The American University

Great campus! The students were all highly enthusastic and very helpful during our tour and question period.

American University is a bureaucratic nightmare. Staff are not careful about making sure paper work is properly done or if staff members have left the university. You are usually they last to know as a student. They are also very stringy about money. While many of the professors are great and are world renowned in their field. A lot of the administrative staff does not care, complacent, or hands are tie. The President is barely visible. The students in the grad schools are very focus and discipline but the undergrads are very privilege, uninformed, and some are down right racists. There have been several incidents against Muslim students and black students. The law schools is ranked under 20 and has experienced a decline in enrollment, yet they are building a costly new building. While other buildings are out of date and smell. It is not a terrible school but there is room for a lot improvement. The Career Center is for the most par great. Overall, do not make this school part of your top anything unless they are highly ranked for something, like the School of Public Affairs. You are better off somewhere else that will give you great training at a better price.

Great school, great reputation, SOME good professors, overpriced housing, and terrible food service. This about sums up my current experience at AU. Try not to live on-​campus or off-​campus housing. It is terribly overpriced but not the end of the world. The food service is just awful. Let’s start off with the Terrace Dining Room (TDR). Silver wear seems to not have been washed correctly, plates and cups seem to not have been washed in years (just take a white t-​shirt, rub the inside of the cups slightly and you’ll see the brown disgustingness that I mean) and the workers are the rudest, most unprofessional people you will ever meet. Other than that it’s a great school! Very comfortable environment in the suburbs of DC!

This is for the health center/​career center and perhaps could be used to understand how the administration treats the student body, but maybe not all are like this:
I came in really sick for an appointment. I had to wait at least 30 mins past my appointment time. I remarked to the medical lady that saw me that I was unhappy that I had to wait so long. She got weird and aggressive and basically threw a prescription for antibiotics at me after asking only a few questions. Later I got an email from the guy that runs it asking for an apology for my behavior. What? I’m not allowed to remark upon my service? I might be a student but I’m still paying for this.
Another time at the career center, I asked for advice about quitting my internship because of my school workload and a more flexible position had opened up. The old lady told me I was going to be blacklisted in DC since it was a politically oriented organization and ruin my future in the city. Needless to say I had a panic attack, and she pointed me to the mental health center and showed me out without taking the survey one usually completes. I quit my internship later in the week and left on the most amiable of terms (and no longer stressed). After this demeaning and unprofessional event, I haven’t been back.
In sum: the administration is poorly trained but has a lot of power.

As an undergraduate student, I had great spey from professors, advisors and on campus employers. It’s always been a forward thinking institution, and after more than 20 years as an alum, I am grateful for the care they place on alumni events and services.
Favorite professors: Dr. Ross, professor Ed Smith. Great advisor, Athena, in SPA.
The campus improvements, like the new residence hall neat McDowell & Katz Center, are awesome.

With a name like The American University, it would seem fitting that it’s location is Washington, DC.
I had an opportunity to tour the campus with my Son who has been accepted into
the Masters Program. He had applied to several schools and been accepted at Drexel in Philly but decided on AU.
The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on February 24, 1893 as «The American University,» when the bill was approved by President Benjamin Harrison.
AU was named the «most politically active school» in the nation in The Princeton Review’s annual survey of college students in 2008, 2010, and 2012.
Estimated at 12,000 Undergraduate & Graduate students. Part of The Patriot League, it has Division I status.
A really nice campus with close proximity to public transporation and less than a mile
to Tenley/​AU Metro on the Red Line.

I had the worst experience with AU. The VA and collections offices were practically incompetent. It would be weeks if they bothered to responded to emails or messages and when they did they were rude.
I was disappointed in the school experience as well. Professors were knowledgeable but very obviously biased. It was hard to have a different opinion and it often felt like a witch hunt if you spoke out. I felt like a lot of students went to AU to have their own opinions comfortably confirmed but not to be challenged. For a university in DC I was looking forward to more political variety as I fall right in the middle of the political spectrum. It’s safe to say I did not stay at that school longer than a year. Save the MASS amounts of money you will spend going here. I regret that $ 36,000 loan more than anything. The school was NOT worth the debt.

As a current student in a Master’s program, I love this university! It is very laid back, and easy going with events always going on for students, faculty, and staff! The teachers I have had the opportunity to study under were very supportive, caring, and were willing to work with me. Also! Eaglebucks? Awesome. They come in handy. The buses that pick AU students and visitors up in front of the metro station is a life saver! Though, campus is only a 15 minute walk from the Tenlytown Metro.

What a lovely campus and Dave Detwiler and the Commencement band are amazing and funny! It was a great joy to get to meet with them and hear how valuable live music is at commencement ceremonies. #naacoConf #naaco

Not a student, but came here as a volunteer for a youth Baptist leadership conference called Immerse 2012. The campus was pretty much empty since it was summer, but everything we needed, we had access to. The facilities are all beautiful and very functional. By the time the kids left they felt like they actually had a college experience and it was all made possible by this University.

CAS graduate 2011, love the campus, the classes, the food, everything. Beautiful part of DC. Wonderful four years.

For the love of everything dear in life… DO NOT APPLY FOR STUDENT HOUSING at AU. Id rather live in an abortion clinics trash can.
As a law student interning at AU, I wanted something close to the metro since I get of work late. Sadly, the proximity was the only thing I got from AU’s housing.
Apparently, the carpets have NEVER been washed or vacuumed. The room smells like a men’s locker room in 140 degree weather where socks and dirty underwear have accumulated for 12 years allowing fungus and puss to collected all around you so that you suffocate in your sleep from the bacteria trying to escape the toxic fumes of disgusting which overpower any chance of polluted air to pass through. Thank you AU for such wonderful accommodations and being so UN-​willing to fix the situation… I never thought diarrhea and vomit could smell better than dorm rooms…
Oh and if you were wondering… Yes the blissful stench does attach to your work clothes.

SIS Graduate in 2010. This is a gorgeous school. They have done so many beautiful renovations. I considered all area universities and this was the best! In the school of international service I was there at a time when counselor overturn was high. The special gem that remains is Julie Wickham who is an absolute help who I wish I had stuck with through my five years at AU. Most of the professors are extremely helpful. Even the hard core ones seem to be mean for your purpose. I wish I had taken better advantage of the opportunities afforded at AU. The plethora of study abroad opportunities are uncomparable. How I managed to go to AU and not study abroad is a mystery to me. Well… I was young and sleep so I got caught up in social life…
Even still I know AU made the difference and continues to make a difference in my life.

AU is a wonderful school that keeps increasing in status. I’m a student here and it’s wonderful. I can’t suggest it enough. It’s in a quiet, low crime area of DC. Easy access to the DC metro via the AU shuttle. The teachers are nice and are professionals in their area and many time even currently hold jobs in the area. All sport teams are division one and are fantastic to watch.
If looking at AU take it from an AU student and seriously consider it.

The university and campus just keep getting better! I graduated from AU in 2005 (BA) and 2007 (MPA) and am active on campus as an alumni. I just love how each year my degree is worth more because of the continual improvements being made, such as the green SIS building and new programs being added all the time.
If a college education is intended to be an investment, American is one that continues appreciate in value for years to come!

Professors are well-​experienced and deserve all the credit for making this a class A institution.

This review is for transcript requests from the Registar’s office:
I will preface this by saying that I didn’t graduate from AU and other than a handful of the friends I made, my experiece dealing with administration at AU wasn’t the most pleasant experience.
I recently applied to a few universities for the Fall term and had to request transcripts from AU’s registar’s office. I first requested them in March. I expected that they wouldn’t be sent right away. OK I get it they get several requests. I figured it could take a few weeks, if someone is on vacation or they are just swamped. I didn’t expect that it would take over 3 months! and of course it wasn’t sent until after I called and pestered them about it after sending several email requests for the status. Ok I guess one can slip through the cracks. I can’t believe that they would ignore a transcript request not once but twice. They have deadlines for applications they must understand that there are deadlines for other universities’ applications. What else do they do in the registar’s office but send and receive transcripts?

The location of the school is major advantage! Being located in DC, if you’re into Politics (if the past eight years didn’t turn you off, lol) AU can be your springboard! The professors are sometimes inundated with obligations from the «K street» part of their life. This is where you’ll get to brush up on those skills needed in DC, elbowing your way to talk to them. In general, I do have to say though that the professors made themselves available throughout the semester, with walk-​in hours. Kudos to them especially considering some of the high-​powered jobs that some of them hold. The great thing about the campus is the diversity of the students, you can really get to know all the 50 states and beyond! The School of International Service offers lots of different approaches to combining a hands on experience in global welfare with those ideals that we learn in class.

I graduated from AU in 1993. I chose AU because of its campus and strong business and communications program. I figured I’d get hit by a car running to classes if I went to GW… Well, I guess I decreased the chances of that happening, but I did get hit (more like tapped) by a car once when crossing from AU’s commuter parking lot to the main campus. Ah well.
I had some great professors in the business school (my major) and in the Communications school (my minor), and a few of these teachers are still there. I had a lot of fun in the student run radio station. I had a few electives in their art school which was also pretty strong.
All in all — a good experience. I noticed most employers respect AU and like to see it on my resume.

Once an Eagle, Always an Eagle…
AU is my alma mater — and even though there were tons of things about the school that drove me nuts, I really loved my 4 years here.
Here’s what makes AU great:
1) the students. OK, so I don’t really talk to anyone from school any more because by senior year I was so over the pretension and just was ready to be done — but really the students are great. And the line they’re feeding the alums is that the kids get smarter every year.
2) the profs and staff. Well, I still talk to some of them. Most of them professors are experienced in the field in a useful way — either currently practicing or recently. Lots of adjuncts who seem like they don’t have time to deal with you, but are often friendly enough to make time to help. Also glad that we finally named Kerwin the president, he deserved it. The rest of the staff and leadership seemed to really make an effort — or at least if you asked they did. Special shout outs to: David Owens, Faith Leonard, and the financial aid people — they made sure I could stay at AU and found me the money for it — plus they were just always great support.
3) the campus. Yes, unlike GW we have a campus. A beautiful one. And yes, unlike GU it’s near a metro.
4) KPU and all the other student groups. KPU gets a special shout otu because they always had the best speakers — but really all of the student groups always had something going on good lord.
5) AU Athletics. OK, these folks are delusional and keep trying to build school spirit… lots of love for trying
I’ll have to revisit this review monthly — for the rest of my life — wheen I’m paying off my over priced degree. But I know it was worth it.