Application FAQs

Semester-Long Application FAQs

• During which semester can I study away?

  Macalester strives to keep a balance between students studying away in the fall and spring. In order to maintain this balance, you may be approved by the Study Away Review Committee (SARC) to study away in that academic year, but for a semester other than the one for which you have applied.

  When deciding your semester preference, think through the following (and discuss with faculty if necessary in advance of your study away application submission):

  • • Macalester course schedules. Many classes are not offered every semester. Think about when you will need to be on-campus to take specific classes.

  • • Program requirements and prerequisites. Many programs have prerequisites, especially those focusing on language learning. Think through when you will have completed on­-campus coursework required for admission to your program.

  • • Extracurricular activities

• Can I apply for Macalester approval to more than one program?

  No. In most cases, after receiving Macalester approval for a specific study away program and semester, you will need to apply to that program provider or university directly. As long as you apply early and meet your program’s eligibility criteria, you should be accepted into the program. For this reason, you cannot apply for Macalester approval for more than one program and you do not need to apply directly to more than one program after Macalester approval. Instead, we recommend that you pay close attention to when your program’s application becomes available and apply early to ensure your best chance of acceptance.

  In the unlikely event that the program fills before you submit your application, or if you don’t receive acceptance to your program, the Center for Study Away staff will work with you to find an appropriate backup program, provided suitable alternatives remain. If you apply early in the application process, this will allow time to find an alternative program should the need arise.

• Can I apply to study away for a full year?

  Only in exceptional cases will study away lasting an academic year be considered, and in these cases only when a full year of study is essential to your educational program. Study away applications for more than one semester on more than one program will not be accepted.

  Applications for year-long study away must show clear evidence that a full year is essential to the completion of your primary academic goals and/or a Macalester liberal arts course of study. Please note that additional language proficiency or cultural awareness gained by spending a full year on study away, rather than a single semester, will not by itself be sufficient to support year-long study.

  Applications must also include a description of your preferred one-semester backup option, which can be either participating in the same program for one semester or participating in a different program, selected from the approved program list. If you do not make a compelling case for full-year study, you may be approved for a single semester.
  

  Once you are approved for one semester of study away, you will not be permitted to extend that term.

• Can I study away more than one time?

  You may only participate in one semester-long program during your enrollment at Macalester. This limit does not apply to short-term or summer programs.