The Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) was designed by the Council for Aid to Education.  As noted on the CLA website, students’ written responses to CLA tasks are “evaluated to assess their abilities to think critically, reason analytically, solve problems and communicate clearly and cogently.”

Macalester administers the CLA, on a rotated basis, to incoming first year students.  We opt for the longitudinal administration, at both the point of entry to Macalester and the spring of senior year.