I went to American and had the time of my life. Majored in International Studies and Political Science, dual degrees, now at a T-13 law school. I also applied to UMD but got less money from them.
My take, and I’m biased, go for American. If you like political science, this is the school for you and you will not have difficulty finding friends. American may seem like it doesn’t have the same cohesive campus community - mainly because it’s not a big sports school - but there are plenty of niches to find your people (Model UN, clubs, organized events, study groups, classes, etc). I think it’s a little more challenging for folks who are in smaller programs there like art history or bio, but nearly half the school is involved with SPA or SIS. Also, if you are already politically inclined, you will likely feel pretty comfortable. Bear in mind that American is very liberal in terms of the students, so you may need to work a little harder to find community if you identify as conservative, but that does not mean you will be isolated or alone. I also opted for University College and met most of my closest friends through the program! They may still offer the service day option for freshmen that first week - would recommend that as well.
Biggest draws of American from when I went: very easy access to downtown DC and the perks of a major city but still insulated enough in the “suburbs” that you can feel safe walking at night, strong presence/connection with internships and employers, lots of professional associations and student journals on campus, active career center and competent advising teams (at least in SPA & SIS), professors are from the tops of their fields but remain generally accessible and kind, campus with just enough available around it but not rowdy, nice amount of study spaces and near enough to other libraries, easy to take on additional minors and majors, lots of language programs, & great study abroad options that most people will opt for. You can also take classes at Georgetown/GW and cross apply the credits back to American.
Drawbacks: Some of the buildings are a little older and musty, but these are mostly classrooms used for overflow courses (Econ, etc). Most of the dorms have now been renovated and are nice, but housing gets more competitive by year 2. Depending on your program, some classes may also be more competitive to register for, but not impossible. The food can be hit or miss - the school has switched food vendors multiple times over the last few years so I cannot speak to this directly, but word is it’s much better. Food/housing can be expensive, but you’re likely to find that at any DC-area school. Biggest issue I found was the administration can be a bit quirky - you may need to follow up with them a few times for requests (transcript issues and so forth) and figure to take charge and monitor tuition/class enrollment requirements on your own as well. The alumni presence/official network is not as directly established as some larger state schools, but you will find many alumni are happy to help on an individual basis if you reach out to them (myself included). Most alums cherish our time there and really want to help out the current students/recent grads!
While DC also houses GW and Georgetown, I have always found American alum/students to be perceived as down to earth and hardworking. All of my friends ended up in fields relating to their majors, none of us were/are working retail or service a few years out. American is a safe bet.
