<p>How would you compare AU to the rest of the DC schools? Especially Georgetown and George Washington. </p>
<p>I rencently gave my acceptance news to friends and counselors and they go “where is that?” <em>sighs</em> Then again, I live on the other end of the continental US, so I attribute this to location --though the surely know about Gtown.</p>
<p>What do you guys think? If AU is your top choice…why so?</p>
<p>Georgetown has better name recognition and was my first choice last year when I was applying. However, I didn't get in, and honestly, I am glad I didn't. I couldn't have afforded it and American is a much better fit for me. American was my second choice, and while I applied to two other schools, I considered them both my fourth choices - I knew I wanted to be in DC no matter what. I think AU is about equal in academics with GWU, and Georgetown just a bit above that - but as the years go on, American will continue to rise in academics and selectivity.</p>
<p>And we all know selectivity is what makes a college good!</p>
<p>I go to GW, and I consider AU to be a great school. GT, AU, and GW, despite the fact that they are in the same city, are all very different. </p>
<p>GT is very similar to an ivy-league school. It has gothic architecture, sprawling lawns, and an extremely academic atmosphere. It's also a Catholic school, so diversity is lacking. Admissions is very selective and hard to predict. Most of its programs are well-recognized.</p>
<p>GW is a city-school. It's right in the middle of DC(neighbors The White House). It's very cosmopolitan, and has tons to do. It does have a campus unlike NYU and BU, but isn't exactly traditional(except for its quad). GW is not nearly as selective as Georgetown, but still very competitive. According to U.S. News, it has a 38% acceptance rate. Most accepted students have SATs in the upper 1200s to lower 1300s. GW is very diverse, and is about 4% international. It is, for the most part, very strong academically. Some programs are the best in the nation while others are about average. </p>
<p>American is on the rise. It's very diverse, and is located in a great residential neighborhood. It's not as urban of a campus as Georgetown or GW, but it's in DC, so there's obviously plenty to do. AU probably has the most traditional campus of all the DC schools, and the greenest one, too. American is well-recognized for some majors, and just okay for others. AU is ranked significantly lower than GW, but I think that employers/graduate schools would recognize that it's much better than the schools US News groups it with. Maybe the people you know don't think much of AU, but people I know and many parents on this board are huge fans of AU(especially its low price for a private university). The students at AU really vary from my observations. AU is able to snag some of the top students in the country with generous scholarships. However, admissions without scholarships isn't that hard. With a decent GPA(3.4-3.6-ish) and 1150-1250 SAT, you're most likely in. Don't get me wrong, these are great stats, not as high as Georgetown's and GW's.</p>
<p>Due to the location of these three schools, they all share some common characteristics. Their strongest programs have to do with politics, journalism, most liberal/performing arts, and International Relations. Due to the city and many government organizations, they can offer students great internships. The students are very politically-active at all these universities, and have a great playground.</p>
<p>sounds good to me. Thank you for your replies :)</p>
<p>Btw, a good friend of mine goes to AU and has a great internship. His dorm is pretty nice also! Have fun at American. DC is a ton of fun.</p>
<p>I just found out that my Internship supervisor at my State's Legislature graduated from Georgetown, lol. I commented him that I had been accepted to AU, and he seem very "approving", not to say impressed. He did graduate from GT's school of foreign service, and told me that AU's school of International Service is pound by pound just as a good. </p>
<p>He also mentioned that AU was a "fun town!" :D <em>hint, hint</em></p>
<p>Anyway, I guess I am just glad to know that somebody I know --in this case, somebody I look up to, and respect-- regards AU very highly. It doesn't hurt this person was a Gtowner -though I didn't apply there. I wonder if I do apply there, if he would be my alumni interview, ha ha :D - Silly me.</p>
<p>AU GT GW - all solid choices. Besides you can cross-register for classes if your school does not have the course you need</p>