International Transfer Applicants

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

Macalester does not have an application fee.

All Transfer application materials for both admissions and financial aid are due by April 1. If you anticipate needing need-based financial aid at any point during your time at Macalester, you must indicate your interest when you apply via the Common Application. Students who do not apply for financial aid during the application process will not be considered for aid after learning of an offer of admission. Financial Aid.

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

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, or you have studied for a sufficient number of years at an institution 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. Alternative English tests, such as the TOEFL IBT Home Edition,  are not accepted.

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 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.

Students not applying for need-based scholarships must complete the Financial Obligations Form (available in the applicant portal after the Common Application is received). Applications will not be complete without this form.

Students applying for need-based financial aid must submit a financial aid application (CSS Profile OR the International Student Application for Financial Assistance) AND complete and submit the Financial Declaration form, available in the applicant portal. Apply for Aid

Request that your secondary school send Macalester an official final transcript of your classes and transcript 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.

If you attended a secondary school with an exam-based curriculum, copies of all exam result certificates must be submitted.

Required: one recommendation letter

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

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”.

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.

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.

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.

Due to capacity limitations, Macalester cannot accommodate requests for online interviews from international applicants (i.e. students who would be studying on a non-immigrant type visa such as an F-1). 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 international admissions team.

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.

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?”