Macalester College Top Questions

Not really, there are just a few students in each of those groups that make it seem like a big deal.

All stereotypes have some truth in them, including these, but I have found a suprising diversity at Macalester in all the above subjects (except that it does get very cold in the winter)

NO!!!!

While most of the students are ideologically very progressive and left leaning few really take action on those beliefs. Many people volunteer which is great but it usually does not lead to anything more than that.

All but the last. Definitely not multicultural-friendly

Aren't all stereotypes true to some extent? That being said - some are more true than others. The campus is not overflowing with queer students, though they do make up a valuable and vocal part of the community; everyone is not a high hippie - we have some articulate conservative students here, along with a significant range of more moderate students as well. We undoubtedly stray toward the liberal side, but I don't think it would be at all fair to brand everyone here as a "hippie," whatever you may mean by that. As far as elitist snobs go - I think we are to a degree. The school is a successful one, but I sometimes wonder if that has gone to its head - it's hard for ACTC students (those attending the associated sister colleges in the area) to sign up for our classes, while it remains relatively easy for us to get into their classes. Our campus orgs rarely interact with those of other campuses, which is a little silly considering how small we are - why not bring in fresh faces? I don't know if this is directly because of an elitist attitude, but I know it ends up looking that way to more than a few. Diversity is a huge issue in my opinion. The campus has a laid back attitude about it, accepting that there are differences and different people, but there is little effort put into understanding those by any but a small (but significant!) minority of usually colored students. The school's administration makes little effort to reconcile international students (a large part of our student body) with the smaller population of domestic students of color - each has much to gain from the other, but that potential has yet to be reached. If you're quirky, you will fit in, no matter what your quirk. I came to this school with three other students from my high school and the only thing we had in common was that we were all politically liberal; each of us has found a niche and are thriving. Be warned though - some of the quirk sometimes manifests as awkwardness. Mac is one of the very few places I know that gives you real and abundant opportunities to impact your surroundings. Just go to the Civic Engagement Center and you find so many opportunities for volunteer work in the cities. Mac alums tend to have gone to work for some socially beneficial cause - yes, even the econ majors. Econ and the hard sciences are often joked about, but that doesn't mean they aren't valued. The econ department alone has three different student organizations created around it, and the hard science kids find good resources at their disposal and a genuinely caring faculty that makes themselves readily available.

Most of the time.

Well, there are many of those types to make generalizations and stereotypes, but of COURSE they are not COMPLETELY accurate. There are some normal people, some attractive people, some conservatives, some environmentally-repulsed.

somewhat, but they are not noticeable when you are living among the weirdo's

Mac does have a great gay community, and its students are very politically active. While most of us do lean liberal, that is certainly not a rule here. There is much more religion and spirituality than people give us credit for. Students here are very engaged in the community.

This stereotype is mostly accurate, with some outliers who bring a more moderate or conservative view to the environment.

Those two stereotypes are self-fulfilling prophecies but they don't have to be. There are tons of amazing domestic students of diversity... and just plain amazing domestic students... and even internationals that are focused as much or more on the local scale but you do have to know where to find them and they can often sort of fall by the administrative way-side as groups. The ones getting attention for not conventionally "international" stuff tend to be individuals and tend to be individuals who really know how to advocate for themselves and their causes whereas the more "internationally" focused seem to have more of an infrastructure of support - social, monetary, institutional, academic... everything. As for having a cause to champion, plenty of people come into one after a year or two but by the time you are a late sophomore, definitely by the time you are a junior, you are probably branded as "that kid who promotes *fill in the blank*"

For the most part, yes. The school is very, very, very liberal. Currently, I would guess that 98{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students have succumbed to Obama-mania. This leaves those farther left and farther right feeling a bit ostracized, but being in a large city generally negates that.

There is definitely a population that fits the stereotype but I mostly found the student body to be made up of rich kids who declare their liberal loyalties but end up being quite closed minded and unwilling to acknowledge viewpoints other than their own as having any legitimacy.

Somewhat

yes.

Most are not really true. We do have boys on campus and do other things besides study. There are some differences of opinion on campus and we do have a republican club. Bagpipes though, are a past time but most people don't play them (except at special events!!!!)

While it is true that an education at Macalester is primarily made available to wealthy kids and the college emphasizes travel and multiculturalism in the admissions process, they do actually offer quite a bit of financial aid to students who need it and make a legitimate effort to make domestic students feel just as welcome as international ones. As for the diversity stereotype, while the international student population is definitely noticeable and a huge part of life at Macalester, there is still a huge popualation of white, middle class kids. Additionally, like I said earlier, a high socioeconomic status seems to be a common denominator amongst Mac students. The drug and alcohol scene at Macalester is a lot more tame than students, and sometimes the college itself, attempt to make it out to be. While a lot of students do abuse drugs and alcohol, I'd say that the level of substance abuse is just as much of a problem at most other colleges.

Nope, we have just as many pot smokers as the next college. We also have conservative people on campus. They are admittedly few, but they are present. Instead considering the student body super-liberal, I consider it super active. People are always involved in some kind of action or process which means something to them.

some people smoke pot (less than 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}), some are gay (yay!), but not all, many vote democrat, and a few are ugly--but not more than is usual.