Why Macalester is the right college for me

What factors have led you to consider Macalester College? Why do you believe it may be a good match and what do you believe you can add to the Mac community, academically and personally? Feel free to draw on past experiences, and use concrete examples to support your perspective.


The name Kofi Annan formed my first impression of Macalester College. It was a school that had educated the Secretary-General of the United Nations, one of the most influential people in the world. In addition, a browse through the school prospectus showed me some of the outstanding Macalester alumni in the field of law and justice such as Stephanie Farrior, 1977, a professor at Pennsylvania State University and Maura Dundon 1998, an advocate with Human Rights Watch in California. In addition, Macalester has invested millions in upgrading its campus, 69% of classes have fewer than 20 students, and has over 80 clubs and organizations. All this makes Macalester an excellent undergraduate college, but I feel that these statistics can't tell me whether it is truly the right college for me. One person who has helped me realize the answer to this question is Leonor Ano, a graduate from the United World College of the American West who is currently in her freshman year at Macalester.

When I spoke to Leo about her experience at Macalester so far, she didn't talk about these statistic. She talked about the value of the strong international sense of community that existed at the college, which excited her. She loved that everyone...

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