5 Reasons Why I Chose To Go To American University

Have you ever felt like you were meant to be something or be somewhere? I immediately felt that way when I first heard of American University. When I was 13 years old, a summer camp counselor told me about AU. He was a soon-to-be transfer student, who had nothing but good things to say. After just five minutes of conversation, I was hooked. The second I got home, I ran to my computer and immediately started researching the university. Five years later, I am now attending it, and these are the 5 reasons why!

1. The City

If you’re like me, you enjoy a lively city, but have a limit to what you can tolerate (i.e. traffic patterns, tourism, etc.). What makes DC my dream city is that it is not too big, but not too small. It’s populated, but not crowded. There are numerous reasons as to why AU is located in the most desired spots of DC; Embassy Row is just down the street, we have the benefit of having a suburban campus all while being in a major city, campus is only fifteen minutes away from the National Mall, and eight minutes away from the Georgetown neighborhood. The list could go one, but that would require a second article.

2. Academics

AU is a medium sized university, giving students a better chance of knowing their professors and having an intimate learning environment. Not only does 92% of undergraduates have a fall internship, over 80.9% of students graduate. If you think the graduation rate is fantastic, you should see the graduation outcomes! Over 92% of graduates either are employed, pursuing an advanced degree, or both. Another bonus is that if you are someone who has a diagnosed learning disability, AU is one of the best schools to accommodate for your needs (in fact, we are ranked, by College Magazine, as the 6th best school to go to if you have a learning disability).

3. Politically Active

According to the Princeton Review, AU is ranked #4 for being one of the most politically active schools in the US. We not only offer a ton of courses pertaining to politics, but we have numerous clubs that revolve around politics: Students for DC Statehood, College Democrats College Republicans, Student Government, Kennedy Political Union, etc. Not to mention AU is located in the center of all politics.

4. The Environment

By 2020, AU will be carbon neutral, meaning we will not be emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. How? For one thing, AU is a public arboretum and holds over 75 different species of trees (which absorb carbon dioxide), and 10 gardens around campus. There are also different types bins all around campus where you can have the option to either recycle, compost, or throw away waste that can’t do either of the two. Alongside those trash cans, there are also bins where you can safely dispose of used batteries. Who doesn’t love a campus that cares about the environment?!

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5. Unique

There are around twenty universities in DC. Out of them all, I felt that AU was a perfect fit. Beside location, academics, extracurricular, I felt that there was something completely different than the surrounding schools. Although it is a competitive school, people still care about you, professors want to know you. What definitely separated AU from the rest of the schools, was that the campus was well maintained and cared for. AU has amazing academics, a beautiful campus, unique students and most importantly, open arms to everyone from every background.

What are the reasons you chose to go to American University!? Share in the comments below!

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