Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc)
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Undergraduate edu for M. Arch I?!?!
Hey!
So I'm a high school senior who recently decided to go to Georgetown University in the fall. I was relatively undecided (and still am) about what I want to study and what I want to do for a career. I have always had an interest in architecture, since I was very young, but I've mostly had an interest in public service. When I was ultimately deciding between just these two schools (College of Arts and Sciences at both), I chose Georgetown for a number of reasons. The only thing dragging me to U Penn was the fact that if offered a BA in architecture, a BS in architecture, and an "intensive" BS in architecture.
Well it's been a month and 10 days since that decision, and I'm really having second thoughts. The reasons I had a preference for Georgetown are no longer as strong, and, more importantly, I've become more and more interested in architecture. From what I've read, it might not be too late to enroll at U Penn if I candidly speak with my admissions officer.
So here's my question. Since I would have to get an M. Arch eventually regardless of which school I attended, how much advantage will I have if I do one of those architecture majors at U Penn rather than studying something like economics at Georgetown? How would I go about even getting an M. Arch after going to a school that has no design school (there's an Art major, and that's it)? How would I get exposure, as in what is the procedure? It's up to me to realize how much interest I have in becoming an architect, but I'm having trouble weighing the pros and cons of everything. I'm worried that going to Georgetown will really decrease my chances of becoming an architect. I'm still interested in public service, but I just don't know. Any advice is appreciated.
P.S. I apologize if this is in the wrong forum or not posted correctly. I just joined the site.
You don't "have to get an M.Arch eventually" in order to be an architect. I was originally misinformed about this when I was 18 just like you are today...
1) The "intensive" BS.Arch program at UPenn is actually a 5 year Bachelors of Architecture (B.Arch). This degree is NAAB accredited and for the sake of licensure in the USA, is equal to a Masters of Architecture. You can be a licensed architect with the B.Arch. You will probably get paid more if you earn your Masters, but you will graduate with less debt if you pursue the B.Arch path. If you graduate from here with a B.Arch, you wont have to do a Masters to get licensed. Instead, you can move to NYC and get a job fresh outta school. UPenn's undergrad is one of the Top 5 undergrad programs in the country. You'd have great prospects for an M.Arch afterwards too, although it wouldn't be necessary for licensure.
2) Earning your Masters of Architecture, aside from helping you zone in on your niche through a thesis project, is a prerequisite to becoming a University professor. You can still be a studio instructor with a B.Arch, though.
3) If you go to Georgetown and major outside of architecture while graduating with above a 3.6gpa, almost every M.Arch program in the country will be interested in offering you admission with promising scholarships. I'm including Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and Princeton in this list. M.Arch admission boards get really excited when they see applicants from outside of Architecture, and then they get even more excited when they see this applicant have some sort of purpose and knack for architecture (like you have now). If you go to Georgetown and put grades as your top priority while also immersing yourself with architecture during your free time so that you stay relevant, I believe you'd get into every M.Arch program you'd want when you applied. You'd have to sacrifice a lot to achieve this though. To ensure a 3.6gpa at a place like Georgetown, I'm assuming you wouldn't have time to be very social, if at all, compared to most college students. I would highly discourage doing something art-related at Georgetown - this will ensure you will get a high gpa, but M.Arch programs will see that as insignifcant and "easy". You'll likely be valued higher to them if you're artistic/creative on top of your un-artistic undergrad degree that you were academically careful with.
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