Sort By:
[Date]
[Major]
[Rating]
| Quite Bright |
This will probably be among the most honest reviews given to the school. Academically the place is outstanding. The coursload is completed at a steady pace and given to you by outstanding teachers. All the teachers were willing to help, cared about how well you did and tried to make you feel comfortable. I was a transfer student, and there were several times I was met with difficult challenges, but each time the professors came TO ME FIRST and did their best to help me. At other schools its as if the teaching staff is TRYING to break you; that is not the case at AU. IF the professors are biased politically most of them do a good job hiding their bias.
The campus is very small yet looks very nice. The nearby Tenleytown neighborhood, on the otherhand, is very boring and is more like Maryland than D.C. The campus is wrapped inside the suburbs.
Certain aspects (financial aid) about the university remain unclear, so if you are confused about any payment options you have you had better call the school.
The students are among the most unbearable people you could ever meet. The strong majority of the school is made up of girls, and although they are very pretty, they are often snobbish, close-minded and ingorant. Most of them are white people from new jersey or new york, with the rest being foreign exchange students. VERY few blacks, and even fewer people from the DC area (noVA, MD and DC).
The guys there are very metrosexual, if not homosexual. Not many real men. The level of masculinity there is very low.
If you dont like politics, more importantly, if you are not a bleeding-heart liberal, you will hate this place. this school cares about politics like UNC cares about basketball, and the overwhelming majority of students are extremely liberal. A student body that cares so much about what politicians do is not something to be revered; its pathetic. these are people who are starting to grow up and theyre already boring.
After one semester I transferred out of here. The social lifestyle at AU is awful. As great as the classroom experience was (minus all the political banter from the students), the overall experience is very hollow. Once you leave the classroom time spent at AU is boring and the people are hard to get along with. The party scene is weak, and unless you join a frat and BUY your friends the party scene is even worse.
If you are a bleeding-heart white metrosexual liberal from the east coast who likes to study you will find yourself in heaven. If not, good luck having fun. | Perceived Campus Safety: A+, Social Life: F |  | | |
| | Jun 02 2009 | 1st Year Male --
Class 2010 | | Blog it!Blog about this comment from your webpage or Blog, or MySpace account:
Just copy and paste!
<script src='http://www.studentsreview.com/active/shared/sr_comment.js?sckey=60742&uid=261'></script>
<a href='http://www.studentsreview.com' style='font-size:8pt;'>Data Source: StudentsReview!</a>
|
|
|
|
| Quite Bright |
American has its strengths and weaknesses. It's unique because it will truly give you the greatest mix of students - you'll find the jocks and fratboys along with the super-intellectual and motivated students. Mostly everyone is really down to earth and friendly - and mostly everyone cares very intensely about something in the country or the world. While many come from well-endowed families, many also are paying their way through college. The financial aid and merit scholarships are really excellent here.
The campus is small, and yet there's enough students that you always meet new people with every new class. The best part of AU is its outreach into the city and abroad. I've been impressed consistently with how easy it is even for freshmen to get involved in something meaningful in the city. There are more internships than students; there is never a dull moment. It all depends on how you make your own college experience. Choose to get involved - reach out to organizations you care about, go to shows at the Kennedy Center, get involved politically, go to poetry readings at coffee shops, check out the clubs, shopping, and museums. You can live and breath the city life and opportunities from the start.
I do want to say, however, that AU is extremely liberal and often the students are closed-minded to exploring other alternative ideas in political and economic philosophy. The econ department is filled with Keynesian economists who will likely only teach you how to repeat the same mistakes that this country has always made. Because the school is often viewed as a breeding center of future diplomats and bureaucrats, the views in the schools of public affairs and international service will often be very pro-government. It's important to watch out for this bias and be open-minded. The faculty is usually open and responsive, so it bodes well to bring up questions in office hours and in class.
Having said this, as long as you are open-minded and motivated, you can find your niche no matter what you believe. | Faculty Accessibility: A+, University Resource Use: B+ | | | |
| | May 22 2009 | 1st Year Female --
Class 2011 | | Blog it!Blog about this comment from your webpage or Blog, or MySpace account:
Just copy and paste!
<script src='http://www.studentsreview.com/active/shared/sr_comment.js?sckey=60507&uid=261'></script>
<a href='http://www.studentsreview.com' style='font-size:8pt;'>Data Source: StudentsReview!</a>
|
|
|
|
| Quite Bright |
AU is not your typical college experience. If you are looking to go to a big state school, party only and take soft classes- do not go here!
On the other hand, if you come to AU looking for a challenging environment, filled with people where no one is like you and and you really want to learn something this is the place for you.
AU is a place for you to become your own person, to try new things and become independent. In order to be at AU, you need to be independent and self-reliant. You have an amazing resource at you feet in DC and some of the Aboard Programms are amazing!
Go here, if you want something beyond your own fishbowl... | Useful Schoolwork: A+, Individual Value: B | | | |
| | May 06 2009 | 3rd Year Female --
Class 2009 | | Blog it!Blog about this comment from your webpage or Blog, or MySpace account:
Just copy and paste!
<script src='http://www.studentsreview.com/active/shared/sr_comment.js?sckey=60044&uid=261'></script>
<a href='http://www.studentsreview.com' style='font-size:8pt;'>Data Source: StudentsReview!</a>
|
|
|
|
| Quite Bright | At American University I expected a certain level of sophistication with a balance of genuine concern for the students. Much to my dismay, I find that University official offices, especially those dealing with students, financial aid, student accounts, housing, admissions, are all unhelpful and give meaningless and shallow explanations to many questions. Students are treated as tuition payments, not as productive members of the university's community. The professors are mostly focused on publishing and promoting their own work and often miss class for conferences, interviews, panels, etc. The student body is large and diverse but the university in general should be more focused on them then the university's affect on the D.C. metro area.
If you are a student who is concerned about receiving a higher and valuable education, I would not recommend American. If you are an adult student who is serious about their future line of work, I would not recommend American. If you are financing your own education, I would definitely not recommend American. If you are a trust-fund kid, who doesn't have to worry about money or their future, and just want somewhere to waste your 18-24 years, American is for you. | Surrounding City: A, Perceived Campus Safety: F | | | |
| | Oct 31 2008 | 1st Year Female --
Class 2010 | | Blog it!Blog about this comment from your webpage or Blog, or MySpace account:
Just copy and paste!
<script src='http://www.studentsreview.com/active/shared/sr_comment.js?sckey=55277&uid=261'></script>
<a href='http://www.studentsreview.com' style='font-size:8pt;'>Data Source: StudentsReview!</a>
|
|
|
|
 |
Articles
