Wait List at Macalester

Frequently Asked Questions about the Wait List at Macalester

• How can I reply to the offer of Wait List placement for Fall 2025?

  Please indicate your preferences by no later than April 15 (earlier, if possible) by completing the “Reply to Offer of Wait List Placement for 2025 Admission Form” in your Macalester Admissions portal. Within your portal you will see the following options:

  • Yes – I accept a place on Macalester’s Wait List. 
  • No – I do not wish to accept a place on Macalester’s Wait List.

  If you select “Yes” to the question above, the Admissions Committee will consider you for Fall 2025 admission should space become available in the Fall 2025 first-year class. 

  Additionally, if you select “Yes” to the question above, a second prompt will appear. It reads:

  After Fall 2025 enrollment capacity has been reached, Macalester may offer admission to a select group of students from the Wait List for admission in Fall 2026. You would be notified of your admission by no later than June 15, 2025, but would not enroll at Macalester until the fall of 2026. Please let us know if you would be interested in this option.

  Yes – If Macalester cannot offer me admission for Fall 2025, I would like to be considered for Fall 2026 admission as a first-year student. I understand that, if admitted as an “Admission to Gap Year” student, I would take a “gap-year” and enroll as a first-year student in Fall 2026. 

  No – I do not wish to be considered for Fall 2026 admission. I wish to be considered for Fall 2025 admission only. 

  Should you have questions about these options, we’d be glad to help; please contact [email protected]. 

• What is Admission to Gap Year?

  After Fall 2025 enrollment capacity has been reached, the Admissions Office may offer admission to a select group of students from the Wait List for admission in Fall 2025. 

  To be considered, you must select the option in the “2025 Reply to Offer of Wait List Placement” form in your Macalester Admissions portal. 

  Students selected for the Admission Gap to Year will be notified of their admission no later than June 15, 2025. They will be asked to confirm they will be participating in the Admission to Gap Year and submit the $300 enrollment deposit securing their spot in the fall 2026 semester. Enrolled students will join the 2025 Defer cohort and all subsequent communication found in the AFTER A DEFERRAL REQUEST HAS BEEN GRANTED section of the Deferred Enrollment & Gap Year web page.

  Students participating in the Admission Gap to Year can transfer no more than the equivalent of 32 credits through Macalester’s Transfer Credit policy. 

• What are my chances of being admitted?

  It is difficult for us to predict how many of the students to whom admission was offered will choose to enroll at Macalester. For this reason, it is impossible for us to know how many additional offers of admission we may be able to make later in the spring and for the Admission to Gap Year program. For students who choose to remain active on our Wait List, the admission rates in recent years have ranged from 0% to 96% depending on the year.

• What is my rank on the Wait List?

  Applicants on the Wait List are not “ranked” in any priority order. Because the composition of the first-year class depends on which students accept the admission offers already extended, we will not know if additional space is available in the class until early May at the earliest. If space is available, the Admissions Committee will carefully review all active applicants on the Wait List.

• How can I improve my chances for admission?

  It is a good idea to keep your application file as current as possible by updating your high school record (grades) and activities, as well as keeping us informed about your continued interest in Macalester.

• Will my financial aid award be affected by Wait List admission?

  There will be no difference in the financial aid award you receive. All students admitted from the Wait List will receive financial aid awards which meet their full demonstrated need for financial aid, just as if they had been admitted in earlier rounds. However, in order for us to provide you with timely information regarding financial aid, you should go ahead and complete your financial aid application as soon as possible (if you haven’t done so already).

• When will I receive a final admissions decision?

  By early May, we will have received replies from the students already admitted. At that time, the Admissions Committee will assess whether we have room to admit additional students for Fall 2025 entry. If we do, the Committee will review all the active applicants on the Wait List and additional offers will be made. If space is unavailable for Fall 2025 entry, the Admissions Committee will assess availability for entrance in Fall 2026. While we cannot fully guarantee this timeline, our aim is to notify all active Wait List candidates of their final decisions by the end of May. No matter what happens, we will keep you informed and let you know your status as soon as we can.