<p>it’s a mother’s concern. can someone reassure me?</p>
<p>haven’t visited the school yet (or attended for that matter), but to my best knowledge American is in one of the safest parts of D.C. I believe the area is basically a wealthy suburban area.</p>
<p>Yes, apparently it is VERY safe!</p>
<p>We live just outside DC. AU is part of a big city and students should take the same kinds of precautions as in any urban area. There are muggings and burglaries even in northwest DC, which is considered the safest part of the District, and emergency services in the District do not have the best reputation, unfortunately. That said, I allowed my son to attend on his own a summer program at AU between sophomore and junior year of high school, when he was 16. He took either the Metro or a bus, or sometimes rode his bike. He was fine and I think the campus experience was very good for him. You will find the surrounding area has many upscale stores and restaurants.</p>
<p>My child is a freshman there and indeed she feels very safe. Came from suburbia and has learned to use the metro and bus system with ease. She was a typical get in the car and drive everywhere type of teen before she came to AU. Now she is a real city dweller, and with some common sense, we all feel she is in a safe and wonderful environment. She loves AU.</p>
<p>The area around AU looks suburban, but it is in a city. Students are fine if they use common sense and have street smarts. I would not suggest wandering around the area, drunk, and alone at three in the morning, but I would not suggest that for freshmen at any hour. There are shuttles running from campus to the metro until midnight on week nights and until 3 am on weekends, so students can wait together in a lighted area. AU offers RAD (rape, aggression, and defense) classes. And, compared to a more rural school, AU is close to several hospitals “just in case.”</p>
<p>Today at an information session for admitted students the alumni briefly described AU’s neighborhood, some upscale neighbors, as well as hinted at greater security in NW DC, how campus is located near Embassy Row and that the embassies are patrolled by the Secret Service, which I just thought was cool :-)</p>
<p>Oh yeah, AU has its own category under “DC Alert.” Info found here: <a href=“https://textalert.ema.dc.gov/index.php?CCheck=1[/url]”>https://textalert.ema.dc.gov/index.php?CCheck=1</a> My mom signed up for it too, and it makes her feel better.</p>
<p>One thing my D remembered from the tour and info session was the level of security…she felt that compared to other places we visited and she was accepted to that AU had excellent security. Wellesley, as beautiful as it is, scared her due to the winding paths around campus that are through the woods/gardens and the fact that anyone can drive in and through, park around campus and wander.</p>
<p>completely safe–no need to worry.</p>
<p>I thought I remember them saying on the tour that the AU security guards are actually DC police specially assigned. So, they are not just rent a cops.</p>
<p>You guys might find this interesting.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www1.finance.american.edu/dps/srtk/srtk.pdf[/url]”>http://www1.finance.american.edu/dps/srtk/srtk.pdf</a></p>
<p>It’s a daily crime log for the past few months. I’m surprised how often people are caught with alcohol. I was under the impression that, despite AU having a dry-campus, it wasn’t enforced too much.</p>