American U Questions

[DeathBeforeDecaf]

I'm divided between two schools. One of them is American. I was wondering, is AU's religious affiliation a big part of campus life, or is it basically just nominal? I'm wondering if AU will be more conservative because of it.

Opinions?

[TMP]

What makes you think AU is religious/conservative?

[DeathBeforeDecaf]

Because AU is affiliated with the Methodist Church.... And Christianity is a religion, last time I checked....

[Hoopskirt Historian]

It depends on how active the church is in the school. I went to a methoist affiliated school for undergrad and you would never know it,

Other than the founder was a Methodist minister.

[snorlax]

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!

[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.

[fuzzylogician]

I'm divided between two schools. One of them is American. I was wondering, is AU's religious affiliation a big part of campus life, or is it basically just nominal? I'm wondering if AU will be more conservative because of it.

Opinions?

I can't really help except to suggest that you discuss your concerns with current students at AU and see what they have to say about them.

But - what I really wanted to say was that I love your username

Edited February 21, 2011 by fuzzylogician