<p>We are torn between small liberal arts college with lots of student-professor involvement and American University, with questions about how students navigate the environment. Would love to hear some input on these questions (and other information you think is important).
--In presentations, AU staff have said that there are close relationships between students/professors. Is this true? My daughter is not a push-to-the-front, elbows-out-with-a-business-card kind of student, but she loves International Relations and that passion shines through. Is there a lot of competition between students for professors' attention? She'll be in the Scholars program, which may help make some connections early on, but she's not extremely extroverted, and I'm afraid she'd become lost as 1 small fish in a pond of 1600 students.
--We've heard several times that only 20% of students are involved in Greek life, but we've also heard that it plays a much bigger part in social life than the administration knows.
--We've also heard that students can be very label-conscious in their clothes. Judging by current students I wouldn't think so, but judging by prospective students this past weekend, perhaps they've heard the same thing. True? False? Kind of true or false?
--Financially it's a long stretch for us, despite a lot of merit/need aid. I'm afraid that we'll be so tight that additional money during the time on campus would be limited. Would that be apparent or limiting to her social experience on campus? Particularly concerned about lack of additional money for extracurricular travel during her study abroad.
--With an IR major, grad school will be mandatory. Does an AU degree in IR better prepare students for IR grad school or increase their chances of admission to other prestigious IR grad schools (Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, Tufts, Yale)?
And something less important: I walked through the Terrace Dining Room and saw what looked like a commuter schol cafeteria--no windows, small white formica tables. I wondered why it was called a Terrace when it was more like Subterranean. Did I miss a major part of the dining hall?
Thanks so much!</p>
<p>@Cardamum </p>
<ol>
<li><p>AU staff do not have a close relationship with the students. I was a student in the school of international service, and my advisor barely knew my name and same with the professors (I had a high GPA and am very extroverted). I switched my major into the School of Public Affairs, where the department was smaller, and eventually got to know the professors well. However, this was mainly due to an aggressive approach that I took. If your daughter is not extroverted, she may have difficulties securing recommendation letters and may very well be lost among the 1600.</p></li>
<li><p>I was involved in greek life, and every student flocks to our houses on the weekends. The administration is trying to decrease fraternity presence on campus, but since our houses are off campus, there is not much they can do. </p></li>
<li><p>I am not sure what you mean by label-conscious…the student body </p></li>
<li><p>I am going to completely honest, if you are tight with money, do not come to AU. American is incredibly overpriced. Period. I will be paying off debt for quite a while, and the thing about AU is that graduates are competing with Georgetown and George Washington kids in the same market. Study abroad is actually CHEAPER (unless you go to London or somewhere equally expensive) than the cost of living in Washington DC. DC, is incredibly expensive, and the area that AU is located in (Northwest) is known as the most expensive area. Look up “Friendship heights,” which is just a stones throw away from tenleytown (where AU is located) and you will see Louis Vuitton, Gucci, etc. stores. </p></li>
<li><p>The School of International Service is the best part about AU. Unfortunately, American University’s name is not as prestigious as many other schools that offer an IR degree. I would look at the rankings for information on this. When applying to a graduate degree, the most important thing is the name that your diploma carries. The best way to maximize your chance for admission into an ivy MA program is to graduate with latin honors at the highest ranked school you can get into. </p></li>
<li><p>Terrace Dining Room is a POS. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Just trying to be honest, please ask if you have more questions</p>
<p>
“Every student”??? Yikes. That’s a pretty wild exaggeration and probably reflects the fact that the frats just like to think they are the center of the universe. My D graduated last spring. She went to one off campus frat party as freshman (frat houses aren’t permitted on campus, which tells you a lot about the importance of Greek life at AU right there), decided the drinking/vomiting scene wasn’t for her, and never went back. None of her friends had anything to do with frat parties or Greek life. She went through four years at AU completely oblivious to the Greek scene. It’s just not a meaningful part of AU life for most students. But I can see how someone who lives in a frat house and hosts a party every weekend would have a different perspective on its importance…</p>
<p>
Hmm. That’s a comment I’ve heard frequently about GW, but never about AU. It always looked like a typical college campus to me. My D didn’t own any designer clothing–a lot of her “labels” were Kohls and Target house brands. I never heard her say she felt out of place.</p>
<p>Unfortunately my D wasn’t great at establishing close relationships with profs–that was completely due to her lack of effort–but she did get into all the grad schools she applied to, so I guess it all worked out okay.</p>
<p>As in any big city, you can spend a fortune in DC (expensive clubs and restaurants) or next to nothing (all the free tourist stuff, hunting down student discounts for shows and concerts, just walking around various neighborhoods, etc.). My D had part-time jobs to fund her social activities. Many of her friends were on tighter budgets than she was, so they often found inexpensive ways to entertain themselves. </p>
<p>Absolutely agree that TDR–in fact the whole food scene at AU–is subpar. I don’t know why it’s such a neglected area.</p>