snorlax

As for the conservative/liberal leaning of AU, I think it's probably the most liberal of DC Private universities, with a really diverse student population in terms of interests and backgrounds. There is probably a higher percentage of Republicans there than at most colleges around the country, but not because of the Methodist affiliation, simply because DC attracts all types of politicos, so it's a very politically active campus, which goes both ways.

I graduated last May from AU (undergrad in American Studies in CAS) and I absolutely loved all of my time at AU. Honestly, the Methodist affiliation had no impact whatsoever on my experience there. Kay Spiritual Life Center sits at the opposite end of the quad from the library, and it is used by many different religious groups, but it was never a large majority on campus. The only time I ever went into the building was for an A Capella concert and for a completely non-religious student group meeting. Not sure what the other school that you are considering is, but I have never regretted my decision to study at American. The campus is constantly improving, it's in a great neighborhood in DC proper, the public transportation (Metro and buses) is absolutely amazing, and obviously DC is a great city to be in. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask me! Most of my friends are still finishing up their degrees there, so I'm still up-to-date on campus happenings!

I've applied to Wisconsin-Madison and to the Dual-Degree program in Public History and Library Sciences at Indiana University - Purdue University of Indiana. IUPUI is definitely my first choice, and I'm hoping to hear back from them soon. Not too worried about the admission to the SLIS, but the History part of my application is causing me some concern. I read somewhere that their acceptance rate was around 15%...not too promising. I suppose I can always reapply for the history department after my first semester in the SLIS, if my grades are strong enough. I'm currently in the middle of a gap year, but I have a feeling I may be too young for some of the programs. I finished my undergrad this past May, a year early, and I'm only 21 now, so I feel like I'm definitely on the younger end of the applicant pool. Being out of school is just not for me, when I know that what I want to do requires an MLS! Depending on my admissions results to these two schools, I will be applying to: Simmons in Boston, dual degree program Loyola Chicago (History) and Dominican (MLS) because they have a dual-degree program between them