My daughter has narrowed down her search and Macalester is one of her top choices. She is a very good student, but not extraordinary. I have been reading the forums, and I think many people at Mac have a stronger academic background than she does. Not sure, though - because neither she nor I could reel off things like her scores, grades, rank, # of APs. It took us a while to even figure out what “EC” stands for! She received a small amount of merit aid. She is extremely interested in learning, but does not want to go to school with lots of “grade grubbers.” We are from the Northeast, but she applied to mostly schools out of this region thinking it might be more laid back elsewhere. I am wondering if that is indeed the case or if Macalester is more intense than it seems on the surface.
My S has it as one of his final 3 as well, and we’ve visited and he attended a class. More of my info, though, comes from a young woman I’ve known since she was a toddler who is about to graduate from Mac. She’s very smart but very laid-back, too, and she has utterly loved it. She’s said that the people there are incredibly warm and supportive. “If you’re at Mac, the admissions folks know that you can be there, and we trust their judgment.” She stressed about her grades in HS (oh, did she ever…) - but in college, she’s had a lot of fun, competed on an athletic team, went overseas. No clue what her grades are, and I’m not even sure she could tell you her GPA now. It’s not perfect. She’s had to bust her butt for some papers and projects. But - she’s happy.
I grew up in Portland, and know a lot of kids who went to Mac who would’ve gone to Lewis & Clark, but it was too close to home. They’re a lot alike.
We’re headed back this week for an Accepted Students visit. If I remember, I’ll try to post more of an update.
Thanks! Daughter, unfortunately, will not be able to make it to the accepted students day, so will be curious about your experience.
Hi UNYMom,
My son is finishing up his first year at Mac. I’m not totally sure what you and your daughter mean by “grade grubbers,” but maybe I can give you some insight on the academic culture at Mac. My son hated the cut throat, competitive atmosphere in high school: the way teachers played the kids against each other and the kids were always striving to set the curve, win awards and get into the best college, regardless of fit. He applied to Mac for the same reason your daughter did - because he hoped it would be more collaborative and less competitive. I’m happy to tell you that has been the case. He loves the respect for balance in all areas of life at Mac, and that kids don’t seemed overly concerned with GPAs and who is the best at what. (In contrast, one of his friends goes to an elite school on the east coast, and she knows if she gets the best grade on a test, and is always playing the who-is-studying-the-hardest game.). Merit scholarships at Mac are not dependent on GPA in college, and one class per semester can be taken pass/fail (as long as it’s not in your major), so kids can explore challenging classes without worrying too much about the consequences. My son works hard at Mac, but for the most part he is excited about what he is learning. He’s not doing it for solely for the grades. Also, if your daughter were to struggle at all, there are lots of resources at Mac: a tutoring center; wonderful, accessible professors; and peers who want to see you succeed and are willing to help. Please keep in mind that this is my son’s experience, and not everyone may agree, but I hope it helps.
I am a Macalester student and 2dogs2kids summed it up really nicely. The Pass/Fail policy is really nice. It’s a great way to take classes out of your major/minor/concentration without having to stress about grades.
Thanks! I think my daughter is worried about people being overly concerned with grades. Sounds like that is not the case at Macalester. Her high school is the opposite of your son’s, 2dogs2kids. The graduation rate is only 60%, so the atmosphere is not very competitive. She has heard stories from kids in surrounding suburbs that sound much like yours. I think she is excited to go to college where students are more focused on academics, but is worried about stress and competition. I didn’t know about the pass/fail option, so thanks for that too. Great to hear from a current student, too.
My daughter is also a happy first year at Mac, and I would say my impression is similar. She is working hard and learning lots, but I don’t get a sense of competition about grades. There is intensity in the workload, for sure, and at the end of first semester she talked about feeling stressed by people who are constantly talking about how much they have to do-- but that’s different. Everything said about accessible, supportive professors and academic resources is true in her experience as well.
She has also said that what has proven to be most true about Mac students is that they are young people who are interested in and what to do everything-- she has a friend who wants to study studio art and German and computer science, and that kind of wide-ranging interest is typical. I think that speaks to a culture that’s truly more focused on learning.
Thanks everyone! One thing I that has definitely impressed me about Macalester is that people are helpful.