<p>Last night (21 March 2012) I received an acceptance e-mail, along with everyone else. It began with “Congratulations, you’ve been admitted to American University!” so I assumed it meant that the decision was definite.
I received my official package in today’s mail, only to find out that my acceptance is pending my participation in AU’s Summer Transition Enrichment Program (STEP). It’s a great program, completely paid for, and everyone leaves with 3 credits. However, I was not planning on being away for the entire summer, and am in the process of finding a job and making typical pre-college summer plans.
Is anyone else in the same situation? Only 40 freshmen per year get into this, I’m just disappointed that I HAVE to participate in order to permanently get in.</p>
<p>Hey. I’m sure you have summer plans, but at the same time you should consider the great opportunity STEP offers to new students. I don’t know the criteria for how AU chooses STEP students, but it has nothing to do with your grades or anything like that. My roommate was in STEP in the summer and he loved it. He was also the valedictorian of his high school if that helps affirm that it’s not some conditional setback to you. Because my roommate did STEP, he already had so many more friends than me here at AU and he’s doing well socially. If you honestly had summer plans, well, I guess you’d have to give that up, but honestly being here for STEP is really fun and you make some awesome friends. Don’t see STEP as a setback, it’s a plus.</p>
<p>If you have any questions about STEP leave me a message and I can ask my roommate!</p>
<p>Wow, thank you for the quick response! I was definitely really concerned about whether AU thought I wouldn’t do well or something, and so they put me in this. I just can’t figure out what made my application stand out to admissions. I’m waiting to hear from a few more schools, and AU’s got a steep tuition but it was one of my top choices.
Are you currently a freshman?</p>
<p>Anyone know what University College is??? Does everyone get invited into this?</p>
<p>I was not invited to University College, but I do remember reading about it online! I’d check AU’s site.</p>
<p>mmdmom,</p>
<p>University College is a living-learning community available for incoming freshman who are not in Honors. There should be information on AU’s website. Essentially, there are multiple seminars that you can choose from (Politics in the US, Understanding Music, World Politics, Theatre, etc.) and they all can count toward general education credit. The people on your floor are in your class. In addition to the class two days a week, there is a Washington Lab where you go in to the city and go to places for hands-on learning and application of what you learned in the classroom.</p>
<p>I was in one of the sections of the World Politics UC this past year and really enjoyed it! Feel free to message me if you have any additional questions!</p>
<p>Re University College: I called admissions and asked about it and they said EVERYONE who is not admitted to the honors college gets asked to be in Univ college. But spaces are limited. But it’s not particularly special. . . .</p>
<p>@TripleL - Yup, I’m a freshman at AU this year. By the way, I just heard they picked the STEP Assistant Coordinators who will be your resident assistants in the summer (only 3 people are chosen every year) and they are great!</p>
<p>And to all those talking about University College – yeah, UC isn’t that great since everyone gets to apply if you’re not in Honors, but it is useful because UC goes out on outings in DC and you live with your UC floor so it helps you get to know more people. If you have the time to write the essay and apply to UC, go for it… it can only help you!</p>
<p>Regarding UC, they said I was invited to it in my admission letter, but I never applied to anything. Do I still have to write an essay and apply to it separately or what?</p>
<p>@macmac5594 - Unless they’ve changed the UC program (which I’m pretty sure they haven’t), everyone gets an invite to UC in their admission letter. Later on, you’ll get more info. about how to apply and then they pick from the applications they get. I looked at the application last year and you write a small essay. But yeah just because you’re invited doesn’t mean you’re in… pretty sure you still have to apply. Just wait for more info unless they’ve already given you info on how to apply.</p>