Valuable admission resources address COVID-19 implications
If you or someone you know is in the midst — or soon will be — of the college admission search process as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, Providence College admission professionals and their colleagues across the country are resolved to making your experience as transparent and stress-free as possible.
The following three resources provide valuable information and perspective from both national and College-specific viewpoints. For additional information on the admission process, visit the College’s admission website, email pcadmiss@providence.edu, call 401-865-2535, or take the PC virtual tour.
Answers to FAQs from seniors and their families
• Will Providence College honor AP exam scores earned from exams taken in 2020?
Yes, students who receive a 4 or 5 on the AP exam, regardless of when or through what format the exam was administered, will receive AP credit.
• Part of my high school experience was graded on a pass/fail basis. Will this impact my admissibility or ability to enroll?
The Office of Admission recognizes that a number of secondary schools have adjusted their grading scales or adopted a pass/fail system due to recent events. Students will in no way be impacted by these adjustments.
• If my grades have dropped due to the disruptions caused by COVID-19, will that impact my admissibility?
We are fully aware that the pandemic has caused multiple unprecedented challenges for students. Since our review for admission is holistic, we will remain as flexible as possible when reviewing your most recent grades and making our admission decisions.
• If I couldn’t be involved outside of the classroom because my sport or extracurricular activity was cancelled due to COVID-19, how will that affect my application?
Your application for admission will not be affected if you were unable to participate in extracurricular activities while learning remotely or in-person due to COVID-19 restrictions. Please feel free to include any planned activities that were canceled in the Additional Information section of the Common Application.
• Am I able to visit campus in person?
Please continue to check admission.providence.edu/visit for updates on campus visits.
In addition, we encourage you to explore our immersive, interactive, 3D tour.
PC Podcast on admission and financial aid
In a recent PC Podcast, Raul Fonts, associate vice president and dean of admission and financial aid, and Sandra Oliveira, executive director of financial aid, discussed how COVID-19 has changed the landscape of admission and financial aid. “It’s a year unlike no other,” said Fonts.
He noted the College has had to depend on virtual communications — tours, interviews, and information sessions — with prospective students, while Oliveira said her office is working directly with families to guarantee a personal rapport and minimize uncertainties about cost and aid.
Learn more from Fonts and Oliveira about what steps PC is taking in the admission and financial aid processes by clicking on the button below.
“Care Counts in Crisis” statement
Fonts is one of 370 higher education admission deans and other professionals nationally who have endorsed a statement of admission commitment during this time of uncertainty. Their statement, which is aligned with the Making Care Common Project coordinated by the Harvard Graduate School of Education, reflects their vow to selfcare, care for others, equity, and meaningful learning in the search process.
In the statement — “Care Counts in Crisis: College Admission Deans Respond to COVID-19” — the admission professionals pledge to take into account the challenges students and their families are currently facing and encourage students to be open about their circumstances in their applications.
