<p>Taking questions about AU from incoming students or those still deciding. I will be on and off the board most of the weekend.</p>
<p>hi, did you study abroad? If so, how was the experience?</p>
<p>Just to follow-up on Saranac's question: If you did study abroad, how easy/difficult was it to get the academic credits from AU for the study-abroad period? Thanks.</p>
<p>Hi saranac and momonthehill, sorry for the delayed response. Saranac, I did not study abroad (I traveled very extensively prior to college), so I can only relate what I know secondhand. AU places a strong emphasis on going abroad, and has developed very strong relationships with overseas universities. For example, The American University/Ritsumeikan University Dual Undergraduate Degree Program is the only one of its kind between American and Japanese Universities. I have a close friend in the Arabic program who spent this past summer in Beirut, and is now doing a semester in Cairo. Apart from the homesickness, she loves it. That said, I do believe there are some improvements to be made, such as student support. </p>
<p>Momonthehill, as I mentioned, I didn't study abroad, so I'm afraid I wouldn't really be able to adequately answer your question. </p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>American Alum, thanks, anyway. Actually, the AU/Ritsumeikan program is interesting to my D, so she'll try to find out more about it during our upcoming visit. And we'll also try to get resolve the question from my above post. This came up because I recently read an article, in the online version of The Eagle, about how several AU students who had studied abroad were having a difficult time getting AU credit for that coursework. Since my daughter is planning on studying abroad, wherever she goes to school, this is a concern.</p>
<p>I know this is a really subjective question but who do you feel were the best professors that you had? the worst?</p>
<p>As I understand (and a limited understanding at best) it, most students have no issues with getting credit.</p>
<p>A few students did this year-- something about going to a school that didn't offer grades, and the registrar had a hard time with it. I believe it was in the middle east. It is possible the students didn't do their homework before they left to ensure they were going to a credit-worthy program. </p>
<p>There is an office dedicated to helping students navigate the process. The students should coordinate between their school's faculty and the AU Abroad office BEFORE they go abroad, to iron out these kinds of details. There is a vast array of options available. </p>
<p>Over 80% of AU students, I believe, do study abroad, which indicates that normally the process runs smoothly for the vast majority. Study Abroad is an AU strength. </p>
<p>Actually, I think it's what propelled my child to consider AU more seriously, when another school she was considering had a very limited abroad program and listed AU as a place she could go for that, as an approved provider.</p>
<p>AdvisorMom, thanks. The feedback is reassuring. Hopefully the fact that my D would be in SIS would also help to ensure that she gets credit for the coursework abroad, although I would think that any student, regardless of his/her specific school, needs to check with their advisor(s) about that before embarking on a study abroad program.</p>