<p>I’m sorry some of your kids had bad experiences at AU. My daughter who is a sophmore now has nothing but great experiences at AU. She has the greatest advisor who is always available for her and has helped her every step. There has been one or two classes where she could not get into but that is the case in every school. Can you imagine getting into desired classes at State schools? I’m the strongest Advocate for AU. My daughter could not have picked a better school. Also, I’m not saying this because they gave her good FA…we got nothing , Nada, Zilch…we are paying sticker price. Wish my younger child could get into a school as good as AU but she wants to study Science unlike my older daughter who is Poli Sci major.</p>
<p>@choppergirl
At the undergraduate level, although we all worry about ranks and reputation, the most grad schools and head hunters want to see is that you went to a real college/university; you made the most of your time there with good courses/ degree/grades. It would depend on what your son may do after his undergraduate work; what he wants to major in. Ultimately he will get a good education and he has great choices.</p>
<p>I didn’t mean to stir up AU ■■■■■■■■. Cadmiumred, your d’s art class issues aren’t relevant to my question.</p>
<p>Junior-Mom:</p>
<p>I appreciate what you are saying but it is not about really getting into the desired classes,
but the necessary ones for certain Gened requirements as well as crusial intro courses to your major. Hasn’t happened for her. Mini: She has had friends transfer first semester and are in the process of transferring now for the fall. For one of these, kids, lack of financing has also come into play unfortunately. I agree about the Dining Hall food needing an overhaul.</p>
<p>My S changed majors this semester and is thinking of taking a leave of absence while he “does something other than school”. We’re hoping he can retain his scholarship (does anyone know?). Not only was he able to get courses necessary for his new major, even though on waiting list, his advisor counseled him on options, should he decide not to return to AU.
It has been our experience that advising is a strong point at AU. CR, if your D’s advisor is so unaccommodating, she really should, and can request a change.</p>
<p>Piazza girl: I don’t know why AU is ranked so low, ask USNWR and check their data. No one on this board has the ability (other than speculation) to answer your question. It seems that the majority of the posters here have kids who have had positive experiences with the most popular and well-known majors at AU. Is the ranking that important to you or your S/D? AU’s ranking is what it is, take it or leave it.
Sorry, I felt it was necessary to respond to CR’s post. Readers need to know there are 2 sides to every story.</p>
<p>“I appreciate what you are saying but it is not about really getting into the desired classes,
but the necessary ones for certain Gened requirements as well as crusial intro courses to your major.”</p>
<p>I don’t believe even one word of it. I don’t believe she’s even asked. In fact, I don’t think she’s ever talked to a single art professor, nor an advisor more than once, nor a dean. But then I’m not convinced she’s even a student.</p>
<p>My DS is a freshman in the AU honors program, and the honors program pushed up American in his consideration set. The kids in the honors program basically all had the choice of a top school and chose AU because of honors and the scholarship. AU continues to make the honors students feel special. One way to look at the choice is that you can either be treated specially at AU or be on par with others at ND. </p>
<p>Unlike many other schools its endowment was not negatively affected by the stock market- they actually did well and are investing their surplus in expanding the school. I found that refreshing. </p>
<p>If my son wanted liberal arts, I wouldn’t consider AU but he is in the business school which is a strong point for AU.</p>
1 Like
<p>Hello5 : Why is your son leaving the school? Not happy? Why is he being advised for options about not returning??? Sounds fishy to me (:. How do you request a new advisor??? What is the procedure???</p>
<p>Mini: Why do you not believe the issue about Geneds or advisors? A sophomore on another AU thread, kingston09, said that he or she is still trying to get Geneds, and they will try to reform the program this year. Please stop saying my daughter does not exist. She exists. The registration is by priority or maybe you are not aware of procedure???</p>
<p>I’m aware that parents don’t register. I’m aware that advisors, deans, and professors can help you make changes all the time. I’m aware that if you show up for class in the first few days, and introduce yourself, you are likely to get in, because most everyone else falls off the wait list. My d. faces exactly the same priority issues your theoretical one does, and she has never - repeat NEVER - not managed to get into the course, and even the section she wanted (when she tried). </p>
<p>But then she didn’t have parents intervening on her behalf. I still don’t believe she has EVER talked with an art professor, met with a dean, or seen her advisor more than once. And since that would be very atypical at AU, I must therefore at least entertain the notion that she really doesn’t exist. (But if she does, why isn’t she transferring? It clearly has been a terrible, terrible fit - oh wait, her mother hasn’t done the paperwork…)</p>
<p>Back to the original question…</p>
<p>…If you look at how US News ranks colleges, you’ll see that AU has been lacking in peer assessment, selectivity, retention, and alumni giving. I like to think that all of these can improve and are in the process of doing so.</p>
<p>Re: peer assessment, improving reputation takes a long time and can easily be messed up. For an easy mess-up, see AU’s previous president, who was essentially fired for misusing university funds–this was pretty big news in the college ranks. For those “peers” who rate AU but are not closely aware of it, this is an example of something they may remember about AU and it doesn’t give a positive impression. Also, to the extent that high-visibility things like a hospital, strong science/research program, engineering, or big-name sports affect peers’ assessment of the university (regardless of whether such things should affect assessment), AU has none of these things.</p>
<p>Re: selectivity, it is improving but still has a gap vs. higher rated schools. When I went to AU, something like 75-80% of applicants were admitted. The admit rate is now near–but still above–50%. Personally (and speculatively), I think getting below 50% acceptance is a big hurdle and AU would benefit from doing so.</p>
<p>Re: retention, 2nd-year retention has been improving (I think last year was the best ever), so AU needs to continue at a high level to benefit from this ranking-wise.</p>
<p>Re: alumnni giving, this has never been strong for AU. I hope this improves with time as well.</p>
<p>That’s my answer about why the rankings are what they are; as for how you should look at them–that’s up to you. They are not unimportant, but they are not all-important. I’m fifteen years after graduation from AU and no one really seems to care–in fact, most people I meet are fairly impressed when I tell them that I graduated from AU.</p>
<p>Just a quick note: At the admitted students reception this past weekend, the admissions rep said the acceptance rate this year was 42%. She also mentioned that the applicant pool was the most talented and brightest AU has seen so far.</p>
<p>Thank you, pswillia.</p>
<p>CR,
There’s nothing “fishy” about it. S wanted to take a year off before college (he needed a break from APs, honors, testing, etc. ) but we persuaded him to attend immediately. He’s doing well at AU and enjoying it, but has changed his major once already and is not certain of the direction he wants his education to take. He still feels as though he needs time away from school.
He may return to AU or may not, but it has nothing to do with the quality of the school or the education he received there.</p>
<p>We also recently attended an accepted students reception in NYC and the president and several deans were present, accessible and encouraging students to email them directly to get questions answered. The current retention rate was quoted as 96%. Not very many kids fleeing to transfer!</p>
<p>According to the periodic e-mails the President sends out, alumni giving has been on an upward swing, and this year continues that trend. They’ve put a lot more resources and staff into the alumni relations department even in my time here (I’m a junior), and started a lot of new programs/chapters for alumni, and it’s shown in the giving rate. I look forward to being an alum. </p>
<p>Also, it’s worth noting that when I came in, the freshman-sophomore retention rate was about 86%, and it currently stands at 91%. I’m very pleased with that. If it’s now 96% (as the previous poster stated), then even better!</p>
<p>As for admissions, that’s remained about the same since I came in, although applications have been increasing and so has the quality of the incoming class. If the acceptance rate this year was 42% that is FANTASTIC, and overcomes the 50% hurdle that pswilia noted. One thing to note is that if you look back at the application and class size statistics from the past two decades, one notes a serious swing every four years around election time. This is the first time, at least that I can see, that applications are going UP, and not down, even after the excitement of a Presidential election is past. That is something not readily apparent at all, but very, very promising.</p>
<p>I also agree about the peer-assessment point that pswilia made. Fortunately our current President, alum Dr. Neil Kerwin, is getting GREAT press. For example, he was just named a Washingtonian of the Year for his solid leadership of the University. I remember reading somewhere that such changes usually take about 5 years to be accurately reflected in rankings such as USNWR, but I don’t remember the source of that statistic so I’m not sure how reliable it is. Still, it seems about right, and if so then AU is in line for a decent jump in the rankings in the next few years or so. </p>
<p>Finally, the new provost, Dr. Bass, is actively trying to increase the research infrastructure as well. Two new vice-provost positions were created in the past year, one dealing with research. There has been lots of news recently about faculty getting big research grants, so hopefully this will help improve the ranking as well. HOWEVER it must be noted that it’s VERY nice that most AU professors are here to teach, not just do research, and I’m hoping that remains the culture even with the Provost’s new programs. In this sense AU is much more like a liberal arts college, which hurts it in the rankings when put up against major research universities. </p>
<p>As it is, I think AU occupies a space somewhat in-between the National University and Liberal Arts College rankings, which is why it (unfairly, in my opinion) receives a relatively low score in the National University list.</p>
<p>That’s my take on things, at least.</p>
<p>The 96% retention was for the students in the Honors Program</p>
<p>Someone specifically asked about the rentention rate in the Honors programs, and they admitted that they didn’t have that number specifically pulled out but could get the number to the parent if they wanted a follow up.</p>
<p>Hello 5:</p>
<p>I understand that he needs a break, but why is he entertaining the idea of not coming back?? Sounds like something went wrong here?</p>
<p>I received numerous calls from AU students this past week, asking us for money for development, but we can’t afford, it paying full ticket.(:</p>