Macalester College Top Questions

its a small campus but I like it that why- hence why i chose it. Its not that small that everyone knows everyone or you get bored of your friends but its intimate. I'd say people generally spend a fair amount of time studying as well as doing extra-extracurriculars (aka I spend a lot of time in the music building). There are many great restaurants in walking distance and you can bus to many awesome music venues. There is a lot to do in the twin cities if you take the intiative to go out and find it (cars are useful but by no means a necessity). Most people spend most of the year on campus, I tend to go out and use the cites a lot.

It is a great school for the first two years of college life, yet on your 3rd year, make sure you study abroad or get off campus for a semester, otherwise you will be very tired of this very small space by your senior year. Don't believe in the international shpeel the admissions gives you. it's an average college, trying to eick out a living, you'll have great speakers from all over the world, but you'll get the same if you go to any big university, the only difference is you will have a great community to rely on your first two college life years. after that macalester is too small, and lacks the resources. Also beware, the career center is one big waste of time and money. so don't expect the college to help you land a job after you graduate, so pick your major wisely, you will need to pay those loans, and a BA will only get you as far as you take it, and that's not far with no resources except your parents, relatives, family friends to help you with finding your jobs/internships/etc. I would say if you are thinking long-term, more than just these 4 years, macalester isn't a great place to be in terms of resources. but if you are outgoing and have no problems relying on distant family friends to help you land places, then you'll be fine.

Macalester is too small. I knew I wanted a small school, and I like the number of students in itself, but we have none of the conveniences of a larger college. There are two places to eat: the cafeteria, and the Grille, which does not have reliable hours. Vending machines are often broken and don't get fixed. Washers and dryers are always breaking. We have one 24-hour computer lab, but it is seldom staffed, its printers break down a lot, and the computers need maintenance. Most of the other labs have these problems, and don't have reliable hours. Academic buildings also close very early--you're not allowed to work late. Professors are generally friendly and helpful, but the school's small size doesn't help them remember you after a semester. Macalester's location is interesting and pretty enjoyable, except that nothing around it is open very late.

Coming to Macalester was by far the worst decision I've ever made. There are no opportunities to ever meet anyone new because you've met everyone by the end of the first semester. It is not what "college" is supposed to look like. The administration is entirely inept and have no idea what they're doing. Sometimes I even feel bad for the Registrar because she does such a terrible job.

I think one of the best things about Macalester is that it's a small community in a big city. I think it's a perfect size because you get lots of attention from professors and such, and you really get to know your classmates and fellow students. But being in St. Paul, you have access to so many amazing opportunities that you wouldn't get in a smaller town. Great ethnic food, tons of places to hear live music, see dance or theatre, lots of ways to get involved in the community whether you're into education, environmental activism, anti racism...whatever. One thing that can really get to me, though, is that we're always breaking everything down, always critiquing, always looking for what needs to be changed. I think if i could change anything about Mac, i'd make us a little more optimistic, a little more constructive. The students are good about ranting or even calmly explaining the problems with *fill in the blank* and they're even good about fighting to change the problems, which is great. Sometimes i just wish we were good at appreciating the good things too.

It's a small school, and it can get a little claustraphobic some times. But if the idea of a small school is appealing, then you can guess at the advantages - knowing your professors and your professors knowing you, being close to classmates, feeling like a member of a close knit community - and you can take heart that all of those things exist at Macalester. But on the flip side, it can all feel like a little too much. Have a bad day and everyone will know. Have a relationship go in the hole and everyone will ask you about it. People you don't even know will know lots about you, and vice versa. But that's the cost of it. At the same time, a smart comment in a class, a prominent place in a popular student org, or a number of other things besides joining a frat or being the captain of the football team can make you a minor celebrity on campus. You really do experience a connection between the person you want to be and the person people recognize in you, as recognition has a way of coming easily. That's a great feeling, and that's the advantage of a small school, and perhaps this one specifically, though again, I have very little comparative basis.

Macalester's commitment to education and global society is not only the school's tagline, but is evident in nearly all aspects of its liberal arts education. For the most part, classes are demanding, with professors who are well educated and committed to the students. And while there are many (many!) nights fully committed to studying, classes tend to be interesting and rewarding. Professors are generally friendly and always willing to help, frequently encouraging students to spend one-on-one time with them either during their office hours or outside of class. My biggest complaint about Macalester is its extreme liberalism. While I identify as a liberal, I feel like some students on campus take their political beliefs too far and make it difficult to coexist with people of other political and religious identities. Sometimes the school feels too small, but there are a lot of benefits that come from having small classes and individual attention. Despite the cold winters, the Twin Cities are perfectly hospitable for college life. There are plenty of volunteer activities and internships available and rarely is it difficult to find a concert, play, or sporting event to attend. The public transportation system works, but is not the most time-efficient mode of transportation. The cities are very bike friendly and it is easy to bike between Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Most people in my hometown are unfamiliar with Macalester, always asking me "where's that?", while assuming I go to some mediocre community college in the Midwest. You cannot be a person who relies on name-recognition if you want to come to Macalester; Macalester students come here for the education and social atmosphere, not to brag about their intelligence. A recent issue on campus is the social divide between the international students and the U.S. ones. While there is definite segregation between these groups, the school is looking at ways to better integrate future classes.

I love the size of the school. All of my professors know my first and last name and say hi to me in passing. I spend a lot of time on campus, but the Twin Cities also offers a lot of off-campus activities. Macalester's administration is pretty annoying in their attempts to make Mac a "New Ivy" but that is easily ignored. There is a lot of school pride, but not "spirit" like in high school. People that I have talked to love going here, but they don't exactly dye their hair blue and orange for sports events. The most frequent student complaint is the segregation of international and domestic students. I am glad I went here, and don't regret it.

First I'll explain the truth about Mac, especially what the people are really like. I feel like the student body and the climate are the main difference between any given small liberal arts college. Coming to Mac I might have had some preconceived notions about what kind of kids I would encounter, but I mostly expected it to be more cool people and less stupid idiots (than high school). For the most part that's true, because you don't get in unless you have some kind of brain, and that generally entails some kind of social skills. However, Mac is conforming more and more to the "small school big price" business model, and losing what made it so unique. From a business perspective it makes sense, but why the hell would I go to Minnesota for the exact same education and experience I could get in California? The reason that I came to Macalester was that it possessed a quality, indefinable perhaps, that is Mac. We are steadily losing that quality, and within ten years we will have sold our soul to be exactly like every other goddamn "new Ivy" out there.

It's the perfect size for me, the location is okay. They kind of duped me into thinking St. Paul is a city, but it does have a large immigrant population that makes it so much more diverse than going to school in Northfield. The school is slightly cliqueish, almost like high school. Though if you aren't afraid you can break out of these social molds and meet amazing people across the board. Not a lot of school pride, people tend to come to get an education and leave, and it's bloody freezing here.