Transfer FAQs

Only a student who has been enrolled and completed one semester or trimester at another college or university as full-time, degree-seeking students may apply as a Transfer student. A student taking college courses while still in high school must apply as a first-year student.

You must apply for admission by using the Common Application.

Macalester does not have an application fee.

All application and financial aid materials should be received on or before March 15.

Decision from Macalester is May 3.

Applicant Reply Deadline is May 31 (students must respond to their offer of admission by this date).

If you have been out of college for more than one year and have difficulty obtaining an academic recommendation or if you have been in college for less than a year and would like permission to request a recommendation from one of your high school instructors, contact [email protected] to explain your situation and discuss options.

Macalester follows a Test Optional admissions policy. Applicants can choose to submit ACT, SAT, and AP exam scores as part of their application. International students enrolled in IB programs are required to submit IB exam scores.

Regardless of the presence of test scores, all applicants receive equal consideration for admission and scholarship opportunities. Choosing not to submit test scores will not disadvantage you in our selection process. 

Applicants who submit test scores to our office may self-report them through the Common Application, submit them to [email protected], or request that official scores be sent to Macalester. Macalester’s testing codes are 2122 for the ACT and 6390 for the SAT.

View the Test Policy for more details and data about how the Admissions Office uses testing in the selection process.

Macalester College requires Transfer students to live on campus who have not completed the equivalent of four semesters at a college or university. Students can learn more information about requesting an exemption can be found here.

A limited amount of on-campus housing is reserved for Transfer students who are not required to live on campus but desire to do so. For Transfer students who wish to live off-campus, the College is able to provide guidance on housing options in the community and opportunities to live with Macalester students off-campus. 

Please reach out to [email protected] with additional questions.

Macalester is committed to meeting the full demonstrated financial need for every admitted student.

All Transfer applicants for admission are considered for merit-based scholarships. No additional scholarship application is required. Students selected for merit-based scholarships are notified by the Admissions Office, shortly after admission notices are sent. Merit Scholarship

If you wish to be considered for financial aid, you must indicate your interest when you apply via the Common Application. All Transfer application materials for both admissions and financial aid are due by March 15. Financial Aid.

If you want to audit a class at Macalester without enrolling as a full-time student, you should contact the Registrar’s Office at [email protected] or 651-696-6200.

Macalester College welcomes transfer students from a wide range of backgrounds and academic experiences. Our transfer cohorts have included students from both community colleges and four year institutions, public and private institutions, prior applicants, students who are parents, and students who have been out of school for a short period of time. Successful transfer applicants demonstrate a desire for a rigorous liberal arts education, are collaborative in their approach to solving challenging problems, and align with our institutional mission and core values.

Macalester strongly encourages all incoming transfer students to enroll as full-time students. Full-time enrollment allows transfer students to fully engage with the Macalester community, build meaningful relationships with professors and peers, engage in academic research, and participate in student organizations. It also ensures that students continue to qualify for full financial aid from various funding sources. 

We understand that exceptional situations — such as personal or family emergencies, or compelling academic or professional opportunities — may occasionally necessitate part-time enrollment. These cases are rare and must be reviewed and approved prior to admission. Students who believe they may need to enroll part-time should contact the Admissions Office as early as possible in their application process.

Our priority is to ensure that every transfer student has the opportunity to thrive academically, socially, and personally at Macalester.

We believe AI can be a helpful tool in the writing process. Like any form of application assistance, we encourage students to use it responsibly. If you decide to utilize programs like ChatGPT, treat them like a teacher—AI can help edit or organize pre-existing ideas, but ultimately, your writing should be your own. AI usage becomes problematic when it creates rather than refines text. A copy-and-paste approach hinders your development as a writer, and if you were to use this method as a Mac student, you’d be in likely violation of academic integrity policies on campus. 

Similarly, AI struggles to fulfill the essay’s core purpose: showcasing student personality. We walk away from the best essays feeling like we got to know you. Tools like ChatGPT, which produce generic, unimaginative writing, often sanitize the student voice we’re looking for. Your perspective matters more than anything else in this process–and as long as you’re being your authentic self, we know you can write an essay we’ll love to read.