Centre News

Yale’s 2010 Insider’s Guide to the Colleges says that Centre College
“provides its 1,215 students with a unique education that includes
going to the ballet or to see a musical for credit, a guaranteed
internship and semester abroad, and...200 years of history.”

The book also praises Centre's convocation schedules, quoting a
student who says, “Where else can I get credit for The Nutcracker,
Menopause the Musical, and a lecture on crime in America?” One
of the popular shows that came to Centre recently was the
musical Hairspray, pictured above.

“Nested in the middle of Danville...Centre College provides its 1,215 students with a unique education that includes going to the ballet or to see a musical for credit, a guaranteed internship and semester abroad, and...200 years of history.”

So begins the Centre chapter of the 2010 Insider's Guide to the Colleges, the 36th edition of the guidebook compiled and edited by the staff of the Yale Daily News.

Of the thousands of four-year institutions in the nation, only 300 colleges and universities are featured in the Insider's Guide. To select the schools, the editors “examine a number of criteria…but our first priority is always the quality of academics offered by the institution.”

In the pages dedicated to Centre, the writers first praise the Centre Commitment, which guarantees all students an internship, study abroad experience (including a free passport for any incoming student who does not have one) and graduation in four years—or the College provides an additional year of study tuition-free.

“Thanks to its small size,” the Insider's Guide says, “Centre can afford to make such promises.”

The book also praises Centre's convocation policy, which requires students to attend 12 convocations each year to earn academic credit.

“Convocations are events that ‘help a student become cultured,’” the guidebook explains before quoting a student who says, “Where else can I get credit for The Nutcracker, Menopause the Musical, and a lecture on crime in America?”

In addition to discussing these unique aspects of Centre, the Insider's Guide also mentions that the College offers an “enormous variety of unconventional courses,” including Stephen Rolfe Powell's glass-blowing classes “that are very popular with students.”

(Another of the College's unconventional courses, “The Art of Walking,” was recently featured on The Today Show—to see the clip, click here.)

The Insider's Guide also commends Centre's small class size (the average class size is 19) and the personalized education that professors offer.

“Professors are more than willing to meet with students outside of class…and are concerned for students' academic and non-academic well-being,” the book says. “Where else will the college president know every student by their first name?”

The fact that 98 percent of students live on campus is another attribute the writers highlight. They also point out that students stay busy outside of class, engaging in Greek life, athletics and numerous other organizations.

Overall, the guidebook says, “Centre's great academics, its commitment to its students through both the Centre Commitment and its professors, as well as its two centuries worth of history and tradition make Centre College an appealing choice for many students.”

The best way for prospective students to discover why Centre is so appealing is through a campus visit. To find out more about visiting the College, click here.