The Answer to Your Question Is No

No, Centre College is not too small. The concern of size is always a question that recruits have. Even when I was a recruit, it was something that was on my mind.

To spit out a fact for background, Centre College has about 1,300 students.

So, we are going to put something in perspective here. On my own Facebook page, I see that I have 1,700 friends. So, you should pull up your own Facebook page and see how many friends you have. Then, actually think to yourself, how many of those people do I actually know? After that you can sift through the people that you would honestly approach if you saw them somewhere. Then, ask yourself, how many of these people do I keep in touch with on a regular basis? Chances are it's not how many friends you have on Facebook. And it's probably not the amount of students at Centre College either.

The point I am trying to make is that some people close their mind off to Centre because it is too small. It almost confuses me sometimes because they most likely don't have that many friends. There are plenty of people at Centre that I don't know. I never feel like I am bored with the same people and don't ever feel constricted with the numbers. Granted, the size isn't for everyone, but as a recruit, you should have an open mind.

People can sometimes be intimidated by the small number of students at Centre. Looking at it closely though, no one consistently hangs out/keeps in touch with 1,300 people. If you do, then congrats. You must be breaking a world record of some sort.

I consider myself an extremely social person and have still not met/seen/talked to everyone at Centre. So, if you are afraid it is too small- it's not as small as you think.

Because Centre is small in comparison to other schools (but like I said, not too small!), I think it's safe to say that a Centre experience is personal- on every level. I know all my teachers well and have been over to their houses for dinners several times. If I am having a bad day, my teachers can tell, which is good because it holds me accountable. But this would not be the case in a huge lecture hall. As far as other activities, I feel like I can actually have an impact and make a difference in my clubs. My sorority raised $17,000 in a silent auction for St. Jude. The lacrosse team raised a couple thousand dollars for kids in Africa. Students are willing to help out because they know that you personally put time and effort into the event. Having that closer relationship with other students helps build camaraderie when needed. Students actually pay attention to our lacrosse stats because they want to see how their fellow class mates are doing.  The President of Centre knows me by my first name and comes to our lacrosse games. I was at a wedding two weekends ago for two Centre grads and he was there. Think about that- the president of the college going to your wedding. That's the wonderful thing about Centre. Everything is personal- the students, the teachers, the coaches, and even the president. These connections would not hold true at a big college.

I also am convinced that Centre people are the best type of people. It's fair to say that this is valid because of the unique relationship that everyone has on campus. We are all close and bonded by one thing- Centre. Because there aren't a couple of thousands of students, each person individually can make a difference at Centre. Whether it is through academics, sports, clubs, community service, Greek life, leadership experiences, internships, and other things, we are all trying to do our best at Centre. The possibilities to make your mark here are endless and it causes other students to create respect amongst one another.

It also makes me extremely happy to think that the girls on the team all understand this concept and take it to the fullest. We are involved in many different aspects of Centre and continue to make a change.

So the next time you ask if Centre is too small, the answer to your question is no. It is the perfect size.