We've had a few students do this program, and the feedback is good. This most recent report comes from Andara Frasier; read an earlier report from Caitlin McGrane here.
I spent my summer living, working and studying in Washington DC, through the Washington Semester Program put on by American University. The summer semester program is shorter than fall or spring but I was still taking a class and working 4 days a week. The program I was in was called Foreign Policy and International Affairs and I had a non-residential internship at Hudson Institute. The class was one day a week and we traveled all over the city to meet with guest speakers, from neo-conservatives to non-interventionist idealists. The other 4 days I spent researching certain topics that my internship advisor gave me.
The Hudson Institute also hosts seminars on a variety of topics. I attended those frequently. The highlight of the seminars was when the Foreign Minister of Mongolia came and spoke about Mongolia's foreign policy regarding Korea, China and Europe the night before he met with the Secretary of State.
I spent my weekends touring the city and I even got to spend a weekend on the Chesapeake Bay in Southern Maryland.
The Washington Semester Program is a great opportunity and I recommend it to anyone who wants to live and work in DC.
-Andara Frasier
