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American University

American University sits in a leafy, residential corner of upper Northwest DC — a 90-acre campus that doubles as a public arboretum, near Embassy Row and a short shuttle ride from the Tenleytown-AU Metro. It's known for politics and international affairs, and for a student body that treats the whole city as an extension of campus. AU requires first- and second-years to live on campus, every first-year hall is air-conditioned, and DC's weather is humid and mild — a hot, stormy move-in and a chilly but rarely brutal winter.

Move-inLate August

BedsTwin XL

A/CProvided

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The one thing generic lists get wrong

What to wear in Washington, month by month

This corner of the country breaks every generic packing list. It is not about surviving cold — it is about staying dry through a long gray winter and a famously short, beautiful summer.

Move-in (late Aug)	70–88°F	Warm, humid, and thundery, deep DC summer. The first-year halls are air-conditioned, so you're comfortable inside; shorts, tees, and a rain jacket.
Sept–Oct	52–80°F	Warm fading to a gorgeous, leafy fall across the arboretum campus. Layers and a light jacket.
Nov–Dec	36–56°F	Gray and cooling, chilly but seldom bitter, with a stray snowfall. A warm coat and a hoodie.
Jan–Feb	30–48°F	The coldest, dampest weeks — a little snow and ice, mild next to the Northeast. A medium winter coat and gloves.
Mar–May	44–78°F	A blooming, humid spring — cherry blossoms and dogwoods, frequent rain, warming quickly. A rain jacket, umbrella, and layers.

Greener and calmer than 'downtown DC' — but still a city school: AU's campus is a wooded arboretum in residential upper Northwest, not on the Mall, so you'll rely on the free AU shuttle to the Tenleytown-AU Metro to get into the city. The first-year halls are all air-conditioned, so skip the A/C unit and just bring a fan for the humid first weeks; DC winters are chilly and damp but rarely brutal, so a medium coat does it. And plan for two years on campus — AU requires first- and second-years to live in the halls.

Straight from the housing office

What American University lets you bring

✓ Bring it

A rain jacket, umbrella, and comfortable walking shoes — DC is humid and stormy, and you'll ride the Metro and the AU shuttle into the city
A light fan is optional (the first-year halls are air-conditioned) but handy for the warm, humid late-August move-in
A medium winter coat, gloves, and a hat — DC winters are chilly and damp with occasional snow, but rarely brutal
A small refrigerator and microwave (or a rented MicroFridge), a shower caddy, and storage bins for the community-bath halls
Twin XL bedding (confirm your specific hall)
UL/ETL power strip with a built-in circuit breaker — not a bare extension cord
Damage-free wall hangings like Command strips — no nails or screws
Low-draw LED desk and task lamps
A fan, a reusable water bottle, and UL-listed electronics

✕ Leave it home

Open-coil / open-flame cooking: toasters, toaster ovens, air fryers, hot plates, electric grills, sandwich makers
Candles, incense, wax warmers, and anything with an open flame
Halogen lamps
Extension cords without a breaker; outlet splitters and multi-plug adapters
Space heaters and personal A/C units (unless your school provides/approves them)
Hoverboards, e-scooters, e-bikes, and other e-mobility devices
Weapons of any kind — including decorative — and fireworks
Candles, incense, halogen lamps, and anything with an open flame
Hot plates, toaster ovens, and open-coil cookers outside the community kitchens
Space heaters and personal A/C units — the first-year halls are already air-conditioned
Pets other than fish in a small tank (approved service/assistance animals aside)

These come from American University's official housing pages and cover the essentials plus the genuinely local rules. Double-check the current official guidance before you buy — policies and renovations change every year.

Before you can move in

Getting your room at American University

01
After you deposit (spring)
Submit the housing application
Once you've enrolled, complete the housing application in the AU Housing Portal. AU requires first- and second-year students to live on campus, so plan on the halls for two years; applying early gives you the best selection.
02
Spring
Complete matching and request a roommate
Fill out the lifestyle questionnaire for roommate matching, request a specific roommate if you have one, and rank hall and living-learning-community preferences in the portal.
03
By end of June
Get your assignment and move-in timeslot
AU emails your building, room, roommate(s), and a move-in timeslot by the end of June, with a hangtag in your Housing Portal showing your assigned date and time.
04
Late August
Move in on your timeslot
First-year move-in falls on August 23–24 at your assigned time (an earlier August 22 slot is available on request), followed by Welcome Week before classes begin.

The actual buildings

Where you'll live at American University

Where first-years live

AU requires first- and second-year students to live on campus, and first-years live together in a cluster of traditional halls on the main quad — all air-conditioned, most with community bathrooms and built-in living-learning communities. You complete the housing application and lifestyle questionnaire and can request a roommate through the AU Housing Portal.

Anderson & Letts HallsClassic quad · social

The two connected first-year halls on the main quad — traditional doubles and triples with community bathrooms and lounges, and the most social, quintessential AU freshman experience. Both air-conditioned.

Centennial HallFirst-year & sophomore

A newer hall housing first-years and sophomores in doubles with community baths and a mix of living-learning communities — air-conditioned, popular, and often filled early.

Hughes & Roper HallsTraditional halls

Two more first-year buildings in the residential core, rounding out the first-year neighborhood with the same air-conditioned, community-bath, doubles-and-triples setup.

Living-Learning CommunitiesThemed floors

AU groups many first-years into themed communities — like the University College program and interest-based floors — where you live near students in linked courses. You opt in on the housing application.

The stuff nobody puts in one place

Washington logistics, sorted

How to send a package to an AU student

[Student Full Name]
[Building Name], Room [#]
4400 Massachusetts Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20016

Address everything with your student's full name, building, and room number. AU Mail Services is in the Letts Hall lower level (LL1); packages go into lockers you can access seven days a week, and your student is notified when something arrives. Don't ship anything to land before your move-in date.

Every first-year hall is air-conditioned

Anderson, Letts, and Centennial all have air conditioning, so a personal A/C unit isn't needed (or allowed) — a fan is plenty for the humid first weeks. Put the packing energy into a shower caddy and storage for the community-bath rooms instead.

A green campus, a shuttle ride from the Metro

AU sits in leafy residential upper Northwest, not downtown, so you'll use the free AU shuttle to reach the Tenleytown-AU Red Line station and the city beyond. It runs frequently between campus, Tenleytown, and AU's other sites — a car is unnecessary.

Beyond the campus gates

Washington & around

Right there

Tenleytown & Friendship Heights

A few minutes up Wisconsin Avenue: Tenleytown's Whole Foods, Target, and restaurants, and Friendship Heights' shopping — the everyday errands-and-food hub for AU students.

Nearby

Spring Valley & Embassy Row

The quiet, tree-lined neighborhoods around campus, with Massachusetts Avenue's embassies just to the south — a leafy contrast to downtown.

The city

The National Mall & downtown DC

The Smithsonian museums, the monuments, Capitol Hill, and downtown are a Red Line Metro ride away — AU students treat the whole city as their campus, especially for internships.

Getting around

Metro & the AU shuttle

The free AU shuttle links campus to the Tenleytown-AU Red Line station, which reaches downtown, Dupont Circle, and Union Station directly. Reagan National (DCA) is about 30 minutes away by Metro.

For move-in, family weekend & graduation

Where to stay near American University

Closest · Friendship Heights

Friendship Heights & Tenleytown hotels

~5–10 min

The closest hotels sit up Wisconsin Avenue in Friendship Heights and Tenleytown — the Embassy Suites at Chevy Chase Pavilion among them — a short drive or one Metro stop from campus, the natural move-in base.

Near · Woodley Park

Woodley Park & Cleveland Park hotels

~10–15 min

A few Red Line stops south, the Woodley Park hotels (the Omni Shoreham and its neighbors) offer more rooms in a leafy neighborhood, an easy Metro ride to campus.

More rooms

Downtown & Dupont Circle hotels

~15–20 min

Downtown DC and Dupont Circle have far more rooms a straight Red Line ride from the Tenleytown-AU station when the close-in hotels fill up.

Book early — DC fills up. AU's move-in and Family Weekend compete with the city's steady stream of events, and the close-in upper-Northwest hotels are limited. Friendship Heights and Tenleytown are nearest; Woodley Park and downtown add rooms a Red Line ride away.

Gear up