<p>I would love any current AU or prospective student to comment… what do you think is the worst part of American? The best part?
Thanks!!</p>
<p>Honestly – by biggest beefs with AU aren’t with the actual school, facilities, classes, teachers, dorms etc. Those are all pretty fantastic. The bureaucracy at AU is a pain in the butt, luckily, after your first semester you don’t really have to deal with it much. </p>
<p>Admissions: They’re okay – as long as you stay on them. I applied as a transfer, and after sending in all my stuff, emailed them to confirm that my application was complete. I received confirmation that it was. Seven weeks later, I emailed their office again, wondering when I could hear back with a decision since their website says that you can should hear back in four to six weeks.</p>
<p>I get an email back saying that they still needed my transcript from my semester abroad…at American University. The reason my application had not been processed (even though I had been told it was) was that I needed to send an official copy from American University…to American University. I thought this was going to be because they were going to create a new account (student ID# and all) but this was not the case. </p>
<p>Housing and Dining: The bane of existence for most AU students. The office is in Anderson hall, and if you ever go in – you don’t speak with an adult. You speak with an RA working at the front desk, they are the gate keepers to the actual people who work in the H and D office and you never get past them. Last semester I signed up for a room, and got paired with a random instead of the girl I wanted to room with. We went to the office to see if they could quickly switch it, since the girl I wanted to room with still had an empty space in her room. They told us that, that was not possible because the system was on ‘lockdown’ and if we wanted that to happen, we needed to wait until – EVERYONE had moved in before Fall semester and then if all 4 people agreed to switch, we could take it up with our Resident Director, after everyone had moved all their stuff into their rooms. That sounds easier. </p>
<p>The incoming freshman have a particular grudge against Housing and Dining, specifically because to cope with the high demand for AU, they outsourced their housing application process to a third party for Fall 2011. Well it came time to sign up for housing and the system crashed.</p>
<p>BUT</p>
<p>The good parts of AU make up for the bad and then some – for me the best part is the internships. I like the fact that I’m a rising senior and I’ve had 4 fantastic internships in my field (in the year and a half I’ve been at AU). I know from friends at other schools that, that puts me well ahead of them in terms of on the job experience, and in this economy it means that I’m somewhat comfortable (as opposed to terrified) about finding a job next May. There is an expansive career services office that offers mock interviews, resume crafting and refining as well as drafting of cover letters. There is even a specific office for recent graduates, and a lifetime membership to an exclusive online career (internship and job) database that is FILLED with all kinds of jobs.</p>
<p>Wow… thank you so much. I see what you mean… weird question… how is the food?
And internships are SO important it seems like. Im glad AU helps with that. I mean how could it not… location location location…</p>
<p>The food is actually very good, and if you ever get sick of it, you get 300 ‘Eagle Bucks’ included in your meal plan which are accepted at restaurants in the local area (on and off campus) (<a href=“https://www.eaglebucks.com/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_13_1[/url]”>https://www.eaglebucks.com/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_13_1</a>) and even at the Whole Foods nearby. The only con is they repeat their food choices at the dining hall, and they do it often, so you get sick of it by Junior and Senior year and absolutely blow through those Eagle Bucks.</p>
<p>Internships are important – though there are plenty of people at AU who don’t participate in on more than once during their Junior or Senior year for credit. I’m just not sure why with the epic opportunity we’re given. </p>
<p>Let me know if you want to know anything else.</p>
<p>Yea the housing situation is crazy, but if you stay on top of admissions like I did, you will find that they a great and helpful. Asides from that there are no negatives at AU :P</p>
<p>Its hard to take classes at other colleges for credit - they cap it at 6 credits and it can’t be one of the GEN ED requirements, and some majors don’t let you take any courses at another college. So, you can’t go home for the summer and take classes at a community college. (My son wanted to do that, and got told no.)</p>
<p>My son has a limited diet due to food allergies and he found the food boring. But the eagles bucks do make up for it.</p>
<p>I agree about the 6 credit thing. However from what I hear that’s been the policy since the mid-70’s, and the faculty senate/administration is likely going to change the cap to 14 credits (1 credit under a full semester) within the upcoming year, to go along with their full revision of the faculty manual. Not sure exactly when this will happen though.</p>
<p>Does this limit apply to credits earned in a study abroad program? Or does AU have its own study abroad programs and allow you to earn credit only for those?</p>
<p>AU has their own study abroad programs so the 6 credit thing doesn’t apply. They have a lot are available, you can look on their website</p>
<p>Kogod supposedly does not take any credits from any other colleges (except study abroad and Washington DC consortia)</p>
<p>That’s false. My d. in Kogod got a bunch of credits from community college classes (taken before entrance), and will graduate in three years.</p>
<p>Actually to clarify, AU will accept courses taken prior to coming to AU and you can use Community College courses to meet Gen ED requirements if they are taken prior to coming to AU. Our D got credit for 1 science, meet her math requirement, her writing requirements and something else but I don’t remember what with CC courses that she took during high school. After you start at AU they do not allow you to fulfill Gen Ed requirements anywhere but at AU. I am not sure about the 6 credits, but that only applies after you start at AU. Our D started with a number of credits that made it easier for her to graduate next spring which will be 3 years at AU.
Ellen</p>