Macalester College Top Questions

If you're white, rich, and a hippie, you'll fit in

Mac is a lovely place - but again, it is a small liberal arts school up in Minnesota. It gets cold - but you get a great education. It's really just about what you want from your college years. The people here are second to none, profs and students alike, and the academics deserve so much more credit than they publicly get from the press. If you're intent on partying up your college life, though, this just isn't the place for you. Most are here to learn, and it shows - we know how to have a good time, but we know when we need to get back to the books, too.

I love my school.

I didn't like Macalester for the first year and a half. I was miserable. I applied to Pomona College as a transfer, was accepted, and planned to leave Mac, but I stayed for one more semester, and everything changed. I have heard from many students that it takes a while to warm up to the school, but once you do, its great. I love Mac now, and I can't imagine spending my 4 years of undergrad anywhere else. In fact, I do not want to graduate. I would like to stay at mac for a few more years, but I guess its time to move on.

Mac is really P.C., and it can be stifling sometimes. I've felt before that we spend so much time analyzing and picking apart society that we miss the forest for the trees, and drown in academic sterility. The community does feel small after a while. It's important to have things to do that engage you off campus or with a variety of people. Be careful about your reputation - people do talk, and it only takes five minutes for a bad choice to make all the way across campus and back.

For the most part, on-campus housing is pretty decent compared to what my friends at most other colleges have. However, one freshman/sophomore dorm, which has a litany of nicknames (all negative) has singles that are technically smaller than the minimum size of a minnesota state prison cell. Luckily for us, we're allowed to leave it whenever we want. And in general, the RAs are a far, far cry from prison guards. The school just built a behemoth of an athletic center, the largest of any division 3 college, and though it will be extravagantly wonderful (3 olympic sized pools, a juice bar, saunas, raquetball courts, etc) it is also bigger than almost any other building on campus, and is clearly compensating for something. Not that I don't intend to fully enjoy it...

Aey OO Mac a Mac a Mac!!!

This is a wonderful place if you want fun and academics. No crazy drinking usually but we're not completely sober either. Wonderful professors that are available and actually know your name. Slight discrepancy between guys and gals (40{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} versus 60{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}) but you can find guys. don't come here is you can's handle some liberal views or at least hold your own in a debate.

You should visit. Its adorable and quaint but highly respected and rigorous. And the urban location ideal!

Macalester is fun, but challenging! Sometimes I wish I'd chosen an easier way to get my degree, but the atmosphere is just so amazing. The food is generally very delicious, also.