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Transfer Applicants

Macalester offers admission for U.S. Citizens, Permanent Residents, and international students who have completed one or more semesters as a full-time college student following high school graduation as a transfer student.

Fall Term Deadlines

  • Application Deadline April 1
  • Priority for Financial Aid April 1
  • Decision Notification May 4
  • Applicant Reply Date May 25

Requirements for Your Application to Macalester

  • Common App Account & Application

    At commonapp.org you can create an account. Choose Macalester for your college list.

    All Transfer application materials for both admissions and financial aid are due by April 1. If you wish to be considered for financial aid, you must indicate your interest when you apply via the Common Application. Financial Aid.

    There is no application fee.

     

  • College or University Transcript

    You must have official transcripts of all college-level coursework sent to Macalester directly from the school(s) or via an official online transcript service from all colleges you have attended. A transcript issued to the student is not considered official.

  • Final High School Transcript

    Request that your secondary school(s) send Macalester official transcript(s) of all classes and grades beginning with 9th grade.  If you attended more than one high school, check to make sure all years are included on the most recent transcript.

  • Recommendation Letter (College Academic Course Instructor)

    Required: one recommendation letter

    Please submit one recommendation letter from a College Academic Course Instructor. This should be an evaluation from an instructor in one of your primary academic courses of study.

     

Once an applicant has successfully submitted their application, they will receive login information for an applicant portal that will enable them to see their current application status and access forms below. To obtain early access to your applicant portal and these required documents, you may fill out our Preliminary Application.

TRANSFER CHECKLIST ITEMS TO BE COMPLETED IN THE MACALESTER APPLICATION PORTAL

  • Mid-Term Report

    Currently enrolled students should print the Mid-Term Report form (available in the Macalester Application Portal). Take the form to each instructor with whom you have a spring-term class, and ask the instructor to provide a mid-term progress grade for their class. When completed, you may upload a copy of the form via your Application Portal using the Upload Materials section and selecting “Transfer Mid-Term Report”. A Mid-Term Report is only required for students currently enrolled in a college or university.

  • College Report

    Currently enrolled students should print the College Report form (available in the Macalester Application Portal) and take the form to the Dean of Students or Registrar. Please ask that the official forward the completed form to Macalester’s Admissions office. Allow the school official ample time to complete and submit the form prior to the application deadline. The College Report is only required for students currently enrolled in a college or university.

Optional Items

  • ACT or SAT

    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.

  • 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 Macalester Applicant Portal after Macalester has received your application.

  • Additional Recommendation Letter

    Transfer 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. The additional recommendation may be from a teacher, employer, coach, community organizer, mentor, or anyone else you feel will provide additional information necessary to your application. 

  • Transfer Applicant Essay

    As part of the Macalester supplemental application, there is an optional essay with the prompt: “We know that every transfer process is unique and we want to hear from you about why you have chosen to apply to Macalester at this point in your academic journey. As a prospective transfer student, how do you see Macalester as the right next step for you? Put simply — why Mac and why now?

Questions?

We are here to help. Please reach out and our Transfer Student Coordinator will reply soon.

Contact
Jace Riggin
Assistant Director & Transfer Student Coordinator
1-651-696-6357
[email protected]

Transfer Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)