American University

Date: Jan 19 2005
Major: Unknown (This Major's Salary over time)
I frequently refer to American University as a great school in the making. Its School of International Service is ranked among the top ten schools of similar kind in the country and its easy to see why, what with the extremely knowledgable professors and students who haunt it during the school year.

While still debating whether to attend American University or the University of Maryland, I struck up a conversation with a Russian student at AU who spoke of the consequences of twentieth century centralization in Moscow… And later I discussed the advent of Juscelino Kubitschek to the presidency of Brazil with another student… I knew that I could not find another such ambience elsewhere…

The architecture is not the most impressive thing about the school at first, and I almost decided to attend elsewhere on account of it… It's an acquired taste. I still would prefer New England style brick buildings over that National Mall limestone look, but after the first few weeks I actually found myself liking the stately, political-looking buildings (although there are a few very somber looking ones which cry Kruschev)… The campus looks especially beautiful under the glow of the moonlight.

Yes, the price tag is large, but it is definitely worth it as internships and career opportunities abound (for those who reach out for them). And yes, a great part of the students are extremely clothes conscious and concerned with porting a perpetual cosmopolitan look and spending hefty sums at nightclubs, theatres and restaurants, but for many that adds to the overall charm of the school. THere will be a great many American but especially international students who will be grateful to find such a familiar, urban ambience instead of the monotonous suburban and rural hells that other students encounter elsewhere…

Some classes are far more challenging than others, but there are always countless faculty members willing to lend a helping hand. The international crowd is great, it's made up of a wide assortment of people from almost every country imaginable, and the American one is quite diverse as well (although at least half of it strangely hails from New Jersey).

Many compare it to Georgetown, and let's just say that it's Georgetown's younger sister school in many ways, and GW's competitive cousin… For many it's like striking the lottery when finding this wonderful school…