29%

Acceptance Rate

1220 - 1380

SAT Range

27 - 31

ACT Range

American University Admissions

With an acceptance rate of 29.4%, American University (AU) is a nationally recognized institute accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. 

The institute offers a multitude of offline and online programs in undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and certificate courses in Art, Arts Management, Audio Technology, Critical Race, Gender & Culture Studies, Literature, History, Philosophy & Religion, World Languages & Cultures, Anthropology, Data Science, Economics, Mathematics & Statistics, Chemistry, Biology, Computer Science, Psychology, Sociology, Health, Environmental Science.

For more information about admissions on AU, you can contact them by using one of these contacts: 

E-Mail

Phone No. : 2028851000, 202-885-6000, Fax : 2028856014

Application Process

The process in general consists of 3 easy steps

Step1: Submitting an application form

The applicant must create an account in the AU’s site, once created, he/she would be able to access the application form. Applicants do not need to complete the form in one sitting. They are not required to upload a statement of purpose as part of the application form. Uploading, supporting documents, and recommendation letters are done at a later stage.

Step2: Payment of application fee

Applicants must pay the course-specific application fee (unless eligible for a waived fee). He/she will not be able to upload letters of recommendation, transcripts, or test scores until the fee has been received.

Step3: Uploading Required Material.

Applicants must submit all required materials as early as possible to allow time for them to be received. After admittance, he/she will be required to mail all official transcripts. Received documents are not returnable or transferable.


Undergraduate Admission Process

Prospective students can apply online using either the Common Application or Coalition Application. In addition to submitting a completed application, there are several components the Admissions Committee requires that help us evaluate you as a candidate for admission. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

Application checklist

  • Common Application or the Coalition Application, including essay

  • Submit the Non-refundable $75 application fee or application fee waiver

  • High School Transcript(s)

  • SAT and/or ACT Scores (if not Test-Optional)

Note: International and US Global Nomad (US citizen) students graduating high school outside the US are not required to submit SAT I or ACT.

  • Teacher Recommendation Letter

  • Ask your guidance counsellor to complete the following:

    • Provide a recommendation letter

    • Complete the Secondary School Report

    • Send your mid-year report and mid-year grades as soon as they become available

Minimum admission requirements

Freshman applicants who follow the U.S. educational system should have completed at least 16 college preparatory secondary school units. We require that you have 4 units in English, 3 units in academic mathematics, including the equivalent of 2 units in algebra and 1 unit of geometry, at least 2 units of laboratory science, at least 2 units of social science and 2 units of a foreign language.

Successful candidates for admission have usually completed a rigorous college preparatory course of study that goes beyond the minimum requirements above.

Admitted Student Profile for Fall 2019

  • GPA Middle 50%: 3.52-4.06 (school reported)

  • SAT Middle 50%: 1260-1420 (critical reading and mathematics)

  • ACT Middle 50%: 28-32

Freshman (first-year) application deadlines

Fall Semester

  • Early Decision: November 15

  • Early Decision 2: January 15

  • Regular Decision: January 15

Spring Semester

  • Regular Decision: October 1


Graduate Admission Process

Application Requirements for all the programs require:

Statement of Purpose

A successful statement will illustrate a candidate's goals, highlight their research interests, and explain how their experience is relevant to the academic research conducted by faculty in their program of interest. Please try to limit your statement of purpose to 500-1,000 words (250-500 for certificate applications).

Transcripts

All applications require transcripts from degree-seeking college institutions. A bachelor's degree (or its equivalent) earned at an accredited college or university is required. AU standards ask for a minimum of 3.0 GPA for undergraduate work.

A transcript uploaded by a student is considered "unofficial." Departments use these during their review period. Official transcripts are required only after the applicant has accepted admission to American University. Official transcripts must be sent and received by a university representative and should confirm the earned degree when applicable.

International transcripts will need to be evaluated and show the equivalency of the US 4-year degree. Please include a WES evaluation with your transcript.

Resume or CV

The resume should list a candidate's relevant work experience, internships, research, awards, and/or publications, as well as educational history.

A curriculum vitae (CV) is also accepted.

Some programs may require:

Standardized Test Scores

They are as follows:

General Record Examination(GRE)

Required for all PhD programs and most Master's programs. They are not required for graduate certificates. Scores must be taken within five years of applying. There are no universal score requirements.

To submit GREs, use school code: 5007 (no department code). GRE scores can take up to six weeks to arrive after the test date.

Language proficiency tests

For international students whose native language is not English and who do not possess an undergraduate or graduate degree from an accredited U.S. institution: applicants need TOEFL test scores of at least 100 [95 for the online Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) program], a Pearson Test of English score of at least 68, or a minimum IELTS score of 7. TOEFL must be taken within two years of applying.

To submit TOEFL, use school code: 5007 (no department code). TOEFL scores can take up to six weeks to arrive after the test date.

Praxis

Passing scores by DC standard on Praxis Core exam required for all MA teaching degrees and MA special education, including certificates. The DC teacher licensing agency sets passing scores as Reading 156, Writing 162, and Math 150. To submit Praxis, use school code: 5007 (no department code).

Praxis scores can take up to six weeks to arrive after the test date.

Other test types

To submit other test types, applicants must send a legible screenshot of their score report to the official site.

Letters of Recommendation

Recommenders will evaluate a candidate based on academic performance, motivation for a program of study, intellectual capacity, and/or research, and writing ability.

Letters must be sent by the recommender. Fill out the Recommendation Request form on the Supplemental Items Listing page to send your recommender a notification so that they can submit their letter.

If you experience any errors with the Recommendation Request form or if you need to submit a new request to a news recommender, contact casgrad@american.edu.

Portfolio or Writing Sample

Some programs require portfolios or writing samples. See your program's requirements page or the section below for specific instructions on content and transferring files.


Ph.D./Doctoral Admission Process 

Similar to the master’s program, applicants for doctoral programs primarily requires the following for admissions:

  • Application and fee

  • Statement of Purpose

  • Transcripts

  • 3 Letters of Recommendation

  • GRE scores

  • Resume


International Students

For the First-Year International Applicants, the instructions cited in the following must be followed.

Applicants can apply online using the Common Application or Coalition Application. Files of applicants will not be reviewed until all of the materials below have been received by the Office of Admissions:

  • Completed application, including essay and CV/Resume

  • Application fee of U.S. $75

  • Academic records for grades 9-12 with official transcripts and certified English translations (if applicable), for each secondary institution, attended

  • Two academic letters of recommendation

  • Demonstrated English proficiency

  • Interruption of Studies Statement if you have already graduated from secondary school at the time of application.

No SAT or ACT scores required. AU does not evaluate SAT or ACT scores for students (including U.S. citizens) graduating from secondary schools outside the United States.

English Proficiency

AU requires strong English language skills. All freshmen applicants (including U.S. citizens) can prove English proficiency by one of the following:

Via curriculum

  • Four years of study (grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 or equivalent) in U.S.-accredited or IB, CXC or UK curricula (inside or outside the U.S.), where English is the only medium of instruction AND no ESL courses have been taken;

  • Four years of study (grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 or equivalent) in selected English-speaking countries or in the educational systems of these countries (regardless of location) where English is the only medium of instruction AND no ESL courses have been taken.

English speaking countries include the UK, Ireland, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada (except Quebec).

via testing

  • TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) - TOEFL code 5007

    • Internet-based test (iBT) score of 80 or higher. Sub-scores for each section of the TOEFL must be 20 or higher. To be considered competitive, a 90 TOEFL iBT score or above is recommended, with each sub-score 20 or above.

Please note: AU does not accept TOEFL IBT "MyBest" combined scores.

    • A paper-based test score of 550 or higher (taken on or before May 31, 2017), or all paper-based test sub-scores of 20 or higher (taken after May 31, 2017).

  • IELTS (International English Language Testing System): Composite score of 6.5 or higher. Sub-scores for each section of the IELTS must be 6.0 or higher.

  • Pearson Test of English (PTE) score of 53 or higher.

  • SAT Critical Reading score of 530 or higher (taken before 3/1/2016), or SAT Reading Test sub-score of 29 or higher (taken after 3/1/2016)

  • ACT English score of 23 or higher.

For native speakers of English from the U.S., UK, Ireland, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada (except Quebec) who list English as their first language on the Common Application, proof of English proficiency is not required but may be requested.

SAT Scores you need to get in

SAT Range The composite score range which the Institution consistently takes, below which admission should be considered a reach.

1220 - 1380

Applicants Submitting SAT Percentage of Students submitting SAT Scores.

52%

SAT Reading 25th

630

SAT Math 25th

590

SAT Composite 25th

1220

SAT Reading 75th

700

SAT Math 75th

680

SAT Composite 75th

1380

Average SAT Score

1300

And, the average SAT score of students who get into the university is 1300. But, in some cases, those who have a SAT score of 1210 or below may also be given admission to AU. Around 53% of the applicants furnish their SAT scores in order to be considered for admission by the university.

ACT Scores you need to get in

ACT Range The composite score range which the Institution consistently takes, below which admission should be considered a reach.

27 - 31

Applicants Submitting ACT Percentage of Students submitting ACT Scores.

36%

ACT Math 25th

24

ACT English 25th

27

ACT Composite 25th

27

ACT Math 75th

29

ACT English 75th

34

ACT Composite 75th

31

Average ACT Score

29

Candidates can also submit their ACT scores for securing admission to American University. According to the latest data, the applicant should have an average ACT score of 29 to get accepted. Moreover, most of the candidates accepted by American University have composite ACT scores in the range of 27-31. However, a minimum ACT composite score of 27 is necessary to be considered for admission by the institution. Around 31% of the applicants to AU submit their ACT scores for gaining admission to the university, according to the latest information.

Estimated GPA Requirements & Average GPA

Grade Points Average (GPA) The average high school GPA of the admitted students

3.7

All applicants for enrolment into undergraduate, masters or doctoral programs of AU require a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a scale of 4.0.

The average GPA of students at AU is around 3.7.

Applicants with GPAs below 3.0 may be considered for admission with approval of the CAS Office of Graduate Affairs.

Admission Requirements

What Really Matters When Applying

High School GPA

Required

High School Rank

Neither required nor recommended

High School Transcript

Required

College Prep Courses

Considered but not required

SAT/ACT

Required

Recommendations

Required

The requirements vary from program to program/degree to degree, further requirements are described in detail in their respective sections, applicants can also visit the official website.

Some essential requirements for enrolment include:

  • Completed Common Application or Coalition Application, including essay

  • Non-refundable application fee or application fee waiver.

  • Teacher/Counsellor Recommendation letter

  • Official Transcripts

  • Standardized Test score (SAT/ ACT/ GRE)

  • Resume/CV

  • Proof of English Proficiency

Admission Deadlines

Application Deadline Deadline for application submissions. Please contact the school for more details.

FALSE

Application Fee Application fees may vary by program and may be waived for certain students. Please check with the school.

$70

Early Decision Deadline

10-Nov

Early Action Deadline

None

Offer Action Deadline

No

Offers Early Decision

Yes

Application Website

www.american.edu/admissions/apply/index.cfm

Accepts Common App

Yes

Accepts Coalition App

Yes

For undergraduate applicants, the application fee required is $70, and the deadlines are as follows:

Fall Semester

May 1
All Transfer Students
November 15
Freshman Early Decision
January 15
Freshman Early Decision 2
Freshman Regular Decision

Spring Semester

October 1
Freshman Regular Decision
All Transfer Students

For Masters and doctoral programs, each course has its own specific application fee and deadlines.

Applicants are requested to visit the official website to know more about deadlines updates.

Acceptance Rate and Admission Statistics

WomenMenTotal
Applied12,2316,75318,984
Accepted4,0301,9585,988
Acceptance Rate33%29%29%
Enrolled11336241757
Percentage of admitted who Enrolled (Admission Yield)28%32%29%

Admission Statistics

Applied

Women

12,231

Men

6,753

Total

18,984

Accepted

Women

4,030

Men

1,958

Total

5,988

Acceptance Rate

Women

33%

Men

29%

Total

29%

Enrolled

Women

1133

Men

624

Total

1757

Percent of Admitted Who Enrolled (Admission Yield)

Women

28%

Men

32%

Total

29%

Credits Accepted

AP Credit

Yes

Dual Credit

Yes

Credit for Life Experiences

NA

Many universities incentivize students in the US by helping them gain university credit by taking certain courses which are available for them in high school. CLEP (Credit for Life Experiences), Dual Enrollment (also known as Dual Credit), and AP Credit are the names of some of the famous courses that are programmed for the students in the US universities. Policy regarding these credits is, however, not the same in all the colleges as every university has its own policy. These courses help the students to get a higher GPA, increase their chances of completing a degree, and also help in the completion of a degree in a shorter time. To avail these above-mentioned credits, students have to visit collegeboard.org and request to submit the scores to any university of their choice.

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