Centre College encourages candidates from around the globe to join us on our supportive, student-centered campus.
Challenging academics, personalized attention, and enriching research and internship experiences prepare Centre students for success in the workforce and acceptance into top-tier graduate programs.
Ranked nationally by U.S. News & World Report.
The majority of our students seek advanced degrees after graduation.
Our students are guaranteed hands-on experiences.
Among the highest in the nation.
Among the highest in the nation.
The Centre Journey
Join Amon Otsuki '21 , Anahit Grigoryan '23, Uliana Bazavluk '23, and Yash Kshirsagar' 22 as they share their experiences traveling from each of their home countries to create a new home within the Centre Community. We're forever grateful for the impact they have left in educating the community with their stories, traditions, and activism.
Step Into Centre
Learn about the variety of different housing options located all around our beautiful campus as well as the aspect of residence life that Make the Centre community unique and personal.
The Centre Spotlight
Amon Otsuki, a Computer Science major from Agatsuma-Gun Japan, talks about the impact Centre has made on his experience as an International student, the people he has met throughout his four years on campus and the work he did with faculty and students in his major.
Our welcoming and knowledgeable staff members will help you navigate the admissions, enrollment, and immigration process.
We will help you complete enrollment paperwork; assist with student visas and other immigration documents; and provide travel guidance and resources.
Attend a special orientation that introduces you to the area where Centre is located, and your fellow international students. You’ll your international student mentor first who will become one of your friends and help you acclimate to campus life.
The International Student Services office will support your academic and personal needs, such as getting a driver’s license or finding employment. The International Student Association and Diversity Student Union are two (of many) organizations that enrich our campus and celebrate Centre’s diversity.
This Preliminary Application is for international applicants who are interested in applying to Centre College for entrance in Fall 2023.
Apply for free online using the Common Application at www.commonapp.org. Centre does not charge an application fee.
Official or attested copies of academic records must be submitted from all secondary schools attended, as well as from any university or other post-secondary institution attended. Records should include the subjects studied and the grade, mark, or other evidence that each subject was completed satisfactorily. Records should explain the grading system. If records are not in English, records should be submitted in the original language accompanied by a certified literal translation. Records will not be returned.
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), the IELTS (International English Testing System), or the Duolingo English Test (DET) score reports are required as evidence of English language proficiency, for all applicants who are from a country where English is not the primary spoken language. Our required minimum for the TOEFL is 90, the IELTS is 7.0, and the DET is 115. Centre College’s CEEB code for the TOEFL is 1109. English proficiency can also be demonstrated by a) strong performance on the reading/writing sections of the SAT or ACT, or b) strong performance in a curriculum taught in English. Students who are proficient in English who believe they should be exempt can submit a waiver request.
An SAT or ACT test score is not required for consideration for admission for international students, but may be submitted if available. Centre College’s SAT/CEEB code is 1109, and its ACT code is 1506.
How to send us your scores: 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 the applicant’s school counselor. Or, 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.
One letter of recommendation must be submitted as well as the School Report found in your application. Teachers who are familiar with your recent academic performance should write recommendations. The writers of recommendations may use the forms provided in the application or submit letters on a separate sheet of paper. The forms in the application can be copied. Recommendations should be mailed from the writers directly to the Office of Admission (or given to the applicant in a sealed envelope with the writer’s signature across the flap).
Applicants are required to submit at least one essay of 500-650 words written in English, included in their Common Application. The content of the essay should address one of the specific questions posed on the application.
We invite you to include activities that you have been involved with outside the classroom on your Common Application. Activities may be in the form of volunteer work, leadership offices held, school clubs, research, athletics, etc.
All international students MUST submit Centre’s online financial form in order to be considered for admission and scholarships. We do NOT require a separate financial aid application or copies of bank statements for international applicants. Centre does not accept the CSS profile.
We invite you to share, on a separate sheet of paper, any additional information that you believe could be important in our evaluation of your application and that the other parts of the application have not given you the opportunity to convey. This should be included on your Common Application or submitted separately to admission@centre.edu.
International students are automatically considered for merit scholarships ranging from USD $7,500 to $29,000 per academic year. *You may apply separately for Centre’s competitive,
full-cost plus, premier scholarship programs and for the special scholarships listed below.
| General Merit Scholarships | Amount |
|---|---|
| General Merit | $7,500 – $29,000 |
| Premier Scholarships | Amount |
|---|---|
| Brown Fellows Program | Full-Cost-Plus |
| Lincoln Scholars Program | Full-Cost-Plus |
| Special Scholarships | Amount |
|---|---|
| Performing Arts | $3,000 – $5,000 |
| Visual Arts | $3,000 – $5,000 |
| Language | $3,000 – $5,000 |
Centre provides need-based financial aid to highly qualified admitted students.
Over the last three years, need-based grants for international students ranged from $3,000-$21,000, with the average grant of $11,000 awarded to admitted students who required additional financial support. In most cases, financial aid grants are added to merit scholarships in order to meet the student’s financial need.
If you are an international student looking for full funding, you should apply separately for one of our competitive premier scholarships. On average, four international students per year receive these full-funding scholarships.
For students receiving financial aid, the college has limits to the aid available, leaving an average annual contribution of $25,000 USD per year for an international student receiving financial aid.
All international applicants must submit documentation that states your ability to afford college fees.
Some of the concerns we have cleared up for International candidates throughout the years.
All international students must submit our online Certificate of Finance, which states your ability to afford college fees. Certificate of Finance Form
Please know that if a student later intends to enroll at Centre College that they will need to show proof of financial support at the US consulate in order to obtain a student visa.
We do NOT require a separate financial aid application (ISFAA), copies of bank statements, or the CSS profile for international applicants. A student may submit the ISFAA in lieu of the Certificate of Finance by emailing it to admission@centre.edu or uploading to the applicant portal.
Need-based financial aid grants are available to highly qualified students, and can be combined with merit scholarships. Over the last three years, these grants ranged from $3,000-$21,000, with the average grant of $11,000 awarded to highly qualified admitted students who required additional financial support.
For students receiving financial aid, the college has limits to the aid available, leaving an average annual contribution of $25,000 USD per year for an international student receiving financial aid. If you are an international student who is unable to afford this approximate amount, you should apply for one of our competitive premier scholarships.
Centre has two scholarship programs that offer full funding for international students. These competitive scholarship programs.
Each requires a separate online application. Centre does not offer full need-based funding for international students, and students who require a full scholarship should make plans to apply for the Lincoln or Brown programs as the best and only ways to secure full funding at Centre.
Centre sets its cost each year as a comprehensive fee. The estimated total cost for international students for 2020-21 is USD $62,000. This includes the base comprehensive fee of tuition, all academic fees, student housing, board (meals), and most cultural and athletic events on campus + required health insurance, books, transportation to campus, and personal expenses. The cost for each student vary will vary depending on scholarships and aid that may be awarded. Please keep in mind that colleges do increase their tuition each year.
Once you submit your application on CommmonApp.org, our office will send an email with log-in information for your Centre applicant portal, also called CentreNet. You can check the status of your application, see missing materials, and submit certain documents via this portal.
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 the applicant’s school counselor. Or, an applicant can self-report scores by submitting a screenshot or PDF of the score report via email to admission@centre.edu. This policy applies to SAT, ACT, TOEFL, IELTS, and Duolingo English Test. 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. If an applicant who self-reports scores decides to attend Centre, they must submit official copies of test reports prior to enrollment.
If you believe our TOEFL/IELTS/DET requirement should be waived, please submit a waiver form for consideration.
When Centre reviews an international applicant for admission we need some reassurance that, if admitted, the student will be able to afford to attend our institution. That is why we ask for the Certificate of Finance which states the family’s ability to pay for education. It is sometimes the case that while a student’s credentials would make them a very qualified applicant, we will not be able to offer admission due to a lack of finances. We do sometimes place students on a financial aid waitlist which indicates that while we would like to offer admission, we are unable to do so unless the student: a) receives a premier scholarship from Centre, or b) the family amends the Certificate of Finance to show a greater capacity to pay educational expenses.
If a student needs a significant amount of financial assistance to afford to attend Centre College (beyond our general international student merit scholarships), they should apply separately for one of Centre’s premier scholarship programs that provide full financial support. These programs, the Lincoln Scholars and Brown Fellows programs, are open to international applicants and require a separate online application. The deadline for these competitive programs is February 1; finalists are named in March and recipients are named in April.
Interviews are optional for international applicants. Students who apply to Centre will be invited via email to sign up for an optional virtual interview (Skype, FaceTime, Zoom, WhatsApp, or WeChat) after they submit their application. Interviews are available on a limited basis, and are not mandatory.
International students with U.S. status (resident, refugee/asylee) should apply as U.S. students; international students who will have non-immigrant status (usually F-1) follow a slightly different procedure. We give careful attention to every application that we receive. The most important criterion for admission is academic promise at our college. Centre encourages qualified students to apply for admission. Only completed applications will be reviewed for admission.
If you are a student needing significant financial aid to attend Centre, we recommend that you apply to Centre on our Early Action or Regular Decision plans, so that you may apply separately for our premier scholarship programs.
| Application Plan | Deadline Admissions | Notification Date | Deposit Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Decision (Binding) | November 15 | Early Jan | February 1 |
| Early Action (Non-binding) | December 1 | mid-February | May 1 |
| Regular Decision (Non-binding) | January 15 | April 1 | May 1 |
Centre sets its cost each year as a comprehensive fee. This fee includes tuition, all academic fees, student housing, board (meals), and most cultural and athletic events on campus. Please keep in mind that colleges do increase their tuition each year. The total cost for international students for 2020-21 is $62,600. International students are eligible for merit scholarships and partial need-based financial aid.
Need-based financial aid grants are available to highly qualified students, and can be combined with merit scholarships. Over the last three years, these grants ranged from $3,000-$21,000, with the average grant of $11,000 awarded to highly qualified admitted students who required additional financial support.
For students receiving financial aid, the college has limits to the aid available, leaving an average annual contribution of $25,000 USD per year for an international student receiving financial aid. If you are an international student who is unable to afford this approximate amount, you should apply for one of our competitive premier scholarships.
If a student wants/needs full funding in order to attend Centre, they can apply separately for two of our premier scholarship programs which are Centre’s only options for covering the full cost of attendance.
Lincoln Scholars Program Brown Fellows Program
You can expect college fees to increase slightly each year (on average 3-4%), however, scholarship amounts do not increase annually. Students who need additional financial aid after they have enrolled at Centre should contact the financial aid office at finaid@centre.edu. It is not common for need-based grants to increase each year, but we will do our best to take individual circumstances into consideration for enrolled students.
When you come to the U.S. you should bring with you any important documents that relate to your academic, medical, and legal history:
Before you leave your home country, if these documents are not in English, obtain English translations and have the translations certified by a U.S. educational advising center or a U.S. consulate or embassy. Retain photocopies of all original documents for your records.
Students outside the United States will need a Certificate of Eligibility to apply for a student visa and to enter the United States (INS Form 1-20 for F-1 student). F-1 students who are already in the United States will need a Certificate of Eligibility to continue their current status.
Centre College will issue the Certificate of Eligibility once we have received two items: 1) the student’s USD 400 enrollment deposit and 2) the certification of finances showing adequate financial support. We will then tell you how to pay the fee required to receive an I-20 form.
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