American University Top Questions

American University (AU) is a very liberal university. It has a large LGBT population and prides itself on an accepting and loving community. Anyone who has any qualms with members of the LGBT community and feels the need to voice their opinion about it, should probably not attend AU. Although the school provides itself on giving all students a voice, it has a no tolerance policy for disrespect and prejudice. AU has a very large group of international students. However, I would not say at first glance that the university screams diversity. Students are often dressed up and very fashionable. A friend from a different university is always in awe of how nicely dressed the students appear. In large, due to the number of internships/jobs and other professional opportunities offered at AU and in DC, you'll often see students in professional/business attire. Males as well as females often dress with fancy shoes, nice tops and designer clothes. This isn't to say that one will be looked down upon for dressing in jeans and a t-shirt or a sweatshirt, but it is definitely less common than may be seen at other schools.

AU students are really diverse. There is a vast amount of interests, but I must say that everyone is really focused on social issues and wants to make a change in whatever area they are studying. In addition, a lot of students have a strong international focus. Many of them study abroad during their college career or do an alternative break to volunteer in another country or domestically.

Diversity is seen as a strength, though most students are white and spoiled.

American University prides itself on Diversity. While the majority of students are are white and upper-middle class, there is a lot of diversity in terms sexual orientation and nationality. AU has a HUGE LGBT community that is very open and very active! Ladies beware! The joke around AU is a guy is gay until proven straight. While this may be a slight exaggeration, it does go to show you how prevalent the LGBT community is on campus. Also, AU has a lot of international students, both degree-seeking and study abroad. I helped with Abroad at AU orientation this past year and met students from all over Asia, the Middle East, and Europe! The strong international element allows for a really rich and multicultural community. In general, students at American are very friendly and open - they pride themselves on being really accepting of all sorts of people. Intolerance is not an option! AU students are pretty driven and very politically active. While mostly liberal, the Young Republicans are present on campus. Political arguments are VERY common - we are in the nation's capitol after all! Even at college parties, politics always come up. People with absolutely no interest in politics probably shouldn't go here.

The students at AU are such a diverse conglomerate of people - there are so many people of different races, religions, and sexual orientations and they are all supported by particularly active groups on campus. As a matter of fact, I am a member of the Latin American Student Organization (LASO) and have gone to a LGBT workshop that was promoted nearly everywhere at AU. The activeness of the groups resemble that of the students - AU students are some of the most politically active in the nation, receiving the title for number one in 2010 by the Princeton Review. There is a clear liberal majority at AU, but many students are also center and right-leaning (as I said, practically every group is represented on campus). Concerning what we wear, a lot of students come to class dressed casually, but there are quite a few that have to go to internships or jobs in the city right after class and therefore wear business attire.

American University students are some of the most passionate people I know. Whether it's about politics, the environment, or international affairs, you can rest assured there are a group of students dedicated to the cause. Sometimes the vigor students have for causes get in the way of their ability to be social, but this obviously depends on the social group one chooses to associate with. For the most part, AU students are very liberal, but the campus is hugely diverse and there really are groups for every type of lifestyle, political party, and interest.

I've never had such a diverse group of friends. My floor here alone includes five students somewhere on the LGBT spectrum, members of every racial background I can think of, students with physical disabilities, students with all varieties of different religious and political views, the artsiest people I know, the most practical people I know, and from every possible corner of the earth. My roommate is an abroad student from Montenegro, and some of my other floor mates come from New York, Florida, Japan, Washington, Louisiana, California, Texas, and Maryland. There's also a British guy whose family lives in Brazil, but who spent most of his life in New Jersey, so I'm not entirely sure how to classify him. Our floor's very close-knit, and we hang out and watch movies together every week. I love knowing people from such different backgrounds. I even have a few friends who are hard-partying frat guys, the farthest possible thing I could imagine from myself. Because AU's a private school, some people assume that only rich kids go here, and while there are a lot of wealthy students, I've discovered that I am far from the only one here on a scholarship. In fact, I think most students get at least a little financial aid. I've seen students show up in class wearing everything from pajamas to suits. I think most students dress up a little bit more here than at other schools-- there are some pretty fashion-forward statements going on. I used to wear dresses to class almost every day, and didn't receive odd looks for it. Now that I go to class straight after working at a preschool, I have to wear my uniform of jeans and a t-shirt, and still don't feel out of place. Students usually sit in smallish groups in the dining hall, and they're not easy to classify by 'clique' as you would in high school. The large groups of frat bros or sorority sisters are easy to spot, as are the occasional sports team, but other than that,they're usually just floormates, classmates, or friends hanging out together. There's also no real stigma against eating alone in the dining hall, especially if you're busy with homework or in a hurry.

.AU is know throughout the other DC Metropolitan Area universities as "Gay Jew". There is a strong LGBT community on campus. The LGBT organizations often host interesting and informative programs that raise awareness and inform students about the distinctions within the LGBT community as well as the treatment that the community faces. (Apparently) There is also a large Jewish community at AU, though I have not experienced this in my time here. Many students are wealthy. Coming from a much less wealthy demographic, I found it a little interesting adjusting to the new culture at AU but most people are by no means arrogant or even exhibit their wealth openly.

We have a VERY diverse and tolerant student body. People come from all over the world, but are also of different religions and sexual orientations. There is not a lot of socio-economic or political differences, and most American students are from the East Coast. Students wear anything from business suits to sweat pants in class, though professors are always business or business casual. Students tend to sit with people from their dorm floors or ethnic backgrounds.

Mostly rich prep school kids who couldn't get into a better school, leavened with smart poor kids who needed scholarships and a ton of international students. Overall very liberal. Douchebag quotient about what you'd expect for an East Coast private school.