<p>My daughter, who is a freshman at AU, had to decide last year between AU and a small college that cost half as much. I wanted her to attend the small college. But she and my wife wouldn’t hear of it. I was really reluctant to get a massive loan. At this time I am glad she didn’t listen to me. AU and DC go hand in hand. If you don’t plan on leaving campus, don’t attend AU. My D is a pro at the Metro, she spends a lot of time in DC with classmates. The college experience is not just the classroom, it’s also the dorms and the surrounding community. AU and DC have so much to offer, for example, my D went trick or treating at the embassies, even got invited into the Indian embassy for lunch, she took the metro and taxi to Baltimore for a haunted house, she attended the Obama inauguration, watched her basketball team play in the NCAA tournament, attended concerts, took a school sponsored trip to NYC, attended the speaker series, is considering going overseas for the summer for a class. She has a diverse group of very good friends, . Another advantage to DC (and AU) is transportation, you can go anywhere in the country by train or plane, some colleges are stuck in the middle of nowhere. I know I am rambling here, but as a parent who had serious doubts about AU am totally sold on the school (and of course DC!) now.</p>