<p>I have been at AU’s summer session all this summer and, while i haven’t been here for a Fall or Spring Semester, this is my impression:</p>
<p>I transferred here from GWU because of financial reasons and I was very upset about it. I loved GWU and thought it was an amazing University, but I didn’t transfer home because I loved DC so much. I feel that GWU and AU both take great advantage of the city and encourage students to actively participate in it, via internships, etc. While GWU has a campus within the city, AU gives kids an opportunity to have a more campus feel but still be close to the heart of the city. The classes are smaller at AU and that gives students a better chance to get to know professors and get more attention from them.<br>
I do think that GWU academics are better despite the larger size of classes (the classes do get small in upper level classes at GWU). Its been my opinion that small classes are necessary in elementary through high school. I feel college needs to have better professors, than smaller classes. There are many great professors at AU but so far i have been more impressed with the level difficulty at GWU than at AU. This is only in the few months I’ve been at AU so this opinion may change.</p>
<p>The student body seems ok, although there aren’t that many here during the summer. </p>
<p>The food is about as normal as any other university i think.</p>
<p>On the whole I feel that I learned more at GWU and it certainly has a better prestige and alumni network. But I feel that it is not worth a close to $50,000 tuition. AU is a good school to go to if you want to be in DC. The internships are plentiful (although i don’t understand why AU doesn’t accept internship credit before your 2nd semester sophomore year) and the fun is endless. On a scale of 1 to 10, i’d give AU a 6.5, with improvements needed in the strength of classes, the high costs, and just the fact that it’s not in the city (but that’s subjective). Hope this helps some people make a decision.</p>
<p>Others have commented that AU core courses are not as challenging as expected...and you have a unique perspective having attended GWU. Can you be a bit more specific...is it the work load, volume of reading, difficulty of assignments (like total pages or number of research papers). Or the tests are multiple choice, or just seem easier? Less material covered per course, prof didn't attempt to teach complex ideas?</p>
<p>I know its a hard, subjective question. But there's a difference between less challenging (less depth, thinking, analysis...not good) vs good courses and good teachers but less emphasis on complicated tests / trick questions, no 20 page papers freshman year, which won't really make you less educated just less stressed. </p>
<p>Do you think the grades may be inflated? (at the top or bottom? easier to get an A, easier to pass without doing much?)</p>
<p>How do you feel about AU's "neighborhood"? it's not downtown. Is there enough to do & stores within walking distance? Is the shuttle to the metro a barrier to getting around?</p>
<p>Thanks for your insight, hope you'll post again in the fall when the 'crowds' have arrived again.</p>
<p>I would say there is less work, and it's less challenging. I feel like AU and GWU have more of a professional atmosphere than a intellectual one. The best way i can explain it is you will read Plato at Georgetown, while you will read about Plato at AU and GWU. Now this is just a metaphor and there are classes at each school that goes in-depth in philosophy. </p>
<p>I would say that the problem with some of AU's classes, in my opinion, is the material just does not go in-depth enough and the tests don't require a significant amount of thought or analyzing. There's not much to gain by writing a 20-page paper that requires as much thought as a book report. Again, this varies from teacher to teacher. Some will be tougher than others and students just have to figure out what they want out of their classes.</p>
<p>I would suggest to AU that they increase the rigor standards for their classes to challenge kids. I'm not sure if it's grade inflation, but I have found it's not very difficult to make an A in a class. It's near impossible to make below a B.</p>
<p>The neighborhood is different from GWU. I think it's just the difference between having a 'campus feel' at AU as opposed to being in the city at GWU. It's not difficult to get downtown from AU, just plan at least a 30 minute metro trip depending on where you're going.</p>
<p>As an AU student going into her sophmore year, I feel your assessment of academics at AU is premature having only taking summer courses. I don't know of any school whose summer experience is very much like their regular academic year. Yes, thankfully, AU is professionally oriented (see latest Princeton Review - Best Career/Best Job Placement), and I, for one, want that. It is up to the individual in addition to pursue intellectual avenues while at AU as they are certainly there for the taking. In addition, I have always believed that there are many very intelligent, well educated students who fall flat upon graduation with no career/work opportunties in sight. Considering AU and GW are similar schools (see Princeton Review), the cost at GW is simply not worth it.</p>