American University Top Questions

i wish we had more school spirit. just right. people are always excited when they learn it is in washington, dc. in my dorm, or friends'dorms, floor lounges. its definitly a city inhabited by college students. the most recent controversy was when a group of students rioted when Karl Rove spoke on campus to the College Republicans. there isn't a lot of school pride. its the only university in the actual city of dc to have an actual campus. i'll always remember being dropped off by my parents. the most frequent complains are about the lack of organization within the various AU offices, which they administration is in the process of fixing. also tdr, or the terrace dining room, no one likes the food even though the dining program has gotten good reviews multiple times in the past

The best thing about American is the availability of internships. One thing I would change is the drinking policy. The school is just the right size. When I tell people I go to American they are either impressed, or not sure where the school is. When I'm on campus I spend most of my time in my dorm or at Davenports. Not really a college town, but DC has plenty to offer - plenty of free things to offer. The AU administration does a lot to make sure their students are happy. The most recent controversy on campus - not really sure - we do have a fire alarm problem though There is a lot of school pride - three words - AU Blue Crew The only unusual thing are the WWII chemicals under the presidents house. One experience I will always remember is finding out that all of my Arab friends from the Middle East were royalty, though they didn't act like it. Frequent complaint - TDR!

Best thing: the political nature of the school Thing I'd change: the price - it's almost as much as Georgetown for a less prestigious name and less prestigious professors The size: just right for me personally but it depends on your preference Reaction: they know or pretend to know half the time. Once they hear it is in D.C., they suddenly seem to assume that I am always on the Hill and know the day to days of Congress. And that I'm really smart. Spend time: the Quad or in the dorms College town: definitely Administration: unhelpful and still suffering from the last president's financial scandal. Most administrations are disliked by students, but the financial situation is pretty ridiculous. Recent controversy on campus: the last president School pride: as already addressed, not about sports - more so about rallies, speakers, and other events that are either political or community oriented

The best thing about American is our emphasis on service. We don't just want students to have the best GPA or memorize facts--AU teaches students to actually give back to the community or world. I would change the size of our meal plan. As of now, there are three places--the Terrace Dining Room, the Tavern, and the Block Express on our meal plan while we clearly have many other eating establishments on campus. They should all count towards meal plan points. The school is also the perfect size. I can walk from one end of campus to the other in about 10 minutes, which is a good amount of exercise, but not too much! People react in either two ways when I say that I go to American: the first is "Oh wow, that's a great school. I hear their international studies program is one of the best." The second reaction, because of a misunderstanding, and I kid you not, is: "Wait, ok, I get that you go to an American university, but which one?" Washington D.C. is by far the greatest college town in the U.S.! First, it is our nation's capital and is full of history and prominence. The internship opportunities are incredible. The city is only 10 miles in diameter, and there are about 8 universities within range, so you can travel to different universities for different events and take classes at the other universities. What's unusual about American is that it is the birthplace of the Army Corps of Engineers. We have WWI remnants! Eisenhower also helped to create and promote AU's School of International Service. Eisenhower was huge on foreign policy and wanted an institution that would promote international affairs. One experience I will always remember is when Barack Obama chose AU to not only speak at, but to also receive his endorsement from Ted Kennedy and Caroline Kennedy (he didn't choose GW or Georgetown!).

the students i want more things to be open late at night for food and for people under 21 just right not too positively -- often its a "oh where's that?" or like wow you should have gone somewhere better. the davenport lounge, my hall in the dorm, my room college town :) YAY tenley the honors administration rocks and makes a huge effort to help you. as for the whole school, i don't even have a clue controversy? none. exciting event: OBAMARAMA! no school spirit. everyone is in sis volunteering at marvin gaye park for the freshman service experience and finding a heroin needle in the grass. not enough night life, dry campus, TDR

The customer service at American is amazing. The administration and everyone else who runs things around here know what they are talking about and want to help you do whatever it is you are trying to do.

The best thing about AU is the community. The school is big enough so that you can't know everyone, but small enough that you build small communities and end up knowing quite a bit of the student body. The added bonus is that we are located in the safest and most affluent part of DC, but it is easy enough to hop on the metro and explore what DC has to offer...including parties at other schools or historic sites downtown. On campus, I would say I spend most my time in Ward for class, Mary Graydon Center for food, and the library during finals time. It all happens in waves, depending on priority. I have never been in a place where administration cared more for its students than AU. AU's faculty and staff commit tons of time and energy to making sure we are happy. In Kogod, staff work with our student clubs in order to make sure our events go off without any major snags. The campus has a multicultural office that makes sure the underrepresented our represented. We also have an office that gears to the concerns of gay,lesbian, and transgendered students. Not to mention, AU goes through consistent upgrades to insure we are competitive with our neighboring schools. I will always remember when Barack Obama came to campus and ignited the crowd with excitement. Or when Ari Fleischer spoke my freshman year, and took a picture with me when he walked to his reception. Most people at AU complain that we have too much work to do, but who doesn't? Last biggest controversy on campus was probably our president being asked to step down, but that was a year ago.

In my experience, AU has been a wonderful place to attend university. The location of the school is amazing, with shuttles to the metro from which any part of the city is readily accessible. The size of the student population is ideal, there are enough students to still discover new friends in different classes but not so many that finding familiar faces proves difficult. There is always something to be doing in DC and the (free!) venues available to students (like the Smithsonians) are a wonderful resource.