. Friars are Family.

We have this amazing, familiar family that truly brings a feeling of community. The campus is small and beautiful, and its location is great; Providence is a lively, colorful city. Essentially my school is "the little school that could." We're small but very capable, with a rigorous curriculum that instills in us a great liberal arts education. We are a proud, spirited school. I love that students actually go to the school events; we like spending time with each other.

My overall opinion of Providence College is a positive one. The people are genuine, the professors are there for their students, and there is a lot going on. It's a perfect place for people looking for a small campus, in a large city. The sports teams are very talented, but school spirit isn't as strong as I would like it to be. It isn't a "suitcase school;" people stay on campus during weekends. The facilities are beautiful as well. The biggest complaint is that there isn't enough study space.

PC is, overall, a solid school. It has a small, cozy, friendly campus, but a big school feel when it comes to academics and athletics. The social scene is very solid, and there actually is something to do for every type of person. The Dominican, Catholic tradition is not too overbearing, and actually provides a nice sense of morality. Parietals and civ suck, but obviously not too badly because students keep coming back. I always joke that PC is the only place where you can go to church at 10:30 on a Sunday night and see that kid who was doing WHATEVER craziness on Friday and Saturday night praying. Providence is a pretty decent college city. You don't really need to leave campus all that often, but when you do, you can find something to do in Providence. There are tons of restaurants, the mall is solid, and Waterfire is a fall/spring favorite. Basketball is obviously the biggest sport, and the games totally give you something to look forward to all winter. Overall, PC's strengths overshadow its weaknesses. Pretty much everybody loves it here, plain and simple.

The best thing about PC is the size. Each class is about 1000 students or a little under which is a great size- it's big enough to avoid the people you'd rather not see but small enough to feel like you know everyone around. Providence students can definitely be described as partiers but there is no question they also get their work done during the week. I think PC has a respected reputation as a leading school in the North East as well as one of the major Catholic schools in the country. Despite a great reputation and good students, I think the administration is often overwhelmed and not capable of dealing with the issues that arise on a college campus. Many of the rules on campus, like parietals, are outdated and just ineffective. Strange enough, PC is a "wet campus" and does have a pretty sweet bar called McPhail's. There are also a number of other bars all within walking distance from the school. Overall, the city is offers a lot to do and if you don't think so, Boston is under an hour away.

The school is a nice size you see the same people you like to hang out with everyday, but there are also new people to meet. I spend most of my time on campus probably in the cafeteria or in my dorm room. To see school pride you have to go to one of the basketball games, that is where most of the students go because basketball is very popular at our school.

Best thing about PC? The atmosphere. Professors know their students by name (small class sizes help) and the school's president works out in the student gym, eats in the dining hall, and is always seen on campus, so students are able to easily connect with administration. Students love Friar Town. One thing I'd change is the food. It's good at first, but after a semester, it's old and you crave something new. I was on a meal plan for the 3.5 years I was at PC, and by the end I dreaded going to meals at Ray. Most frequent student complaints revolve around the food. Size-wise, PC is just right. 3800 students is the perfect number (or was, for me) because you see new people all the time but can still say hi to 4 or 5 people you know on your way to class. Providence is a great college city, because it's technically a city, so there's a lot going on, but it's small, so it's easy to find your way around and isn't overwhelming. Plus, Providence is an hour from Boston and about 3 hours from NYC.

PC is a great size if you like to know all of the faces around you. It has a very large community feel, and the majority of the people are very friendly. Sports are a big deal, especially mens basketball and hockey. There is a very large bar culture at PC that makes every night of the week interesting. If you tell people that you go to PC, they generally assume that you are a very social person that likes to party and have a good time, but also has a strong sense of character and is well educated. Since PC is a Catholic College run by the Dominican Friars, there is a strong religious representation around campus. The College does not shun other faiths, and has a very welcoming attitude towards sharing faith with the campus community. The PC campus is always improving. There is a great gym, coffee shop, and they are working on a better student center. The housing is pretty good once you get to be a junior and senior, but freshman and sophomore year it is the luck of the draw. PC was the best four years of my life. There is a lot of support and guidance from faculty, and you will find yourself keeping in touch with your professors long after you have taken their courses and graduation.

PC is a small, Catholic and DOMINICAN school. The administration makes a point of not shying away from the schools Dominican roots. So, at the heart of everything you find a focus on truth, morality and Catholicism. Everyone is extremely friendly and wants to see you succeeed. As an a new alumnae, Class of 2008, I have been so impressed by how many people in the administration as well as the alumni network have offered to help me find a job. Providence is a fun city to go to college in... maybe not live forever. but definitely fun for 4 years.

PC is the perfect size. It now has a gorgeous gym with great hours. Ray Hall cafe's food is getting better. There are more choices, even a vegetarian section. Slavin and Jazzmans are great places to study, hang out, and get food. PC has a great location where you can take the public bus (RIPTA) pretty much anywhere for FREE is you use your PC id card. The library is a bit small, but they are re-doing it this summer. I made great friends. Everyone knows PC and everyone who graduates PC has had an amazing 4 years and would do anything to go back.

Though the brochures may drum up Providence as a "college town" filled with other students from RISD, Brown, Johnson & Wales, etc., there has not been a single time when I have gone into the city and run into students from any other school. The only places that are safe enough to go are the Providence Place Mall, where you will run into every other person in your class, and Thayer Street, where you may spot the occasional boho artsy RISD student. However, for the most part, PC students stick to the PPM for shopping, movies, or to eat out at one of the restaurants, which gets old very, very fast for students looking for activities other than drinking. On the weekend, most PC students migrate to the sketchy bars in the ghetto, only to emerge with at least one member of their "clique" missing their wallet and cell phone as a result of being jumped by a local. No joke.

The best thing about PC is the people - the school has so much school pride and spirit, and the friends you make here are ones you will have for life, you meet so many amazing people that are just like you. People are proud when I tell them that I go to PC- it has a great reputation for a school, though it is expensive. The most frequent student complaints are that the Catholic presence is too strong- but thats what they get for choosing a Catholic school.

In my opinion, the best thing about PC is its size and its location. There are about 4,000 undergraduate students (about 900-1,000 students per class). This seems to be a perfect medium. By the end of Freshman year you will recognize most of your peers but the class number is still large enough that you will meet new friends throughout your undergrad years. The city of Providence is great too. Although the school isn't located in the best neighborhood, the school is located about two miles from downtown. This makes it very easy to find fun things to do on the weekends with clubs, bars, a great mall, and restaurants just a few miles down the road. The student life on campus is fabulousss! We have a D-1 basketball team taht plays in Downtown Providence at the Dunkin Donut Center. Most students attend the games during the week which makes a Tuesday night pretty fun. PC is known for being a party school, if you didn't know that now you do! But don't fret there are plenty of things to do if you dont like bars or parties.I was suprised to find that a lot of students go out a lot of weekdays. On any given night you decide you want to have some fun...you can always find it. The most unsual thing about PC is the good chance that you will bump into a Friars dressed in long white dresses a couple times everyday. They might even teach your class. Yes, it's a strange thing to get used to but it's great to have a professor that cares about teaching you about more than just math or biology. Our mascot is a Friar. Which is terrifying. I still haven't gotten used to that yet. The best on campus events are Midnight Madness, Clam Jam, and Relay for Life.

Pc is is both big and small, but more small. You will know or recognize most of your class by graduation. Students are either into drinking or going to church. Sports can be exciting given the big east affiliation , but suck because they always loose. Your surrounded by a kinda shitty neighborhood. Amenities within walking distance include a few dive bars (easy to drink with fake ID) and a few take out restaurants. The city itself is great, but is a bus ride or drive away. Academics are competitive but not too rigorous.

PC is great if you are looking for a small school. It is easy to feel at home there and the students and faculty develop relationships and rapports becuase of the class size. If bigger is better for you then this is not the school, everyone ends up knowing everyone and what they did with their weekends. Providence is an amazing city when you venture out of the PC area which is not in a college friendly area aside from local bars that love the underage crowd. They student body is what makes the school a great place and the administration is what takes away from every good thing about PC, they are similar to overbearing parents including enforcing on campus rules to off campus houses. The Catholic rules seem a little archaic when enforced but it is something that everyone is dealing with, easy to get around and you get used to it. While students complain about the lack of diversity, it is not something that truly affects those who complain, who tend to hang out with their clones anyways, the campus is still segregated in terms of racial diversity. While there is little diversity, the few minorites that do come to our campus tend to socialize seperately from the majority of the campus- probably through no fault of their own.

This school is probably has the biggest bar scene out of every other college. There are 6 or 7 bars within 1 mile of the school that accept any i.d. It is small enough that you see people you know all the time and you feel a strong sense of belonging in the school community.Administration rips students off for any expenses-- damages to rooms, throwing up in bathrooms, violations, etc

There are roughly 4000 students, which I think is a perfect size. The only large class is DWC, and even then we are broken into 4 seminars at least once a week. I spend most of my time in the Performing Arts Building, practicing and doing my extracurriculars. I love that the city is easily accessible, but we still have a campus, and a beautiful campus at that. I haven't regretted my decision to attend PC for a second since I've been here.

the best thing about PC- i like the small campus and people are generally nice. One thing I would change is I would want the overall student population to be less apathetic. Or I'd change the fact that the administration doesn't seem to hold too much weight on student opinions, in my experience. There are very, very few people who care about any issues going on outside the campus and outside of drinking. I spend most of my time in my room, my friends' suite, or my boyfriend's dorm. There isn't really anywhere else to spend time outside of class. I think the only frequent complaints I've heard are that there isn't anything to do on weekends besides drink unless you are going downtown and spending money--which students don't tend to have much of.

Obviously, the ethnic range deficiencies is a major problem at PC, and most of the other problems I have with the college stem from this. The students at PC are incredibly sheltered, and that leads to rather predictable and repetitive behavior. Students at PC never seemed concerned about anything besides having more than a few drinks at a friend's dorm room. Yes, all college institutions have their share of parties, but PC doesn't seem to have "parties" but rather a drunken get-together. I rarely spend time on campus because of the downright boring repetitive happenings.

The best thing about PC is the social aspect, for me. I've met the greatest people there who enjoy going out and having a great time. The school is a perfect size, around 4000, where you don't know everyone but you know enough people where you walk around campus and can recognize people especially when you are there longer. When I tell people that I go to PC, people look at me like I go to a very prestigious school, which I feel it is. I spend most of my time on campus in my apartment or out on the quad when it is nice out or at the cafeterias. Providence, the city itself, is AMAZING. There are so many different things that you can do. The restaurants are also awesome and I find myself constantly trying new restaurants. The club/bar scene is never ending. The biggest recent controversy. Everyone is proud to be a FRIAR and we all have a ton of school pride. The most unusual thing about PC is probably the parietals rules that you face when you are a Freshman/Sophmore in the traditional dorms. But you get over those and by the time they really matter, you're in the apartments so parietals don't matter. I'll always remember JRW because it was the best weekend of my life. And getting the opportunity to go to the Commencement Week at PC with a friend who was graduating was absolutely amazing! The only complaint that I have is that the administration kind of stinks. They try to rip you out of a lot of money and they can be very unfair when you get in any trouble. They are always trying to get money out of you.