2008 Woodie Awards
College manages to avert high study away rejection rate
College accepts students beyond cap set for study away, using funds from unexpectedly
By: Annie Lewine, Associate News Editor
Issue date: 11/2/07 Section: News
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Macalester's International Center has approved the proposals of 168 of the 169 students who applied to study away this spring. In the end, more than 30 students over the cap of 135 that administrators had initially set for the spring study abroad cohort will be able to study away from Macalester next semester.
"We knew that students who were academically qualified would not be able to go [if Macalester did not exceed the cap]," Provost Diane Michelfelder said. "We know that many students come to Macalester with a keen interest in studying away and in many cases have constructed their academic experience with an eye to leading up to studying away."
The college budgeted for 260 students to study abroad for the 2007-08 school year, at an average cost of $12,250 for each semester slot, Michelfelder said. The additional students approved for study abroad will cost the college about $280,000 more. This expenditure will be funded in part by the excess revenue generated by the tuition from the first-year class, which was larger than anticipated.
Students were happy to discover that the spring study abroad enrollment would be higher than expected.
"They've been coming across like they were going to be really strict about the number of students allowed to study abroad," said David Wheeler '09, who was approved to study in Egypt this spring. "I think it's great that basically everyone was accepted. It really shows their commitment to internationalism."
Although most students were approved, not all will actually study abroad in the spring, according to Paula Paul-Wagner, assistant director of the International Center.
"Even though nearly all Macalester students who applied were approved by the Macalester Study Abroad Review Committee, some will not go abroad because of personal conflicts, [or because] their program was full to capacity or did not accept them," Paul-Wagner said.
Students who study abroad tend to travel and live in places not as popular among students at other colleges.
"We knew that students who were academically qualified would not be able to go [if Macalester did not exceed the cap]," Provost Diane Michelfelder said. "We know that many students come to Macalester with a keen interest in studying away and in many cases have constructed their academic experience with an eye to leading up to studying away."
The college budgeted for 260 students to study abroad for the 2007-08 school year, at an average cost of $12,250 for each semester slot, Michelfelder said. The additional students approved for study abroad will cost the college about $280,000 more. This expenditure will be funded in part by the excess revenue generated by the tuition from the first-year class, which was larger than anticipated.
Students were happy to discover that the spring study abroad enrollment would be higher than expected.
"They've been coming across like they were going to be really strict about the number of students allowed to study abroad," said David Wheeler '09, who was approved to study in Egypt this spring. "I think it's great that basically everyone was accepted. It really shows their commitment to internationalism."
Although most students were approved, not all will actually study abroad in the spring, according to Paula Paul-Wagner, assistant director of the International Center.
"Even though nearly all Macalester students who applied were approved by the Macalester Study Abroad Review Committee, some will not go abroad because of personal conflicts, [or because] their program was full to capacity or did not accept them," Paul-Wagner said.
Students who study abroad tend to travel and live in places not as popular among students at other colleges.
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