<p>laker...are you taking over where md has left off...cut it out please. this is not the tenor of this thread.</p>
<p>Exactly lakerfan4. The rankings that many quote should not be taken too much to heart. It does not take into account the program's reputation to employers and graduate schools as lakerfan4 said. I am not being negative, this is honesty. AU ranks behind some universities that don't even have whole colleges dedicated to International Relations. If AU was not located in DC, the rankings would be much lower. Understand that what I am saying is that AU is a good school, with good teachers, good students and good opportunities. But as lakerfan4 implied in his post, it is not a great school that other make it out to be. I was under the impression that AU was a great school that would make me a much more intelligent person. What I found was that it is a mediocre college that costs about $10,000 too much. This is my opinion. There are many who feel differently. When you read this post, realize that this is from my personal experience. AU is appropriate for some people and not for others. </p>
<p>When deciding on schools, take into account the good and bad of students that attend there. There are many good posts on studentsreview.com that are positive and negative. Don't just let one person or group of people tell you that AU is god's gift to DC. Make sure you know all the facts and opinions. God Speed.</p>
<p>I wasn't talking about top IR schools-- SIS is top 10 grad, thank you-- just AU overall. AU is much more than just SIS, which IS strong.... but enough you're off topic on the thread.</p>
<p>Isn't AU ranked like 80 something overall?</p>
<p>I agree that SAIS has a better reputation and is probably a better overall program than SIS. I also agree that nobody should compare AU to Ivies or other top tier schools if he wants to have his opinions considered seriously.</p>
<p>I don't know about Elliott being up there with SAIS though--GW is still pretty much a second tier school whose students are not that much brighter than AU's students (actually, according to Princeton Review, AU's students have higher SAT average than GW's students. I think that maybe tells something). Moreover, I have yet to see any IR rankings that put GW significantly above AU. Its reputation/prestige does not compare with JHU or Georgetown. So...why does this school cost 53k a year? It is my personal opinion that GW is possibly the most overrated school in the US. </p>
<p>That said, the part where SIS comes up short is its PhD program because it is very small. This school belongs in the top ten for undergrad and masters (but I agree, I don't believe it's the BEST IR school in the US as some enthusiasts say).</p>
<p>According the latest rankings from Foreign Policy Magazine, AU is the 8th ranked grad school and the 11th undergrad. GWU is 7th and 10th, so pretty close.</p>
<p>The link is <a href="http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3718%5B/url%5D">http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3718</a> for those that are interested. A good resource for those considering IR type majors. </p>
<p>Yes, AU is ranked somewhere around 80 overall, but consider there are over 2000 4-year schools in the country. If you really want a school like Georgetown, Harvard, or Yale, and anything less won't do, then AU isn't for you.</p>
<p>I graduated from AU in 1995. I made my first visit to the campus in 8 years in October 2006. I can easily say that I am very impressed with the way the campus looks now--renovated buildings, new buildings, great landscaping, everything. It's far better than in was when I was an AU student.</p>
<p>D.C is and always will be the most positive thing about AU for most students and I encourage anyone who comes here to take advantage of it. </p>
<p>As for everyone being hard on MD - I think you all need to come to your senses. Prospective students, I ask you to evaluate the comments on here from a logical perspective. HappyCollegeMom is obviously a little biased in her opinion and doesnt even go to our school! Further, i wouldn't consider any prospective students comments or anyone from a neighboring university(like GW) as they also don't really have a first hand experience. Rather, the opinions of SWmass, Connies, MD, and myself are the ones that are really going to be the most accurate. </p>
<p>So what can we gather from what has been said? Connie loves the school and that seems accurate since I believe that about 25% of the students here are enthusiastic about AU. SWmass is in the middle, but still optimistic - again, I would say that this accounts for about 25% of the students. Both MD and myself have been disappointed by tedious policies from the administration and the lack of academic atmosphere provided by AU. Does this mean we are horrible people that just have the intention of bashing our own school? I don't believe so, I think we just represent a large minority of students at AU that are very dissatisfied. It is obvious that we both are not necessarily far to the left and are individualists. I think the outcry over our individualism and critical analysis of the university is the same thing that you will find by some students when you come here. People are defensive for a reason and that is because everyone knows, deep down, that AU has some serious flaws on multiple levels. </p>
<p>But what can this really tell us? I think its too uncertain for all of you prospective students. Lately, I have been trying to be more optimistic about things and because of my leadership positions within certain organizations its going to be very hard for me to leave. However, I can't get around the fact that many of the students I know here are simply not happy and I think everyone needs to talk with someone you trust who goes here before making a final decision.</p>
<p>ryan: I'm glad your contribution to the AU discussion seems to have become more reasonable, but could you be a bit more specific (in short form) for those still considering AU? Specifically, what questions should a prospie student or parent ask when visiting at an accepted-student event to examine the source of your (and other's) unrest and frustration? Would they be mostly concerns with the administration (interim as it is), curriculum, or other? How about some talking-points for us to explore in an attempt to validate or refute these concerns for ourselves?</p>
<p>I would like to present my own unique and very engaged perspective.</p>
<p>I work at AU (not faculty, and not admissions), and am in a position go get perspectives from a variety of current students. and most that I encounter are indeed happy with AU. I speak to students who declined more "prestigious" schools in the Northeast to attend AU. They enjoy the education, find it engaging, and those that are seniors are finding jobs or moving on to grad school or service, such as Teach for America. </p>
<p>My own child is seriously considering AU, and is likely going to turn down other excellent schools. I would not consider this if I did not consider it a good option.</p>
<p>Is it perfect? No, it is not, but I have yet to find the perfect school for everyone. I am impressed by several things:</p>
<p>1) The dedication of the staff and faculty. They are truly neat people. I have met faculty who were educated at Stanford, Georgetown, and other top-tier institutions. The administration is dedicated to making AU even better. </p>
<p>2) The quality of the students. I've met really, really neat, high achieving students that are very bright. From what I understand, our outcomes are positive in terms of jobs, graduate school, and fellowships such as Truman, Marshall, and Fulbright. </p>
<p>3) The city is great--and **AU takes advantage of it by supporting the students for internships **which help them get into grad school or find their first full time job. It's not just that AU is in the city-- it's that AU actually guides the students in how to take advantage of this.</p>
<p>AU does have a more liberal bent -- but I note that I've met students of both conservative and liberal idealogies. For the most part,the AU students agree to disagree (except for recent protest against Rove!). It is primarily an atmosphere of respect for others of differing views. </p>
<p>A key telling feature: the students I speak with are encouraging of having my child attend.</p>
<p>As I stated on another thread awhile back, my son is graduating next month from AU (Visual Media major). He had a great time at AU - a semester in Prague, a summer internship in LA, is a charter member of a new fraternity (I got to attend the black tie charter dinner at the Washington Press Club), and a host of other positive experiences. We're happy that he found a place where he was comfortable, challenged and got a good education to boot.</p>
<p>I will, however, echo the sentiments of others about AU when it comes to money. 3 1/2 years ago, after our son had been at AU for only a couple of weeks, we got one of those phone calls from a student at AU asking for money. For what? For the library, of all things. We were very taken aback by this. The student went on and on about how terrible the library was. When you send your child off to a institution of higher learning, you do expect that it has a decent library, for crying out loud. </p>
<p>We would get these calls every once in awhile. We always declined politely, since these were just students calling. But one time, after the whole debacle with the former President, my husband gave one student a (still polite) earful about how the money used to pay Pres. Ladner off should have been applied to the library fund, and that he wondered what other areas of waste existed.</p>
<p>All in all, we're pleased with our son's education. But just watch your wallet, because AU will be looking to pick even more out of it!</p>
<p>Since it relates to this discussion: Did anyone get a merit award from AU with a requirement for a 3.2 GPA to retain it? Is this just another way to take a bite out of your wallet? Granted, with a five-course load that's just one A and four B's, but this is college, not high-school. How hard is it to retain merit awards at AU? Do they consider these requirements just another revenue source down the road?</p>
<p>Proud dad every merit award that I know of has that requirement. The 3.2 is cumulative over one year(something they don't tell you) so you can mess up one semester and still maintain your scholarship. I'm pretty sure the scholarship restriction is used to maintain adequate performance but also trap you into paying more if you make a mistake. Keep in mind that we are also on the +/- system here so a B-(80-83) is a 2.7 which could be brutal to your GPA. Most intelligent students here don't have too much of a problem maintaining a 3.2+.</p>
<p>MD, I believe he is talking about merit scholarships offered upon entry(the 15,18, and 25K). Haha, the deans list party...</p>
<p>Merit awards are based solely on getting into the Honors program, which is based solely on SAT scores (top 15 per cent of applicants admitted). My D got 18,000.</p>
<p>caruth --</p>
<p>Not exactly true. There are students who were not invited to joins honors who received merit awards. Some of those were invited to join the University College program. And I was invited to join honors and have never taken an SAT...I only took the ACT.</p>
<p>Merit awards at any school will include minimum GPAs. My child received a substantial award from another school that requires I think a 3.5 to maintain, maybe higher. </p>
<p>Truman's and other merit awards are actually fellowships one competitively applies for -- scholarships and grants for undergraduate and graduate study that have nothing to do with the merit awards offered in admissions. Sorry to confuse. These are outcomes of an AU education. AU does well at these, which would not happen if it wasn't a quality education with bright students. </p>
<p>All schools hit up parents and alum for money -- my phone is constantly ringing from WFU, JHU, and CMU, our affiliated schools. What sounds awful is a student talking in such negative terms. That should never happen!</p>
<p>ryan, since you've given me permission to speak...TONS OF US LOVE AU! sorry you don't, but the disrespectful tone you frequently have, and that of md is an embarrassment to us here. you guys are beating a dead horse. everyone gets your views which are posed here in such a way, that you lose credability. i'm sorry for the kids and parents who've thought you guys were "on to something" and didn't look into things for themselves. but for intelligent guys, you show poor social skills, and a sense of self-importance. sorry, but y'all got to me, especially since i haven't been on in a while.</p>
<p>To back up what Nichole said, my daughter has been offered admission to AU, but not the Honors Program, although she was awarded the Dean's Scholarship.</p>
<p>I do understand that schools are constantly soliciting funds from alumni/parents but, having read up on the whole Ladner debacle, I can also understand jkazoo's frustration with the ridiculous amount of that settlement to him--money that could have been applied to the benefit of the students.</p>
<p>My D also received a Dean's scholarship but no Honors program. According the AU web site, scholarship candidates are ranked by GPA and standardized testing scores in March, and scholarships are given out in that order until the money runs out. That must have gone down below the "honors" statistical level this year. Though considering 3.9/4.6 uw/w GPA and 2100 SATs didn't make the cut, I'm not sure where the cutoff must have been. If I read the web site correctly, only those in the Honors program can qualify to graduate with "honors". Is that correct?</p>
<p>My question really was how hard is it to maintain a 3.2 GPA for scholarship qualifying?</p>