Macalester College

Visit Report by stepherzzz (Member since December 23 2006 with 65 posts) Visit Date - May 2007

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Visit to Macalester College in May 2007 by stepherzzz (Student, HS Class of 2008)
Visit Activities:
Admissions Interview: Yes - The interview at Macalester was my first. My interviewer was an alumna and was very sweet. She asked me a lot about high school. It was evaluative but not intimidating. Campus Tour: Yes - My tour was not impressive in the least. I'll go into depth in the extended description
Macalester College Campus:
Friendliness/Courtesy of Staff: 4 - Very Good - They all seemed relatively nice and had a lot of information available. No one went out of their way to say hi or wave or say "Welcome to Macalester," though. Appearance of Campus: 3 - Good - I was disappointed. It all felt very compact, and there was not enough room for a lot of beauty to shine through. It wasn't terrible for an urban campus, though. Building/Facilities Maintenance/Cleanliness: 2 - Fair - I'll explain in the extended visit report. Dormitories: - I wouldn't know. The keys my tour guide had were almost all wrong and we couldn't even enter the dorm building, much less an actual dorm room. Security/Safety: 4 - Very Good - It seemed fine. The part of St. Paul it is in does not seem sketchy at all. Overall Campus Impression: 2 - Fair - I was deeply disappointed because I really wanted to like Macalester.
Off-Campus:

Campus Visit Notes for Macalester College:
Visit Description: Macalester was at the top of my list throughout sophomore year and junior year, and now I can honestly say I'm not even considering filling out an application. The campus appearance was lackluster. Some of the buildings were alright, but the campus was absolutely tiny and compact. I'm just glad I'm not claustrophobic. I think it's unfortunate that I came on the day that I did because the maintenance of the campus seemed really below par. There were many buildings that had trash bags in them, and they actually smelled bad! None of the facilities seemed to be terribly recent and some of the buildings seemed run-down. My tour guide was especially unimpressive. When people asked her questions, it was like she had no idea what she was doing. When one person asked her why she decided to come to Macalester, she basically said, "It came down to financial aid and Macalester gave me the better deal, I guess." The lack of enthusiasm and professionalism gave me a terribly bad impression, though I'm sure most Macalester students aren't like that. There were a lot of buildings we couldn't get into because her keys didn't work. She never successfully opened a door. We couldn't see the library either. There was a lot of construction taking place, and she stopped right next to a jack hammer and talked for about 20 minutes. I thought that was really silly, I couldn't hear her at all and I couldn't tell you anything about that part of the tour. I wasn't impressed by Mac at all and actually decided I didn't like it. It lacked the feeling of Carleton and Grinnell and just felt cramped to me. The Twin Cities are very accessible from there, though, so if that's what you really want in a college, it may be for you. Hotel/Lodging Recommendations or Comments: I stayed at the Mall of America Ramada and thought it was nice but definitely old. Comfortable beds and a decent breakfast, but don't go to the restaurant for dinner. Dining/Restaurant Recommendations or Comments: The Mall of America, right next to the Ramada, has tons of stores and restaurants. Other Comments (Transportation, local attractions, parking, etc.): The parking appears bigger on the maps than it actually is, but it isn't bad.
1 of 1 people found this visit report helpful