Ask a current AU student

<p>thanks that helped a lot!</p>

<ol>
<li><p>how would you rate the school overrall? </p></li>
<li><p>I actually visited the campus this weekend and it felt so empty. People told me on any college campus, most students either go to the city, go home, or just stay in dorms so any campus will look deserted on the weekends. So what do most AU students do on weekends? </p></li>
<li><p>I know cliques are unavoidable but do they at least interact with the other groups or just stick to themselves?</p></li>
<li><p>Does everyone have internships? or at least seem to? what about part-time jobs?</p></li>
<li><p>Do most of the alumni end up working for a government position? </p></li>
</ol>

<p>Sorry for splitting out all these questions but it’s almost time to make the final decision and i still don’t know where to go…</p>

<ol>
<li><p>How would you rate the school overrall?
Very good. </p></li>
<li><p>I actually visited the campus this weekend and it felt so empty. People told me on any college campus, most students either go to the city, go home, or just stay in dorms so any campus will look deserted on the weekends. So what do most AU students do on weekends?
That was actually the exception from the norm. If you came Saturday, it was the Cherry Blossom Festival down in the city, and it was people’s last big weekend to go home if they wanted to before finals. So absolutely no one was on campus. On Sunday, it was gorgeous and people were everywhere. It all depends on your group of friends. Your first year you’ll spend almost every weekend exploring all the city has to offer. </p></li>
<li><p>I know cliques are unavoidable but do they at least interact with the other groups or just stick to themselves?
Again it’s all up to you. I have friends that stick to their one group because that’s where they feel comfortable and friends who bounce around from clique to clique. I have dinner booked all week with 5 different groups of friends (Monday: GrandBig for Greek Life, Tuesday is friend from WMP, Wednesday is Roomie, Thursday is Hallmate, Friday depends).</p></li>
<li><p>Does everyone have internships? or at least seem to? what about part-time jobs?
The vast majority I would say do one or the other. AU students are, on average, poorer than other universities so they work more. AU students also like to be busy the vast majority of the time. So if you’re looking forward to sitting in your dorm room for hours on end – this may not be the school for you. </p></li>
<li><p>Do most of the alumni end up working for a government position?
No? It all depends on what you want to do. People who graduate from the college of arts and sciences are less likely to work for the government than a graduate from the School of Public Affairs. Lets look at SPA alumni alone – since those you would think would be the MOST likely to go into government positions –</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Congressmen/women
Consulting
Lobbyists
Ambassadors/International Leaders
Legal
Business
Media (Executive Producer, Meet the Press, people from the View, Judy from Judge Judy are all alumni)</p>

<p>You Can do Whatever you want with a degree.</p>

<p>thanks for the reply~</p>

<p>I received a merit scholarship and HAVE to maintain a 3.2 GPA in order to remain at American. My parents cannot afford to have me slip up for even one semester in terms of grades, or I’m out. I know about “freshman forgiveness,” that you get ONE second chance for one class you may not do so well in. But how were your high school statistics, and how hard is it to get a 3.2 or higher? Thanks.</p>

<p>Sir Joshua or AU Transfer: My daughter is staying at AU while she completes an internship at the Capitol. We just found out that she is at the Tenley campus. It looks like she will be closer to the metro but will she miss out on things at the main campus? Her car will be parked on main campus (she won’t be driving to work though)…how far apart are they? Is it any more dangerous around the Tenley campus? Is it as fun? Which would you prefer in her situation?</p>

<p>Also, does she need any particular theft device for her car? She is at school in a rural area right now and hasn’t made any special provisions for her car.</p>

<p>Is she staying there this summer for her internship? If she is staying there this summer – it is much better to be at Tenley Campus. Main campus will be filled with prospective freshmen rotating in and out, as well as conferences doing the same thing. Tenley campus is much closer to metro and as student commuting via metro I would prefer it. She is probably .6 or .7 miles from main campus but there is a bus that runs even for the summer from metro to main campus that makes a stop at Tenley campus. It is not any more or less dangerous around Tenley, and since (assuming she is there in the summer) Tenley is filled with students living there for the summer, it is very fun. </p>

<p>She does not need any special provisions for her car. NW DC is the most affluent and safest part of DC – you’re actually more likely to get pickpocket by the monuments and Capitol building. I would highly advise you not to bring her car at all. I know it may seem unfathomable to her now (I went to a rural school before transferring to AU) but she won’t need her car at all while she is here. </p>

<p>If you have any other questions feel free to message me – I’ve interned in DC for 3 summers, and I’ll be staying in an apartment about 3 blocks away from Tenley campus.</p>