American University Top Questions

The school contains the most driven and passionate people I have ever met. Sometimes this can be intimidating and overwhelming because you never know who you'll offend.

I love American University. Everyone is so friendly and involved in the school and the community as a whole. The environment is one of encouragement and that is very important to me as a student because I feel that students need to compete but also raise up one another. American University is the perfect size school! Campus is not too big or small and class sizes are very practical. The best part about it is the professors who are really involved with their students.

In spite of the pretentious "saving the world types," which includes me, natch, I really do love AU. I do credit my time at AU for giving me a clearer path to a career choice and helping me focus my interests. AU is expensive -- the tuition, the cost of living, on-campus food, everything. That comes with living in a tony area of an East Coast city and attending a private university. Take advantage if they give you scholarships/financial aid. DC is a fantastic, diverse, complex, gorgeous city with loads of opportunities. Get to know all of it, even the parts with (gasp) black people. Caution: AU is filled with SWPL types who pride themselves on their "tolerance" but clutch their bags in the Metro when they see a homeless person. That being said, both the city and this school are internship central, and the "right" internship is kind of a status symbol among students, regardless of what you actually do during said internship. We do have an excellent Career Center. There are plenty of networking opportunities, but it's up to you to take advantage of them. This is not the school for you if you want to tailgate at the games and such. There are sororities and fraternities, if that's your thing. It's not really my cup of tea, personally.

Overall, I have a very positive opinion of AU. The best thing about the school is how much it prepares you to be in the real world and how much the other students around you push you to be ambitious and get out of the classroom and into the city. I believe the school size is just right, however, recently AU has been accepting more and more students, so I believe that in the near future it could become a little too big. Another amazing aspect of AU is its location in Washington, D.C. As the nations capital, there are so many wonderful opportunities for internships and other experiences outside the classroom that will make your resume more appealing than another students. Washington is also a great college town that is thriving with young people who are also driven for success. AU's campus is in a great location because it is very close to downtown but still has a wonderful campus to sit and relax. The quad in the center of campus is one of my favorite places to hang out. However, I would have to say the one aspect that makes me dislike the school a bit is the administration. AU is very expensive, and the financial aid office can sometimes be less than helpful. There have been quite a few controversies involving the President and his salary compared with what he has actually done for the school. Yet each controversy at AU is a unique experience because the students are very involved and not passive at all. As a side note, the dining hall really sucks too, but there are other options nearby to get food that are great.

The school is in a good location in D.C. because it is not loud and right in the heart of the city, but if I did want to go to the heart of the city, it is only about a half hour away on the AU shuttle and metro. If I could change one thing about the university overall, it would be to add a lot more housing because not all juniors are guaranteed housing, and I do not think that is fair. Upperclassman have a very slim chance of getting housing.

Although American University may not be the social, partying mecca of Washington, DC (as some misinformed frat guys seem to think), an AU education is definitely an asset for the future. AU students and professors are extremely motivated and innovative. It is the type of school where you should try to remember everyone (from your finance professor to that quiet girl who sat next to you in World Politics) because everyone is destined for greatness. Chances are that quiet girl will create the next big I-gadget. Comparatively, AU has a small campus and some may complain it feels like high school, but AU's location in Washington, DC definitely supplements the small campus feeling. Washington, DC is a great city and most students get internships around the city, gaining the chance to explore different parts of the city. The most recent controversies on campus have been surrounding the quick-selling tickets to the Founder's Day Ball at the Library of Congress and President Bill Clinton's visit. AU does not have much school pride when it comes to athletics. An AU student could probably name the past three AU student government presidents faster than one of the current AU men's basketball team members.

I like AU for many reasons and there are also a number of things I would change. I think the location and convenience of getting into the city is great and provides students with a plethora of internships that other schools don't offer. It is also awesome to be in a city with some of the most socially engaged people in the country. I also like that AU has a campus feel that some city schools don't have. And the abroad program is great, everyone should go abroad! As for things I wish we could do differently. I wish that we had a football team and a greater sense of school pride because there isn't a lot of support for AU athletics. And though I love the fact that AU is kinda small, sometimes it is frustrating because you can't go anywhere without knowing someone. It also is not a college town, so if you are looking for the state school vibe, AU is not the place. But overall, I think I've gotten a great education here.

The best thing about American University (AU) is the endless amounts of opportunities to get involved. Although very liberal, AU has groups for just about anything you can think of. American as a whole is a very politically active university. Being in the nation's capital just makes opportunities to stay involved even more prevalent. AU is the perfect balance between a small and large school. What first attracted me to AU was the fact that it has a small school feel, but is located in a very active city. That being said, I wouldn't necessarily say AU is located in a "college town." DC as a whole is kind of the university's college town. Most DC residents know about American University and are kind/respectful of the students. In the end, I think American University is a great school, but it really comes down to what you make of your college experience. Compared to smaller liberal arts colleges that I visited, AU has a much different feel. It's just big enough that you can't really "know everyone," and you always tend to wonder where everyone was hiding when the warm weather hits and there's suddenly a maze of students on the quad.With that said, the school is also small enough to stay involved. Clubs tend to be fairly reasonable in size and class sizes are small as well. This makes it easy to stay involved and to meet people if you take the initiative to do so. AU is also top-rated for the amount of students involved in internships, so it's very easy to stay busy if one has the drive/will to do so.

Plain and simple, I love American. I applied as an early decision student and still think that the day I was accepted was one of the best days ever. American has a great campus feel, while also having a perfect location. It's rare to find a great city school that also has a traditional college campus like AU does. I knew when I picked a school that I wanted a medium sized university so that I would not have huge classes and that is something AU definitely offers. My largest class was around 50 people and most of my classes are no bigger than 30. It offers a unique experience to get to know professors and other students well. All of my teachers have been really helpful. One example is when I took a theory class for Sociology and I was completely lost. I went to my professor for help multiple times during her office hours and she really helped me understand the material. I wound up getting an A in the class! Besides the academics, AU has so much to offer both on and off campus. There are so many clubs and organizations to get involved in, or students can volunteer out in the city. Washington D.C. has the perfect mix of fun, free things to do on weekends and great opportunities to help the students prepare for their futures.

The School is very cutting-edge and up-to-date with resources and infrastructure. However, sometimes it takes a long time for them to change and remodel new buildings so that students can see the value of their tuition dollars at work. The school needs to get a larger donor base and endowment to help alleviate the burden of attending this institution.