Refugee, Displaced Person, Asylum Seeker and Stateless Applicants

Macalester welcomes all students who have experienced the effects of displacement to apply and will ensure applications are given full consideration regardless of their official status. In line with the United Nations, Macalester acknowledges differentiations beyond students with official status as an asylee or refugee in the United States, including students who identify as a:

Refugee currently residing in a country outside of the United States: Someone who has been forced to flee their country because of persecution, war, or violence and is recognized by their current country of residence as having official refugee status.
Displaced Person: Someone who has been forced to flee or leave their home or place of habitual residence as a result of armed conflict, internal strife, repeated violations of human rights, or natural and human-made disasters. This can include an Internally Displaced Person who has not crossed an international border but was forced to move to a different region within their own country to flee conflict.
Asylum Seeker: Asylum seekers say they are refugees and have fled their homes as refugees do, but their claim to refugee status is not yet definitively evaluated in the country to which they fled.
Stateless Persons: A stateless person does not have a recognized nationality and does not belong to any country. Statelessness situations are usually caused by discrimination against certain groups.

Committee for Refugee Student Access (CRSA)
In the fall of 2016, then-senior Farah Haddad rallied a group of like-minded students who believe in Macalester’s responsibility to admit and support refugee and displaced students. Since the creation of Committee for Refugee Student Access (CRSA), student members have collaborated with administrators, faculty, and staff across campus to modify policies and attitudes in order to make the application process more accessible and to promote a more supportive environment on campus for refugee and displaced students.

Financial Aid Policy

Macalester provides a financial aid package equal to 100% of demonstrated financial need for all admitted students Admitted refugee, displaced person, asylum seeker, and stateless person students who are not permitted by law to work in the U.S. would receive an additional Macalester student loan to replace the amount typically earned through student employment. Please note, applicants with the highest levels of financial need face the greatest levels of competition in the selection process.

Applicant who resides in the U.S but is not a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident
Candidates must complete the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Financial Aid PROFILE. Candidates residing in MN may be eligible to receive state grant funds because of the MN Dream Act (also known as the Prosperity Act). More information about this application process can be found on the MN Office of Higher Education website.
Applicant who resides outside the U.S
Candidates may complete the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Financial Aid PROFILE or the International Student Application for Financial Assistance. In addition, applicants must complete and submit the Financial Declaration form, available in the applicant portal. Apply for Aid

Requirements for Your Application to Macalester

Common App Account & Application

At commonapp.org you can create an account and choose Macalester for your college list. There are many resources to help you in your application process – including an Application Guide for First-Year Students.

In keeping with Macalester’s values, we encourage students who self-identify as a refugee, displaced person, asylum seeker, and stateless person, to indicate so on the Common Application. Students can identify themselves by providing documentation with their application such as proof of status in their current country of residence; scan of a United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) card; and/or personal narrative within the Common Application essay, Additional Information section, or Macalester supplemental questions.

Students who do not hold an official refugee or asylum status visa within the United States should select “I do not hold a currently valid US non-immigrant Visa” on the Common Application.

If you wish to be considered for financial aid, you must indicate your interest when you apply via the Common Application. Applying for financial aid.

Macalester does not have an application fee.
Early Decision Agreement

If you are applying Early Decision, the Early Decision Agreement certifies that Macalester is your first-choice college and agreement that, if admitted, you will enroll at Macalester and withdraw all other college applications. More about Early Decision
High School Transcript

Request that your secondary school(s) send Macalester official transcript(s) of all classes and grades beginning with 9th grade, through junior year.

Applicants who are unable to contact school officials to make this request, or have concerns about how to submit their academic records due to circumstances beyond their control should contact [email protected].
Two Recommendation Letters
Required: 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.
Applicants who have been out of formal schooling for a significant amount of time or who do not have any way of contacting their previous school teachers/officials should contact [email protected].
Senior Year Grades
Early Decision and Early Action 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
- EA between November 1 and December 1
- ED II between January 1 and January 18
Regular Decision applicants must request that a school official (counselor or registrar) send us an updated transcript by February 14 if senior year first-term grades are not on the initial transcript. If an updated transcript is not available before February 14, please contact [email protected].

For Non-U.S. Citizens/Permanent Residents

Proof of English Proficiency
Macalester’s classes are instructed in English and only students who have a strong command of the English language (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) will be offered admission.

If your first language is English and/or you attend a secondary school where the primary language of instruction is English:

Applicants may request that this requirement be waived by completing the ENGLISH PROFICIENCY Testing Waiver Request Form in their Applicant Portal.

If English is not the first language or the primary language of instruction:

Applicants are required to submit one of the following exams in order to demonstrate proficiency in English.

Self-reported test scores for IELTS and internet-based TOEFL will be accepted in the selection process. Admitted students who decide to attend Macalester will be required to submit official score reports.

Scores for TOEFL Essentials and Duolingo English Test must be submitted directly from testing agencies. Testing Policy page.
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Macalester’s code for the TOEFL is 6390.
  - Macalester accepts the Internet-Based TOEFL, TOEFL Home Edition, and the TOEFL Essentials tests.
- Duolingo English Test (DET)
  - Concerned about access to an exam? The Duolingo English Test is a cost effective option for students who do not have access to IELTS or TOEFL. In addition, Duolingo’s Access Program has partnered with the UNHCR and other Community Based Organizations working with refugee and displaced persons to provide fee waivers for English testing.

Optional Items

ACT or SAT

Macalester has a Test-Optional admissions policy for ACT, SAT, AP, and IB. We aim to reduce the anxiety many students experience regarding standardized exams and hope to provide applicants more freedom and flexibility to consider which portion of their academic record they would like Macalester to consider in the review process.

There is no penalty or disadvantage for students who choose not to submit test scores in the selection process. All applicants are given equal consideration for admission and scholarship opportunities. You can learn more about our Test Policy here.

If you believe your standardized test scores will add another positive layer to your application file, then please feel free to submit scores to our office or self-report them in the Common Application. Macalester’s testing codes are 2122 (ACT) and 6390 (SAT).
Art Samples or Portfolio

If you have made a substantial commitment to the arts in the areas of fine arts, music, theater or dance, you are welcome to submit samples in your application portal.
Online Interview

Due to capacity limitations, Macalester cannot accommodate requests for online interviews from international applicants (including students in the US with pending asylum cases). As an alternative, you may choose to submit an interview through InitialView or Vericant. These third-party interviews can help us learn more about you, but the questions will not be specific to Macalester. We realize there is a cost for these services.

Interviews are optional and not having an interview does not decrease a student’s chances for admission.

In some instances, the Admissions Committee may decide more information about an applicant would be helpful in making a final decision. Macalester reserves the right to invite certain applicants to schedule an optional interview with a member of the admissions team.
Additional Recommendation Letter

Applicants are not required nor encouraged to submit more than the two required recommendations. However, if you wish to have an additional letter of support, we ask that you choose carefully to ensure that the additional recommendation provides a new perspective not already present in your application.