Advice

Colleges and Universities A-Z American University
1

<p>Do you think American University’s School of International Service is a perfect fit for me? Here are my statistics:</p>

<p>Race:Indian
Graduation Year:2008
State:NJ
I attend a normal public high school.
GPA: 4.5 weighted
Class Rank: 12/358
SAT: 1760/2400 (590 CR, 590 M, 580 W)…will test again in October
9th - 4 Honors
10th - 5 Honors
11th - 4 Honors 2 AP (Biology and Environmental Science)
12th - 2 Honors 3 AP (Statistics, English, Government)
President of Freshman Class
V.P. of Sophomore Class
V.P. of Key Club
Executive Member of Renaissance Club
Executive Member of FBLA
Member of National Honor Society
4 Years of H.S. Baseball - Freshman, JV, Varsity
Held a job as a Front Desk Clerk for 4 years</p>

2

<p>It would ultimately be a futile effort to predict how well you fit into AU purely based on your stats and EC's. Things matter more are your personality, interests, and talents. That being said, you seem to excel in school, so I think you will find plenty of opportunities to do what you like both on and off-campus.</p>

<p>As for your chances, the only thing that is holding you back is the SAT. You seem to be aware of it already, but i would say 1950+ almost guarantees your admission and 2100+ puts you in a ballpark for Honors. Also, think hard about how you would afford AU. Unless you are very wealthy, paying the full price for AU probably is not very desirable (AU is not very good with need-based aid).</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

3

<p>vimo~
get your SATs up . how are you as far as public/ community service goes? that matters a lot to AU, as well as other language proficiencies. AU does offer need-based aid, especially if you aren't the only one in college. AU is very reasonable in terms of tuition, even receiving kudos from various rankings for it. their room and board is high, as with all big city schools. after first year, try to get off campus and save a lot on food! best of luck!</p>

4

<p>i love my SIS classes! SIS is a really great school and if only i could major/ minor in everything that AU had to offer, being enrolled in SIS would def be at the top of my list! ANYWAY the classes are really interesting, the internships that steam from this program are great, and the profs really know what they are talking about (as in one of my profs for an SIS class worked for the US security council). </p>

<p>gl!</p>

5

<p>
[quote]
Do you think American University's School of International Service is a perfect fit for me?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Well it really depends on your personality. Are you very idealistic? Do you think you can make a difference in the world and truly care about the masses that suffer at the hands of U.S corporate interests and, well, every product you essentially buy at a big box retailer? Do you eventually want to work exclusively with non-profits and NGO's whose aim revolves around helping the underprivileged? This is AU's International Service program and these are the types of jobs and internships you can expect to receive. It works for most people here and it might work for you. </p>

<p>As for your chances, I don't understand your SAT score. Are you an immigrant, do you have problems with the English section? If you do, you can take the Toefl as an alternate and that might make AU more understandable. PM me for more advice.</p>

6

<p>Are you ESL? Perhaps try the ACT...</p>

<p>I agree with Ryan that you need to get your stats up for sure...However, as a current SIS student I have to disagree with Ryan's perception of the school and its students. Yes, AU is a liberal school and you will find a great deal of students in SIS (and in the other schools) who feel a strong need to go out and make a difference. This being said, a great majority of these students aren't so ignorant as to blame all the problems in the world on US corporate interests. Very few of my fellow classmates in SIS work only in NGOs and non-profits...often people begin interning with these types of organizations because they always need help and you have more of a chance to do hands-on type work.</p>

<p>SIS is an interesting major in that everyone will graduate with a BA in International Studies, but you must concentrate in certain areas...The following is a break down of the SIS major</p>

<hr>

<p>University Requirements
A total of 120 credit hours
6 credit hours of college writing
3 credit hours of college mathematics or equivalent by examination
General Education Requirements
A total of 30 credit hours, consisting of one foundation course and one second-level course in an approved sequence from each of the five curricular areas.
No more than 6 credit hours may be taken in the same discipline.
Major Requirements
A total of 63-64 credit hours, plus foreign language, with grades of C or better::</p>

<p>Foundation</p>

<p>SIS-105 World Politics (3)
SIS-101 Leadership Gateway (1) (For first semester SIS Freshmen only)
U.S. Politics – GOVT-110, GOVT-120, GOVT-210, OR GOVT-215 (3-4)
ECON-100 Macroeconomics (3)
ECON-200 Microeconomics (3)
SIS-140 Cross Cultural Communication (3)
Western Traditions – 2 courses (6)
Non-western Area Studies – 2 courses from different non-western areas:
Africa, The Americas, Asia/Australia, Middle East, Russia and Central Eurasia (6)
Core</p>

<p>3 courses in these fields: Global Environmental Policies, International Development, International Economic Relations, Peace and Conflict Resolution, U.S. Foreign Policy (9)
Research Methods</p>

<p>SIS-206 Introduction to International Relations Research (3)
STAT-202, CSC-100, OR finite mathematics (3-4)
Foreign Language</p>

<p>May be satisfied by coursework in one modern language through the Int II level with grades of C or better, coursework in one intensive language through the Elem II level with grades of C or better, or consult with your academic advisor. ...More Information
Area Specialization</p>

<p>3 courses from one of the following areas: Africa, The Americas, Asia/Australia, Europe, Middle East, Russia and Central Eurasia (9)
Functional Field of Concentration</p>

<p>3 courses from one of the following fields: Comparative and International Race Relations, Global Environmental Policies, International Business, International Communication, International Development, International Economic Relations, International Politics, Islamic Studies, Peace and Conflict Resolution, U.S. Foreign Policy (9) </p>

<h2>Senior Seminar</h2>

<p>So, in short, it depends on your areas of interest that will determine your internships and career choice. I am double majoring in Economics and International Studies with a concentration in International Business and Chinese. I have absolutely zero intention in going into non-profit work.</p>