Prompt database · 2026-27 cycle
Macalester College
Deadlines
source| Early Action | November 1, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Early Decision | November 1, 2026 |
| Early Decision II | January 1, 2027 |
| Regular Decision | January 15, 2027 |
Essay prompts (2)
- why us2026-27
Macalester is one of the few highly selective liberal arts colleges located in the heart of a metropolitan area. Identify one way Macalester's location in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul would enhance your academic, social, or community experience.
- community2026-27
Four values guide Macalester's mission: academic distinction, internationalism, multiculturalism, and service to society. Guided by these values, Macalester is a learning environment that affirms different identities and experiences and prepares graduates to work toward a more just and peaceful world. In what ways do your lived experiences, perspectives, or hopes for your college education connect with Macalester's mission and community?
The school's published AI policy
We believe AI can be a helpful tool in the writing process. Like any form of application assistance, we encourage students to use it responsibly. If you decide to utilize programs like ChatGPT, treat them like a teacher—AI can help edit or organize pre-existing ideas, but ultimately, your writing should be your own. AI usage becomes problematic when it creates rather than refines text.
the school’s published policyChecked Sep 8, 2026
Our reading
Macalester explicitly endorses AI as a writing-process tool to be treated "like a teacher" for editing and organizing pre-existing ideas, while requiring that the writing ultimately be the student's own — the line is drawn at AI creating rather than refining text.
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When you request a review for a Macalester College supplement, the feedback is grounded in exactly what you see here: the prompt itself, its word limit, and what the school publishes about its values and programs. That's the whole claim — calibrated to the prompt and the school's own published guidance, scored against a consistent rubric. Not insider knowledge, and never a rewrite: Second Read is a coach, not a ghostwriter. It flags weaknesses and tells you what to fix and why; it never writes a sentence of your essay.
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