How many credits did everyone get approved for? I applied with 64, but AU is only granting me 44 credits. Very unfortunate.
Just got mine in Upstate NY! I applied with the same, 64 and got 45. But, I don’t know if the credits from the courses i’m taking this semester count into that in any way.
Also, does anyone know when our deposits are due? My packet says that they are due July 1st or within two weeks of receipt of admission letter. Which one is it? I’m confused.
Late to the thread.
Got my acceptance letter and package April 1st in the mail (coincidentally April fools day). Submitted my application March 1st. If anyone needs my stats I will be happy to post them.
Got in as a community college transfer from NY w/ 3.6 GPA. Submitted the app Feb 29 and heard back Apr 2. I’ve completed 39 credits and was given 32, though I’m still taking classes and will take 2 more over the summer to graduate with an A.S. by the fall (total of 62).
Congrats everyone! Who here is definitely going to AU? I’m still waiting to hear back from one school that I’m starting to lean towards in all honesty. Although their acceptance rate is half of what AU’s is…
My SO will most likely decline, as she’s still waiting to hear back from 6 schools over the next few weeks (AU was the first to offer). However, we are super relieved to have an option on the table now with a good FA package in case other offers don’t materialize.
Likely not going, visited AU yesterday as a now undergrad (previously visited when I applied in HS). Super disappointing; AU is like the college I’m currently at -have reasons why I’m leaving that AU doesn’t appear to be any better at.
Clarification on the credits question: Admissions office said courses you’re currently enrolled in have not been articulated and are not included in the acceptance letter break down of transfer credits.
Accepted as transfer business student. 4.0 gpa, lots of ec, & good common app instructor review.
@IBer2014 What did you not like much about it? I’ve heard several people say that they were very disappointed seeing the school. I’ve yet to tour it and don’t even know if it is worth traveling across the country to see it.
@atp1234 one of the things I love about DC is it doesn’t seem like you need a car to get around. American is rather far from downtown, and the nearest metro stop to campus is a 30 minute walk. All students I’ve talked to at AU either have a car on campus or wish they did. Also, because AU is not centrally located, any activism (protesting) goes on on campus rather than at the institution being protested. AU is liberal-leaning with an active student body, quite similar to the college I’m at now -I’m eager to attend a more politically diverse campus. The campus is isolated from major towns, although students have told me that Tenleytown is up and coming. Other DC schools like GW and Georgetown are much more centrally located in an urban center. Studying abroad is also very important to me, and students at AU have complained that the cost of studying abroad is more expensive than AU tuition -AU study abroad programs do not make it easy for students to save money. Finally, it did not help that when I went to the Admissions Office to inquire about transfer credits, I was met with hostility and a condescending admissions counselor. Several students also warned me about the bureaucracy on campus. To top it off, I was told their president recently resigned -a bit of a red flag.
My takeaways are that if you want an isolated college campus (meaning a campus away from the city), with liberal students who consider themselves activists, are able to have a car (and are willing to pay for it to be parked), will put up with the bureaucracy, and really want to be in the DC area no matter what, then AU is for you.
As I mentioned, I have spoken to a few students that may or may not be an accurate representation of the student body. But all were of different ages and backgrounds, and only one of them told me they would choose to attend AU if they had to make the decision all over again. To hear from current and former students -who did not consider transferring at the time- that looking back they would not have attended AU speaks volumes.
I toured in high school and liked it. I flew from California to DC to tour it as a college sophomore and was severely disappointed. If you decide to make the trip, I hope you have a better experience than I did.
I don’t intend to make up for IBer2014’s poor experience visiting AU, but I do want to correct a few errors so that folks in the future don’t mistakenly rely on them. In order of appearance:
- The distance from Ward Circle (AU) to Tenley Circle (nearest metro stop) is less than a mile. It's a 30-minute walk only if you're a slug. AU runs a shuttle bus between the main campus and the metro so you don't have to walk if you don't want to.
- The campus is not "isolated from major towns." It's in a major town, commonly known as Washington, DC. Refer to #1 above re: proximity to metro.
- Georgetown is not centrally located. And the closest metro station to Georgetown is in Foggy Bottom--that's where GWU is, not where Georgetown is. It's farther from Georgetown to the Foggy Bottom metro than it is from AU to the Tenleytown metro. For reference, here are approximate driving distances (yes, Georgetown is closer, but only 1-2 miles closer depending on where you're going):
- Georgetown to White House, 1.9 miles (3.7 miles from AU)
- Georgetown to US Capitol, 3.9 miles (5.1 miles from AU)
- AU's president did not resign. He announced that he is retiring at the end of next school year (i.e., spring 2017). He's been working at the school since 1975, including his presidency since 2007. Retirement after 32 years is not a red flag.
I can’t vouch one way or the other for everything else in IBer2014’s experience, but wanted to update the verifiable information with facts.
My son has been at AU for two years and has never needed a car. He has never asked to bring his to DC. He gets around by metro, bus and uber. The only friend of my son’s who has a car works as a nanny in the Tenleytown area and needs a car to get to her job.
Georgetown is the hardest campus of the three (AU, GWU and Georgetown) to get to. You have to take a bus because the area didn’t want a metro station in the neighborhood.
@IBer2014, @pswillia, and @NESeattleMom, thank you all for the discussion. I appreciate it!
@pswillia and @NESeattleMom I also appreciate your input. Like I said, I was charmed by AU in high school and was put into contact recently with AU students who all coincidentally had rather negative things to say about their experience. I was surprised when I visited the school again, and am glad that the experiences of the students I talked to are not the same as other AU students! AU is a fantastic school for some people, not so great for others -as can be said for all colleges.
I think it depends on what appeals to you. AU has an idyllic oasis of a campus with easy access to the downtown area while GWU is right in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the city with little distinction between campus and surrounding area. My son did not like the GWU campus but loved the AU campus. My friend’s daughter loves GWU and is lukewarm about AU. Depends on what appeals to you.
Just to add to @pswillia’s corrections, the statement “all students I’ve talked to at AU either have a car on campus or wish they did” is ridiculous. Very few AU students have cars, and parking, as in any urban area, is such a pain that a car is more of a burden than a benefit. With the constant shuttles to the Tenleytown metro stop and the numerous bus lines that pass the campus, no one needs a car at AU. But if you aren’t a “city mouse” comfortable with the idea of using mass transit, you may not be happy at any urban school where having a car is not feasible.
Also wish to correct any impressions for future reference, weighing-in on the “liberal, not-very-diverse politically” label noted above. While conservatives are clearly not the majority, they definitely have a place on campus.
For instance, there is an active student organization of College Republicans on campus.
Also, the Kennedy Political Union, a nonpartisan organization that sponsors political speakers, brought Karl Rove to campus this year and named Laura Bush the 2015 “AU Wonk of the Year.” While these individuals didn’t get the huge response (in terms of numbers) that say, Bill Nye, got, they were welcomed on campus and treated respectfully by students of all stripes.
AU students seem to pride themselves on their embracing of diversity, whether it’s gender diversity, ethnic/racial diversity, or political diversity.
Not to change the subject but… just received my acceptance to the College of Arts and Sciences yesterday via email. No update to the portal though and an acceptance package hasn’t been delivered to my house yet. Did any one find out this way/experience this?
@flanlaw Yay another college of arts and sciences transfer!!
I got a package through the mail thats how I found out about my decision
Yeah! @Woolf96 are you definitely going to AU?