Macalester: The Big Picture
The campus is small and familiar. It is extremely easy to navigate the buildings and find your classroom. When I tell people I go to Macalester, they usually don't know what it is, unless they are from the area. If they do know the school, they are usually impressed. The administration is alright, could use some work. There are mixed feelings about the president, Brian Rosenberg. The twin cities have great public transportation which makes going to college without a car very simple. The athletics are not great, but we are just finishing our new 41 million dollar recreation center, which will be nice.
Macalester Academic Life
I am a hardcore science nerd so I spend all my time in the science building, Olin-Rice. I am a Neurobiology major with a Psychology minor, which is the largest major the school offers. The workload is extremely heavy, but manageable if you are willing to study hard. I have yet to take a class I didn't like or find a professor I didn't think belonged at the school.
Macalester's Student Body
The students are very accepting of all kinds of people. Everyone interacts very well. There are some cliques, as with any school, but they are not exclusive. Generally, everyone knows everyone and gets along very well.
Macalester Student Activities + Social Life
Not too many big parties, but people throw small parties with their friends all the time. There is usually tons of stuff going on around campus, but the activities are sometimes boring. People are usually working very hard during the week. On weeknights, the library is always packed, but on normal weekends, it is less busy at night, when people tend to party.
Macalester Naked Truth
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.
