Hello,
I will answer questions to help out prospective students.
Hi there! Mac is one of my choices, but I’d like you to introduce yourself so me and other posters can gear our questions better 
What year and major are you in? What’s your favorite aspect of the Macalester community. Any negative points? Some general questions before I get more specific haha
Hi AGoodFloridian,
I am a first year. I have not declared a major yet.
Please keep in mind that this is my opinion. I do not represent Macalester College. Take my words with a grain of salt. I am just one student. One opinion. One voice. I am biased because I am a Mac student and I love my school. That said, here I go.
Favorite Aspect:
Mac’s greatest strength as a liberal arts college is its location. Its close proximity to the Twin Cities makes it a stand out among the top liberal arts colleges. It is not located in the middle of nowhere or surrounded by cornfields. You can take a bus and get to either cities in less than an hour. It’s awesome.
A good location also means…
-Internships galore (There are so many opportunities to work with nonprofits, companies, and other community partners).
-Entertainment (Concerts, Dining, Sports, etc) So much to do in the Twin Cities
-Top Notch Professors. The Twin Cities and the surrounding community around Macalester is really nice. It’s a great environment to raise a family. Therefore, lots of top notch professors come to Macalester to teach.
-A wealth of opportunities for you. You can do anything! Nothing is stopping you.
-The community surrounding Macalester is not dependent on the school. Macalester is just part of the larger fabric. There are college towns that depend on their local colleges for survival. This usually applies to universities and colleges in more rural areas. You will never feel trapped or stuffed at Macalester.
-Fantastic transportation system. Purchase a college pass (~$180 for a semester) for unlimited transportation (buses, trains). You can go anywhere!
-And many more…
Negative Points:
Climate? If you don’t like the cold or long winters, Mac might be a surprise for you. However, this is not a big deal. Learning to live in the cold is a life lesson of its own.
Mac is a liberal arts college. We (Mac students) are focused on learning and challenging ourselves rather than focusing about grades and careers. To be happy at Macalester, you should embrace the idea of a liberal arts education. Prepare to come to Macalester with an open mind!
My negative points aren’t really negative. I apologize if I am sounding too biased. I just love Macalester.
The college search can be long, stressful, but incredibly rewarding at the end. Research well! I fell in love with Mac because I knew it was the right fit for me.
I will take further general questions… you can ask me specific questions via message out of confidentiality reasons. Keep in mind that general posts cannot be erased.
Thanks!
You haven’t been through a full winter yet.
Touché
Thanks for the response @georgecarlin ! You mentioned some of the aspects I like the most about Macalester. (That semester pass sounds fantastic!) There’s a pretty strong international presence, and an evident focus on international studies. I’m still compiling options, but Macalester is moving its way to the top of my list for sure!
And St.Paul is the cooler twin, everyone knows that.
About the cold, I lived in Russia for over a year. Been through two full winters, and for the most part, I enjoyed them. It gets painful after a while, but when you stop to look around at the snow, especially on those sunny days… Priceless. But who am I to say, I hate the heat. I really need to leave Florida. Hahah
Speaking of the internationals, have you noticed them lately? And how would you describe your dorm and roommate?
I deplore the heat as well. I am quite fond of winters!
International students!
Macalester College embraces internationalism. We have lots of international students from all across the globe. It’s quite nice. I have met so many cool people from all walks of life. On an average day, you will hear conversations in Mandarin, Japanese, Portuguese, Korean, French, etc. It’s a small campus and community but we make it up with our awesome people.
Macalester has a wonderful and supportive International Students office. International students will feel right at home.
Dorms are fine. They are your typical American college dorms. Nothing fancy. My roommates are great as well.
Hi, Im looking to transfer to Macalester from a Northeastern college. From what I have heard, there is a large community, but students can be fairly cliquey. What programs does Mac have for transfers to meet others?
Hi stein21,
That is a question you will receive a better answer by sending an e-mail to admissions. I cannot speak accurately on the specific programs Macalester has for its transfers. I do not want to type out inaccurate information.
Best of luck with the transferring process!
Hello @georgecarlin I’m an international student and I’m considering Mac for ED. It is almost finalized that Mac will be my first choice but still because I have many options, I want to make sure Mac is going to the best fit. This can be a negative trait of mine but I gets insecure and anxious at times (probably homesick too) and want to know if Mac’s community is that of a supportive and close one. I would really like to be in a college that people are friendly and helpful, so do you feel like Mac is anything like that? Thank you in advance
Hi @ambitious07, thanks for reaching out. Macalester has a fantastic international student programs office. They are staffed by top-notch professionals. The community is welcoming and the people are super great. From the faculty to the students, you will that Mac folks are who you want to be around with. Also, if you ever need professional help for things like homesickness, anxiety, etc., Mac offers 10 free counseling appointments for every Mac student. In addition, your RAs will be trained to help you out during the gloomier days. Almost all of the international students find their circles of friends during international students’ orientation. You will find friendly and helpful people.
Feel free to private message me if you any more questions. Best of luck with the college search!
Best,
georgecarlin
My new Mac student is homesick. She has been able to utilize drop-in hours at the counseling center as well as hand out with several of the campus therapy dogs who show up in the library, quad, etc. The Center for Religious Life has also been helpful. You don’t need to follow any particular religion to partake of their services. They offer support, a quiet space and various events.
My child is a domestic student, so I don’t know the particulars about supports for international students, but because there is such a large percentage of international students at Mac, I think there is a pretty good infrastructure for support.
Parent here who has visited recently. the dorms seemed very dreary, and not much variability from one to the next. cinder block? the college doesn’t seem to have had the resources to modernize them.
I think you mean 10 or 20 minutes. Maybe Uptown by bus is a bit longer. You are in the cities.
I have only been in one dorm - my daughter’s. It is utilitarian, but well-maintained. I would caution against judging schools by their dorms, although this is easier said than done after touring campuses. When I went back to my top 10 ranked LAC (for whatever that’s worth) for reunion, I was a bit shocked at the state of the dorms there after having seen these shiny new places with way more luxuries than my house on other campuses. My local university has great new dorms that people from Ivies praise when they stay in them for summer research jobs. But knowing many people who work at that university, I can guarantee you that the students aren’t getting the support that they are at a small LAC, and they have to look a lot harder for intellectual stimulation. I think many campuses have been going over the top with their dorms to attract people they might otherwise get, but it is window dressing.
Honestly, I don’t mind utilitarian dorms. The kids’ first post-graduation apartments aren’t likely to be all that fancy either.
I have noticed that the older dorm rooms tend to be larger than the modernized ones. For me, that’s a plus.
New question. D just got accepted and is THRILLED. She had a fantastic visit in October and actually saw all of the dorms because her overnight host had friends in every single building. We are aware that some freshman get singles (Dupringles) and she really would prefer to have a roommate. Do you think a request like that would be honored by the office of residential life?
Congratulations on your daughter’s acceptance! Most first year students do end up living with roommates. Usually, the students that live in the “Dupringles” are sophomores. Please contact the Office of Residential Life with additional questions and concerns.
Best,
georgecarlin
Congrats! My daughter i s a first year this year. The only people she knows in first year singles are there for medical reasons or got placed there later because of irreconcilable differences with roommates. Can’t hurt to talk to Residential Life, though. I have found everyone at Macalester to be extremely responsive.