Dangermouse - Congrats! It sounds like they are intentionally pressuring you to make a decision before those deadlines. If Cornell is your top choice then you should accept. If not, I would inform them that you are waiting on other decisions.

@dangermouse, I don't know whether you are familiar with the resolution from the Council of Graduate School. https://www.cgsnet.org/ckfinder/userfiles/files/CGS_Resolution.pdf

Based on that resolution, even though you accept the offer now, you have a full right to resign later (up until April 15) if you get a better financial aid offer (which is usually comes in one package with your acceptance offer). I suggest you ask about this to the admission committee at Cornell, and explain that one of your consideration factor is financial, so you intend to wait for another financial aid offer before make a decision at Cornell and ask them whether it is possible or not to wait until later to accept.

As for others, as I know most of the universities (at least which I have applied to) will send decision starting from early March and will have acceptance deadline up until April 15. Here is the list which I have compiled from their own website (Usually, you can search them in the FAQs section or in the admission page):

Universities - Estimated Announcement Date (Based on their own info) - Acceptance Deadline :

Harvard GSD - Early March - April 15

Yale SOA - April 1 - April 15

Rice SOA - Mid March - April 15

PennDesign - March 14 - April 15

UVirginiaArch - Mid March - April 15

UC Berkeley CED - Mid March - No Information

WUSTL (Sam Fox School) - Early March - April 15

UT Austin - No Information - No Information

Princeton SOA - March 15 - April 15

UCLA - Early March - No Information

I am applying to M.Arch Professional Program, so I can only confirm these deadlines for the professional program, I don't know whether it is the same case for non-professional program (M.Arch II, MDes, etc)

Best,

Prasidha (28/M/Indonesia/Pre-Professional Architecture Degree/M.Arch I)

Thanks guys!  Prasidha, that is really great information.  I don't want to be a mercenary but I come from a lower class background and unfortunately cost of attendance overrides any preference regarding where I'd like to study.  

@Ebinehita 

I got into the MLA program.  At this point, I'd be equally happy practicing architecture or LA, so I split my applications between my favorite LA and Arch programs.   I got a letter in the mail.  

@gradschoolaspirant

No video interview given.  I actually thought it was a rejection letter because it was a skinny envelope and came back pretty soon after the admissions deadline.  

At this point, I need to call the grad school to discuss financial aid/TA opportunities.  If things work out, I'll most likely accept before I hear from Harvard/UW/Austin, as Cornell was my top choice.  

Long shot applications but I decided to give it a try anyway.

23/M/American/B. Arch @ LSU (graduating in May)

Applying for a M. Arch II/MS. Arch

GRE - 157 Quantitative, 153 Verbal, 4.0

GPA - 2.95 but trending upward

SOP - 1 from department head, two from professors

Portfolio - Nothing special

Work Experience - Non but various volunteer activities

Schools: Columbia GSAPP, Virginia Tech WAAC, Tulane, Pratt, Kansas

I'm also looking at Cal Poly SLO and Utah, but their applications aren't due until April, so I'll wait until I hear from the first five.

Thanks for sharing! @prasidha

And here are what I got from grad cafe based on last year's notification dates:

- RISD: 2/17/15

- MIT: 2/23/15

- Yale: 2/27/15(early notice), 3/4/15

- Cornell: 3/2/15

- GSD: 3/6/15

- Columbia: 3/11/15

Just a bunch schools that I've applied for. 

Good luck everyone!

Thanks for sharing these dates, prasidha and ArchInspired! Any idea when Michigan gets back about the outcome? Also, any idea about the acceptance rates for Cooper Union/Parsons?

@Harini

This is from https://taubmancollege.umich.edu/architecture/admissions/apply/master-architecture

Notification of Acceptance

Applicants will be notified of their admission status by late-February or early March. If you are admitted, you will be able to see that you have been recommended for admission by the Architecture Program via the online web application status. Notification letters will be sent via email. Any merit scholarship award decisions made by the Architecture Program will be noted in the letter of admission.

This is from http://cooper.edu/admissions/facts/faq#q3

How many students apply and how many of those are accepted?

Usually we have about 3,200 applicants (675 for Architecture; 1,300-1,400 for Art; and 1,250 for Engineering). We admit about 300-325 students (30-25 in Architecture, 70-80 in Art and 200-225 in Engineering).

Data from cooper union is mixed of the bachelor and master degree applicants (They don't have M.Arch Professional). Parsons doesn't give out the information about acceptance rate. But, in my opinion, you should not rely too much on this kind of acceptance rate data, schools tend to inflate a little bit about their application number, it seems that some schools just multiply their seat/target number with their desirable acceptance rate. And if the number is true, I think they include a lot of unqualified applicants (applicants who do not complete/finish their application). Not to mention that a lot of applicants double-apply to many schools, so that non-admitted students number may have been included with the admitted students who reject their offer.

Best,

Prasidha

Thanks again, Prasidha....and you're right....these figures aren't completely reliable. But just to get a rough idea of the chances....woah the figures for Cooper Union are pretty steep :/

A new column on my Yale  M.Arch I checklist just popped up asking for my final transcript, but I don't graduate till May. I didn't think they needed this to make a decision, but rather after one had received an acceptance. I'm trying not to read too much into this so...

                                  WHAT DOES THIS MEAN &%$#@?!!!

@Ebinehita

I emailed them about it and they simply said "it is not required at this time"

Haha @shiyanchen2911, I got excited for nothing haha.  

Finally,  this thread! I am so worried about what will/should I do, I am planning to enroll US M. Arch fall 2017, so preparation is still "under construction" kinda way. I am really enlightened with this post, 

24/M/Indonesian/B. Arch @ Soegijapranata Catholic University graduated August 2013, finished for 4 years

Applying for a M. Arch II

GRE - n/a Quantitative, n/a Verbal, n/a

TOEFL IBT n/a (I wonder if IELTS result is accepted for enrolling US school)

GPA - 3,4 out of 4,0

LOR 1 from past employer, going to ask for more from professors, and dean

SOP - sorry, but can somebody explain me this? (please forgive my ignorance)

Portfolio - Please comment/suggest/rebut my portfolio on my profile

Work Experience - 2 years Indonesia Local Design Company, 1 year China Local Design Company

Schools: Harvard GSD, Cornell, a senior suggested me to enroll Berkeley (anyone? I heard they don't need GRE and or TOEFL?), other options: TU Delft-(I read their portfolio requirements, and I am freaked out myself), AA (I am too small minded if saying this school famous for producing Starchitects?), Staedelschule

Anyway, wish you guys tons and tons of luck for applying this year!

@Luke

A few suggestions. First, your B.Arch degree is a pre-professional degree (In Indonesia, they adopt 4+1 or 4+2 track for professional education, depends on the universities and the plus 1 or the plus 2 are not parts of the bachelor degree). Then you are not qualified to (or advised not to) take the post-professional program in the US system. I suggest you to apply for M.Arch I AP (advanced standing) or M.Arch 2 or M.Arch 2.5 (each universities have their own name). For TU Delft, apply to the M.Sc program, not the post-master's (my friend from Barcelona was eligible to take the post-master because in Barcelona they have professional bachelor degree a.k.a 5 years program). The master's in TU Delft and AA are not professional program, but they accept student with non-professional degree (In Harvard, their programs equal to M.Des). But, the program you will choose should also consider your study objectives. To add your confusion, there is also the Canberra Accord (http://www.canberraaccord.org/) which add another complexities to the international professional degree.

GRE: take as early as possible if you are confident with your English skill, so you will have time if you want to retake. Berkeley does not need this for international students, but they still ask for TOEFL.

IELTS only accepted in some US school. AA only accepts IELTS.

LOR --> you need to have more than one set of recommenders as a spare in case some of them mess up (when you start, spread them all over of your school applications)

SOP = statement of purpose a.k.a motivation letters/personal essay/statement of intent

Your portfolio includes too many teamwork project. My suggestion: take only one project from every team formation, and add your own project more. Also details in the portfolio about your contribution and include only your part of works. It is fine to make a new design project for this portfolio or redesign your old project, just remember to mention the circumstances in the portfolio.

Best,

Prasidha

Good luck with the admissions prep, Luke! For the SOP, just make sure you talk about your key interests and why that particular program is suitable for you and why you're suitable for it. 

I have my interview tomorrow for the MS Arch program at Michigan! Kinda nervous...any pointers, anyone?

Hi guys! I am an international recent graduate and I recently applied for post-graduate programs in the US. I would really like your opinion. I have applied to seven programs, among them the Syracuse post-graduate MS program. I heard from them yesterday and I got in with a killer offer. However I will wait for answers from others schools within the top 20. I would like to ask for your opinion about this post-graduate program. Does it have a good reputation in the US? Would you guys recommend this school to a young architect in the beginning of his career? I would very much appreciate your opinions and good luck to everybody! :)

Hello @Pitsi!

You should tell us more in order to help you. What are the other programs that you have applied? Define killer offer. What is the deadline they gave you in order to accept or not their offer

PS Without having monitor Syracuse's post-graduate program I know they are a decent University with competitive programs, ranking always at top spots,behind ivys

Just got my second decision letter. This one's an admit for M.Planning at the USC Price School. 2/4 -- not bad!

Eagerly waiting to hear from Cornell and Berkeley. I heard they've both started sending out decisions. :)

@gradschoolaspirant, congrats!,  is that true? i didn't know Cornell started sending out their results this early.

Thank you @matdez6 and guess what? Just heard from Cornell too a couple of hours ago via email. I got in. :) I have until April 1 to accept or decline the offer. 

Wondering what @dangermouse decided?

Gret job gradschoolaspirant! What about the financial offer? Did they gave anything???

Congratulations, gradschoolaspirant! :)

@ Gradschoolaspirant, congrats! what program did you apply for at Cornell?

Congrats Gradschoolaspirant! It sounds like you got into all of the programs you applied to! Do you know which offer you will accept? I am eagerly waiting until March to hear back.

Thanks all! I'm a little overwhelmed by the choices right now. Did not expect to get into so many/all. I had only applied to the schools I was keen on attending.

I'm mostly torn between TU Delft and Cornell. I applied for the masters in CRP program at Cornell and MSc Urbanism in Delft. Cornell's tuition itself is quite competitive at 33k a year and they have guaranteed me RA which has a stipend of around 8k. Delft on the other hand is world renowned (currently ranked 3rd as per QS) and tuition is way less even without scholarship (15k euro/year). Graduation outcomes seem to be equally good at both places.

I think I will wait to see if both universities offer any scholarship and decide based on that. Berkeley (if I get in) and USC are definitely worth considering too if they give me the right $$.

It is all cute and full of kittens and lollipops getting into the school of your choice, but what are you all going to do once you graduate with a fake degree?

gr8 b8 m8 i r8 8/8

DeTwan why don't you be a sweetheart and share your thoughts with us. Please tell us why are these degrees fake???

Just heard back from Michigan....I got into their MS Arch program this summer....So psyched! =D

Congrats, Harini! That was your top choice, right?

Yesss! One of my top choices :) So this is definitely great news....and they're offering a scholarship too....the details are gonna be coming in later this week :)

@prasidha Thank you for your explanation Pras, I def need a lot of work to get in there, but correct me, does that mean I have to get Master degree first in Indonesia(the "MA") to get into post pro M. Arch? After a while I consider UCB instead of Cornell, I'm not prepared for the GRE test to be honest :\ And UCB is accepting IELTS anyway, so I think I am good to go!

@harini Wow, congratulation Harini! That's definitely good news! Please share more about the up coming good news! :)

@gradschoolaspirant Cornell is a big deal! Congrats mate!

Quick question to everyone: about the SOP, I def can search around the internet about SOP samples, I wonder if anybody can give me clue what kind of topic is best for the SOP.

@luke. No, just go straight apply to the school you want, they will determine your eligibility (which program: M.Arch 2 years, 2.5, or 3), just make sure you choose the professional track. After all, at some school, they usually will merge the professional track with the post-professional track during the last year/term for the studio course. However, for European school, this doesn't apply, you can just apply to any master degree. Also, you can also apply to any program in US with MSc and MA degree. You just can't take the post-professional degree of M.Arch (because your degree is not a professional degree, as I know).

For SOP, my advice: just tell them the story about yourself that cannot be described in the portfolio or the curriculum vitae. However each school usually will have their own prompt for what to be included in the essay. For example, you can talk about your struggle to adapt with the working condition in China (you work there at the present time right?) and what new things you learn and develop while working there (personal development). Literally said, the essays are much about revealing your personality to be evaluated by the admission committee. However, for M.Arch post-professional or any other research focused degree, they will also ask for an essay which describes the proposed area of study you want to pursue.

FYI, 

I was notified about admission to RISD last Friday 02/ 12. They just sent me an email and asked to respond If I will be attending their open house. Happy to have one under my belt and I can finally relax a little bit! Hope this info helps! 

Good Luck everyone!

I got email from Upenn, asked me to submit international financial aid form and material "if I am applying for financial aid". I am wondering if financial aid equal to scholarship, cuz I don't have issue with paying tuition myself, but I do hope to get scholarship "if" I am qualified for (IF I am accepted). Does anyone have any idea?

@jimtennis- schools want to know how you plan on paying for tuition. The term Financial aid, i believe, is used loosely. It is a way to determine grants and loans. Scholarships are independent of financial aid. Generally schools offer merit based scholarships (upon granted admission- that is what they offer the student to attend). At least this is my understanding. someone can correct me if i am wrong or if there is anything to add to this comment. 

On a separate note, has anyone that is NOT an international prospective student heard from schools yet? I realize that schools provide a time frame for notifications (late February - mid March)  but reading above it seems that they contact international students first? .......

Anyways, I used this forum a lot for preparations for applications, so i figured i should start contributing to the conversation. Better late than never.

24/ M/  Florida/ 5 - B. Design in Architecture

1.5 years of experience in a small firm 

GPA: 3.2/ 4.0

GRE: 150 Quantitative / 145 Verbal / 3.5

- Not that good. Only took it once. But the GRE is more or less a formality for application purposes. They hold no "real" value to the program. So I didn't retake it; however, in the event I do not get into the schools I want, I will retake it.

Things they care about for students to posses:

1. Portfolio   2. SOP     3.LOR         - In that order. Everything else falls secondary.

Schools that I applied for:  

1. U.Michigan      2. U.T.Austin     3.SCAD         - In that order.

Best of luck to everyone!

thank you @19cruz91, I just heard back from school, they told me the same thing. btw way I haven't actually heard any decision yet, so I guess you shouldn't be worrying so soon.

just figured out that I haven't share mine info yet:

24/M/SF/ 4 B. DESIGN IN ARCH

2 years experience in 2 architecture firms (residential mostly)

Apply for M.Arch I 

GPA:3.5/4.0  (have one F from my philosophy class...)

minor in architectural engineering (gpa 3.75)

GRE:168 Q/ 150 V / 3 ...

schools: GSAPP, Upenn, Cornell (online interview sent), Berkeley, UT Austin, Sci Arc, USC

have not heard back from any yet...

good luck to myself...XoX

and to you all

@19cruz91

I'm not an international student and I got an acceptance letter from RISD. But that is the only school I applied to that has notified me so far 

Just FYI

@jimtennis - glad to help. not necessarily worried as much as i am anxious. Just counting down the days to see where i end up for the next 2+ years of my life.

@ccarry - Thanks for sharing. I believe some schools (the ones with earlier deadlines such as RISD and Cornell) respond earlier than other schools. Nevertheless congrats on acceptance. RISD is a great school!

Congratulations ccarry! :) I'm still waiting on the other schools....! Good luck to all!

20/M/International/B.A in Arch. Studies in US

Applying for M.Arch I 

GPA:3.3/4.0 (Major 3.5)

minor in arts (3.8)

GRE: Quant 160 Verbal 159 Writing 5

Schools: GSD, GSAPP, YSoA, Cornell and a few others

Still waiting. Good luck to all.

Please post when someone hears back from GSAPP! I've applied for the MS AAD there....I guess they should respond soon....

Harini I have applied too for the MA AAD program at GSAPP. Nothing here either. I guess we will have to wait for.at least a week

28/ F / International (Indian) / Completed 5-yr B.Arch degree program in India 

Applying for MUD/MSAUD this fall

GRE 151 Quantitative / 151 Verbal / 4.0

Applied to : GSAPP, Taubman, Pratt, Parsons, UTSOA, UCB, WUSTL, CMU

Heard back from Taubman - IN for their MUD program...Yayy!!

Eagerly awaiting to hear from the rest of them..

Best wishes to all fellow applicants!!

Guys this wait is killing me! I have applied for M.Arch at Columbia, Harvard, Parsons, Pratt, SCI-Arc and Berkeley. Most of them say that they will get back to us March/April :( Let's support each other through this tough time :) 

@flaviaderasmo@me.com I got an email from Berkeley last week to have an interview with the program's professor. It went well and told me that results would be out later this month.

@international_applicant 

May I ask if you applied for M.Arch 1 or M. Arch 2 at Berkeley?

@cecyliyay I applied for the MArch II - Studio One program (1 year post-professional degree). Still no reply from Harvard MArch II, MIT SMArchS, Columbia MS AAD, Yale MArch II, UCLA MArch II - SupraStudio

@international_applicant Got a response from MIT to do an interview for the SMArchS program, I think they're sending out those emails this week.

@shanerr what day did you get the email???

24/M/Interantional/ Recently finished B.Arch degree 5 years (B.Arch+M.arch equivalent)

Applying to M.Arch II

GPA: 3.6

TOEFL:101

GRE: Verbal 146 / Quantitative 157

9 months internship

3 LOR: 1 from design thesis supervisor and former dean, 1 from research thesis supervisor, 1 from former professor

Schools that I applied: GSAPP, PennDesign MSAAD, Pratt Inst., Syracuse Uni. M.S., UTSOA, VirginiaTech,

I heard from the Syracuse M.S. post-graduate program, and I was also offered a scholarship that will cover, nearly all of my tuition. I am very happy with these news. However I will wait to hear from the others schools. I have to accept until 1 April, so I hope that I will know until then. Is anyone else considering this program? Best of luck to everybody! 

@ international_applicant I am so sorry for the late response, but I had to stay away from monitors for some days.