What a friend would tell you
What AU is looking for
AU wants students who will use D.C. as a classroom. Applications should reference specific internships, government agencies, or media organizations you plan to engage with. The School of Public Affairs and School of International Service are the marquee programs; name them. Activist energy, political engagement, and media savvy read well here. Show that you want to do things in D.C., not just live there.
What students wish they'd known
The campus social scene is weaker than peer schools because students scatter across D.C. for internships, jobs, and nightlife. Residential community suffers when everyone is off-campus by junior year. The activist culture can feel performative and exhausting. Tuition is high for a school that lacks the brand recognition of Georgetown or GW in some markets. Students seeking a traditional residential college experience will be disappointed.
AU might be a fit if...
- You want to study international affairs, communications, or public policy with D.C.'s institutions as your daily resource
- You're politically engaged and want a campus where activism and debate are constant, not occasional
- You value internship access over campus social life and are comfortable building your own D.C. network
AU Admissions Strategy
1.3x
Early Decision Advantage
Early Decision admits at 1.3x the RD rate. The trade: ED is binding. Apply only if you'd say yes on the spot.
Early Decision: the numbers
AU's Early Decision acceptance rate is 79.8% vs 60.0% RD. ED is binding. If you are admitted, you are committing to enroll. This signals strong commitment and gives a meaningful admissions advantage.
Deadlines: ED November 1 · EA November 1 · RD January 15
Deadlines: ED November 1 · EA November 1 · RD January 15
Test Policy
Test-optional
You choose whether to send scores. A strong score helps your case; a weak one is better left off.
Demonstrated Interest
Yes (Important)
Not tracked. Skip the info-session circuit and put those hours into the application itself.
Interview
Optional; evaluative
Yield Rate
32%
Only 32% of admits choose to enroll. The waitlist moves more than you'd think; if you land on it, make your interest loud.
Want the strongest possible application to AU, plus better odds and merit offers everywhere else you apply?
Join the free one-hour workshop from two Harvard grads who have helped 3,000+ students get in. Parents welcome.
Cost & Financial Aid at AU
$66,000
Sticker Price
$22,000
Avg Merit Aid
Need-aware admissions. Meets 100% of demonstrated need. 69% receive financial aid.
For context: AU spends about $15,000 per student per year on instruction and student resources, right around the $15K national average.
What AU Graduates Get
$52,000
Avg Starting Salary
88%
Employed or in Grad School
68%
Graduate in 4 Years
The 4-year number is the on-time rate; the 6-year rate (76%) is the one schools usually advertise. A wide gap means many students pay for extra semesters.
AU Campus & Culture
The Campus
AU's 84-acre campus sits in the Tenleytown neighborhood of northwest Washington, D.C., along Massachusetts Avenue's Embassy Row. The Katzen Arts Center and the School of International Service building are modern standouts alongside older brick-and-limestone academic halls. The campus is compact and leafy, set in a residential neighborhood. The Tenleytown Metro station is a five-minute walk, putting the National Mall, Capitol Hill, and K Street within 20 minutes.
The Social Scene
Activist/politically engaged; DC nightlife; internship-driven; less residential cohesion
AU Traditions & Trivia
Thank Clawed It's Wednesday
Every Wednesday from 1 to 3 p.m., the Quad fills with students, faculty, and staff in red, white, and blue for a standing campus gathering in honor of Clawed the Eagle, the university mascot.
Academics at AU
What AU is known for
Washington, DC location; strong communications/journalism; activist student body; internship pipeline
Most popular majors at AU
Standout programs
Communications, Political Science, International Relations, Business, Psychology
How the curriculum works
Liberal arts with professional school options; strong humanities
Recommended high school courses
AP/IB in English, history, government, math
Notable AU Alumni
Goldie Hawn
Oscar-winning actress, attended AU
Judith Sheindlin
Better known as Judge Judy, AU class of 1965
Barry Levinson
Oscar-winning director of Rain Man, AU graduate
David Gregory
Former Meet the Press moderator, AU class of 1988
Mira Nair
Acclaimed filmmaker (Monsoon Wedding), AU MFA
If you like AU, also consider
Georgetown University
D.C. peer with higher selectivity and stronger brand
George Washington University
D.C. neighbor with Foggy Bottom location and similar internship access
Tufts University
globally-minded school near Boston with stronger residential culture
Fordham University
urban pre-professional alternative in New York City
University of Richmond
stronger residential experience with D.C. proximity