Location in a city, diversity, LGBT-friendliness, class offerings, lack of fraternities, good academic reputation, pretty campus, that it was a relatively small, liberal arts college, and the strong study abroad program.
Course Curriculum
I enjoyed all the classes I took, although there are breadth requirements that can be kind of annoying. All of the classes in my major were great, but there are definitely some gaps in the curriculum (e.g. almost no medieval history courses whatsoever)
Events
The biggest events we have are founders day, which is a big gala on campus in the spring, winter ball, which is a formal dance off campus, and Springfest, which is an outdoor music festival that usually doesn't have very good artists. There are plenty of other events throughout the year though.
Fees
It's insanely expensive but they provide student aid. In addition to the tuition, you have to live on campus for 2 years, and room and board are more expensive than living off campus. Also, there is an activity fee but it?s only like 280 dollars. They also require you to pay for health insurance.
Scholarship
I received both loans and grants from Macalester and applied for aid through FAFSA. I don't remember the process very well. Macalester has fairly generous aid but I still ended up with a lot of loans. They don't really offer any specific big scholarships.
Examination Structure
Most classes have one or two exams per semester, but some, especially humanities courses, don't have any and require longer papers instead. I didn't find there to be anything particularly notable about the exams. On the whole, the academics are pretty grueling, though.
Faculty
I had 99% good experiences with the faculty. I only really had one awful professor, and she only worked there for one semester. Otherwise, the faculty are really knowledgeable and supportive, at least in the department my major was in.
Hostel
I lived on campus for all 4 years, which worked out fine aside from being really expensive. I lived in the same dorm for 3 of those 'Kirk' because it has suite-style rooms and the best location. You're required to have a meal plan if you live on campus, which is convenient but the food is mediocre and expensive.
