AMERICAN UNIVERSITY F-8

4400 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20016-8001
Tel: (202)885-1000
Admissions: (202)885-6000
Fax: (202)885-6014
E-mail: afa@american.edu
Web Site: http://www.american.edu/

Description:

Independent Methodist, university, coed. Awards associate, bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and first professional degrees. Founded 1893. Setting: 84-acre suburban campus. Endowment: $215 million. Research spending 2003-04: $11.4 million. Educational spending 2003-04: $10,000 per student. Total enrollment: 11,185. Faculty: 914 (490 full-time, 424 part-time). Student-undergrad faculty ratio is 15:1. 12,211 applied, 53% were admitted. 44% from top 10% of their high school class, 82% from top quarter, 97% from top half. 14 National Merit Scholars, 26 valedictorians. Full-time: 5,504 students, 62% women, 38% men. Part-time: 307 students, 56% women, 44% men. Students come from 54 states and territories, 117 other countries, 95% from out-of-district, 0.4% Native American, 5% Hispanic, 6% black, 5% Asian American or Pacific Islander, 7% international, 2% 25 or older, 68% live on campus, 7% transferred in. Retention: 86% of full-time freshmen returned the following year. Academic areas with the most degrees conferred: social sciences and history; business/marketing; communications/communication technologies. Core. Calendar: semesters. Services for LD students, advanced placement, accelerated degree program, self-designed majors, honors program, independent study, double major, summer session for credit, part-time degree program, adult/continuing education programs, co-op programs and internships, graduate courses open to undergrads. Off campus study at Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area. Study abroad program. ROTC: Army (c), Air Force (c).

Entrance Requirements:

Options: Peterson's Universal Application, Common Application, electronic application, early decision, deferred admission, international baccalaureate accepted. Required: essay, high school transcript, minimum 2.0 high school GPA, 2 recommendations, SAT or ACT. Recommended: minimum 3.0 high school GPA, interview, SAT Subject Tests, SAT II: Writing Test. Entrance: very difficult. Application deadlines: 1/15, 11/15 for early decision. Notification: 4/1, 12/31 for early decision.

Costs Per Year:

Application fee: $45. Comprehensive fee: $36,567 includes full-time tuition ($25,920), mandatory fees ($387), and college room and board ($10,260). Room and board charges vary according to board plan and housing facility. Part-time tuition: $864 per semester hour. Part-time mandatory fees: $130 per year.

Collegiate Environment:

Orientation program. Drama-theater group, choral group, student-run newspaper, radio station. Social organizations: 128 open to all; national fraternities, national sororities; 14% of eligible men and 16% of eligible women are members. Most popular organizations: Kennedy Political Union, Student Confederation, Freshman Service Experience, Student Union Board, DC Reads. Major annual events: Homecoming, Family Weekend, Eagle Nights. Student services: health clinic, personal-psychological counseling. Campus security: 24-hour emergency response devices and patrols, late night transport-escort service, controlled dormitory access. 3,847 college housing spaces available; 3,500 were occupied in 2003-04. Freshmen guaranteed college housing. Option: coed housing available. American University Bender Library plus 1 other with 796,000 books, 1.1 million microform titles, 4,466 serials, 46,000 audiovisual materials, an OPAC, and a Web page. Operations spending 2003-04: $11.1 million. 760 computers available on campus for general student use. Computer purchase/lease plans available. A campuswide network can be accessed from student residence rooms and from off campus. Staffed computer lab on campus.

Community Environment:

Washington, D.C., is located on the Potomac River between Maryland and Virginia. It is a beautiful and historic city of impressive buildings and residential neighborhoods, with a vibrant, diverse international character. All major forms of transportation are available: the Metro bus and subway system, historic Union Railroad Station, and three major airports serve Washington. The National Zoo, Rock Creek Park, and the C&O Canal are some of the city's finest recreation areas. Shopping facilities are excellent. Points of interest for students include government sites such as the U.S. Capitol, Senate and House office buildings, U.S. Treasury, Supreme Court, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the White House; cultural institutions such as the Folger Shakespeare Library, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institute, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Frederick Douglass Museum, National Gallery of Art, National Archives, Islamic Center, Washington Cathedral, and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; scientific institutions such as the National Bureau of Standards, Naval Observatory, and the nearby National Institutes of Health; and international organizations such as the World Bank, Pan American Union, and the embassies and legations of many nations.