<p>My daughter got into Tulane, UPitt, American and some other schools. She fell in love with the first two schools but financials are not going to permit her to attend unfortunately. I believe she will be very happy at AU and was impressed with the school when we visited, and have heard good things about it, but she doesn’t know anyone there and is now focusing on the negatives from her visit. In particular, whether or not it is true, heard the dorms are small and old, the library gets poor reviews from students and there isn’t much school spirit. I have also now read on line that the girls can be mean and clique-y.
I know every school has pros and cons and there are unhappy and happy students at every school, so I’d love to hear some real life experiences from current or recently graduated AU students and/or their parents.
A little about my D - from the northeast, community minded, liberal, not gay but president of the Gay Straight Alliance, loves DC, wants an urban location (GWU only school haven’t heard back from), stats squarely in the middle 50% of the AU accepted pack. Friendly and comfortable with all sorts of people, but while she had a good group of friends at HS, she is is sort of searching for a place with more people who think like she does - and I know she wants a good group of girl friends who aren’t partyers, like to explore the city, travel abroad etc. In my view this sounds like a great fit for AU - am I right?
I don’t want to force her to a school where she won’t be happy, but right now I think it is just because she connected so well to what she was reading and learning about Tulane and Pitt that she didn’t really focus on AU and now is having a hard time being open to it.
Thoughts? Advice? Thanks!</p>
<p>Oh, my- I could have written this post myself! I think our daughters need to connect on Facebook! My daughter was accepted for Musical Theatre, and the only kids she can find on the AU social media sites are going to major in International Affairs or Business! I’ll PM you…</p>
<p>@broadwayorbust18 - yes! Please do - I’ve not received a PM from CC yet so let me know if for some reason it doesn’t work and we’ll figure out another way…</p>
<p>@myjanda - my daughter is a junior at AU and I think the best advice anyone can give your daughter is to visit the school during the Accepted Student Day. You will have a chance to see the students on campus, attend events where you can speak with professors and the Career Office, meet different student group leaders, etc. </p>
<p>AU was my daughter’s safety school. She was accepted to her first choice school - BC - and could not afford it. She turned down a full ride at UPitt (merit scholarship) as she did not feel that the school was for her. She was worried that AU did not have enough school spirit, that the students would be too political, etc. She attended AU because of the merit scholarship. </p>
<p>I have not heard that the girls are mean and cliquey but I guess you will always find that. It is easier to ignore those people in college than in high school. My daughter is involved in lots of groups, attends many lectures, has definitely become more political, and is having the best college experience. We, her parents, fell in love with the school during accepted students day. My daughter has had three great years so far and realizes that life has a way of making things work out. She loves her school, her friends, her professors, her internships, and her experiences. </p>
<p>Oh, and she is not a partier and she had a great study abroad experience. </p>
<p>NewJerseyMom,
May I ask what your daughter is majoring in?</p>
<p>@newjerseymom - thank you for that thoughtful reply. It was very helpful and what I needed to hear.</p>
<p>Question you may or may not be able to answer - would we/she be able to get the same feeling/information about the school if she attends the UC overnight, or, based on her indecision, is she better off coming to the Accepted Students Day? </p>
<p>@broadwayorbus18 - My daughter is a CLEG major.
@myjanda - my daughter did not do the overnight so I can’t say whether that would be better or not. I thought AU did a great job on Accepted Students Day. We had done GW for an hour and a half and spent the rest of the day at AU (same day for Accepted Students). Wish we had spent the whole day at AU. </p>
<p>I am not a student at AU but I hope I can offer some perspective.
I applied to both AU and GWU and I visited AU yesterday and GWU today. The “vibe” of the campus is obviously not the only important thing to factor in when choosing a school but I do think it is important. I think it’s REALLY important to sit in on a class if you visit, and 95% of the schools I have toured have no problem letting prospective students do this. It gives you a feel for the teachers, how interactive the classes are, how the students work with each other, etc. I also like to visit on weekdays and I don’t like to go for the big “Prospective Student Day” things because I feel like all they do is say “THIS SCHOOL IS GREAT YOU SHOULD GO HERE” and it sometimes feels kinda phony. </p>
<p>Anyway, I visited the AU campus yesterday and I really fell in love. The students were very friendly, and I’m not just talking about the students working in the admissions office. In the cafeteria I saw people walking around and talking a LOT and hugging each other and laughing and it seemed to be a very friendly environment. I would say compared to GW that the students at American are more artistic, but really not in a snobby or pretentious way. It is a very competitive very expensive school and honestly that can sometimes mean that the students are stuck up, but I did not get that feeling at all from AU.</p>
<p>Very friendly, very welcoming, bright but not intimidating.</p>
<p>Sorry I rambled, and if you have any questions or want to know about how I feel about AU vs. GWU feel free to send me a message. Good luck!</p>
<p>@hannah232430 - thank you! That is very helpful! My D is also waiting to hear back from GWU. Best of luck to you and once again, appreciate your post!</p>
<p>@hannah232430 - good point about visiting when it is not Accepted Student Day. However, even though the school is going to be saying how great they are during that day, you still have an opportunity to meet current students and see what is happening around campus and what the student body is like. School is in session that day so you get to be part of the special programs that are held as well as see what the school is like on a regular day. </p>
<p>We also met up with students that had gone to my daughter’s high school, but graduated a few years a head of her, and spoke to them honestly about the school. </p>
<p>I think your daughter could find many like-minded classmates at AU. I get the sense from my daughter that there are several different subcultures at American, but among them is a large contingent of people interested in social issues, gay rights, and other human rights concerns. There is also a huge contingent interested in travel abroad–half the students are international studies majors, after all. My daughter was able to find her “tribe” of non-partiers who share her interests.</p>
<p>My daughter is also a junior at AU (SIS); her first choice was GWU, but that didn’t work out. I think some of the other posters captured the campus feel well–there are different groups, and they are diverse enough that anyone can fit in. It’s interesting, one of her freshman roommates was a musical theater major, and though they don’t hang in the same circles, they are still friendly to this day. Also, there is a greek life at AU–it’s not like some other campuses, but my daughter joined a sorority that appealed to her from a philanthropic standpoint and has been very happy. I will say, though, that she’s very outgoing and social–sometimes too outspoken, lol–and I think has really enjoyed her experience there. As far as the dorms, she lived on campus the first two years, and the dorms may not be brand spanking new, but they are certainly functional and have way more closet space than many. Her freshman year, she actually was in a triple in Letts. I think largely the college experience is what you make of it, and AU is certainly a place (in my opinion) where many different types of students can be happy and have a great experience. You can’t beat the neighborhood, the campus is lovely, the study abroad program is fantastic, and they have the best of having a “real” college experience in DC. </p>
<p>My D is a senior Musical Theater/History double major. She has loved her time at AU. She was in University College program her freshman year and formed a great group of friends through that program (still rooms with several of them). She is not political at all, but that hasn’t been an obstacle to making friends. She also joined a sorority which has provided lots of social opportunities. It’s not all about drinking, mostly fun outings, community service and fundraising, etc. If you are looking for a big sports school, with lots of school spirit - AU is not it. But it has a very diverse population with many opportunities to make friends all over. </p>
<p>Also a plus - AU provides many opportunities to get to know your professors, participate in special projects and research and tailor your education in ways that are not always available at larger schools. My D has many interests and has received support from faculty in combining her interests (MT/history and African American studies) into a senior research thesis. She won a research award that allowed her to travel for additional research and she just presented her thesis at an academic conference. </p>
<p>In addition, she has had a paid trip to St. Petersburg, Russia for a theatre performance, two internships in her fields, and a great study abroad experience in Prague. I doubt that she would have had so many opportunities at larger schools. </p>
<p>Thanks, megpmom! It sounds like American was a great choice for her.</p>
<p>Newjerseymom, my son was accepted into the CLEG major. Coincidentally, we are also from NJ. Can you tell me what your daughter thinks of the major and whether she has had a hard time explaining to people (prospective employers, etc) what a CLEG major is? Also, did she do University College?</p>
<p>@simx38 - sending you a private message</p>