Admission Requirements

Our decision to give students the opportunity to apply with or without standardized test scores is rooted in our mission to provide greater access, fairness, and individual choice in the admission process. We want students to be able to put their “best foot forward.” It is entirely up to a student whether or not they choose to submit standardized test scores to Centre College. You can trust us to evaluate your application in a way that benefits you best, whether you send your scores or not.

Submitting standardized test scores gives us an additional data point in the process, and we will decide after reviewing your application if including your test score improves your evaluation. If so, great! If it doesn’t, we’ll simply ignore the score and go with the original evaluation. Our process is designed to ensure the greatest benefit to the applicant.

Centre has long relied on a holistic approach to reviewing applications, and standardized test performance has only ever been one of many parts of that review.

You can trust us to evaluate your application in a way that benefits you best, whether you send your scores or not. Submitting standardized test scores gives us an additional data point in the process, and we will decide after reviewing your application if including your test score improves your evaluation. If so, great! If it doesn’t, we’ll simply ignore the score and go with the original evaluation. The process is designed to ensure the greatest benefit to the applicant.

If the student does not submit test scores, we will simply put more emphasis on other attributes, information, and accomplishments that are included in the application. 

Students may submit their standardized test scores, knowing that submission of scores will never hurt and can only help the application review. Know, though, that the choice to not submit will not negatively impact the application review in any way. 

Our application evaluation process is one with multiple checkpoints. Before your application is read for the first time, our office staff diligently upload materials and comb through the details to make sure that we’re honoring any request for standardized test scores to not be considered. Even if we receive your scores, if you do not want us to see them, we assure you that they will not be considered during the review of your application. Like we mentioned earlier, though: you may submit your scores if you have them. They will never hurt and can only help in the review of your file.

The short answer is “no, not really.” But, your assigned counselor is here to be your ally and advocate in this college process. Keep in mind that submitting standardized test scores will not, in any way, negatively impact the evaluation of your application. Submitting your scores can only help you. Submitting your scores allows us to make the call on whether or not to incorporate them into the review process.

Submitting standardized test scores gives us an additional data point in the process, and we will decide after reviewing your application if including your test score improves your evaluation. If so, great! If it doesn’t, we’ll simply ignore the score and go with the original evaluation. The process is designed to ensure the greatest benefit to the applicant.

In the Centre College supplemental portion of the Common App, there is a question that asks you very specifically whether or not you would like your test scores considered as part of your file review. You may select “Yes” (which will allow us the ability to incorporate those scores if they will help your review or ignore them if they will not) or select “No.” If you select “No,” standardized test scores will not be factored in any way into your application review.

In your application portal, you’ll be able to see if we have received test scores for your application file. You are most welcome to reach out to your assigned admission counselor at any time to check on the status of these or any of your other application materials.

In order to review applications with care and attention, we begin reviewing completed files even before the stated application deadline.  For that reason, if you wish to change your testing plan (test optional or test included), we ask that you do so no later than the application deadline for your application plan. Requests should be made by e-mail to admission@centre.edu to be confirmed by a member of our staff. If you have a complication or change of heart after the deadline, contact us.  We will work with individual cases if our process allows. 

How We Decide

In making admission decisions, we give most weight to quality of high school coursework, achievement in those courses, and teacher evaluations. Application evaluation is complex and takes time.

Coursework

Most of our students completed high school programs with honors, advanced, AP, or IB courses. Competitive applicants will have taken the most demanding courses available at their high schools. The committee will consider carefully the applicant’s high school profile and the options offered at that school.

GPA

We recalculate each GPA using an unweighted, 4.0 scale. We include only core academic courses in the recalculation and will consider the trajectory of grades across the high school years.

Extracurricular Pursuits

Centre’s evaluation process places emphasis on steady involvement, leadership, and prominence of organizations and activities in which students are involved. Students should include any work experience on their application as well.

Application Essay

The essay allows the admission committee to get a more personal sense of the applicant. It should demonstrate the student’s ability to write a well-crafted piece.

Teacher Recommendation

We accept teacher recommendations from core academic course teachers who have taught the student in their sophomore, junior, or senior year.

Standardized Tests

Centre has adopted a test-optional admission policy for those applying for Fall 2021, 2022, and 2023. If a student chooses to apply without submitting test scores, other parts of the application will be weighed more heavily in our holistic, student-centered review process. Students who choose to apply without submitting an ACT or SAT score will still be given consideration for all merit scholarships, including premier scholarships. International students must still show proof of English proficiency.

 See FAQ’s regarding Centre’s test-optional review process.

If a student would like us to consider their test scores in our review process, score reports may be sent from the respective testing services, included on a student’s high school transcript, or emailed to admission@centre.edu by your guidance counselor. An applicant can self-report scores by submitting a screenshot or PDF of the score report via email to admission@centre.edu.

Centre superscores both the SAT and the ACT, meaning that if you have taken either test more than once, you should submit all your scores, and we will add your highest section scores together to give you the highest possible combined score.

International applicants applying to Centre do not need to submit the SAT or ACT but must demonstrate proficiency in English. Official results from either the TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test (DET) are acceptable. Our required minimum for the TOEFL is 90,  IELTS is 7.0 and DET is 115. Detailed information for international applicants is here.

College Credit in High School

Centre’s policies in these areas are designed to reward extraordinary achievement while at the same time supporting our belief that the best Centre College experience is a four-year experience. It is our philosophy that everything a student does prior to high school graduation is preparation for college, and all Centre students enter with exceptional academic credentials. Some of those credentials include college course work and others do not. Consequently, we limit the amount of credit first-year students can be awarded prior to their enrollment at the College.

Centre’s Pre-matriculation Policy

BULLETS:

• A maximum of 24 hours of pre-matriculation credits may be awarded to first-year students from all sources (e.g., Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, dual-credit, all other college credit).

• Credit will not be awarded for any course or examination completed prior to the start of the junior year in high school.

• Students who legitimately exceed the 24-hour limit may choose which credits will be awarded, and may adjust his or her choices later subject to the constraints of any other College policies.

• Regardless of credit granted, students must complete at least one general education course in residence in the following three areas: social studies, science and fundamental questions.

• Regardless of credit granted, individual major programs have the prerogative to place students in an appropriate course, to waive lower-level requirements, and to determine equivalencies to courses in their curriculum.

AP, IB, CLEP, & International Exam Credit

Centre awards a minimum of three hours of credit for scores of 4 or 5 on most Advanced Placement exams. Credit for foreign language requires validation by an institutional exam. Academic programs may award additional credit and assign course equivalencies.

American History                                   3                   elective

Art History                                              3                   ART 260 or 261

Art: Studio, drawing                              3                   elective; portfolio review for ARS110

Biology                                                    4                   elective

Chemistry                                               4                   CHE131

Computer Science                                3                   elective; may bypass CSC117 with department approval

Economics: micro/macro                      3                   elective; ECO110 if 4 or 5 in both

English Literature and Composition  3                   elective ⁴

Environmental Science                       3                   elective for 4; ENS210 for 5

European History ³                                3                   elective

French Language/Literature               6¹                  FRE210, 220

German Language/Literature             6¹                  GER210, 220

Government/Politics: American          3                   elective

Government/Politics: Comparative    3                   elective

Latin: Vergil/Cat.-Horace                     6¹                  CLA210, 220

Music Theory                                         3                   MUS110

Calculus AB                                           3                   MAT170

Calculus BC                                           6                   MAT170, 171²

Physics B                                               4                   PHY110

Physics C                                               4                   elective (PHY110 if 4 or 5 in both)

Psychology                                            4                   PSY110

Spanish Language/Literature             6¹                  SPA210, 220

Statistics                                                 3                   MAT130

World History ³                                       3                   elective

 

 

Yes, but you should take these scores with a proverbial “grain of salt.” Centre, like many other institutions, is entering uncharted territory as a newly test-optional school, and we are confident that these numbers will shift moving forward. That said, our midranges for applicants last year were 26-32 (ACT) and 1200-1390 (SAT): approximately 25% of admitted students scored below the lower score while approximately 25% of admitted students scored above the higher score.

Most of our students completed high school programs with honors, advanced, AP, or IB courses. Competitive applicants will have taken the most demanding courses available at their high schools. The committee will consider carefully the applicant’s high school profile and the options offered at that school.

We recalculate each GPA using an unweighted, 4.0 scale. We include only core academic courses in the recalculation, and will consider the trajectory of grades across the high school years.

Centre’s evaluation process places emphasis on steady involvement, leadership, and prominence of organizations and activities in which students are involved. Students should include any work experience on their application as well.

The essay allows the admission committee to get a more personal sense of the applicant. It should demonstrate the student’s ability to write a well-crafted piece.

We accept teacher recommendations from core academic course teachers who have taught the student in their sophomore, junior, or senior year.

If a student would like us to consider their test scores in our review process, score reports may be sent from the respective testing services, included on a student’s high school transcript, or emailed to admission@centre.edu by your guidance counselor. An applicant can self-report scores by submitting a screenshot or PDF of the score report via email to admission@centre.edu.

Centre superscores both the SAT and the ACT, meaning that if you have taken either test more than once, you should submit all your scores, and we will add your highest section scores together to give you the highest possible combined score.

International applicants applying to Centre do not need to submit the SAT or ACT but must demonstrate proficiency in English. Official results from either the TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test (DET) are acceptable. Our required minimum for the TOEFL is 90,  IELTS is 7.0 and DET is 115.

Detailed information for international applicants