Hey guys, I am having a tough time between going to College of the Holy Cross or Providence College. I am certain I can get into both schools and don’t think money will decide where I’m going. For a long time I thought Holy Cross was my number one but I also loved Providence. I have legacy at both schools. I know the education at Holy Cross is top notch but I don’t know if it is fun enough for me. I think Providence has a great balance. I like the size of PC better as well. School spirit/sporting events, parties, and the type of people on campus influence me as well as academics. Please help with some insight!!
Holy Cross has the edge in prestige. But you should spend time at both to find out which is the better fit for you. It sounds like you are leaning toward Providence; if you have not spent time at HC, do so, and then decide.
The “fit” factor is not just the culture of the campus though – it is also about academic fit. Look at the programs each school offers, the class sizes, 4-year graduation rate, etc., and use those to inform your decision.
@prezbucky Thank you!!
bumpp
A friend of mine went to Holy Cross - she was a very recent graduate when we met - and I got the sense that HC students do have a lot of school spirit and a tight-knit bond. We went to grad school together in NYC and she was always traveling up to MA, or her friends traveling down to NYC, so they could hang out. I still see her pics on Facebook with lots of her classmates from HC. (I don’t know anything about campus culture - this is just my secondhand impression).
You have a lot of time to decide, so don’t agonize over this just yet.
If your torn, take the choice that will stretch you more intellectually. Holy Cross has a much better academic reputation. Are you applying ED? If not, just apply to both.
@julliet thank you for the response, I do have some time which is good. @doschicos I’m considering applying ED. The thing is I am in a high school where I have an excellent social life and I am friendly with so many students and I want something similar in college. I feel like if I go to HC i’ll have limited friends and consistently be studying. Anyways thanks for listening to me complain lol, thanks for the responses!!
Did you look into Boston College? Very similar school with a bit more school spirit and better nightlife than HC or Providence.
Holy Cross has more academic prestige, stronger alumni network and great school spirit. HC has Div1aa football plays Harvard, Brown, Dartmouth most years-good magnet for returning alums.(Providence does not have football). Holy Cross also has one of the highest alumni giving rates>50%.
If you end up going to PC, for the rest of your life people will think you were unable to get into the likes of Holy Cross. Unless a recruited athlete at PC or some other unusual reason, few would select PC over HC.
“If you end up going to PC . . . people will think you were unable to get into the likes of Holy Cross.” (#8)
Nevertheless, both schools are currently categorized as “more selective” by USNWR.
^ That’s a pretty large bucket though. It’s clearly more difficult to get into HC than it is to get into Providence, at least from a GPA/test score/rank perspective.
@prezbucky: I agree that the category is pretty broad and does include schools of substantially different selectivity. The point that I omitted stating though, is that linking, as the primary factor, a student’s interest in a college to a hierarchy of selectivity interferes with the values and preferences that that student may be bringing to the decision process. That these schools are in the same general category for selectivity just added an ironic element that I found interesting.
1 Like
Cool – and yes, the OP should choose based on fit and finances primarily. If those are equal, though, then I think you do look at academic rep as a deciding factor.
I have a sister who attended HC, and one of my HS best friends attended PC. Both loved their college experience and made lots of lifelong friends at their respective schools.
The amount of fun you have at either of these colleges will be directly a result of how much you put into it. These are great schools for kids who like to work hard and to play hard.
It must be nice to be able to say that money won’t be a factor in your college decisions. Have you thanked your parents lately?
1 Like
While Holy Cross does have an edge in prestige, I would recommend going to whichever one you like better. No one is going to judge you later about going to PC instead of HC as one poster implied. People don’t think like that. No one will know where you applied, where you were accepted, reasons for your decision, etc. Sometimes people choose to go to less prestigious schools even though they get accepted at a “better” one.
Honestly, your social life will be fun at HC as well as at PC. Sure, the academic demands will be much less at PC, but is your goal in life to have the least possible work so you can party a lot? HC is NOT a school like BYU 
and it’s more than “damp”, students have a lot of spirit and alumni are fiercely proud (where’s par72?)
I am considering Holy Cross too. How religious is it? I have grown up in a catholic country (Italy) but never attended church myself -unless I had to go to weddings or funerals. This said, I would not mind being at a catholic university, but was wondering whether I would be disadvantaged applying there, or if I would feel like I don’t belong.
Attending church services in not a requirement at any of the Catholic colleges (Holy Cross, BC. Georgetown, Villanova, Providence etc.) The Catholic colleges will be active in community service and there will be a theology class you will likely have to take, but in general they are welcoming to all religions as well as non practicing Catholics.