<p>Their differences are obvious: one is co-ed, one is single sex. One is in the midwest, one is in the northeast. </p>
<p>But they are similar too: Both have winters that last too long, and both have students who like to learn, professors who love to teach, and an atmosphere, we have been told, that nurtures and encourages students to be curious, accomplished, probing, bold, responsible, and worldly. Yay!</p>
<p>But can anyone help me understand the essential differences -- the mood, feeling, character, or any other vague (but essential) elements that are truly what distinguishes these excellent colleges from another, since it's clear that either place would do a wonderful job educating my child.</p>
<p>I cannot give you essential differences, however, one shallow difference is that Macalester ranks No. 24 in US News liberal arts ranking, while Wellesley is No. 7. :-)</p>
<p>@LMAlcott, Wellesley has a couple of advantages over Macalester: a very large endowment per student, and cross-registration privileges with MIT, Olin, Babson. These advantages may or may not be relevant to a particular individual student, but they do exist. Wellesley’s facilities (libraries, museum, etc.) are superior to Macalester’s. This is not to say that Macalester is not a very good school. It is.</p>
<p>Wellesley is dedicated to the nurturing of women’s educational and professional goals specifically. There is a sense of sisterhood. Wellesley’s institutional mission is gender-based in a way that Macalester’s, obviously, is not. Louisa May Alcott would approve.</p>
<p>Wellesley is going to be more intense, although Mac certain isn’t slacking in the academics category. Mac has a reputation as being very multicultural, it is one of their main calling cards. </p>