What is AU really like?

Colleges and Universities A-Z American University
1

Hi - I am looking for someone to tell me what going to AU is really like. I have been interested in the university for about a year now and want to apply to the School of Public Affairs. Last week I was lucky enough to visit the campus and fell in love with the university even more. I left that day feeling overjoyed because I felt like I had finally found my school and planned to apply ED this November. However, after conducting more research I have found a lot of negative reviews about AU. Many of the reviews mentioned that the university was not worth its price tag. Reading these reviews made me so sad because I was completely sold on AU after visiting… but I understand that people are more likely to leave a review if they have had problems at the school. Anyway, I am looking for current or recently graduated AU students to tell me what their experience has been like and if all of these negative reviews are the reality for the majority of the students. Please go into as much detail as possible!

(ps. I was originally drawn to AU because of its study abroad/internship opportunities, its unique location of being in DC but still having a residential campus and its reputation of being one of the most politically active college campuses in the United States)

2

Check out the AU Reddit page. Nothing like hearing from current students. My daughter fell in love with the place, just like you, and committed there this week.

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Thank you - I will be sure to check it out! Also, congratulations to your daughter.

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@emcharles012 Thanks and good luck to you! Another resources is Quora where several AU Alumni have weighed in on the school. I had to do my due diligence you know :slight_smile:

5

Current rising senior (oh God that’s scary) here. Double major/dual degree in Business & Entertainment and Music and was in the inagural class of AU Scholars (at this point it’s probably so different I can’t speak on it). Member of professional Greek Life. Politically, I’m a conservative/libertarian.

For all the issues I’ve had with the school, I definitely think I made the right choice in going to AU. It’s kind of a beauracratic nightmare to get anything done. Getting my dual degree declared involved multiple meetings with both the Kogod and CAS advisors over a week, but it ended up working out in the end. Just caused a lot of anxiety to be frank. AU Central is also similarly a mess. Things usually end up working, but it takes a LONG time.

The on-campus climate is a bit…strange for me as I’m pretty removed from the ultra-wonky SPA and SIS classes, and it is a bit hard to be passionate about anything other than the immediate issues de jure. Personally, I’m incredibly interested in copyright and IP policy especially as it relates to music piracy (pretty sure I’m writing my capstone on it) but because it’s not seen as th major, nationwide issue it actually is, no one else seems to care. I enjoy it, and I knew I would be going into smaller programs at AU, but I kinda like it like that. I personally know most of my music & entertainment professors on a first-name (or even nickname) basis and have had classes taught by some of the smartest people I’ve met…

I have taken ONE upper-level SPA class and it was very thought provoking and interesting, but it ultimately made me glad I chose to avoid studying Politics and Philosophy like I thought I was going to initally when I was looking at schools (and then found that AU had the B&E program). AU is A LOT in that area, and it made my roommate (who just graduated with a Poli Sci degree) hate politics. Doesn’t happen to everyone–I have friends that still like them–but there is that potential, espeiclly if you’re already kinda cynical.

It’s also kind of hard to find your niche, especially your first semester. I wasn’t super happy until second semester when I joined my professional fraternity and made some of my best friends and found where I belonged. Some people find it quickly, some don’t.

The campus is BEAUTIFUL in the spring and summer. Otherwise, it’s kind of dreary and the brutalist architecture of the residence halls is something we all laugh at. But it’s really not that bad when I drop some cynicism and there are lots of cool study and relaxing spaces–they actually just opened a new one this past semester that hosts some really cool events that I’m probably gonna spend a lot of time at next year since I’m living off campus.

That was a lot, I know. If you want to know more, lemme know.

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Thank you @MoreTeaWesley. That was informative and I’m glad to hear that you can find your niche there even if you don’t fit the typical student profile. I do have a question for you - what is your take on Academic rigor at AU ? Do most students find the curriculum and classes challenging? Do students have to work hard to earn good grades, and does it differ based on the specific school you are in? I’m also curious about the intellectual environment beyond the classroom - conversation between students, study habits etc. Any insights? Thx!

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It does depend a bit on the program you’re in. Obviously, programs like Political Science and International Studies are going to require a lot of academic rigor–lots of reading, homework, and research and whatnot–while programs that are more skill-based like Audio Production are a bit more “you can either do it or you can’t.” Not that it’s not work, but it’s a different kind of work. Both the Business program and Music program require those different kinds of rigor–I’m doing a more academic focus with music so it’s still a bit different than my friends who are more into performance. I’ve had to work decently hard in all of my classes. Of course some of the “work” was easier than other classes (espeiclaly some of the gen eds, but I think the program is different now), but it’s still “work” nontheless. I’ve never had a class I coasted through doing nothing.

Intellectually beyond the classroom, I typically hang out mostly with other musicians (I am in the music fraternity after all) so most of the discussions I have are about music and the issues facing musicians, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t discuss politics and other current issues–it’s just not always what comes up first. I personally usually end up doing studying/homework alone, but plenty of people work well together and I’ve studied in groups before. Many students like the library. I personally don’t and typically will either study in the arts or business buildings–sometimes going to the new Bridge Cafe once it opened.