PC-Dream School

<p>If I got accepted to PC and got no scholarship money; do you think I would have a chance of receiving something if I asked? It is my absolute top school, which is too bad because I got good packages from all my other schools. Although I don't qualify for financial aid, the 52k tuition is way to steep for my parents. Even a few thousand could be helpful. </p>

<p>Should I write a letter explaining my situation and hope that they will take another look?</p>

<p>I have a 2100 SAT, 27 GPA Top 10% Public H.S. Female</p>

<p>janemac, I guess you could try. My D is in the same boat. Although she did get some scholarship money, it’s not enough. I am praying she qualifies for something school-wise, because I’m sure we don’t qualify for federal aid.</p>

<p>PC increased their number of merit awards last year to include academic acheivement and l believe leadership as well. These are in addition to the scholarships for those invited into the Liberal Arts Honors Program. So there may be hope for scholarship monies. If you decide to speak to or write to the admissions/financial aid office, wait til you have your acceptance in hand and then present the offers from your other schools. If they are peer schools (ie: Fairfield, Marist, …) who knows, maybe you’d get somewhere. I don’t really think it hurts to ask, just be prepared for a “no” – they won’t rescind your admission, just means the ball is back in your court to decide what you and your family can afford. Good Luck!</p>

<p>thank you. my other three are comparable but in different regions so we’ll see. I will try.</p>

<p>Are you sure you are getting no scholarship or other aid money? The FAFSA deadline is not even past yet — they can’t have awarded all their aid. </p>

<p>When our older D was applying to schools, we made copies of all of our bills that we could not change—I mean the heating oil, the propane gas, the unreimbursed medical expenses, tuitions for younger kids — and sent them to the fin aid offices with a polite covering letter, no whining, no demands. Just saying, this is what these costs are for our family annually. </p>

<p>When we got the aid letter from one school, it was evident they had used these numbers to calculate the aid package. Because, after their tuition payment was made, there was just enough money to live on every month!</p>

<p>That went on for 48 months. Dau did not graduate debt-free, but Mom & Dad did. </p>

<p>You will have to look at the packages from all the schools & decide whether you want PC so much that you are willing to take on large loans. It is a different answer for everyone. Good luck!</p>

<p>I am a PC alum–I bleed black and white, 34 yr basketball season ticket holder, etc, and, no school, even PC, is worth going into huge debt for. My kids got into PC, but the aid was better elsewhere, and elsewhere they went!</p>

<p>Gotta think with your head and wallet, not your heart.</p>

<p>Know what u mean MADad – we had the same situation with D and PC ended up being the better financial choice. She’s happy there. It’s been a great basketball week for them!! She was almost trampled Wed. night at the Dunk, but had a blast!</p>

<p>And my dau graduated in 2001 owing only 13k, which I do not consider large loans.</p>

<p>thanks for the advice JRZ mom! Unfortunately, we filled out the fafsa and the way they do it leaves my parents with an outrageously high efc when they don’t have that much to give. we will try that</p>

<p>My d is a freshman in the class of 2014. We are the unfortunate class that is paying 15% more than previous classes. We will be paying over $56,000. for tuition and housing. We really regret sending our d to this school. Her education has been mediocre at best and there is a heavy emphasis on the Catholic religion. We would like her to transfer but because of the DWC class, those credits will not transfer. PC is not a top ranked school, it is in a very dangerous area (d receives emails every week about students stabbed or robbed) and it is so strict that most of the kids are miserable. There are much better schools out there for a reasonable cost.</p>

<p>Suz30: Would you elaborate more? My daughter was accepted into the Honors program and is seriously considering Providence. We have visited 2x’s and I didn’t think the area around the college seemed too bad. What has been mediocre about your daughter’s education? Does she have a major yet? Is the DWC the Western Civ course? I am not completely sold that Providence is the best place for my daughter. She will visit one more time with my husband. Also, has your daughter said much about the partying? Although I realize kids can party at any school if that is what they want to do, I have heard that Providence has a reputation for being a party school. Obviously this is only hearsay and I don’t know for sure how true it might be. Thanks for any insight you can give me.</p>

<p>Wirefox: I was also accepted into the honors program and have contemplated all this for the last few weeks. Having grown up within 20 miles of the City of Providence I can tell you that this city is no different than any other. HC has Worcester, BC and Northeastern are in the city, Fordham is in the Bronx, Trinity is in a terrible section of Hartford, Conn college is next to New London. It appears with some due caution that safety should not be an issue. Going out “clubbing” at 1am in the city can he remotely dangerous but hanging on Thayer St (near RISD/Brown) at 1am is a non-issue. BTW - I am not Catholic and know current students who are not Catholic and it is not an issue. </p>

<p>Yes DWC is the Western Civ course and yes if a student were to transfer it does pose a slight problem. That said, PC does accept AP high school courses for credit which then lowers the required PC course and I’m assuming if D is honors she must have a few 4’s or 5’s on AP tests.</p>

<p>LACsearch: Thanks so much. We are in VA so to be honest, I don’t know Providence at all. In fact I’ve only been there for EA admitted student weekend. I myself went to college in the middle of Philadelphia so I do understand what you are saying about safety. That isn’t something that overly concerns me as long as common sense is used which I think my daughter will do. Honestly at this point I don’t even remember how PC wound up on my daughter’s radar, although it may have been because a PC rep came to her hs. </p>

<p>You mentioned that PC accepts AP credits…are you saying they count towards DWC and thus lower the credits you take in the West. Civ?</p>

<p>My husband is going to travel back up to Providence with my daughter later this month. She will shadow a student and he is hoping to get a feel for the Bio. department since she intends to major in biology.</p>

<p>No AP can not count for Civ. What I was saying was that if she did want to transfer and she lost say 1/2 her Civ credits in the transfer she would still have to bonus credits she picked up thru the AP classes which some other schools don’t recognize or might only recognize in a lesser sense.</p>

<p>Okay…understand now. Thanks.</p>

<p>LACsearch: Have you made a decision on whether you are going to PC? If so, what will be your major?</p>

<p>No decision… I have 4 schools to choose from, 2 with great scholarships. I’m making the rounds to the admitted open houses and will decide after.</p>

<p>Major is undecided but probably English.</p>

<p>Suz30 - I am also a parent of a first year student, and have not been thrilled with PC. The class sizes are MUCH larger than they tell you at the info sessions, and that surcharge that began with the class of 2014 is excessive. Communication is poor, and they are not honest about the problems like drinking and safety. I really felt misled. BUT - my d loves it, and at least a couple of her teachers are great. Not all of them, by any means. So far I don’t think it’s worth the high cost, but I hope I come to change my mind over the next three years!</p>

<p>I do think there are much better schools out there for the money.</p>

<p>Zonian - How large are some of the classes? What are your safety concerns? I’m already aware that many PC students like to party. The school is still on my son’s list along with Loyola MD and Marist, However, PC is not cheap and it’s the only school that did not give him merit aid. It would be about $20,000 a year more to go to PC than Marist and $10,000 more than Loyola. That’s a lot of money!</p>

<p>@Suz30 re: the Catholic influence - I will never forget the Welcome Mass - the students had just moved into their dorms and obviously it was an emotional day. At the Welcome Mass the President of the school welcomed the students to the Providence Family by saying - you became a member of the Providence Family not when you were accepted, but when you made the sign of the cross. Wow. So much for feeling welcome. He then invited all Catholics up for communion. Of course I understand only Catholics would be invited for communion, but under the circumstances you would think non-Catholics would be invited for a blessing, but non-Catholics were not even mentioned. Re: transferring Western Civ classes, it can be done after Freshman year in many cases but becomes very difficult after sophomore year, since the credits are all considered to be in the same subject most colleges will “max out” the number of credits they will accept in that subject. What we did was to take classes over the summer at a local school in different subjects for much less money, and those then transferred over.</p>