Graduating Senior: In Retrospect

AUTransfer
Thu, 12 May 2011 22:13:21 +0000

Background: I got into AU as a senior coming out of high school, but chose to go to a different liberal arts institution because they gave me more money. After two years at said institution, I ended up transferring to AU after having a quarter-life crisis about not being able to get a job when I graduated from school. In that time, I’ve:


had 6 internships, gaining relevant work experience
earned school-wide and national honors for my work in academics
racked up about $60,000 in debt
grown as a person, in my personal life and professionally


Today: Given the opportunity to do it all over again, even though I had the opportunity to graduate debt free from a different institution of equal caliber, I would still have transferred to AU. I grew as a person in ways no other school could offer, forcing me to build a resume and learn how to type a cover letter while other people go home during summer vacation. I interned every semester and summer I was a student here, giving me experience that put me a head and shoulders above other students across the country.

Ultimately, I received a job offer the Tuesday after Graduation, while my friends at other schools are still unemployed (or underemployed) a year after graduation despite sending out hundreds of resumes. To those of you at, or considering American University, if you take advantage of the opportunities they give you, and work hard, your resumes will easily float to the to top of the pile when it comes time to graduate.