<p>I got into both (International Studies major), and I’m having trouble deciding between the two. It may end up coming down to money, but if both are manageable… I feel like I’m comparing apples and oranges. Does anyone have any inside knowledge on the difference between the programs or anything else that could make or break a decision? Especially helpful would be people who had to choose between the two and why they chose one over the other. Thanks so much.</p>
<p>Here’s a thread from last year that may help:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/american-university/1200654-american-vs-gwu.html?highlight=gw[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/american-university/1200654-american-vs-gwu.html?highlight=gw</a></p>
<p>Have you visited both schools? They have very different vibes, and I think you may find yourself far more attracted to one than the other if you spend some time at both.</p>
<p>Putting aside the IR offerings (American’s are well larger), they are very different schools. In fact, if they weren’t in the same city, I doubt folks would compare them very much. About 60% of GW students are in the liberal arts and engineering. Far, far more students in the sciences. The bulk of American students are in International Service, Business, Communications, and Public Affairs. It just makes for a very different feel.</p>
<p>I was about to offer some advice, but I see I already said everything I was going to say (even with wording I’d choose all over again) in the thread that MommaJ linked to. Darkhorizon, I hope you’ll click that link.</p>
<p>What I’ll say as a prospective student last year was definitely the same situation you are in right now. Coming from California, I did not even come and tour east coast schools because it was just too far off. Having been here as a freshman and going out in the city to go see GW, the vibes are SO different. Just like what MommaJ said above, I appreciate the fact that AU has a campus (and I’m seriously not just saying that because I go to AU – it’s seriously because GW sort of doesn’t have one!) despite the fact that it is small. </p>
<p>I will say that the caliber of AU’s SIS vs. GW’s Elliott is very competitive and is often compared heavily. It’s also a teeter-totter on the political end because AU was “Most Politically Active School” in 2010 and GW took it in 2011. But I will say that in terms of IR, 1/4 of AU students are in SIS which is far more than GW’s. Just from a student perspective, I’ve followed GW and they definitely have a great program there I’ve noticed as well. I’ll be honest when I say that it is quite envious when I see GW has a better study abroad program (not by too much, but better) and is ranked a little higher in Foreign Policy Magazine. </p>
<p>So it’s up for you to decide – I think if I was making the choice over again from last year, I would still chose AU… obviously I’m biased. But the things that definitely made me compare the two schools were: (1) campus (or lack of), (2) school programs and rankings, (3) school marketing – which is more prestigious, how do the schools market themselves? AU obviously markets the “WONK” campaign. </p>
<p>One thing you have to take into account is that AU is new compared to GW. They’re virtually incomparable other than the fact that they’re in DC together just like MommaJ said above. The School of International Service was founded in 1946 (but still is in the top 10 undergrad programs for IR!) whereas GW’s Elliott traces far back more to their School of Jurisprudence or something way back in the early 1900s so prestige and how they are viewed are very different. </p>
<p>Everything that I’m saying right now seems to be more tit for tat but it seems to boil down to the question – do you want a small campus away from downtown DC or do you want no campus in the middle of DC with a great nightlife?, do you care about rankings/prestige and which do you lean towards? </p>
<p>Best case scenario: Go take a tour of each school and go from there!</p>