Joe Carr: 00:00

Hello, everyone. My name is Joe Carr. I'm from Providence College's division of marketing and communications, and this is Owen Bligh, PC's dean of admission. Today, we're talking about admission, the admission process, and the class of 2028, the group of students who will begin college studies this coming fall. Owen, you've just sent the decision letters for the regular admission applicants.

Joe Carr: 00:20

What are your observations in general of the class of 2028?

Owen Bligh: 00:25

Absolutely. First of all, thanks for for having me, this afternoon. I think a few things come to mind with the the class of 2028 and those who are considering whether they want to enroll at Providence in the fall. And I think similar to to many years, the the overarching theme that comes to mind is just how how talented these students are and the number of ways in which they exhibit that talent. Obviously, academics are are the main thing that kind of drive our review process but it's not just the the curriculums that they've taken and the grades that they've received but also the the everything else whether that be things that support their academic pursuits having done research or internships.

Owen Bligh: 01:07

It could also be things that they do in their community, things that they do for their family, working or taking care of younger siblings. It's not one thing necessarily for for every student in the applicant pool but each of those students has what their thing is. And I think that's the thing that really is is noteworthy. We spend a lot of time talking about average GPAs and curriculums and those are the things that are easy to quantify but it's when our staff dives into to individual applications that we really get excited about what it is that that those candidates are going to bring to our campus. I think the last thing I would say that is important to remember with this class is that they did kind of start their high school experience in the midst of COVID.

Owen Bligh: 01:52

And that's something that was something that kind of was apparent, in a number of times that we were reviewing students' applications that they were perhaps not allowed to have the opportunity to begin their high school experience with the support that they needed or in the classroom environment. And it took a lot of work on the part of the admission staff to understand what that context looks like and to think about how they progress through the years. That perhaps an overall GPA wasn't indicative of who they were, but instead looking year to year and selecting those who are really kind of hitting their stride and doing their best work yet and will move into campus ready to to embrace the academics here.

Joe Carr: 02:36

This is kind of a related question, but I I wanna refer to your pretty specific and unique perspective. You came here as a a student in 2000 6. You've been in admission for for quite a while. So you you really understand, not only the admission work, but in the, you understand into the context of Providence College. What do you see as some of the key predictors of eventual success at Providence College when you look at applicants?

Owen Bligh: 02:59

Sure. Our review process, as I mentioned before, it's it's driven by the academics, and so we spend more time with the transcript than anything else. And so we talk a lot about what the strength of a student's curriculum is, which we measure based off looking at kind of how much they've taken advantage of what's been offered to them. And so we spend a lot of time trying to understand the schools that they're coming from, what the offerings may be at that school, and then how a student chose to to set up their schedule. And so an easy place where that commonly comes into play is with kind of the rigor.

Owen Bligh: 03:33

So you hear a lot about AP, honors, IB, kind of the level of classes, but also how they've progressed within their curriculum. So thinking about kind of how their math courses have built upon one another and also how they prepare their themselves for their intended major. So if they're thinking about the business school, have they studied economics and advanced math? If they're thinking about nursing, what does that science preparation look like? And so that curriculum and obviously the the way that they've achieved within that curriculum is is important.

Owen Bligh: 04:05

And that's really kind of where it starts, but what we're trying to do is really build a group of students who are going to to come to our campus and and fit in and be successful. And I think when we think about what the the average Providence student, if there is such a thing, brings to the campus, I think they really need to be ready to kind of embrace all aspects of what this this college can offer them. And obviously, we're doing it for academic reasons and our students, they they work really hard in the classroom. But the the quote unquote PC student, they're also looking to engage with the the student life side of things. They really are excited about a cause that they're passionate about or a club that they wanna take to the next level.

Owen Bligh: 04:50

They might be really passionate about athletics, competing on the field or just being in the student section and and cheering those students on. They may spend any time they have not in the library at Saint Dominic Chapel. And so when we think about the type of student who maybe this isn't a necessarily is competitive for admission, but the type of student who does well at Providence, it's the ones that really are are looking to take advantage of of everything. They're they're excited about their studies in neuroscience, but they're really excited to see kind of what they do outside of that classroom as well.

Joe Carr: 05:27

This seems to sort of relate to the size of the college in some ways, doesn't it? Because there are actual opportunities to participate in the life of the community and you referred to specifically clubs and things like that, but that kind of student can find their way here.

Owen Bligh: 05:39

Mhmm. Absolutely.

Joe Carr: 05:40

Which brings me to the thought about declaring majors. Coming in and declaring is certainly a very good option for many students and and worth considering, but most students do pick a a major on the way. In what kinds of trends are you seeing in terms of whether students do declare a major and if so, which ones?

Owen Bligh: 05:58

Sure. So at Providence, it's about 20 to 25% of our incoming students who who do so undeclared. Interestingly, in this year's applicant pool, we were up about 13% in students who were were choosing the undeclared option. And that is not necessarily something that's surprising for us and I think it's because of the the options that an undeclared student has when they get here. The only program that a student needed to have applied into to then ultimately study is the nursing program.

Owen Bligh: 06:27

And so our students can go from undeclared to finance. They can go from undeclared to chemistry. They can kind of take those introductory classes and and by March of their sophomore year, decide what it is that they want to to pursue a full course of study in. So I say this a lot to college counselors as they're they're visiting our campus, it's a great place to be undeclared and I think the students who who choose that path are really well supported through an advising program that helps them, discover where their their interests are, where their skills are, what they're going to be good at, and and also what they're passionate about. And so you're correct that the the amount of students kind of coming in undeclared has declined, a little bit through the years.

Owen Bligh: 07:14

And I think a lot of that comes towards the investment that college brings and and needing to kind of connect it to an outcome. But we're fortunate here that our undeclared when, they they discover what sort of postgraduate work or employment they're looking to go into.

Joe Carr: 07:37

And in most cases, there's also the opportunity to change course on the way through. Your story is a perfect example of that and what you changed at least once. Right?

Owen Bligh: 07:46

Absolutely. Yeah. So when I enrolled at Providence, I was a marketing major. And I really enjoyed my studies. In high school, I was thinking I wanted to go into politics, and I thought to do so, you needed to know how to market yourself.

Owen Bligh: 08:03

And so when I kind of started as a marketing major and we're looking at buyer behavior and audience segmentation, this had nothing to do with political campaigns. So I switched to undeclared, and kind of explored some areas. And then one day, I was just wandering through Howley Hall, which is the home of the political science department, And one of our our professors just started talking to me asking who is this random person reading all the bulletin boards. And and I thought, alright. Maybe political science is the the place.

Owen Bligh: 08:35

By that point, I had kind of given up on the career in politics, but it was a field that I was was really interested in. And through the time kind of studying there actually grew into finding an interest in economic development and how how cities are formed and my senior thesis was actually part of the Foran Scholars Program that the the political science department has looking at how colleges impact the the neighborhoods that they're in. And with my advisor, doctor Cammarano, I was starting to look at higher ed as more than just kind of the school that I attended for 4 years and thinking about it as a larger part of our society and and from that, I was also one of our ambassadors and here I am many years later still in higher ed.

Joe Carr: 09:21

I remember reading that senior thesis a few years ago. It was very, very good. And by way of example, improving the notion that you can end up doing almost anything if you come to Providence College and earn a degree. We both have political science degrees from Providence College and here we are. So you never really know where it will take you and that's that's the beauty of this kind of a a place in many ways.

Joe Carr: 09:44

Oh, and this fall is this really this cycle marks the 1st year that we've had a full year to identify, recruit, and enroll nursing and health sciences students in the new program. What are your observations, what you're seeing in in that cohort of applicants?

Owen Bligh: 09:59

Yeah. And so this would actually be the 1st class that we've had kind of the full admission cycle to get the word out about the program as well. So for those who follow PC closely, you probably remember that this program was approved in in the fall of, 2 years ago, and that's a that's a really limited time to work with prospective students. And so we did kind of have to get the word out quickly and and applied, and we have 59 nurses who are on campus right now and doing incredibly well. This class, the class of 2028, is the first ones where we could talk to them about this nursing program that we have when they were juniors in high school and work with them throughout the fall to spread the word about the program.

Owen Bligh: 10:42

And so the interest is is really, growing in it. I think there's a number of different things that are kind of attractive. I think the curriculum is a a very modern one that has been responsive to kind of the needs of what the nursing field needs now. I think also the faculty that, has been hired for our program, the wide range of of expertise that they have and the different ways that students can kind of connect their their interest in nursing to those those professors who will only continue to add more. And then obviously the facility that's coming on the way will take it to a whole another level with the Mondor Center.

Owen Bligh: 11:20

And so for for nursing and health sciences, we've seen a a great increase in the number of applications and so I think we've been given the opportunity to choose those students who are incredibly accomplished, but also a good fit for what a Providence Nursing and Health Science Education would would offer a student.

Joe Carr: 11:38

And just a little more detail on that facility, the Ben Monder Center For Nursing and Health Sciences on the site of the former Fennell Hall on East Campus will open in January of next year. So in just a few months, you'll be able to take prospective students through a spectacular state of the art facility, which I'm sure will be helpful.

Owen Bligh: 11:55

Absolutely. Absolutely. I think one last thing that is just kind of interesting about nursing is we talked about kind of the undeclared program and and how a Providence student often kind of changes their interests and moves around. Working with students interested in nursing has been a a really exciting and different experience for many of us in the admission office because they're students who, in some ways, almost feel a calling towards that field that's almost vocational for them in that they know they wanna be nurses. And through their application, they've shared with us the reasons why they feel that way, the preparation that they've made for those programs.

Owen Bligh: 12:33

And so we we fully expect that our nursing students will add on second majors in in classics or in marketing, in health policy. They will do that and they'll explore the wide range of minors, but I think compared to to many of the programs that we have here, they are committed to nursing for for all 4 years, and it's it's been a really exciting thing to have a part of our our conversations in the admission committee.

Joe Carr: 12:59

And also interesting is the programming in health sciences, which opens up a variety of avenues for careers in in health sciences and in the health care field. So there's a lot of, interest in that and a lot of possibility for prospective students.

Owen Bligh: 13:12

There is. Yeah. We have always been a a good option for students who are looking into health care, but I think now that they have a program that offers a number of different pathways towards those fields, we're going to be kind of even more attractive and provide even better preparation for those students. And and health sciences is as versatile a program as we have on campus. Students can use it for, a path towards some of the things that you may expect when you think about kind of allied health, so going to be physical therapists or physician's assistants, but also a number of them want to go into epidemiology and public health.

Owen Bligh: 13:49

Others want to go more kind of an academic route. And so it's a a great curriculum that through the study of anatomy and physiology, biology and chemistry, all with the lens of kind of the the health care environment will set them up to be be quite successful in kind of whatever pathway it is that they choose.

Joe Carr: 14:07

And of course a defining characteristic of these programs here at PC, similar to the business programs, is that these fields of study are rooted in the core curriculum development of Western Civilization, so students will not only get this specific kind of training in these career fields, but it's all built on that liberal arts foundation. Right. It's a beautiful thing. So, let's talk a little bit more about the class of 2028 more specifically. This is the largest applicant pool the PC's ever had, breaking a record set just last year.

Joe Carr: 14:36

To what do you attribute what appears to be a growing interest in the college? College?

Owen Bligh: 14:40

So certainly the new majors that the college has has lent itself to the the applicant pool growing and we we talked about nursing and health sciences, but also adding programs in neuroscience, black studies, Catholic studies, and liturgical music. Though they have varying kind of degrees of enrollment, I think all of them have really kind of caused some buzz to to indicate that Providence is a it's an institution that's growing, that's continuing to respond to what students are looking for, and all of those those majors are are going a long way in in making that case. I think another thing is just the college's national reputation as we continue to kind of find students who are a good fit for the Providence experience, but maybe haven't heard of us, that's something that continues to kind of grow in interest certainly in in specific pockets of the country. We're seeing a a great deal of success, with that. And then lastly, I think it's just that whenever we're we're traveling and talking with prospective students, one of the things that I hear more than anything else is that Providence has a great reputation.

Owen Bligh: 15:51

I'll talk to to perhaps a parent of a prospective student who has, no familiarity with Providence except maybe a coworker's child went there or something. And I hear quite frequently, everyone seems to love that place or everyone seems very kind of satisfied with their experience. And I think the members of our community are some of the best storytellers for us. So as kind of alums or parents of current students get the word out about PC, we're only going to see this momentum continue to grow.

Joe Carr: 16:23

Diversity is something that's very important to all of us Providence College. In fact, it's a stated strategic priority. What can you tell us about diversity recruitment efforts in the current day's context? I'm thinking in part in context of last summer's Supreme Court decisions.

Owen Bligh: 16:39

Sure. Absolutely. So we are we're fortunate this year to have one of the most, racially and ethnically diverse applicant pools in college history. And that was through a lot of kind of intentional effort on the part of not just the admission staff, but really college wide to continue to kind of commit to to efforts to diversify our our campus environment. And so there's a few places where you can you can see kind of this this work happening and the results, soon to follow.

Owen Bligh: 17:10

I think our recruitment travel in the fall took a very different approach as we reemphasized visiting community based organizations. We used large amounts of data to to look for high schools where maybe the the word about Providence wasn't getting to them, but there were students who were were a great fit for our community. We also did a number of different kind of marketing and recruitment approaches to to really get the word out about Providence and let students know that it is an option that is a a good academic fit that can be affordable, and that will be a a a good option to include on their their college list. I think more broadly, you'll also see a number of investments from the college. The Cristo Rey scholarship that was announced last year and that we have 28 students who have received it this year is a great example of that.

Owen Bligh: 18:04

Cristo Rey is a network that is incredibly aligned with the Catholic and Dominican mission, of the the college even though it it did start as a Jesuit, network, but those students are are a great fit for here. And so to be able to add significant scholarship opportunities as well as meet their full demonstrated need, that has been a a big part of our diversity recruitment. And then next year, we'll look to join the Posse, network. And that foundation, has done quite a bit to to help students who may not otherwise have access to to a 4 year education access those types of institutions. It's it's really an elite list of member institutions, and we're we're quite fortunate that they looked favorably upon our application for it and excited about the the, the cohort or posse of students that we'll have joining us from New Orleans next year.

Joe Carr: 18:57

Let's talk about the admission timeline. So the application decisions have just been sent mid March here, and we're past early admission, early decision. So it's really a long process to build this pool of students who will decide whether to enroll here in in the fall. What's next? So from admission professionals, perspective, what do you do in the next few weeks months?

Owen Bligh: 19:19

Sure. So this is kind of the the difficult part of our calendar where we're having a number of conversations with people who are at different stages of the process, and so we have lots and lots of high school juniors who are are chomping at the bit to start their college search, and you probably see the tours as you're walking around campus of of juniors who are just, they've heard good things about Providence and they wanna know a little bit more, but they're very kind of introductory conversations. And and so we are greeting them and welcoming them and sharing some information with them. And then in a complete opposite place, we have all of the seniors, our admitted students, who have done their research on Providence. They they got to the point where they wanted to apply and and then we invited them to join our community, and they are kind of doing some of their their final bits of research, kicking the tires if you will, to to learn more deeply about what exactly our creative writing program can offer them, to understand what the different housing options are, where the internships in their area may be.

Owen Bligh: 20:21

And so very different conversations, both very important though. And so we're we're excited about what the next couple months will bring as we as we finalize, those who will will choose to join us for the class of 2028 and and look forward to the 2029 and and even the class of 2030 who are already, touring our campus. And so for admitted students, we have a number of different options. Obviously, admitted student day is the the big one where all of campus shows up and and we welcome hundreds of admitted students, but we're also offering shadowing programs through our Friar for a Day program. We have admitted student tours several times a week as well as speaking of diversity recruitment, our night in Friartown, diversity overnight as well, which will take place at the end of April.

Joe Carr: 21:07

To add a little flavor to the description of the process, you've just you and your colleagues have just been through a period of time where you've gone through a gigantic number of applications. Take us into that room a little bit. What what's the process like? How does it actually work mechanically when you're when you're working your way through that part of the process?

Owen Bligh: 21:26

Sure. So our process starts actually just with the the one individual who's responsible for the territory. So personally, I'm responsible for New Hampshire, Minnesota, and Western Massachusetts and

Joe Carr: 21:37

so when combination.

Owen Bligh: 21:38

Okay. It's quite a mix. I I've had Minnesota since I started at the college and the same with, New Hampshire, and then I'm originally from Western Mass. So a nice way to build a trip home. But the process starts kind of with the the counselor who's responsible for your area, and they do all of the academic review.

Owen Bligh: 21:57

So I mentioned before about kind of assigning the strength of curriculum, and we recalculate all of the GPAs. So we will never look at the GPA that's printed on a transcript. All of that kind of academic prep work is done just by by one counselor, and then kind of the whole committee process starts where every file is going to be read by at least 2, but usually 3 and and 4 about a quarter of our files, all of us, breaking up into smaller rooms and and going through files and making selections, making really difficult choices oftentimes. We though the college has been kind of growing in the last few years and and we'll welcome 12 151st year students this fall, we could have a much larger college and still kind of have plenty of interest in students who are are qualified for admission. Admission.

Owen Bligh: 22:46

So it's oftentimes that we have to make difficult decisions in in deciding who to admit. And it's it's a lot of work, to to go through over 12,500 applications, but I think one of the things that we particularly kind of pride ourselves in our process is that every student does have a a thorough review. That one counselor, but oftentimes 2, 3, 4 of us have spent the time to read their application, to understand their essay, to look at everything that they've shared with us, read, the endorsements and recommendations of those who have written on their behalf, and ultimately make the decision that we think that they have earned throughout the last 4 years.

Joe Carr: 23:27

Well, this is a lot of work as you indicated, Owen, and I'm sure you and your colleagues and admission are are really looking forward to the day when these students walk through the door and we welcome them as Friars, next fall. So thank you so much for all you do. We are are grateful for that, and thank you for your time today and for sharing all these insights. We'll have to do some more of this sometime because there's a lot to explore here in in the work that you and everybody else in admission and financial aid do to find, recruit, and enroll Providence College students?

Owen Bligh: 23:54

Absolutely. I appreciate you having me on to to share a little bit about our process. I think one of the things that we're we're really thankful for and fortunate in our office is that it's it's not hard work to to enroll this class each year. We we work very hard, but if you tell the Providence College story and you you help students understand what this place can do for them for the next 4 years, It's it's actually it's one of the most enjoyable parts and obviously, you and your colleagues in marketing communications help us

Joe Carr: 24:34

Owen Bly. And thank you for joining us for our our producers, Chris Judge and Ryan Henowich. I'm Joe Carr. Have a good day.