<p>Hi, all:
Been surfing CC for the past couple of months and it seems to me that Mac has the fewest and least active thread listing. So, I'm adding to it now!</p>
<p>My S is applying, but has not visited the school yet. We are limited on funds and decided to wait until later in spring to have him make a trip. We now are waiting, waiting, waiting until late March for RD!</p>
<p>How have others liked the campus? Did you attend any classes? Any recommendations on what to see when we visit? Thanks!</p>
<p>I’m the parent of a current Mac student. The campus is small, but very nice. The neighborhood itself is great – walk up and down Grand Avenue and then walk down Summit to the Mississippi River. It’s a beautiful walk.</p>
<p>The campus does feel a little small, but I guess in a cozy way. There was actually a swing set on campus and I rode it for like five minutes. It was an incredibly warm and windy day when i visited (back in October).</p>
<p>I attended a class and the students definitely seemed normal. The students were kind of in a Friday mood, and that was nice. There was a moment where we talked about the Mall of America for reason, and how terrorists were most likely to blow that place up if they came to MN. Can’t remember how we got started on that subject. And that’s twice as weird, when you consider that it was a Colonial African American Literature Class.</p>
<p>My daughter is also waiting on RD and I’m a long ago alumni so quite familiar with the school. Campus location in St. Paul is great - residential and close to transportation - and the campus itself, while compact - is really pleasant. In the winter you’re probably glad you won’t have to walk more than a few blocks to class. I’ve always found Mac students to be very engaged in the world and their studies. Good luck… waiting IS hard. I can empathize with that.</p>
<p>I don’t know why there aren’t more Mac threads. </p>
<p>My daughter is a freshman at Mac and couldn’t be happier. She’s working hard, learning a lot and having fun too. She went to Mac twice before deciding to attend. The first time was in the summer, and we all were impressed. But she wanted to go back when school was in session. The second time she stayed over in a dorm room. Unfortunately, she didn’t click with her hosts, so it was a bit awkward. But hey, nobody loves everybody. Basically, she made her decision based on her first visit and the school’s reputation. I’m no longer a big believer in they’ll know if the school is for them when they visit mentality. Our daughter loves the intellectual atmosphere of Mac. She’s taken advantage of being in the Twin Cities - although I gather others don’t. She agonized over her decision to go to Mac - even crying on the phone when another school called to admit her off their waiting list. All along the admissions process at Mac was welcoming and comfortable. They were just plain nice, and she realized she didn’t want to go anywhere else.</p>
<p>Agree that Mac is not as much on the radar as it should be. Daughter visited, also had poor match with host, and proclaimed it was “too Indie”, whatever that means. She attended a rather “easy” Spanish history-type class and a second that was Very Impressive. All people were very friendly, and it was a top pick for us. Not for cold-wimps though. An excellent compromise if they want “big city” and the thought of NYC fries your parental brain (and pocketbook), as it did mine. The St Paul Ballet company/dance studio is in Same block and offers very reasonable college-student rates, for those trying to accommodate that narrow interest.</p>
<p>My daughter is a junior at Mac. We did not visit until one of the accepted student weekends in the spring of her senior year of high school. Although we stayed overnight in Saint Paul, she didn’t want to do an overnight dorm visit based on a negative experience she’d had at another college. Two things stood out for her from our visit, one serendipitous and the other scheduled. She and I were eating lunch in Cafe Mac and a charming senior came and joined us-he was a science major and an athlete (as is my daughter) and was going into TFA. He was smart and friendly, but low key-made a great impression. Then she attended a students/prospies only (no “adults”) panel and felt so comfortable with the kids there, she was almost decided. (She had one more college to visit-the one that she had considered her first choice.) Anyway, after visiting the “other” college, she chose Macalester and, despite some bumps and bruises, loves the school and has flourished there. She has found great mentors and great friends at Mac.</p>