Pretty much. You don’t want to know what those row houses cost now.
You can still get a cheap apartment if you’re lucky.
A lot of this will be a function of how much the OP and her friends want to spend for rent. I was thinking that Capitol Hill would be a good match in terms of commute. Op can take the red line (Union Station) to American and her friends can take the Circulator bus to Georgetown. If they were willing to look north of H, the rents will be cheaper as well, but the Georgetown roomies will have to walk a bit further for the Circulator.
The Foggy Bottom / GWU station is probably the most “convenient” to the “downtown” portion of Georgetown, though the university itself is a bit of a hike from there. Of course, there are buses that most likely run from the Metro up to the university.
My vote is Dupont Circle. Very eclectic area, tons of restaurants and shops, on the Metro; even the same Metro line as AU (the Red line).
FWIW, the metro from Ballston to Rosslyn is 8 minutes. I do it twice a day.
even sven, I’d go with something between Ballston and Dupont Circle. Since you want to go to AU, I’d go with Dupont, despite being happy as a clam in Ballston. It’s very “young professional” there and the nightlife is certainly happening. I’ve never been to any other red line destinations past Dupont, so they might be nice too.
Wherever you go, rent for 6 months, not 12. You’ll want to move after 6, once you figure out your way around the city. If you want to come for a look first, you can always couch surf with me or someone else. PM for details.
Clearly the big problem here is the friends going to Georgetown. Getting to AU is easy from almost anywhere; getting to Georgetown reliably by public transportation not so much(depending where you’re coming from). We all seem to be assuming the G’town friends will be bussing it, but do we even know if the friends will have cars? If that’s the case, even sven, you can live pretty much anywhere in NW and be fine.
Thanks for the advice! The bad news is that I won’t be able to visit before I move in, since I’m out of the country. I’m glad to know it’s my friends and not me who have the problem! I’m like the idea of a 6 month lease so that I can get to know the place. I may end up having to ditch my friends- it sounds like they want to stick near Georgetown, which seems way too expensive for me.
There is this, which is a bus that goes to Georgetown from Dupont and Rosslyn from 7 am to midnight.
When I lived in DC (in grad school 30 years ago), I loved living near Dupont Circle–I had a subway stop, Rock Creek Park, good eating, the Phillips collection, and good used book stores close by, and the Mall and the Zoo and Georgetown in walking distance. I visited my old apartment last fall, and it all looked pretty much the same as when I was there. (Forgot to see if the Rathskeller was still standing.) I can send you my old address, which is an apartment building that had affordable rents back in the day, which is still standing on P Street.
Noplace, because rent in DC is said to be insane.
Live outside of town, & take the train in.
If you live in the apartment complex where I live (in Greenbelt), rent will be noticeably cheaper. I pay about $1200 a month for rent and utilities for a two-bedroom apartment, and presumably you’re only going to need a one-bedroom one. It’s a longer Metro ride (or maybe bus ride) to American University though.
I never got one. 
Seriously – I’m with those advising you to to look into someplace on the Metro in VA, specifically the Orange line, and specifically Ballston.
When did you arrive in the area, furt? I have been making it a habit for several years now to offer to arrange a Dopefest for anyone who moves to the area. I put this offer in the thread where they announce their recent arrival or imminent arrival. No one has taken me up on the offer yet.
Slight hijack, but - Chessic Sense, you’ve never been past Dupont? Seriously? Dude, you’re missing out. The grand old Uptown Theater at Cleveland Park, the Adams Morgan nightlife strip, the Politics and Prose bookshop in Chevy Chase - and that’s just heading towards Shady Grove!
You need to get out more. 
even sven, the advice to try to rent for six months is good - but if you can’t get that, don’t be afraid to plan on subletting. It’s relatively easy to find people to take over even a remotely affordable place in DC.
And I’d respectfully disagree with furt - the commute from Virginia would be burdensome. Even if you were willing to stomach an hour-long commute each way for class, it’d certainly chill your enthusiasm for hanging out with your classmates (who’d probably live much closer to AU). I’d also point out that rents in much of Arlington aren’t that much cheaper than DC.
The Orange line in Virginia would be a pain. In addition to being a busy line and one of the most crowded, you will have to switch trains in Metro Center, and as others have pointed out, you will have an hour commute each way. Once you get past Ballston, you will definitely need a car. I lived in Arlington in 2003, and while you can get buy without a car, it really makes life easier.
even sven, if you aren’t planning on living with your friends, find a group house or like Mr. Excellent said, a sublet. If you have to go out to the suburbs, stay on the Maryland side, more specifically, on the redline, Bethesda through Rockville.
End of January, right before the snow. And sadly, I’m really busy for the next few weeks. Let me know if/when one happens, though.
Rockville would be a bit of a schlep, but has a singular redeeming quality: There’s a Fractured Prune there! Fresh, hot donuts made to order. Mmm … donuts …
You mean the Brickskeller? Still around as of 2007, when I was last there.
There’s a Krispy Kreme at the Dupont metro.
I’ll take you up on it. DC happy hour, anyone?
Well, I meant as far as checking out places to live. I’ve been to Rock Creek and to Adams Morgan a few times. Let me adjust my claim: I’ve never been past Cleveland Park.
Also, even sven, DCers and MDers tend to pick on VA. They think it’s isolated and weird, for some reason. I think the river causes this idea. It’s false. Ballston is closer to the White House than Tenleytown.
That being said, I still recommend you stick to the NW Red line. To balance your nightlife/activities with AU and Georgetown, I’d go with something on the south end of Cleveland Ave, by Woodley Park. It’s a 2-stop metro ride to both universities (kinda) and you can walk to (and more importantly, FROM) the Adams Morgan strip.