Information on the Wait List
What is the Wait List for Admission?
Each year, many more qualified students apply to Providence College than we can enroll. While a certain percentage of students must therefore be denied admission, there are many other talented students whom we select for a place on our “wait list.” The wait list assures that we can meet our enrollment goals and provide spaces to deserving candidates.
We understand the anxiety that a student on the wait list experiences and will do our best to assist you with any questions or concerns you may have. Therefore, we encourage you to call the Office of Admission at any time at 401.865.2535 or 800.721.6444 to speak with a counselor about the wait list.
The Wait List Response Form
It is important that you complete the Wait List Response Form on the Admission Status Portal if you wish to remain on the wait list for admission to Providence College. Students who submit the form will be reviewed for possible acceptance from the wait list, should vacancies become available. If you do not wish to remain on our wait list, your consideration in notifying us will facilitate the review of other candidates for admission.
The number of students who remain on our wait list varies from year to year, but we ask that you complete the Wait List Response Form by April 15. After May 1, we will determine if we have met our enrollment goals for the incoming class at Providence College, or if we will be offering additional offers of admission to students on our wait list.
Updating Your Application
Students who are placed on the wait list may wish to submit additional information to supplement the final review of their application for admission. Please feel free to include any new activities, honors, or achievements that may not have been listed on your original application. You are also encouraged to note the depth of your interest in attending Providence College. We also encourage an update on your third-quarter or second-trimester grades, if available.
Selection Criteria for Admission from the Wait List
It is important to note that the wait list is not numbered or ranked. Once we have determined that we will activate the wait list, the Committee on Admission will reevaluate those applicants who have submitted the Wait List Response Form and indicated their desire to remain on the list. By undertaking another thorough review of the academic credentials and personal qualifications of wait list candidates, the Committee will then be able to select the most qualified students to fill the appropriate number of vacancies in the incoming class. Since the use of the wait list varies from year to year, we are unable to predict how many students will be selected each year. Given the limited space in it, a separate wait list is kept for students who have applied to the Nursing major.
Regarding Interviews
Wait list candidates and their families often inquire about scheduling a personal interview or campus visit to further discuss their candidacy or their interest in the College. Please note that we are not able to accommodate interviews. Candidates are encouraged to call to speak with a member of the counseling staff regarding any aspect of the wait list process.
Notification
If you have not heard from us sooner, you will receive an update on the status of the wait list by mid-May. Please note that it is not unusual for the wait list to be extended into June as we finalize enrollment for the incoming class. Although this is particularly frustrating for students and their families who may be awaiting a definitive reply to their wait list status much sooner, the process cannot be avoided. Please note that email messages are sent to students on the wait list to provide updates. Please be sure that the Office of Admission has a valid email address that you check on a regular basis.
Should the Committee on Admission make acceptances from the wait list, they will be mailed as part of an ongoing review and notification cycle. If you are accepted, you will receive an acceptance letter from Providence College and a packet that includes important information that should answer many of your initial questions. At that time, you will be asked to submit an enrollment deposit to reserve your place in the class.
Consideration for Financial Aid and Housing
Financial Aid: Wait list status impacts various sources of financial aid differently. A wait list candidate, who is eligible, will receive any federal or state grant or loan funds to which he or she is entitled. However, Providence College need-based grants may be fully committed and not available to students who are accepted from the wait list. All updates regarding admission will also include information about financial aid.
On-Campus Residence: According to Providence College policy, all first-year, sophomore, and junior students are required to live on campus, with the exception of local commuter students. Therefore, on-campus housing will be guaranteed to any student who is accepted
from the wait list.
What to do about your other college choices?
Since we cannot anticipate additional acceptances from the wait list at this time, it is important that you fulfill your enrollment plans at another college or university to which you have already been admitted. This will most likely mean submitting an enrollment deposit to that college by the common reply deadline of May 1. Since college policies regarding deadlines differ from one institution to another, you may wish to contact your other college choices for information on deposit deadlines and refunds.
If we are unable to offer you a place in the class, we will gladly offer assistance to you in finalizing your plans to attend another college or to pursue postgraduate study at the secondary level. We can also provide information regarding transfer admission and counsel you on course selection at another college or university to facilitate your consideration as a transfer candidate to Providence College in the future.
