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American University’s Washington College of Law
Admissions & Tuition While getting into American University Law School doesn’t require top-notch numbers, the school still keeps their admissions standards at a competitive level. The Princeton Review gives the school an “Admissions Selectivity Rating” of 87 out of a possible 100. Roughly 25% (1,877 of 7,601) of applicants were granted admission last year. Of those admitted students, the 25th to 75th percentile GPA range was 3.15–3.6 and the range for the LSAT was 158-163—with medians of 3.42 and 162, respectively. American, like the other large law schools in Washington D.C., accepts applicants on a part-time basis. And, as is usually the case, the admissions standards were slightly less demanding compared to those of the school’s full-time program. GPA’s ranged from 3.0 to 3.5 for the 25th to 75th percentiles, and LSAT scores ranged from 157 to 161. Part-time students made up approximately 23% of the entering class last year. There is no avoiding the fact that tuition at American University Law School is expensive. The $38,652 price tag is tough enough to swallow; but, when combined with room& board and other expenses, the total cost of attendance for the 08-09 year comes in at $59,919. Part-time students don’t catch much of a break either. They pay $27,189 for tuition alone. To make matters worse, American is not known for its generous financial aid packages. Students rack up an average debt of almost $107,000. The financial burden does not weight heavily on all students, though. There is a very generous and well-respected scholarship available for students interested in public interest law (comparable to public interest scholarships at NYU and the University of Washington). Ten students are selected each year for this full-tuition scholarship, after demonstrating a commitment to work in a public interest field such as Environmental Law or Public Defense. The application is competitive though, and interested students should devote a significant amount of time and effort to the application process. Bar Passage & Career Prospects Such high tuition begs the question of worth. Specifically, potential students will wonder how well a degree will prepare them to pass the bar and find that dream job. Well, only about 81% of students passed the bar, which is most commonly taken in Maryland. And the average starting salary—80K for the private sector—does not compare to that of schools which are comparably expensive. To conclude that career prospects are grim, however, would be incorrect. Almost 98% of graduates have employment secured within nine months of graduation and American University Law School places fairly well nationally—to a much larger extent than most schools which are comparable in reputation and ranking. Even though 70% of students stay in the South Atlantic region, finding work mostly in D.C. and Maryland, the rest of the graduates spread themselves up the East Coast and even in the Pacific region (4% as reported by US News). Further, the median for public service work, around $48,000, is comparable to that of many top-14 schools. So, while not every student finds their dream job, it seems that if one does well at American, the opportunities for success abound. Quality of Life Life at American seems to be dominated by three facts: the D.C. location, the large class size, and the liberal tendencies of the student body. Starting with the location, there are both pros and cons. First, D.C. is a great place to go to law school. Not only does the city offer a plethora of cultural activities and seemingly endless nightlife, but what law student wouldn’t want to be in the same city as all three branches of government, and some of the largest law firms in the world? It should be noted however, that American’s campus is located further from most of D.C.’s offerings than schools such as Georgetown and George Washington; but the metro system in Washington is extensive and efficient, making it quite easy to get around. A side-note concerning the location of the school: the Washington College of Law is located about 5 minutes away from the undergraduate campus. The law school is a single building in a residential area, and students should go visit to get a sense of the environment. As far as class size is concerned, there is no ignoring it: American University has a large law school. This means classes will be large, and the student-faculty ratio will be mediocre at best. A small section is offered though (usually about 50 students), and most students feel that their professors are accessible. One last feature dominating American’s quality of life is its liberal student body. The Princeton Review ranks American at #5 for students have a leftward leaning bias. One student, a 2L, suggested that it isn’t just the students who lean to the left, but the “professors are pretty liberal as well.” This is to be expected given the large interest in such fields as Environmental and Human Rights Law and the fact that the school is in D.C.—which is quite a progressive city itself, home to numerous activist and grassroots causes. Curriculum & Areas of Expertise American operates on the semester plan, and doesn’t deviate from the standard first-year curriculum. 1L’s are required to take the usual courses such as Torts and Legal Writing. Things do start to shake up after the first year, though. Consider American’s prestigious program in International Law, which offers not only study abroad opportunities, but several international dual degrees as well as international externships. As a result of such programs, American University students are privileged to unique experiences. Talking with American University Law School students, it doesn’t take long to realize this. Two 3L’s spoke with excitement about their experiences conducting research for the U.N. in Geneva. This may be why American comes in at #5 on US News’ ranking of International Law programs, ahead of such legal powerhouses as Yale, Berkeley, Stanford, and Northwestern. All Students interested in International Law should give this program a close look. The Washington College of Law also gets a lot of attention for its strong public interest offerings—especially with respect to Environmental Law and Human Rights Law. Among the many programs that American offers, one will find the following: the Academy on International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, the United Nations Committee against Torture Project, and the Program on International and Comparative Environmental Law, just to name a few. Further, many of these projects incorporate the school’s international component, combining to provide truly unique law school experiences. Some students say that Public Interest seems to be “at the heart of every effort that the school makes.” While this is most certainly an exaggeration, prospective applicants who may not want such a focus should be aware that Public Interest Law does make up a significant part of the interests at this school. Conclusion Yes, American University’s Washington College of Law is expensive. And yes, the school has to compete with higher ranking law schools in Washington D.C. such as GULC and GW. But it is tough to beat American’s strength in International Law, or its clinical offerings for Public Interest wonks. So if you don’t mind a liberal-bias—or even better, if you crave it—and you want to study Public Interest Law, or do legal research abroad while learning a foreign language, then you owe it to yourself to put the Washington College of Law on your application list. Quick Reference U.S. News Ranking: 48 |
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American University’s Washington College of Law, renowned for its International Law program and diverse clinics, offers all the benefits of a large D.C. law school. Though some worry that American University Law School will forever remain in the shadow of other law schools in Washington D.C. such as Georgetown and George Washington, this school can hold its own—especially when it comes to providing unique experiences to its large pool of future lawyers.