Centre's entering freshman class is diverse, high achieving

RELEASED: July 5, 2007

DANVILLE, KY—This fall, more than 300 freshmen are scheduled to arrive at Centre College on Aug. 23. As was the case with the class of 2010, which came to Centre last year, the Class of 2011 is consistent with the high academic profile Centre has traditionally maintained.

Out-of-state students make up 44 percent of the freshman class, with minority and international students representing 11 percent of the total. Both figures are significant improvements over recent years. The strongest gains in out-of-state enrollment were in Massachusetts, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, Georgia and Texas.

Academically, well over half of students (58 percent) were in the top 10 percent of their high school class, with an average ACT score of 28 and an average SAT score of 1260 (critical reading plus math). These high averages are consistent with Centre's numbers from over the past 10 years and represent the strongest new-student profile of any Kentucky college or university.

The class is 53 percent female and 47 percent male. Twenty-eight states are represented. And the Class of 2011 includes the second group of students coming to Centre in partnership with the Posse Foundation. Posse recruits and trains youth leaders from urban public high schools and sends these groups as "posses" to top colleges and universities (click here for more about the Posse Foundation).

Members of the class of 2011 were highly involved in extracurricular activities in high school, including participation in student government, Beta Club, yearbook and newspaper, and varsity sports. The class is also a talented group and includes a ballroom dancing champion, an Irish dancer, a French horn player, an extra in the movie "We Are Marshall," and a Ms. Teen Kentucky International 2006.

Classes begin for all students on Monday, Aug. 27.

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Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Consumers Digest ranks Centre No. 1 in educational value among all U.S. liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/

For news archives go to http://www.centre.edu/web/news/newsarchive.html.