I know that Centre is a fine academic school and Danville is a nice town. We like the location. My only concern is that DS is an artsy liberal who wears worn jeans and T-shirts. He is anti-frat and anti-preppy. Do you think he would be able to thrive at Centre?
There are frats at Centre. It wasn't overwhelmingly preppy, but it was present. I also looked at Hendrix, a college in AR that is very similar academically and setting-wise. There are no frats there and kids were more laid-back looking IMHO. You might want to look into it. Good luck.
I think diversity of views should not be a problem at any school unless the school has a conservative reputation. From what I know is that besides having a high ranking, Centre has a fair amount of republicans as well as democrats. I am myself very liberal and seriously considering Centre! Good luck to your son! What other choices for colleges does he have?
Adding: I know that people who don't join fraternities and sororities also have a lot of fun. There is no such discrimination as such. All mix up well.
KLW1--Your son is looking at some of the same schools my daughter did two years ago. Centre, Kenyon, Wooster, plus Denison, Earlham, and Oberlin. She liked Centre alot, but since we live about 35 miles from campus, it didn't represent the college "adventure" she wanted. Kenyon was gorgeous, but the financial aid was pretty weak. She's a happy sophomore at Wooster these days. Your description of your son makes me think of schools like Oberlin, Carleton, and Grinnell.
Hindoo, Thanks for the suggestions. I had to laugh. We love Oberlin, but his sister is already there and he wants to walk his own path. Carleton and Grinnell are a bit too far away. He really liked Kenyon, but from what I've read on CC he shouldn't expect any merit aid, so cost may be an issue. Wooster's admissions guy all but guaranteed significant merit money based on his test scores, GPA, and NM. DS really liked Wooster, but he wants an artsy vibe and it seemed more oriented towards sports. What do you think?
KLW1 -- From our experience, Kenyon is very generous with merit aid. My daughter was named a science scholar which carried a $16,000 scholarship. If your son's record looks strong compared to Kenyon averages, I would definitely recommend applying. Although my daughter has chosen Carleton, it was by no means an easy choice.
treeman--My older daughter (sophomore at College of Wooster) received only about half what your daughter did from Kenyon. No special science award, just a general "academic" scholars scholarship. Alas. It was disappointing, because she and I loved the gothic beauty and academic feel of Kenyon, but ultimately, we couldn't afford it. "See" you at Carleton next year! ...
My d is considering Centre; she received the Fellows scholarship. She is also looking into some Christian colleges-Wheaton, Calvin, Grove City. Just wondering if Centre's social life is "centered" on drinking. Princeton Review lists Centre as #19 for "love of hard liquor."
