<p>I’ve gotten a lot of private messages from people asking me about this university so I figured I’d just start a thread where anyone can ask me a question about anything. I’m going to try and get student ambassadors on it, too, because unfortunately we don’t have a lot of legit and info advice about our school on the web. </p>
<p>Here’s a little about myself:</p>
<p>I’m a sophomore double majoring in International and Comparative Politics and French Studies, doing the PPE (Politics, Philosophy, & Economics Program from the University of Oxford). I might do a history, art history, or gender studies minor… haven’t yet decided.
I’m American, from a small town in Florida, in particular.</p>
<p>So go ahead, ask away! Ask me about the profs, what students do after class, how housing works, what it’s like going to school where basically everyone is a minority, what I think about Parisians, what it was like to see the 2008 elections from across the sea, what grad schools AUP kids go to, what internships you can do… whatever you want.</p>
<p><em>And just so you know, if you’re interested in another forum off of CC, there is a group that just got started for prospective students on Facebook called “The American University of Paris- Future Students.”</em></p>
<p>I’ve been all over the internet trying to find info about AUP’s admission info. No luck!
Is there any advice you can give me that will help my chances for admission. My wife and I are both full-time students, military vets, 3.5 GPA…
Is there any particular approach we should take when writing the essay…
Is there anything specific they are looking for. I’ve even heard that as long as you can pay, then you should be good. I know that’s vague, but I really just want to know how good my chances are. Paying is no problem…the GI Bill will pay the full tuition.
Thanks for any advice you can give.</p>
<p>It’s not necessarily true that you can get in just because you have the money. The school does not have an endowment, so it’s sure they could use tuition money, but there are definitely people that get rejected. Anyway, I think they’re looking for people that are interesting and seem to be able to live abroad, or are at least curious about what life is like in a different culture. They want people that want to learn and expand their way of thinking. Write an essay that speaks from your heart, as corny as that might sound. I know two military vets that are doing undergrad here right now, so maybe that might be a good angle to go from in your essays. Bon courage!</p>
<p>I like it a lot. It’s a good school to get an overall liberal arts education. Are you interested in the sciences (because of Paris VI)? AUP is not really the school for that. However if you’re thinking of going into the French system, know that it’s REALLY different from the American one. AUP does exchanges with the Sorbonne so if you come maybe you should take a class there to get the feel of it. It’s a completely different mentality.</p>
<p>Thanks for the response. The reason that I am interested in AUP for that first year is to really solidify my French before beginning classes at a French-language school. I would also like to receive a bit of a traditional American education before jumping into a science-only curriculum. What do you think?</p>
<p>Yeah, ok. But remember that AUP is in English. If you’re gonna wanna learn French, you should probably opt to live with a French family (homestay) and take classes in the French major. I have friends that came into AUP knowing no French at all and have become fluent in a year but I also know some that didn’t work at it and still aren’t fluent 2 years later. So a lot of it is on your own initiative, just know that.</p>
<p>one campus in the 7th arrondissment, with a few buildings. have you ever seen NYU? it’s like that, but it’s a lot smaller overall. we’re only 1000 students or so for undergrad.</p>
<p>No. I went through the housing office and I pay about 300 a month (you can get something called the “CAF” - Caisse d’allocations familiale – from the government when you’re a student, even if you’re not from the EU. It basically takes off money from your rent). I’m not living in the Ritz but it suffices. It’s about 14 m squared so I have a kitchen, a double bed that I can fold out, a little kitchen, an armoire, a desk, etc. I can walk to school in 10 minutes and I have a view of the Eiffel tower, so I’m not complaining…</p>
<p>Hmom5-
When I was a freshman, I remember there was one American in my class who left after the first term. He was just too stressed out with the new culture, I’m pretty sure. I also had a Swedish friend who decided he wanted to be a medical doctor and wanted to study biology, so he went back to Sweden after a year. There are also study abroad students who come from different schools in the States and spend a semester or year at AUP. </p>
<p>AUP has an international student body and faculty but uses the American system. Fall semester starts in early September and ends around December 15. Spring semester starts in late January and ends in mid-May. Some students stay over summer to do extra courses.</p>
<p>klayton
Yes, they interviewed me by phone. They were very friendly. I think they’re just trying to get a sense if you’re mature enough to live abroad, because I remember at one point that they asked me questions about my travel experience and whatnot. I had been an exchange student in high school so I told them about that. They also asked me why I wanted to go to AUP. </p>
<p>My admissions counselor was helpful. Any questions I had were answered right away through email, especially as pertained to getting my student visa and whatnot (if you have EU citizenship, you don’t have to go through this process).</p>
<p>Hi again! So what are your courses like? I major in French now so I would probably continue with French Studies at AUP. I’m a language buff so I’m assuming that with the opportunity practice and motivation your French courses are a breeze. But are there any classes that offer immersion totale, maybe something intense for the first couple weeks?</p>
<p>French courses actually aren’t a breeze at AUP. I came in speaking French pretty well (I had been an exchange student for a few months during high school). The lower level classes I did pretty well with but I had a harder time with the upper levels. It’s basically because I had no idea how to write well. This I learned at AUP; my French writing is still not nearly as good as my English but it did vastly improve. My freshman year, I just wanted to get really good so I took a translation class, psychology/film class, history/literature class, and another history class (at the Sorbonne … AUP has a partnership with them) in French. I also took an Advanced Grammar class. You have to make sure you keep up with the readings, which is what I found the hardest. In that year, I read all types of French, medieval to 19th century to modern day (99 FRANCS! loved that book!).</p>
<p>Anyway, when it comes to paper time, it can be difficult, too, just because you’re competing with people who’ve spoken French since they were kids (I even had one French -American kid in my class who had his Bac). It’s pretty easy to get help, though. Usually there’s at least one native French speaker within like 10 steps walking distance who you can just ask. In any case, it makes for an interesting experience to say the least. These classes are taught only in French… so I suppose that’s immersion totale? As for after class, it’s up to you to speak French. Just remember that AUP uses the American system, and even if only 40% of the students are American, everyone knows that everyone speaks English if they’re studying at AUP, so usually it’s just the default language in the halls, unless you’re hanging out with the north Africans/Belges/Swiss/French group. If you want to speak French, just do it! Don’t be scared or intimidated, however hard that might sound (I get scared when I know the person I’m talking with already speaks like 4 languages, that’s just me, though). Anyway, if you want to learn it while you’re here, you will. You just have to make the effort. I’d strongly recommend doing a class at the Sorbone, too. You have an AUP prof who meets with you once a week, too. It’s a good way to see the French system. Once again, though, you have to make the effort to talk with your classmates. This was harder for me because the French system is a lot different than AUP… basically the students don’t really socialize unless it’s to ask for what happened during the last class or something like that. I suppose it could be done, though. Just gotta have the guts.</p>
<p>Yes, you’ve been so helpful, thank you! I totally appreciate the solid feedback on your experience. I just hope I’m not bombarding you with too many questions!</p>
<p>This partnership with the Sorbonne sounds like a great opportunity to experience the French university system, but what you said about the French students not socializing as much sounds interesting. I have heard that they tend to be more reserved when it comes to strangers or just acquaintances (I’m not sure if “reserved” is the right word). Anyway, how was your experience with French people in general?</p>
<p>Sorry it’s taken me a few days to respond. It’s exam week.</p>
<p>Anyway French people in Paris are pretty reserved, I’d say. I think it’s because it’s a city and there’s just so many people that you sort of… live in your own bubble, perhaps. It’s not like that in other parts of France because there’s just less people concentrated in one area, I think. Plus a lot of the kids at the Sorbonne grew up in or around Paris and already have their old friends so there’s probably not motivation to make new ones. That’s just my theory.</p>
<p>I do have non AUP French friends though… I just didn’t meet them at the Sorbonne. I met them through my AUP friends or through community service stuff that AUP kids do with them.</p>