AU is located in the one of the best metropolitan areas in the country for attending college, according to College Destinations Index.
The 2009-10 College Destinations Index recognized the 75 best locations for students to attend college, with D.C. ranking as the fourth-best metropolitan area after New York, San Francisco and Boston. The report was based on academic environment, quality of life and professional opportunities.
“Choosing the right college isn’t just about professors and classes,” said the conductors of the study, the American Institute for Economic Research, on their Web site. “Conversations in coffee houses, performances in concert halls and opportunities for corporate internships also contribute to education.”
D.C. received a high rating for its large concentration of college students among the general population, approximately 81 students for every 1,000 residents, and its above-average post-graduation employment and income levels. D.C. has a 5.6 percent unemployment rate with the mean income being $54,971, according to the study. As of August 2009, the national unemployment rate was 9.7 percent, according to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Web site, almost double the rate in D.C.
“American University’s location in Washington D.C. is a definite draw for our prospective students,” said Greg Grauman, acting director of AU admissions. “Prospective students want to be in Washington D.C. as they will be in the heart of the action. Our location is the right fit for those who desire to have an impact on the challenging issues facing our nation and world. Applicants know that if they attend AU, they will have access to internships in prestigious government, business, media and non-profit organizations.”
Daniel Knoll, a freshman in the School of International Service, has lived in D.C. his entire life and decided to stay for college as well.
“Of course, the city will aid in your education because instead of learning about the three branches of government, you simply go visit them, or better yet, intern,” he said. “Hands-on education is always more meaningful than learning it from a textbook.”
D.C. also offers many free or inexpensive activities and events for a college student’s budget, said Rebecca Pawlowski, director of communications for Destination D.C., the official D.C. organization for tourism. Many of the museums are free and opportunities such as getting a tour of the Supreme Court are not only free but also exclusive to D.C., she said. Pawlowski also said D.C. is a culturally diverse but manageable city that allows students to “interact with people from around the country and world.”
Ella Holman, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, said if AU wasn’t in D.C., she might not be here today.
“American totally drew me in because of its location [in] D.C. I love that it has a campus yet it is so easy to get downtown,” she said. “A student can never say they are bored or that something isn’t offered on campus because if it’s not, the city is so close that one can find what they are looking for.”
Many students come to D.C. and graduate only to realize they have not seen as much as they had planned, said Pawlowski. Although she said it is impossible to try and see everything all at once, she said, freshmen are recommended to start exploring right away “on the Metro or on bicycle” and get a feel for the city.
You can reach this staff writer at srudnick@theeagleonline.com.
