Application Tips for Parents & Counselors

At commonapp.org students can create an account. There are many resources to help in the application process – including an Application Guide for First-Year Students. To secure eligibility for financial aid, students should express their interest during the application process, as financial aid cannot be awarded after an offer of admission has been made.

For students applying through Early Decision, the Early Decision Agreement confirms that Macalester is their top-choice college. By signing, a student commits to enrolling at Macalester if admitted and agrees to withdraw all other college applications. More about Early Decision

Students should request that their secondary school(s) send Macalester official transcript(s) of all classes and grades beginning with 9th grade through junior year.

Macalester requires two recommendation letters

• One recommendation letter from a counselor or school official
• One recommendation letter from a teacher – An evaluation from a teacher in one of the core academic subjects (English, social studies, world language, mathematics, or science).

Early Decision applicants must self-report in-progress senior grades using the In-Progress Grades form in your portal checklist. Grades must be submitted between the following dates:

• ED I between November 1 and November 18 
• ED II between January 1 and January 16

Early Action applicants are not required to submit in-progress fall term grades, and the grades are no longer part of the application checklist. This change ensures a streamlined and equitable evaluation for all applicants, regardless of high school context or grading schedules. All applications will be reviewed holistically based on the materials submitted.

Regular Decision applicants must request that a school official (counselor or registrar) send us an updated transcript by February 15 if senior year first-term grades are not on the initial transcript. If an updated transcript is not available before February 15, please contact [email protected].

Macalester follows a Test-Optional admissions policy. Applicants can choose to submit ACT, SAT, AP, and IB exam scores as part of their application.

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 a student 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.

If a student has made a substantial commitment to the arts in the areas of fine arts, music, theater or dance, they are welcome to submit samples in their Macalester Applicant Portal after Macalester has received their application.

Macalester interviews are offered to applicants who have begun their application process. Interviews are reserved for domestic applicants who are rising seniors, seniors, or prospective transfer students.

Admissions interviews at Macalester are optional and not required. An interview will be part of an application file, so it’s an opportunity to share or address anything a student would like included in their application.

All interviews are conducted by a Macalester staff member and are only offered virtually.

Interviews for rising seniors begin on August 1. Seniors who wish to interview must do so by February 1 of their senior year. Transfer students must request an interview by April 15. Each student may only interview once and interviews are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Learn more or schedule an interview here.

Applicants are only required and encouraged to submit the two required recommendations. However, if a student wishes to have an additional letter of support, we ask that they choose carefully to ensure that the additional recommendation provides a new perspective not already present in their application.

The first step when applying for need-based financial aid is to complete the CSS Profile. After completing the Profile, the College Board IDOC service will send you information and prompt you to upload 2024 tax documents. The financial aid application can still be completed after the recommended financial aid deadlines, but please try to do so as soon as possible as it allows us the necessary time to review the application and follow up with any questions. Please view the deadlines for the financial aid deadlines for each decision round here.

If you received a message from Macalester that your CSS Profile is missing but have already completed it, please know that it can take up to a week for Macalester to receive it. The checklist will be updated in the student’s Applicant Portal when items are received.

U.S. applicants applying for need-based financial aid should upload 2024 tax documents via the College Board IDOC service, which the student should have received access to after completing the Profile.

If you received a message from Macalester that tax documents are missing but you have already sent them, please know that it can take up to a week for Macalester to receive them. The checklist will be updated in the student’s Applicant Portal when items are received.

International applicants who need financial assistance are required to complete one of the following by November 10, 2025 (Early Decision 1 and Early Action), January 8, 2026 (Early Decision II), or January 22, 2026 (Regular Decision):

1. 2026-2027 International Student Application for Financial Assistance OR
2. CSS Profile (available each October)

Financial aid applicants must also complete the Financial Declaration Form available on the Applicant Checklist in their portal.

International students who are NOT applying for financial aid must complete and submit the International Student Financial Obligations form confirming their understanding of the financial commitment of not applying for need-based financial aid. This form will be available in the applicant portal.

International Applications will not be complete and will not be reviewed without these required forms.

Students who do not apply for need-based financial aid at the time they apply for admission will NOT be considered for need-based scholarships or aid at any point during their four years at Macalester after an admission decision is released. This is a necessary policy to help with allocated limited financial aid funds.

For more information, frequently asked questions and answers can be found here.

Macalester practices holistic admission review. Factors such as academic performance in context, teacher recommendations, essays, leadership experience and potential, extracurricular involvement, and standardized testing results are thoroughly reviewed by the Admissions Committee. The most important part of an application is something students have already been working on throughout high school: their performance in high school! It is this performance that is the best predictor of success in college.

Macalester follows a Test-Optional admissions policy. Applicants can choose to submit ACT, SAT, AP, and IB exam scores as part of their application.

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 interviews are offered to applicants who have begun their application process. Interviews are reserved for domestic applicants who are rising seniors, seniors, or prospective transfer students. Admissions interviews at Macalester are recommended, but not required. Interviews are conducted online by Admissions staff members and usually take 30 minutes. Seniors who wish to interview must do so by February 1 of their senior year and each student may only interview once.

We view the college interview as an opportunity to learn more about the experiences, backgrounds, interests, and fantastic personalities of high school students. We also want the interview to be a time in which students can learn more about Macalester. During interviews, students can expect to be asked questions about their high school environment, extracurricular activities, and other interests. Students will also have time to ask their own questions about the Mac community. In the end, our hope is that each interview is more like a conversation over virtual coffee than a job interview.

Find more information about the interview process and timeline here.

The best preparation for the rigor and depth of the college academic experience is strong performance in a balanced and rigorous high school curriculum. Students should focus their coursework in all five academic core subjects: English, mathematics, history or social science, laboratory science, and world language.

Students should challenge themselves by taking the advanced curriculum available at their school. Some examples include Honors classes, Advanced Placement (AP), and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses. Most Macalester applicants will complete at least 20 academic core courses by the time they graduate high school.

Yes! Macalester College will accept a maximum of 32 semester credits earned prior to matriculation. College/university credits, summer-session college credits, credits earned through a post-secondary education program, College Board Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and GCE A- Levels are included in this 32-credit maximum. College/university courses will be evaluated once an official transcript is sent to Macalester directly by the sponsoring college/university. Transcripts are required for credit evaluation and transfer of credit. Please arrange for them to be mailed to the address below, or sent via secure electronic transmission to Macalester College.

Since school systems vary a great deal, we look at an applicant’s high school record in the context of their school system, rather than listing a minimum GPA. We also recognize that many school systems around the world do not report a GPA or rank in class, and in those cases that information is not required. Whatever the system, we look for evidence that the applicant has performed at a very high level academically and has pursued a rigorous curriculum.

Congratulations on starting the search early! Our biggest piece of advice is a simple one – there is no one ‘correct’ way to navigate the college search process. Our Admissions team encourages students to continue to pursue the academic and extracurricular opportunities that interest them most while still leaving room for exploration. Students should continue their involvement in courses and extracurriculars they care about, and be willing to step out of their comfort zone, too! 

As they pivot toward thinking about college, keep an open mind and start thinking about priorities like college size, setting, particular majors or extracurriculars, etc. After you have identified what institutions might work well, then connect with the staff and students at those colleges to get a taste of the college experience before narrowing down a list. If Macalester is on their list – and we certainly hope it is! – our one-stop-shop for programming and visit opportunities can be found here.