Providence College Passed My Soda Test. That's Not Why I'd Send You There.

If you read my post about Randolph-Macon, you know my strange habit. On every campus I check whether it's a Coke school or a Pepsi school. So when I toured Providence College on September 18 with a group of fellow counselors, I went looking for the vending machines before I found the admissions office.

I didn't have to look far. A big banner hangs over a row of machines: "Championship Refreshment Zone. Coca-Cola is a Proud Partner of Providence College & Providence College Athletics." Test passed. I could have gone home happy.

The Coca-Cola banner and vending machines at Providence College

But a soda contract is a footnote, and I promised you I'd never cross a school off a list because of one. Here's what I'd actually want your family to know about PC.

“Civ” is the whole point

Ruane Center for the Humanities

Every PC student takes the Development of Western Civilization program, which everyone calls "Civ." It runs through your first four semesters. The first three are seminars that move through major texts in order, from the ancient world to the modern one. The fourth is a team-taught colloquium on a topic you choose.

The colloquium titles are the fun part. Recent options include "The Life and Writings of C.S. Lewis," "The History of Sports," and "The History of Retail from Ancient Merchants to Amazon's Marketplace." The program is based in the Ruane Center for the Humanities, which looks exactly like a building where you'd argue about Plato.

Here's my honest read. Civ is a real commitment: about two years of reading, writing, and discussion that every student shares. A student who loves ideas will thrive on it. A student who wants to skip general education and head straight to a major should know that going in.

The good news for undecided students: 16.5% of PC students start undeclared, and an advising program supports them through their first three semesters. And 22% graduate with a double major, so plenty of students find room for more than one path.

Faith is part of the place

Inside St. Dominic Chapel

PC is a Catholic college in the Dominican tradition, and it doesn't hide that. One of our morning sessions was a talk called "The Dominican Difference," given by a Dominican friar who teaches theology. St. Dominic Chapel is well worth stepping into, even if you're not Catholic.

The college describes its approach as teaching students "how to think, not what to think." For a family weighing a religious college, I'd take that line to your campus visit and see if it matches what you hear from current students.

The small things I noticed

The campus is compact, green, and easy to walk. The Ryan Center for Business Studies and the Concannon Fitness Center are both bright, modern buildings. McPhail's, the student hangout in the student center, runs bingo, trivia, and arcade nights. The career center sits in the same building, which makes it hard to avoid, in a good way. PC reports that 94% of students complete an internship or similar experience.

Then there's my favorite sign of the whole day. At Phillips Memorial Library, next to the book return, three rules: No Technology. No Trash. No Squirrels. I have questions. I'd like to meet the squirrel who made that third rule necessary.

The “No Squirrels” sign at the library

We also had lunch with current students, which is always the most honest part of any visit. Just before lunch we ran into Kelly Clarkson, so naturally I took a selfie with her.

Jake and Kelly Clarkson, who is scheduled to perform next month at Providence Late Night Madness

Who I’d send to Providence

I'd put PC on the list for a student who wants a close-knit campus of about 4,600 undergraduates, likes reading and discussion, and is comfortable with (or drawn to) a Catholic setting. Big East athletics and a real city five minutes away are bonuses. I'd think twice for a student who wants to avoid a shared core or wants a completely secular school.

Want to see where my students have been admitted, or which other campuses I've walked? Visit my Acceptances page.