American Other Major

It's a school only for Political Science and International Relations.
Instead of going to "AU" I go to "GayJew"

Yes the School of Public Affairs and School of International Service are awesome and both ranked in the top 10 in the nation, but our Business School and School of Communications are also top notch. But I think it's a mistake to say that everyone is obsessed with politics, because I have many friends that are not.

As for GayJew, yes we are a very GLBTA-friendly campus and there are a sizeable number of gays, lesbians, etc. on campus. But the environment is very friendly and have not in my semester and a half here run into any instances where a particular person was singled out because he/she was gay/lesbian/etc. As for the second half of that, I think any school (especially more secular schools like American) that draws its student body heavily from the northeast like American does will always have a lot of Jewish students.

Perhaps the best part about American is its political activism. Ted, Caroline, and Patrick Kennedy all endorsed Barack Obama at a rally at American in our arena. The line started forming the night before and stretched all the way down through campus and down to the Law School a half mile away. I was lucky enough to be able to stand 20 feet from the podium and hear all 4 politicians give great speeches. It is an experience I will never forget. We've also had Ron Paul, Jimmy Carter, NBC White House Correspondant David Gregory, numerous Congressmen and women, Senators, Elizabeth Edwards, and more I'm sure I'm forgetting all speak on campus. I don't think there is a better city than Washington DC to study politics, and American does it right. On top of that, DC is a great city with so much to do on a given day. When friends and family visit and want me to play "tour guide," there is never a shortage of things for them to see.

That being said, perhaps the one thing I would change is school spirit, especially when it comes to sports. We don't have a football team, which stinks, and attendance at men's basketball games usually top out at about 1500 on a given night. Other sports like soccer, field hockey, and even women's basketball have sparse attendance and often it feels like the only people watching are athlete's families.

From my two semesters of classes, I have been satisfied with my academics. I have not had a class with more than 50 people, if that, and most are small- between 20-30 students, which only encourage class participation. I'm in the honors program, and honors classes are capped at 20 students, and 15 for Freshman English classes. Professors are very accessible, and encourage you to visit them during office hours. For the most part, they are very understanding, and willing to give you a hint or push you in the right direction if you are stuck on something. I've had a few professors take the class on field trips into DC, and some have brought in food for the class.

Classes generally run twice a week, either on Mon/Thu or Tue/Fri schedules and are 75 minutes long, although there are "block" classes that are twice as long, but only meet once a week.

American has a largely white, middle to upper-class student body, although there is a good amount of diversity on campus. Students come from across the US and even world, but many students are from the Northeast US (NY, NJ, MD, PA, etc.). Females also make up a clear majority on campus.

Students are definitely politically active and perhaps two of the most popular shows on campus are "The Daily Show" and "Colbert Report." Especially during the 08 Presidential Campaign, it's not unlikely to see students watching a debate or primary election night coverage. The student body is generally a more liberal campus, but I would say the College Republicans do a better job in mobilizing students than the College Democrats. Regardless your political affiliation, you will not be ostracized for your ideals.

On the whole, students are very friendly and will often leave their doors open if they are inside doing work. Making friends was easier than I thought, and if you are friendly, it finding your group of friends should be easy.

Being a politically active campus, the most popular groups are College Republicans and College Democrats, and with it being an election year, Students for (Insert Candidate Here) are popular as well. In general the Kennedy Political Union is very popular with students as it gives them a chance to meet the politicians that KPU brings in.

On the whole, students are very friendly and will often leave their doors open if they are inside doing work. Making friends was easier than I thought, and if you are friendly, it finding your group of friends should be easy.

We only have about 7 or 8 fraternities and sororities each, so Greek Life is not big on campus, and you can definitely have a social life without going Greek. American is not by any means a big party school- we are a dry campus, even if you are 21 and living on campus. Generally there is one or two parties per weekend night, but because we are dry, all parties are off campus which can make it a hassle to get to sometimes. If frat parties aren't your thing, there are a multitude of dance clubs, movie theaters, and plenty of options to do within DC that are student-friendly.

I have loved my time at American, and don't regret coming for a second. AU definitely has its deficiencies, as all colleges do, but the pros far outweigh the cons.