I was accepted to AU and decided to take them up on their mentorship program offer. As someone who loves International Relations, I thought that this would be a golden opportunity. However, I recently attended AU’s Eagle Summit this June, and I walked away somewhat disappointed. Here are my reasons why:
-The dorms were terrible considering how expensive they were
-The food was also terrible considering how expensive the university is
-Most of the people I interacted with were either really self-righteous or were really spoiled reach kids that were generally annoying
-I’ve read elsewhere online that the Mentorship program is a scam since most of the internships you’ll get will be full time but unpaid, and that you aren’t officially a student until the following semester, which seems very suspect
-I’ve also read and heard that the bureaucracy at the school is atrocious, as well as the financial aid
That being said…
On paper, the school looks like the best option for me when it comes to International Relations. I doubt Il be able to find internships nearly as good if I attend other schools. I’m really nervous that willl take a huge mistake by either leaving or deciding to attend the school (A little late, I know). What are your thoughts? Is the price really worth it?
Parent of a rising sophomore. I will try to answer your questions.
-The dorms were terrible considering how expensive they were: This is DC so the land costs are high and the dorm prices reflect the COL of the city. There are new sophomore dorms that were built recently and they remodel dorms periodically. My son lived in Letts - the kids referred to it as “The Letto”. He was fine. Letts is being remolded this Summer.
-The food was also terrible considering how expensive the university is: There was a student uprising last year regarding food services and they now have a new food vendor - Chartwell’s. They will not take over until the end of July. So the food should improve. My guess is the food is even worse than usual right now as Aramark has no reason to provide good service.
-Most of the people I interacted with were either really self-righteous or were really spoiled reach kids that were generally annoying: Are there rich kids at AU - You bet. Many kids are full pay students. Your statement in itself is very telling to me. You were there for only 2 days and this was your take-away? You are likely to be unhappy anywhere you go if you make snap judgements regarding people. My son found his people and was extremely happy at AU.
-I’ve read elsewhere online that the Mentorship program is a scam since most of the internships you’ll get will be full time but unpaid, and that you aren’t officially a student until the following semester, which seems very suspect - A lot of internships in DC are unpaid especially on the Hill. I would agree that the Mentorship program is not optimal and I’m not sure I would have encouraged my son to got to AU if he had been accepted into this program.
-I’ve also read and heard that the bureaucracy at the school is atrocious, as well as the financial aid - The only Financial Aid that matters is your own.
Is the price really worth it? This is one for you and our parents. I would not encourage any parent/student to take out loans beyond the Federally Subsidized student loans. It would help to know what your other options were. Does another option offer a semester exchange to a DC school? Or do they have success in placing students in summer internships in DC? It’s hard to give an opinion when you have nothing to compare it to.
My son just graduated from AU. He loved it and made some very good friends right from his first semester. He found that there were kids from wealthy families who were really nice people, and kids from lesser means who were complete jerks. Just like everywhere.
One of his summer jobs was helping Mentorship students by email to prepare for finding internships when they came to campus. It would be highly unusual to find an internship that pays.
You will earn about 15 AU credits for the AU courses you take as a Mentorship student, even though you will not have officially matriculated yet.
Have you read about this program on the AU website? Go to american.edu and type mentorship in the search bar. There’s a lot of info there, including the Program Brochure. I note that there’s a statement in there that says that since students are considered Non-Degree Students, financial aid may not be available, although there are payment plans. It’s not a scam, but it’s not for everybody. It is a way for a student who was accepted for January admission to get a head-start on their AU career.
First off-don’t panic. Any decision that can be made can be unmade. There is never any shame in changing your mind! To be honest, yes, everything you said is true. AU is ridiculously expensive, the dorms are poor, and the food is a bit awful. That being said, it is very good for International Relations. Keep in mind, you are always allowed to transfer to a state school in the area (University of Maryland is a great option) and be able to commute to DC at a lesser price. Also, if you want an IR career, its always in the cards to go to a cheap undergrad, and go to one of the boojier schools (GW, Georgetown) for a graduate degree. Its all about how you, as a human being, want to spend the money you have. College is what you make of it, and AU is the same case.