Visit Report by Mmomm (Member since June 11 2006 with 88 posts) Visit Date - March 2007
Visit to Macalester College in March 2007 by Mmomm (Parent of Student, HS Class of 2008)
Visit Activities:
Information Session:
Yes - Nothing snazzy....just emphasized that Macalester has an international focus and many opportunities due to the location. Campus Tour:
Yes - I did not go on this, but my son and husband did. They said it was nice and they got to see the inside of a dorm room. Classroom Visit:
Yes - Hands down the best part of the visit for my son. He sat in on a Humanities class and said it was fantastic. The professor was great and the students were all very enthusiastic about the class.
Macalester College Campus:
Friendliness/Courtesy of Students: 5 - Excellent -
The students in the class were super friendly and wanted to answer my son's questions. All but one were thrilled with the college. One thought the art program wasn't as good as she'd
Friendliness/Courtesy of Staff: 5 - Excellent -
The professor was fabulous. He even gave my son his email address in case he thought of anything he'd like to ask. The librarian was also great when we needed Internet access.
Appearance of Campus: 3 - Good -
It was nice enough.
Building/Facilities Maintenance/Cleanliness: 5 - Excellent Dormitories: 4 - Very Good -
I didn't see them, but my son and husband said they were pretty good.
Security/Safety: 4 - Very Good -
It had a very safe neighborhood feel to it.
Overall Campus Impression: 4 - Very Good -
The only downside was that there seemed to be a lot of students smoking. At my son's high school the kids who smoke are definitely not the college bound ones, so that was a bit of an eye-opener.
Off-Campus:
Area Immediately Around Campus: 3 - Good City/Town/Community: 4 - Very Good -
The Twin Cities are beautiful.
Campus Visit Notes for Macalester College:
Visit Description:
This was the first college we did an official visit at and I wasn't really expecting much. I thought it was "okay" overall and I think that was my son's impression as well, until he went to the class and it changed his entire view of the college. I think that we learned that he could be happy at a lot of different schools.
Hotel/Lodging Recommendations or Comments:
Best Western on Bandana Blvd: It's a gorgeous historical building, but the Internet wasn't working while we were there and a VERY bright spotlight shone through the window at night. Great b
Dining/Restaurant Recommendations or Comments:
We ate in the Mac dining hall. It was crowded and confusing, but that's because there were so many prospective students and their parents.
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The students in the class were super friendly and wanted to answer my son's questions. All but one were thrilled with the college. One thought the art program wasn't as good as she'd
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It was nice enough.
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I didn't see them, but my son and husband said they were pretty good.