We visited twice last school year – fall 2021 and spring 2022. The first was a general tour and pretty standard (info session followed by a walking tour). The second was an admitted student tour (NOT the big New Eagle Day one). It included a much longer info session with new student info, a sample class, lunch and a tour. Honestly, it was kinda long and boring for my kid, although I got a lot of helpful info out of it.
The first visit we stayed in the Georgetown area which was fun (good shopping, restaurants, etc.) because we were visiting several campuses. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to get from Georgetown to AU by Metro (although you can take a bus). We ended up just driving and parking on campus. The second time we were visiting just AU and wanted to get a better feel for the area around campus and use the Metro. We stayed just north of The White House, steps from the Farragut North Metro station. I would recommend that, or near the DuPont Circle Metro station. There is plenty to see and do in these areas (although not as cute as Georgetown), and it is super easy to get to AU on the Metro. Just take the red line to Tenleytown, and then walk or take an AU shuttle from there.
DC has tons of good restaurants. If you are looking for food around AU, we’ve enjoyed Chef Geoff’s Uptown for a sit-down meal or Wagshal’s for a good sandwich.
Metro red line is a super easy way to get to/from campus, and will give your student a feel for using pubic transportation in DC. Tenleytown is the closest commercial area to campus with food, shopping, etc. – and this is where you get off the Metro red line for AU. If the weather is pleasant and you are able, the walk to campus from Tenleytown is really nice/pretty (0.60 mile). Otherwise there is an AU shuttle that runs regularly and you are welcome to take if visiting campus.
The campus vibe is a little sleepy and quirky. Laid back. Not a lot of obvious rah-rah, school spirit. However, our tour guides were super friendly both times and made a good impression.
Neither of our tours took us inside a dorm to see the rooms. That may have changed since COVID restrictions have lifted, but I’m not sure. (Since I now have a student there, I can share that freshman dorms are mostly traditional style. Some have been recently renovated and some have not. They are fine. My kid’s renovated freshman dorm at AU was definitely nicer than my older child’s freshman year dorm room at another private university.)
In terms of things to do/see, well, it’s DC. There is a ton of sightseeing choices. The campus area itself is pretty residential, so there isn’t much right there.
The school facilities and campus are a “B”, I would say. AU is definitely not the most beautiful or well-appointed campus we visited, but it’s nice. If you are looking for a classic campus (trees, quads, etc.) in DC, then AU is definitely worth a visit.
AU was definitely not my kid’s favorite campus visit, either time. Nonetheless, the DC location, traditional campus, and excellent international studies program tipped the scale. My biggest recommendation when visiting, especially if seriously considering AU, is to stay close to the Metro red line and explore by Metro and on foot. DC is an easy city to navigate, has tons to do/see, and will give your student a better sense of what it’s like to live there.