American University

American University sits on a beautiful campus – an accredited arboretum - in suburban northwest Washington DC. American was chartered by Congress in 1893 to train public servants for the future, which is a mission that is still very much alive here.

President Jonathan Alger came on board 2 years ago and has developed a new strategic plan. This plan, focused on 3 areas of student success, is worth digging into here. The first area is readiness. Experiential learning has always been important at American, but this strategic plan is putting more teeth into that idea: all sophomores are eligible for $4500 for unfunded or underfunded internships or research. Also, all students are now connected with an alumni mentor at the start of sophomore year. Additionally, the goal is to raise study abroad experiences to 80% participation. Toward that goal, they are broadening what global experience means, offering more spring break and winter session opportunities. They’re also holding an annual passport drive to increase access and awareness.

Curiosity is the second pillar of the student plan. American is one of 17 R1 institutions focused on undergraduate teaching. The president wanted to change the core curriculum to allow for flexibility for students to double major, minor, and transfer credits. He called for a 90-day sprint to redo the core – unheard of timing in higher ed – and it happened.

Community is the third item addressed by the plan. American prides itself on encouraging dialogue from all sides, and is continuing to urge students to better understand how to communicate with each other and how to create solutions to problems with each other. They’ve also initiated an annual week of kindness every November.

A few other nuggets: social justice and public policy are both big here, but so are sports: the men’s soccer, volleyball and lacrosse teams were Patriot League champions this year. Applications are read very holistically, and they are looking for demonstrated interest as defined by fit and connection. We were told that the university’s net price calculator is dreadful; don’t rely on it!

With merit scholarships up to $35K, American has a lot to offer. Students have all the benefits of a quintessential, green campus with downtown DC minutes away.