<p>Ok, so being from the west coast, I have no idea what kind of school AU is or how it’s perceived; however, I got into their School of Public Affairs and got a $18k scholarship, and I’m wondering if maybe I should go. Any advice from anyone who might know?</p>
<p>Depending on what you want to do, it's definitely a good school. It's international programs are well regarded, and that's what I plan to major in. Don't go just because of the money though; go because you want to. I know a lot of people who ended up very unhappy because they just went where they got the most money.</p>
<p>AU has a great advantage of being in DC. If you feel that you really want to take advantage of that, then you should come. Their international school is much more highly regarded than their School of Public Policy. You can easily switch if you want once you decide to go. If this school sounds even remotely interesting to you, then you should consider the money and do your own cost benefit analysis.</p>
<p>If you've gotten into any of the UCs (just guessing you might be in CA), then those UCSD, Berkeley, and UCLA are great for social sciences.</p>
<p>I've talked to someone at American who went there on a 25K ride and generally likes it. It's a very social science oriented school, meaning if you want to have a meaningful conversation, you probably will find it on some political topic rather than the classics. </p>
<p>If you're not so sure as to what you want to do, then American is definitely not for you. American has some very good programs, but not much depth. If you want a degree worth something later on in a major like Chemistry, you'll have to transfer.</p>
<p>Yes, UCs are great, but really, if you went to UCSD as a social science major, what are the odds of finding a good internship in a place like San Diego? I am from California and was choosing mainly between American and UCSD...I chose American primarily because of its location, and because I got a scholarship as well. UCSD is great for science and pre-med majors because there are plenty of internships available in those areas. I really think the many opportunities available at American outweigh UCSD's prestige.</p>
<p>American's prime location in DC does offer enormous numbers of opportunities that are very difficult to find anywhere else. If you talk to anyone in the real world, connections and experience are everything. If you are considering one of the UCs, that's basically a decision you'll have to make.</p>
<p>Ok, so I'm in the same situation. I got into UCD and UCSD-- both of which I don't want to go to. Also, I got into UCLA, visited on tuesday and absolutely hated it, and now am seriously considering AU, except I got practically no F. Aid. Is it really worth it to pay extra to be in DC?</p>
<p>Again that's a subjective question. However, among students I've talked to in DC, the advantage of having the opportunities at conferences, panel discussions, internships, etc in DC are absolutely amazing. For example, lg08 a frequent poster on CC and a student at AU says: </p>
<p>"I, for one, study all the time and I know most people definitely are very into their classes - because it's college and people are learning what they are interested in. Last year before I accepted admission, I was a bit concerned whether the academics were up to par with what I wanted - and they are. I think you get what you put into it - the professors are amazing and always open to talking in office hours, etc. There are tons of events and lectures and things happening on campus to take advantage of - I saw several ambassadors speak last semester, John Glenn, the governor of Puerto Rico, Andrei Cherny, Ari Fleischer, and experts on Sudan, Taiwan, etc. Plus, I've been to a forum at the IMF and Woodrow Wilson center. So, if you want to learn and are serious about your studies, then yes, this school has great opportunities - you just have to be motivated to take part in them!"</p>
<p>If you've already been accepted and made your AU ID at my.american.edu (diff from your prospective student portal), then you should be getting the Today@AU newsletters in either your AU email account or in your regular email account. Just read those everyday. They have at least a dozen events with all sorts of lobbies, civic organizations, partisan organizations that AU students are invited to. What's amazing is that it's not some running list with things being added every couple of days. The list almost totally changes everyday with new events. </p>
<p>I guess the question you have to ask yourself is what would you do if you were an employer. Would you choose the kid from UCSD with a more "prestigious" degree or the kid from AU with several high responsibility internships and a semester abroad in Beirut. Not to mention that 80% of jobs are filled by networking and personal contacts, which are hard to gain in a overpopulated UC system. </p>
<p>No one can make the decision about how much AU is worth paying for. However, I'm pretty sure you will like AU versus possibly hating UCSD.</p>