Centre College, located in Danville, Kentucky, has a national reputation. The college is located in a small town where the college is the happening place. It wasn’t clear, however, if there was a strong relationship between the town and the college. A student described the Centre-Danville relationship as “getting better.” Staff and students consistently described the culture of the campus as “academic” and “All-American.” So, if that sounds like your kind of campus, great, keep on reading! If these descriptors are not appealing to you, keep reading this posting, but perhaps we should talk! ☺
Culture and tradition at Centre
The more telling signs of the cultural spirit may be the strong presence of students from Ohio and Tennessee with a 55% in-state population overall. My own impression of the Centre culture is a Southern/Midwest homey-ness!
All freshman dorms are single-gender with graduated visitation privileges. Upperclassmen have varied housing options. The new upper-class dorm got rave reviews. The dining hall, fitness center, and other academic buildings are also either new or recently renovated. What was nice about the renovations on campus is that they maintained the character of the architecture on campus
What makes Centre College special
A signature differentiator of the college is the “Centre Term.” Centre Term, a 3-week period between the first and second semesters, provides an opportunity for almost every student to study abroad. The main dining hall is adorned with flags displaying all the countries visited by Centre students.
Gotta check out the glass-blowing course if you attend!
While I was in Kentucky, I also visited Transylvania University. Quite frankly, I didn’t know much about the college until I heard the President speak at an IECA conference last November. The fact that the President had been a partner at Goldman was even more intriguing. One of the reasons I visited was to see what compelled him to relocate to Lexington, KY!
Transylvania students love their campus
The Transylvania campus is located in a really hip section of Lexington – not too far from campus. There were several restaurants close by and the homes in the neighborhood appeared well-kept. I was a bit disappointed with being on campus, however, because a campus police officer actually followed me around. Not sure why I was singled out. Nevertheless, it dampened my spirits a bit.
Students that I met were enthusiastic and positive about their experiences at Transylvania. (I didn’t let the overzealous campus police ruin that.) Students remarked on the small class sizes and access to extra-curricular activities. I didn’t get a sense of Transylvania’s distinguishing qualities, but do plan to visit again! Stay tuned.
