<p>How does American SIS compare to Georgetown SFS. Is Georgetown worth the extra money it may cost. Also does either one give merit aid to NMSF ? My son really wants to go to Georgetown and I have him also take a look at American’s SIS program, he does not seem to care for American too much. Can anyone tell something about their experience in the SIS program ? His other choices would be his state schools in Florida. We may receive some financial aid but not much, so Georgetown may be expensive and he is really interested in the SFS program.</p>
<p>AU's SIS is quite good. That being said, Georgetown has more name recognition. You should definitely visit both schools. While I don't know if there is NMSF aid in particular, there are lots of students who have merit aid. Georgetown has a bigger endowment though. AU students pride themselves on being "nicer," but honestly there is very little interaction between the two schools outside of sports, so I haven't met anyone from GT. Why not apply to both, and then make the decision when you know the entire financial picture? A school is no bargain if you are absolutely miserable. A good school is all about fit, and only your son can figure that out. Can he take out private loans to make his dream school happen?</p>
<p>Very few students pay exactly the expected cost of attendance. Students have merit aid, financial aid, grants, and scholarships, but incidentals add up. I personally was shocked at the price of things in DC. Textbooks can easily run between $300 and $500 per semester (and that's if you avoid the campus bookstore). How much money will your student need for transportation (home and around the city)? Is there a place nearby for affordable groceries? What about evening entertainment? A night at the movies in DC can cost more than $10 counting the metro and the movie ticket. Do students have to pay for laundry? A washer is $1.35 and a dryer is $1.25 per load at AU, is there a similar cost at GT? Are there fees for campus sponsored activities? Can you put a price on being in the district during the school year? (When there is less competition for internships). </p>
<p>Have you looked at George Washington? While their tuition is high, the tuition stays the same for all 4 years. (I think AU's tuition is increasing 6% next year). </p>
<p>I wish you and your son the best of luck.</p>
<p>Of course my first suggestion is to apply to both schools (AU will take the common app) and then watch and wait. Did he apply ED or EA to Gtown? After you have acceptance letters and financial aid offers you can make a better decision.</p>
<p>I am currently a senior in SIS, and having been waitlisted at Georgetown, was considerably unhappy about attending AU. However, in my final year here at SIS I can honestly say that I have been happy with my professors, the school, and the classes. I switched into SIS my sophomore year (from SPA) and never once thought about transferring. Fill free to PM me if you want more information.</p>
<p>Britty 512,</p>
<p>Have you been able to participate in any internships through the AU SIS program? What type of professional opportunities has the SIS program prepared you for?</p>
<p>David Gregory is an SIS alum.</p>
<p>He's also reportedly the new moderator of Meet the Press.</p>
<p>I've spoken with the FA office at GU and they do not give out merit scholarships, although GWU does. AU also does because they realize that some people think they are GU's left overs. One complaint that some have is that GU is not as close to the city as GWU and so internships are easier to get to and acquire if you're a student at GWU. AU would have even more of a travel issue, although you are still in DC instead of VA. But it is true, GU has the name recognition that opens doors.</p>
<p>2012Mom,</p>
<p>Since my freshman year I worked at a non-profit (The Redress Trust) in London, a non-profit (Counterpart International) in Washington DC, the International Department of the IRS, and my current internship (and future full time job) at a consulting firm in Bethesda, MD. </p>
<p>As you can see I experienced everything from non-profit, government, and private sector jobs-- paid and unpaid.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info. He applied EA to GU and will apply to American.
What type of classes does a freshman in SIS typically take ? Do you still have to take a lot of the basic requirement classes or can they be fulfilled with AP credit ?
Do you specifically apply to SIS like you do for SFS at GU ?</p>
<p>Mdebel,</p>
<p>Freshman in SIS will participate in a Leadership Gateway program (1 credit, pass fail) which gives a broad introduction to the many routes they can go in SIS. I had applied to Georgetown SFS, but applied to AU SPA initially. I transferred into SIS as a sophomore. The General Education requirements are the same for all AU students, and scoring 4-5 on AP exams will allow you to bypass a few of these courses. Some students choose to get the Gened classes out of the way as soon as they can (which is what I did), others spread them out over all four years (seems like a better choice).</p>
<p>So if you had a choice between a school w/connections to the UN in NYC,or American in DC, which would you have chosen? You mentioned you weren't too happy about American at first.</p>
<p>What exactly do you mean by "connections ot the UN"...You mean you have family that can give you an "in" for internships, or the school has a program which would allow you to work there?</p>
<p>Quite frankly...my thoughts on where I wanted to work after graduation changed three or four times after my internships experiences in school.</p>
<p>I would focus on what really interests you, but I wouldn't try to plan it out for the next four years, you never know what professor or class will sway you one direction or another...</p>