<p>I wanted to make myself available as a resource this year. If you have general AU admissions questions (or general admissions questions - non-AU related), that are not specific to yourself, but you feel would benefit others who are in the midst of the application process - please feel free to post here. </p>
<p>I won’t chance anyone – and I can’t promise that I will regularly check and respond to all posts submitted (I likely won’t). But I will lurk, and when needed interject if I think it would be helpful. I want to ensure that you are receiving information during the process that is factual, and hopefully I can prove to be a useful resource for you as you move through the next eight months. </p>
<p>Greg
Director of Admissions, American University</p>
<p>My 2nd daughter is beginning the college application process and I have a question that, for obvious reasons, never came up with my 1st child. My oldest is a very happy student at American and her sister is considering an application to American as well. I recall the first time around that many schools had a question about relatives that attended the university. Why is that question asked? Is there any advantage or disadvantage to having a sibling at the same university? Does it impact the admission process in any way? I would assume not, but I wonder why the question is asked.</p>
<p>We greatly value the interest a student demonstrates in AU. We want to know that they understand who we are as an institution, and that their application is purposeful. We want to admit students to AU who are interested in us, and know AU. One benefit of inquiring whether a sibling or family member has/is attending AU is that it is an indicator to us that the applicant likely already has a good understanding of the school by virtue of the AU connection. </p>
<p>Ultimately the sibling’s application will stand on its own, and our determination of academic preparedness and fit will be taken from the information presented. However, it is nothing but a positive (advantage, or at minimum a neutral factor) in the holistic review that the student already has familial connections to AU.</p>
<p>Agree. Offering oneself as a resource and then disappearing for a month with an unanswered question hanging out there reflects poorly on AU Admissions.</p>
<p>I also would like to know more about what type of students get merit money at American, and what the range is. I see 3 main scholarships listed on the website: AU Presidential Scholarship, AU Deans’ Scholarship, AU Leadership Scholarship. What are the ranges of these scholarship amounts? What kind of stats are needed to receive these scholarships?</p>
<p>Hi, Greg. Why is American’s net price calculator showing what students “like you” paid in 2010-11? That is what the message says when you click on it. That is almost three years old now, as students entering next fall would be entering the 2013-14 school year… it seems impossible to get a good handle on how much FA a student is likely to get when applying. I just looked it up, and it appears that the law requiring the NPC states that it has to show costs for the previous year. Can you please comment on this? Thanks!</p>
<p>All applicants are automatically reviewed for merit scholarship consideration. We take into account one’s rigor of curriculum, grades received and (if applicable) their standardized test scores. Typically, our merit awards have ranged between $6,000 - $20,000 per year (renewable). </p>
<p>There is not a specific award tied to a profile, but generally those receiving merit awards have an academic profile higher than our average admit. The mid 50% GPA range for an admitted student last year was 3.57 - 4.04, and the mid 50% SAT/ACT range for an admitted student was 1210-1380 (CR and Math only) and 27-31.</p>
<p>We have only one scholarship for domestic students (Frederick Douglass Distinguished Scholars Program) and one scholarship for international students (AUEGLS) that requires an application for consideration. Both of these applications can be accessed via the Academic Section of AU’s Member Screen. Also, any student who applies and is accepted into our Honors Program this year will automatically receive a $20,000 merit award. </p>
<p>Thanks for the information on the merit aid. From what I understand, the Honors program is changing quite a bit next year and there will be fewer students accepted into the program. How many students will be accepted into the Honors program? Do you have any more information on the changes? Thanks!</p>
<p>Since this communication is from April, and the program is new, I thought possibly the AU Admissions Person might have some updated information on it?</p>
<p>@hwat318
I was stalking the acceptance threads for AU in college confidential last year. Many over qualified people posted about being straight up rejected. People assumed that this happened because they did not show enough interest in the school, but it seemed kind of bogus.</p>
– and I can’t promise that I will regularly check and respond to all posts submitted (I likely won’t). But I will lurk, and when needed interject if I think it would be helpful. I want to ensure that you are receiving information during the process that is factual, and hopefully I can prove to be a useful resource for you as you move through the next eight months. </p>