Macalester College
Location: St. Paul, MN (urban, large city)
Size: 2,049 students
Avg percent need-met: 100% Need Met
Acceptance rate: 39%
Middle 50% ACT: 30-34 **Test Optional**
Middle 50% SAT: 1350-1530 **Test Optional**
Macalester is, without doubt, an academic powerhouse. They emphasize internationalism, multiculturalism, and extracurricular involvement – and since it’s located in the Twin Cities, you have easy access to a wide variety of opportunities, including internships and volunteering. Despite being in a big city, the campus is small and tight-knit: accessible professors act as exceptional mentors, and students are excited to learn. All freshmen participate in a seminar that’s capped at 16 students, so you really get to know each other and your professor, which is a somewhat unique opportunity. The academic environment is challenging without feeling competitive.
Popular majors / known for: Mathematics, Biology, Political Science, International Studies, Computer Science
Academic approach: Liberal arts. Macalester has four pillars: academic excellence, multiculturalism, internationalism, and service
Campus tradition: Every year students celebrate Founders Day with a friendly game of Pushball on Macalester's Old Main Lawn. What’s more fun than pushing around a giant inflatable ball on a snowy lawn and trying to win against your peers?
City Connections
Macalester truly leans into its location in the Twin Cities. On their own, students spend a great deal of time off campus, exploring the community. Many students work off campus either at internships taken for credit, or at off campus student employment.
The Twin Cities have a metro population of 3.2 million. Students have access to art galleries, theaters, museums, the state capital, a multitude of restaurants and coffee shops, professional sports teams, and the Mall of America.
Check out some off-campus volunteer opportunities here
Proximity to Fortune 500 companies in the Twin Cities makes for great internship opportunities
More than 60 other courses include a civic engagement component in the surrounding community! For example, a Legislative Politics course involves an internship at the state capitol.
Find additional info about how Mac students connect to the Cities here
Application Details
RD deadline: January 15th
Early Action deadline: November 1st
Supplemental essays: Yes, one required, one optional
Application fee: $0
On Common App: Yes
CSS profile: Required, due January 24th
Interviews: Considered
School also featured in: Coaches Choice, Global Feel, Similar to Highly Selective - Brown, International Students, LGBTQIA+ Affirming, Midwest schools