Applying

Your Toolbox

International Center
Markim Hall, Second Floor
651-696-6310
651-696-6129 fax

The online interest form is available to students early in the fall semester. This lets the International Center know what your interests are, and helps us to plan for the coming year. Please complete the interest form for off-campus study in the 2013-2014 academic year by October 5, 2012.

Once you know what off-campus program you want to apply to, you’re ready to begin the application process. For most students, they will need to go through two application processes. All students need to submit the Off-Campus Study Proposal in order to obtain Macalester approval. Most students will then need to apply directly to their program.

Steps to applying to a program

  1. Read the Handbook for Off-Campus Study
    You will need to sign on your Off-Campus Study Proposal to acknowledge that you have read and understood the college’s policies listed in the handbook.

  2. Meet with your Academic Advisor and a Study Abroad Advisor.
    Your academic advisor is a great resource for ideas, suggestions and advice about off-campus study. You will also need their signature on your Off-Campus Study Proposal.

  3. Declare a major.
    You must have at least one declared major prior to submitting your Off-Campus Study Proposal.

  4. Apply to your program.
    You can apply to your program before receiving approval from Macalester’s Study Away Review Committee (SARC). In fact, students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible in order to secure a place in their preferred program, as applications are often considered on a rolling basis. If admission is particularly competitive for your first choice program, you may want to consider applying to another program as a backup choice.

    You can only identify one program on your proposal to Macalester. If SARC grants approval for that program but admission is denied, the original proposal may be revised to include a suitable alternative program. A student may not pursue an alternative program if he/she is granted admission to the program listed on the original proposal.

    Please note that students applying to Macalester-run programs, excluding exchanges, and DIS in Copenhagen, Denmark do not need to apply separately. For these students, their Off-Campus Study Proposal will determine both their admission into their program and Macalester approval.

  5. Prepare your Off-Campus Study Proposal.

    To apply, you will submit your Proposal, the required essay(s), and coursework approval form(s). You will also need to meet with the chair of any department for which you would like to receive major, minor or concentration credit for a course off-campus.

    What makes a strong proposal?

  6. Complete and submit the Off-Campus Study Proposal.
    The deadline for students intending to study off-campus in Fall 2013 and/or Spring 2014 is: February 26, 2013 at 4:30 pm. All proposals must be typed and submitted by this deadline; late proposals will not be considered.
  7. Begin making preparations for off-campus study.
    Read more about how to prepare for your semester away in Before you go.

What makes a strong proposal?

Including the following elements will not only increase the chance of your proposal being approved, you will also be better prepared for completing a successful off-campus study experience.

  • Good academic standing and on track for on-time completion of your major and general distribution requirements.
  • Macalester coursework, completed or in progress, provides adequate preparation for the proposed off-campus study program.
  • Two or more courses of the academic work you plan to do off campus will count towards a major(s), minor(s) and/or concentration(s).
  • Educational Goals essay:
    • Adequately describes how your proposed off-campus study will enhance your liberal arts education. As a place to begin, we recommend Professor William Cronon's essay published in The American Scholar, "'Only Connect . . .' The Goals of a Liberal Education." This concise essay offers a variety of tools to use in thinking about how study abroad and liberal learning may complement one another.
    • Mentions the elements of cultural immersion and Global Citizenship as part of your off-campus study. Global Citizenship is described as "action in addition to scholarship," whether the action takes place during the experience or upon your return to Macalester. We recommend that you read Professor Andrew Latham's Project Pericles Paper for a more detailed explanation.
    • Describes a plan for making use of your off-campus study experience in the future at Macalester or beyond (e.g. graduate studies, career, etc).
    • Establishes a solid sense of why the program you have chosen is the best fit for you academically.
  • The quality of your essays is comparable to successful sample essays, yet your essays maintain a strong sense of originality.

Note: The Study Away Review Committee recognizes that it is often enthusiasm for a particular place that drives the choice of an off-campus study program. SARC is interested in location only insofar as it has to do with academics and your preparation as a global citizen.