Academic
& Seminar Questions
Q:
When
do we need to start our research project?
A:
You really don't need to start your research
project until you arrive on campus. You should
definitely come with some ideas on what you
would like to research, but there's no need
to start the research until you get here. Once
you arrive on campus, you'll receive guidance
from an advisor to help you develop your project.
As we get closer to the semester, you'll be
hearing from your professor, who will be able
to give you more specific information.
Q:
When
will we be assigned to an advisor for the research
project? Can we contact them ahead of time?
A:
You will meet your research project advisor
when you arrive on campus. In some instances,
this person will be your seminar professor and
in others, it will be another faculty member.
In general, students need to do very little
on their research project before arriving on
campus. If your advisor wanted you to do something
before arrival, he or she would contact you
directly.
Q:
I
am doing one of the programs that travels, what
time during the semester will we be traveling?
A:
The abroad portion of the traveling seminars
will be organized by your seminar professor.
For information regarding your trip's itinerary,
you need to contact your professor directly.
What I can tell you is that trips are never
scheduled during holiday or university breaks.
Typically, trips are scheduled for some time
after mid-terms.
Q:
How
do I find out what my textbooks are?
A:
There is no need to order textbooks early.
Once you arrive on campus, you will meet with
your professor, receive your syllabus, and find
out what books you need to purchase. At that
time, you can purchase them at the bookstore
or order online through an independent seller,
like Amazon.com. If for any reason you needed
to order books early, your professor would have
contacted you. If you really want to order your
textbooks, please contact your professor directly.
Q:
What
is the daily schedule for the seminar?
A:
Because of the nature of the seminar,
the schedule varies from week to week. When
you meet with your professor, you will be briefed
on the general outline for the semester and
specific dates and times on a weekly basis.
(Internship days are always the same).
Q:
How
do you transfer credits from AU to my home school?
A:
All Washington Semester Program credits
are "transferable" and considered
the same as credits from American University.
Whether or not your new school accepts AU credits
is up to them. You should contact your home
school to find out if they accept these credits.
You'll probably need to show them course numbers
and syllabi for the program in which you will
be participating. Both of these things can be
found on our website www.washingtonsemester.com.
Once the semester is over, American University
will send a transcript to your home school.
Elective
Classes at AU
To check out
the list of available electives, go to the Schedule
of Classes on www.american.edu. Just remember
that you can only take a class after 5pm, and
you must fulfill the prerequisites for the course
that you are interested in. More specific questions
about electives can be directed to Kourtnii Brown,
Academic Counselor, at kbrown@american.edu.
Q:
Can
I enroll in the AU health insurance for just
a semester? Will my doctor take it?
A:
The health insurance is for a full academic
year (through August 20, 2008), and it will
continue to cover you, even if you are no longer
a student. There is no health insurance coverage
for only a semester--students enrolling need
to enroll for the full year. As for whether
your primary care physician accepts this insurance
is up to your doctor, you need to contact them
directly to find out if they will accept this
plan.
Q:
Will
there be an opportunity or option to drop and
switch elective courses after we arrive in Washington?
A:
Yes, during your first few weeks here,
you'll have the opportunity to drop and add
elective courses. The last day to add or drop
a class is January 28th without a "W" recorded on your transcript.
Q:
Is
there anyway to get signed into classes if they
are full?
A:
The only way to get into a class that
is full is to contact the professor and ask
for permission. With this in mind, you need to
either email the professor directly or attend
the first class meeting and get the professor
to sign your add/drop slip.
Billing
& Financial Aid
Q:
If
I have been awarded federal work-study aid from
my school, can that be applied at AU?
A:
Students who are eligible for work-study
at their home schools are often eligible for
the Washington Semester Work Award Program.
If you are interested in being considered for
this program, please email us at
washsem@american.edu (with "Work Study" in the subject line) with your information, including
the amount of your work-study at your home school.
Q:
When
are tuition and room & board bills due?
A:
Students actually have until the first
day of class to pay their bill for the semester.
Also, there will be representatives from student
accounts on campus the first few days of orientation
to help clear up billing issues. Please note
that this only pertains to bills that are paid
directly to Washington Semester. See your home
school representative regarding bills due to
your home school.
Q:
How
is the Dean’s Scholarship Deducted?
A:
Whether your bill goes directly to your
home school or to you, your Dean's Scholarship
is automatically deducted from your bill. Therefore,
the bill that you receive (or your school receives)
should reflect your scholarship. There is no
process by which we earmark the money as "scholarship
money," we just automatically deduct it
from the bill that is sent directly to your
school or to you. Depending on the billing arrangement
that we have with your school, your scholarship
will either be deducted from room & board
or from tuition.
Housing
and Dining
Q:
Can
I send boxes ahead of time?
A:
If you would like to send boxes to campus
ahead of arrival, you just need to send the
boxes to your own campus address (including
hall # and room #) and they will be available
at the Congressional Hall front desk for pick-up
when you arrive on campus. Please plan to have
your boxes arrive no more that a few days before
your arrival. You can check your room assignment
on my.american.edu about 2 weeks before the
start of each semester.
Q:
How
to I apply for housing with a medical reason?
A:
With your registration packet (which
you will be receiving soon), there is a form
instructing students on how to apply online
for housing. When you apply online, click "single"
as your housing preference. After you submit
your application online, send in your doctor's
note to our office (address below) ATTN: Academic
Counselor. We will then process your medical
housing request.
Q:
When
is the earliest we can move into the dorms?
A:
The earliest you can move into the dorms
is 9:00am on Wednesday, January 9th. Arrangements
for early move-in are handled by the housing
and dining office. Contact Chris Ayala at
ayala@american.edu.
Q:
How
do I change my meal plan?
A:
To change your meal plan before you arrive,
you can log on to your my.american.edu account.
Once you've logged on, click on "Life @
AU" on the right side. You should then
see "Select Meal Plan" under "Personalized
Links." Click on "Select Meal Plan"
and follow the prompts to change your meal plan.
You can also change your meal plan on campus
within 10 days of your arrival. If you're having
trouble changing your meal plan online, you
can always change it within your first few days
on campus. After December 8th, you will no longer
be able to change your meal plan online. You’ll
need to wait until you arrive on campus.
Q:
When
do we find out who our room mate(s) are?
A:
After your housing application is in,
you will be assigned a dorm room (and roommates!)
on the Tenley Campus. Once your paperwork has
been processed by our office and by AU's Housing
and Dining Office, your housing assignment will
be made.
Once your assignment
is made, you can find out what it is by logging
onto my.american.edu and clicking on the "Life
at AU" link on the right side of the page.
On the next page, you should see a "University
Housing Assignment" link under "Personalized
Links." If your assignment isn't posted,
it hasn't been made yet.
Q:
Can
my friends visit me while I'm living on campus?
A:
Definitely! You just need to make sure
it's cool with your roommates and check-in any
overnight guests. Please note: there is a three-night
maximum.
Q:
Can
we rent a fridge, microwave, and TV from the
dorm building we will be living in?
A:
During orientation week, you'll have
the opportunity to rent a fridge (and attached
microwave) and TV for your dorm.
Internships
Q:
When
should we start applying for internships? When
can we accept an internship offer?
A:
Although we encourage students to research
internships before arriving on campus, students
do not need to apply for the internship before
they arrive. We encourage you to research internships
through our Internship Database before you come
to DC, but we give students plenty of opportunities
to research and interview for internships when
you get here. We have a large internship bazaar
and specific days set aside for interviewing.
There are lots of internship opportunities,
so we encourage students to wait until they
arrive on campus to interview for, and chose,
an internship. With this in mind, if you find
out about a great internship opportunity that
you just can't pass up and can't wait to apply
when you get here... go for it! Also, please
note that some competitive internships have
early deadlines and require security clearances.
If you are interested in such an internship,
start your search early!
Q:
How
early can we start our internship?
A:
Students
can start their internships as early as the
week of Monday, January 14th, and must obtain
and start no later than Wednesday, January 30th.
Q:
Which
days do students have for the internship? Where
do students find this information?
A:
This information can be found in your
registration materials and on the Accepted Students'
page of www.washingtonsemester.com.
Q:
Does
our internship have to be directly related to
our seminar?
A:
Many Washington Semester students choose
internships in areas outside of their seminar
field, so I would suggest going for it, if you
think that the internship is a good fit!
Q:
But
do we need to have the internship contract signed
before we start?
A:
When you arrive on campus, you will receive
internship paperwork with your other orientation
materials. You'll just want to bring the form
with you on your first day at your internship
to have your supervisor fill it out. With this
in mind, it is in your best interest to have
the contract filled out as soon as you can.
Q:
If
we have already been offered and accepted an
internship before we arrive, is there any paperwork
or process we need to complete other than what
we will receive in our orientation materials?
A:
If you have already accepted an internship,
all the paperwork that needs to be filled out
will be distributed during orientation.
Other
Questions
Q:
When
does the Spring 08 semester start?
A:
The
spring semester starts with move-in day on
Wednesday, January 9th, and orientation is Thursday,
January 10th. More specific information regarding
things of that nature will be available are
available in your registration packet.
Q:
I’m
going to be living off-campus; do I need to
still come to Constitution on move-in day?
A:
Even though you'll be living off-campus,
you'll want to stop by the Constitution building
on Tenley Campus on move-in day to check-in,
get your orientation schedule & packet,
and sort out any last-minute details. OR you
can pick-up your orientation folder Thursday
morning before 9:30am, on your way to the first
orientation activities.
Q:
How
do you create your my.american account?
