Moved up: Providence College. It went from being a safety to a strong contender. Students and staff were very friendly and welcoming and everything was well organized and focused. The building where the admissions office is located is beautiful and pristine. There are many indicators in the building that the school is Catholic (paintings, crosses, a chapel) but that wasn’t an issue for us since we’re Catholic. Later we saw that the brochures and viewbooks had photos of students who looked identifiably Sikh and Muslim, with turbans and hijabs. The guide said when we went to the chapel that the Sunday night Mass can be like a social gathering; 70% of students are Catholic but some non-Catholics attend because they like the singing, candlelight, fellowship with friends and inspiration.
As we waited in the admissions lounge with DS for his interview, a student came to greet us, offered us coffee / tea, and asked us if we had any questions she could answer. Another student was having a similar conversation with another family. It felt good to be welcomed.
The info session was well paced and included 2 speakers, a current student and an admissions officer who was a recent grad, and both were lively, funny and practical. They handled questions well and seemed genuinely interested in the attendees. I don’t remember another information session as good as this one; also the questions were pertinent and nobody asked anything that sounded dumb or pretentious (as happens on too many visits).
The tour went smoothly in spite of rain–plastic ponchos were available for anyone who wanted them. The guide was energetic and friendly and the campus didn’t feel too small or too spread out either. It felt like a good balance of emphasis on academics, residential life and sports.