American University

If the odds are against you at Georgetown and you can’t see yourself on GW’s ultra-urban
campus, welcome to American University. The allure of AU is simple: Washington, D.C. American
has a nice campus in a nice neighborhood with easy access to the Metro. American is about a third
smaller than GW and a lot easier to get into. An additional plus for males: the student body is
nearly two-thirds women.

Description:
Located just a few miles from where our country’s leaders make decisions of national and global
impact, American University is a breeding ground for the next generation of reporters, diplomats,
lobbyists, and political leaders who will shape domestic and international policy. Alongside these eager
buzzhounds is a host of students taking advantage of AU’s strong programs in the arts and sciences and
business. “American University is a diverse, pulsing, and dynamic school driven by some of the best
faculty, staff, scholars, and students in the world,” a senior says. Thanks to phenomenal internships, a
comfortable suburban location, and a strong international focus, AU continues to attract top students from
nearly 130 nations and all 50 states.
AU’s 84-acre residential campus is located in the safe northwest corner of Washington, D.C., in a
neighborhood called Tenleytown that’s just minutes from downtown; free shuttle buses transport students
to the nearby Metro (subway) station. There’s a mix of classical and modern architecture and flower
gardens alongside the parking lots. The quads have numerous sitting areas for reflection and study, and
the campus has gone totally wireless. The 70,000-square-foot, environmentally friendly School of
International Service building is designed to be LEED Gold certified and features 7,000 square feet of
solar panels on the roof, low-flow faucets and fixtures to reduce water consumption, and the first LED-lit
parking garage in Washington, D.C.
All AU undergraduates must demonstrate competency in writing and English, either through two courses
or an exam; for math or statistics, it’s one semester of class or placing out through a test. The general
education program requires 30 credit hours from five areas: the creative arts, traditions that shape the
Western world, global and multicultural perspectives, social institutions and behavior, and the natural
sciences. The requirements are typically completed during the first two years so that upperclassmen can
study abroad or participate in an internship or co-op—of which there are more than 100 in 41 nations,
thanks to the school’s relationships with more than 900 private, nonprofit, or government institutions. The
school also uses these connections in its Washington Semester* program, which attracts a wide range of
majors.
In the classroom, AU has outstanding programs in political science and government, international studies,
business, and communications. An honors program offers the top 15 percent of entering students small
seminars, special sections of many courses, and designated floors in the residence halls, plus specialized
work in their major and a senior capstone experience. In all, students may choose from more than 70
programs and have the option to design their own interdisciplinary major. The School of International
Service offers a three-year Global Scholars bachelor’s degree program.
“AU’s academic program is rigorous, but the climate among the students is more collaborative than
competitive,” says one senior. “There is definitely a belief that one’s own success does not have to come
at the expense of our classmates’ success.” Nearly half of all classes taken by undergraduates have 19 or
fewer students, and over 90 percent of professors hold the highest degree in their fields. “No classes are
taught by TAs, and the majority of classes are relatively small,” cheers one sophomore. “Professors are
more than willing to help you and are open to questions and available for office hours.”
“Students at AU are smart, compassionate, politically aware, and driven to make the world a better place,”
a senior observes. AU prides itself on drawing students from every state and approximately 130 foreign
countries; just 2 percent hail from the District of Columbia. Six percent of the student body is African
American, 10 percent is Hispanic, and 7 percent is Asian American. Unlike many college campuses where
apathy reigns, AU is politically active—after all, this is Washington, D.C. “What really sets AU apart
from other schools is that when AU students are unhappy they do something about it,” a student says. The
school offers hundreds of merit scholarships and a slew of athletic scholarships.
More than two-thirds of AU students, mostly freshmen and sophomores, live on campus. “All the dorms
are air-conditioned and spacious,” a junior says. “The lounges on each floor are nice and I like that they
each have a full kitchen.” There is off-campus housing for upperclassmen in luxury apartments, and a
shuttle bus connects them to campus. “You are guaranteed housing for your first four semesters on
campus. After that, you can be a part of a lottery system,” says one student. “But most students decide to
live in a group house or an apartment.” Campus dining receives good reviews for its taste and variety.
“It’s really easy to eat healthy here and not be limited to a back room or shoved in a corner,” reports one
student. Students say they generally feel safe on campus, noting public safety officers are visible. “I often
am at work or studying in the library until the wee hours of the morning,” a senior says, “and I never feel
unsafe walking back to my dorm late at night.”
A good deal of the social life at AU revolves around campus-related functions, such as room and frat
parties; 20 percent of men and 18 percent of women go Greek, though the women lament that the bottom-
heavy male/female ratio is “a little ridiculous.” The immediate area around AU has restaurants and shops,
but you need to get a bit farther away for true nightlife in Dupont Circle and Georgetown. While greater
D.C. certainly has its share of clubs and bars, they’re largely off-limits to students under 21. The AU
campus is officially dry, and most students take that seriously. Happily, there is so much other stuff to do
in D.C., and much of it is free—the art house movie theaters, gallery openings, pro soccer games,
museums and monuments, and funky live music. “You just jump on the Metro to get anywhere in the
city,” says a communications major. Each year, Family Weekend brings games, rides, and popular bands
to campus, along with a carnival on the quad. Homecoming and Founder’s Week are also campus
favorites. Popular road trips include Baltimore, Annapolis, Williamsburg, Richmond, the Ocean City
shore, and nearby amusement parks and outlets.
American competes in Division I, but sports are an afterthought for most students. Although there’s no
football team, students are enthusiastic about Eagles basketball, where games against Bucknell, Holy
Cross, and the Naval Academy top the schedule. Women’s volleyball is solid, having brought home
multiple Patriot League championships. Field hockey and wrestling are competitive, too. AU athletics
also earned the distinction of the highest combined GPA in AU history, proving that brains and brawn are
not mutually exclusive. There’s a slew of intramural and club sports, which are divided into different
levels of competitiveness.
AU is heaven on earth for C-SPAN junkies. But even if you are not addicted to following current events,
AU and Washington, D.C. are still a top combo for a rich college life. The opportunities for real-world
experience—in fields ranging from business to international studies to political science—are outstanding.
But AU is small enough to keep students from feeling lost in the fast-paced world inside the Beltway.
“We are a small campus, which gives the feeling of being out of the city, but yet the city is at our
fingertips,” a junior says.