International Students at Macalester
Students from all over the world welcome you to the Mac community and share their favorite things about Macalester. You’ll learn about support from International Student Programs and hear about the many ways you can enjoy the Twin Cities.
International Student Programs (ISP)
ISP supports international students with moving to campus, visas, getting new IDs, finding the right resources on and off campus, and even tax forms.
International Student Programs (ISP)
ISP supports international students with moving to campus, visas, getting new IDs, finding the right resources on and off campus, and even tax forms.
Finding Community
Who will you go to classes with? Who will you meet? What are Mac students like? Masa shares her experience being a new international student and finding friends.
Finding Community
Who will you go to classes with? Who will you meet? What are Mac students like? Masa shares her experience being a new international student and finding friends.
The transition to college at Mac
Moving to a new country and city is an exciting adventure. Alex talks about the support found in the Mac community.
The transition to college at Mac
Moving to a new country and city is an exciting adventure. Alex talks about the support found in the Mac community.
Your Macalester Professors
Professors are here to help with your academic journey and welcome time to talk with students in class and office hours. Hear Rola talk about support from professors and her experience so far at Mac.
Your Macalester Professors
Professors are here to help with your academic journey and welcome time to talk with students in class and office hours. Hear Rola talk about support from professors and her experience so far at Mac.
Not able to view videos? See these student stories here.
MORE STUDENT EXPERIENCES
Tell us how the International Student Programs office has helped you.
International Student Programs (ISP) is one of the most special parts about Macalester for me because it’s who you first meet when you arrive at the airport. Whether it’s your first time in the U.S., or not your first time in the U.S., it’s who you first interact with when you arrive at Macalester as an international student.
They pick you up from the airport. They help you settle in. They take you to your room. They take you shopping to buy anything that you need. And they’re just honestly one of the most resourceful and friendly people on campus who have so much experience working with different situations and people from very different backgrounds.
They help with paperwork for taxes, for visa documents. They help with getting students all the paperwork that they need to have an internship. They help you find a place over winter break or summer break if you don’t have a place.
They also organize events every Friday to make sure the international students not only get to know each other, but get to know important people on campus and people they can reach out to if they need anything.
If you have a personal problem, if you have some sort of challenge in your classes, if you have trouble with the landlords, trouble with transitioning to living at Macalester or just U.S. culture in general, ISP always knows how to help or who can help.
They go out of their way to make sure that first-year and second-year students and all the international student body feel comfortable, welcomed, and part of the Macalester community at all times.
It’s an effort that never stops, and it’s always there. It’s just a group of very heartwarming, very hardworking people that you get to know on a personal level.
Why did you choose Macalester?
When I applied to Macalester I had never visited the college campus, and I’d never been to the U.S. either. I decided that I wanted to go to a small liberal arts school in the United States and so I applied to several schools.
When I got my acceptance from Macalester I got really excited. First of all, because of the international community that there is at Macalester College. Second of all, because of the big UWC community that is on campus. As a United World College alumni from UWC Costa Rica, I was really excited to be surrounded by classmates that are from different backgrounds and different countries that can bring different perspectives to the classroom.
The reason in the end why I decided to choose Macalester over other schools was because of its location. I think being in the Twin Cities is such a big advantage. Being able to get out into cities, experience different things such as sports events, going to museums, going to bars and restaurants in the Twin Cities, as well as having the opportunity to intern during the semester at one of the big organizations her is a big plus for me.
So, I decided to come to Macalester because with the location and the international community that there is on campus, I would be really happy here and have a good four years of college.