happycollegemom

i'm very happy for you, CK!!!!

saranac

Congrats and best of luck!!

hoverdad

Now that my son has signed up for the WMP and the Spring 2009 semester, I was wondering if knows if someone in his position can considered for regular fall admission if there is space available? Just asking...

saranac

I don't know but I would check with admissions - certainly a legitimate question and they'll be able to tell you
Best of luck!

hoverdad

Well, I sent AU admissions an email, and they basically, but politely, told me that it wasn't gonna happen. So, WMP it is, and I shall whine no more

saranac

No, that doesn't count as whining!
Hope all goes well. I think your son will be very happy at AU.

anjmissy

so im thinkn bout the same thing..my idea was to go to jmu then transfer to uva after first year but if i go to american i wouldnt need to transfer..can anyone help me...i think a female teen alone n dc is really dangerous..lol

CollegeKid1090

of course saftey is always a valuable concern, but on any college campus today you ahve to be cautious. You wont be "alone in D.C" as long as you always walk with another person/or a group of people and be aware of your surrondings, you should be fine. bacically you have to be smart, know not to go to some areas of the city and not walk alone at night. D.C will offer you opportunites beyond belief and you shouldent pass up such an amazing experience!

happycollegemom

CK has done a beautiful job of answering , anj! i'm sure you realize, for starters, that AU is on "Embassy Row", one of the wealthiest and safest sections of DC. and DC is truly awesome! you will quickly learn where to go, or not. NE is to be avoided, in general. and as CK says, you won't be alone! you'll have a bunch of new friends.
anj~ i assume you're from VA, based on your post. if you like the lively, city drive of DC, you'll dry up at jmu! uva is awesome, but i don't know if you'd be guaranteed freedom from jmu as a transfer. best of luck!

saranac

I'll just second the above comments and add that my original view was not to look at DC schools, because I had an overall negative view of the safety of the city. Bearing in mind the above advice about traveling in the city in unknown areas alone, I have been really been impressed with the location of the school, the cleanliness and ease of mass transit, and the beauty of many areas of the city. I really would put DC, along with Boston, at the top of my list of great "college towns". The location is a huge plus for the school, for many reasons. Best of luck with your decision!

hoverdad

I can echo those sentiments. I'm originally from Boston, and wholeheartedly agree that it is the best college town on the planet. With that said, the experiences that await my son and others in DC will shape their lives. We have visited DC several times, and one of the best memories was going to the Lincoln Memorial at night and being treated to an impromptu a capella performance of God Bless America and several other patriotic tunes by a wonderfully talented young woman. The setting and the acoustics made the whole experience unforgettable. Wherever the city, one must exercise caution and common sense, but you have to go out and take advantage of whatever is out there.

saranac

Go Red Sox!
The Nationals maybe can't rate up there with the Sox, but they do have a nice new stadium and the students get cheap tickets - it's a fun thing to do.

jesiee908

I've been admitted for the fall semester but I think that's only because I applied ED and ED students aren't eligible for the WMP. This summer I spent 3 weeks on Tenley campus (where WMP students live) and met personally with Dean Brown, the Dean of Tenley and the Washington Semesters program. He said that students in the program actually have a lot of opportunities that regular freshman don't have. And a lot of these regular students sometimes ask him why the WMP students get to do all these great things while they don't.

The reason the program was created was because American WANTS these students to attend their university, but they simply don't have enough room for them in the fall semester. In January, a lot of upperclassmen move out for study abroad, so there is actually tons of extra space. So yes, everyone is guaranteed a room. But back to what I was saying, the admissions department definitely thinks everyone who is selected for this program will perform well at American and wants them to attend, there is just some slight shortcoming in their resume. So they provide this opportunity for them until they can make room for them. The only problem I would say is that financial aid doesn't apply until the January semester.

CollegeKid1090

i went to the WMP preview day last week and it reassured me that my decision in choosing au was the best one. it seems as though the wmp students will have the one up on the main campus kids. You don't just sit in the class room-you go off to places like the white house, senate, Smithsonian every week and hear multiple speakers. It seems as though the wmp students become much more acclimated with the city in the first few months too. I am really excited for next year!

coolmango

I have never felt unsafe on/ around AU's campus. AU is in a really nice, wealthy neighborhood.

Of course, play it safe. Be alert. Keep an eye on your valuables. Travel in groups. DC is no "small town," but a little caution and sticking to the nicer areas will go along way.

Most crimes reported in the police blotter in the campus newspaper are about petty theft and alcohol related issues.