RELEASED: November 5, 2009

By Leigh Ivey

DANVILLE, KY—Ask almost any Centre College student, and he or she will tell you that his campus visit played a significant role in his decision to attend the College. 

"There's no substitute for actually visiting a college," admission counselor Dawn Brown-Piatt '04 says. "It's the best way to find out if it's a good fit for you."

Prospective students will have a chance to discover if Centre is the college for them at an open house event held on Saturday, Nov. 14. 

This event, the fourth to be held this fall, allows prospective students to tour the campus, learn about the many exciting additions and improvements underway and get a taste of the Centre experience.

"Students will be able to tour our campus and speak with faculty," Brown-Piatt says. "We'll also have student panels where current students will discuss their experiences at Centre; these will be open for questions from prospective students. And Admission counselors will be available to discuss and answer questions about the admission process."

Open house events are different from standard campus visits, which are individually scheduled and are tailored to a prospective student's interests.

During standard visits, prospective students can tour the campus, eat lunch with a student host, sit in on classes, meet with faculty and talk with a member of the admission staff. They can also choose to spend the night in a residence hall.

Although a more fixed schedule is used for open houses, these events give prospective students the opportunity to hear from a wide variety of current students and to meet with faculty from a variety of disciplines.

Below is the schedule for the Nov. 14 open house:

9-9:30 am
Centre Information Fair
Join members of the faculty and staff for casual conversation about academic and social opportunities available at Centre.

9:40-11 am
Welcoming Comments and Panel Discussion
Centre faculty and students will share insight about the "Centre Experience" during a panel discussion. Refreshments will be served on the front patio of Crounse Academic Center after the panel.

11-12 pm
Guided Campus Tour
Current Centre students will guide groups around campus. Tours will depart from Crounse Hall on a periodic basis.

12-1 pm
Optional Activities
After the day's scheduled activities, grab a bite from the brand new Campus Center or participate in a specialized tour that focuses on the places that interested you most during your guided tour.

"We've had more than 160 visitors this fall attend our open house events," admission counselor Ali Hamilton '08 says. "They've been a big success, and we look forward to our last open house in November. We hope those students who have applied to Centre and those who are considering applying will sign up and visit soon!"

To learn more about Centre College and to register for an open house event, contact the admission office at (800) 423-6236 or admission@centre.edu. You can also check out the Centre Admission page on Facebook.

And be sure to check out the new Admission Centre blog!

For directions to Centre's campus in Danville, Ky., click here.

Have comments, suggestions, or story ideas? E-mail leigh.ivey@centre.edu with your feedback.

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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.