Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc)
Pratt Institute
Tulane University
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Temple University
University of Oregon
Cranbrook Academy of Art
New York Institute of Technology (NYIT)
Taking time off to work on your graduate school portfolio?
Ok so.. first off. I feel I don't contribute enough to these forums. That'll change.
So how much time would you comfortably take off to work on your portfolio? The summer just started and Im applying to 5 programs in January- but once the senior semester starts- I'll have very little time to work on it. This question seems like it would apply to many students. Im not in a related arch/design undergraduate major, but I really do know Rhino and V-Ray cold (basics of Grasshopper). I do have a decent amount of work from random projects I did for competitions and Intro the Arch- but I could also go crazier. I just need time.
It seems kind of gross that people are working 9-5s and I would be home working a few hours a day and then spending most of my time on personal projects. But then again, it seems to make a ton of sense because it may prevent me from getting rejected and reapplying a year later and its not like I would just be vacationing for these months (although I do love the work so much that it feels like a vacation).
Sorry for the ramble, but is this a normal thing to do? How do these programs M.Arch I programs view personal projects?
Great advice! But I should be doing just random self-given projects?
Go to Bustler. Find any competition that interests you. Do it. Work full time as well (You need money and you need to understand the value of money. You will mature that way). Preferable something not related to architecture (architecture will burn you out - and you might hate it to the point of not wanting to do your master. It's also easier for you to explore and develop yourself not getting into the industry yet.) I spent 8 months working full time at a hospo job (hard work, long hours, minimum wage, I hated it - but it motivated me) and did 3 personal projects for competitions. Won and got places in most of them. Got published and exhibited. Put them into my CV. Got into all the high-profiled schools i applied to. Made some friends and enemies. Learned to appreciate my family more.
When you get into all the schools, quit the unrelated job and find an architecture job and get some experience before you go do your master. (I learned more about 'real' architecture in a month in practice than three years of my undergrad at uni.) Make and save money. Then look at the tuition fees. Then ask for some scholarships. Then think about which schools you want to go to and where do you want to be in the future. Then question whether you want to do a master in architecture or stay in the industry at all. That's where I am at.
Good luck.
Architectural education is overrated and over-priced anyway.
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