ybth, that is so great. congrats!

congrats, ybth. youve been waiting for this a long time. enjoy it haha

SCI-arc M.ArchI!!!! Should I go?

Just got into Sci-Arc M.Arch 1

Therefore my final list is (in order of who I found out from first):

USC - Yes (with scholarship)
Columbia - Yes
UCLA - Yes
Sci-Arc - Yes

I already accepted Columbia a few weeks ago, so that is where I am headed! (and because I am Canadian, I am having a hard time finding places to lend me money, especially because I am traveling abroad until August) Is anyone in the same situation...or, if you are Canadian, and heading to a US school, how exactly are you funding it? (if you don't already have the money) I would really love to know!!

high interest bank loans

@YbTH: many congratulations! no need to prepare winter clothing anymore. =)

*abstraktura,

I WAS going to go to New York, but thinking about paying the loans back made me change my mind. Since there's no Canadian schools in your list, here are your options, in order of priority:

OPTION 1. This is not really an option for everyone, but if you have a rich uncle, this is the time to ask for money. Promise to design him a house for free when you graduate.


OPTION 2. There's an organization that gives student loans to Canadian students wanting to study in the US.

It's called the CanHELP loan and you can request an application here

A Canadian citizen wanting to study in the U.S. is eligible for $20,000 a year on his/her own signature and $45,000 with a Canadian Resident Co-Signer of worthy credit. You don't have to pay the loan back until 6 months after you graduate from your program. The interest rate is LIBOR(3.6%) + 2.4% which totals 6%. This is not bad, especially since you don't have to put your parents house down for a collateral. But there's a fee. They charge you a one time 8.5% guarantee fee. So whatever you want to borrow add 8.5% to it. This is a one time fee. So $45000 becomes $49000. For a 3 year program, you're looking at $173,000 when you're out.


OPTION 3. Student Line of Credit from a Bank

Banks give out lines of credit to students who either have enough collateral or have their parents co-sign. If you're in a professional program, there's really no maximum you can borrow. As long as you can convince them that you'll be able to pay it back. The interest rates vary from 4%-8% depending on the variables. You will have to start paying interest right away, and pay back the principle amount 6 months after you graduate. They will come up with a monthly plan for you.

//// This is all I was able to find so I'm pretty sure I'm not going to study in the US. If anyone comes up with another idea or knows anything let me know. Otherwise I'll be in UofT

@ju.dr...a long time ago

worrying about alumni profs is definitely valid, but i'm just thinking it wouldn't play as big a factor as the profs themselves, i.e. their subjects of interest.

if anything is going to skew the direction of the education, it'll prob be the course structure itself and the dean's direction. there's so much influence going on in that atmosphere (students, interdisciplinary stuffs, other profs, etc) that you can prob find a diversity of input somewhere. that's what i'm hoping atleast...

regarding UF, USC and WU, i can't say i know enough about them to give you any advice. congrats on getting into those places tho.

OPTION 4.

I forgot about this. You can apply for Canada Student Loans. They will give you about $10,000 - $15,000 a year. The best thing about this is that there's no interest until 6 months after you graduate.

If you really really want to study in the US, the way to do it is through a combination of the above options.

Dip into your savings (if you have any), ask your family, apply for Canada student loans, and take care of the rest with bank loans. Be dirt poor for 3 years.

Good luck!

Hey Nariman
Thanks for your reply. I had heard of Canhelp...but I didn't realize the 8.5% bit. I called RBC and they said Columbia does not qualify as a school they support. I will hunt for another bank when I get back to Canada in August. Otherwise, I plan to use OSSAP and Canhelp and anything else someone can suggest. (but thank you for your explanation!!) I'm traveling around the world now, so I had planned to be in debt no matter where I went (didn't apply to any Canadian schools because none of them fit my interests) I'm excited about starting school , even though I know I will be very, very poor!! hah.

My friend is 1st year at UofT and liking it. I use to spend time in their library during my undergrad at Ryerson! They always had a good lecture series.

ohhhhhhhhhhhh shit, I officially join the SCI-Arc crew! And this is after having pronounced it "sky-arc" for the last several months!

The final tally (much more for my own sense of closure as opposed to informational purposes for those who may be reading this) is as follows:


UCLA: yes!
CCA: yes! (w/sweet-ass-scholarship!!)
Berkeley: No!
Columbia: No!
UW: yes!
SCI to the Arc: yes!

Now, I leave it to the loyal readers of this thread to decide my forseeable future for me, since I seem to have no ability to make life changing decisions of this nature for myself. Let the tally begin!!

seriously ---
those who went to UCLA openhouse..
any thoughts?

UCLA open house was pretty awesome...Lynn and Denary threw down about the new format for "student research studio" which replaces the Thesis,..and I can see there is a high level of cirtical engagement with Theoretiocal and actual Urban situation, namely of LA itself. The whole thing was a slam dunk for me..there was just so much substance in the presentations. I think it is a going to good program for ppl that are into looking at emerging conditions of Urbanism.



..er also, getting a nice big fellowship helps as well.

how did you feel about their discussion on teaching methods and approaach to design? ie: "trying on" their theories and pedagogies

any thoughts on penn open house?

any thoughts on penn open house?

Specifically for the M.Arch II Program?

IN AT SCI-Arc! Finally!!!

congrats to everyone getting their sci-arc acceptances!!

how are y'all hearing about sci-arc? email? phone? mail? I am still waiting eagerly

Email! With more information to come via postal.


Are any of you SCI-Arc acceptees doing Making + Meaning?
I kinda wanna do it but its optional? And an extra $2200?

Should I do it?

I receieved an email from SCI-Arc on Monday. I should be getting the whole acceptance package in the mail soon.

I didn't hear anthing about Making + Meaning, but there is a week long computers course that I have to take before the semester starts.

So are you going there for sure then??

I am 99% sure.

looks like this is my last post

waitlisted at SCI-Arc, damn

anyone who is gonna be at Wash U in St. Louis next year, I look forward to seeing you there and making everyone else wish that they had applied/gotten in/chose to go there

peace

I'm only stopping in to say that I'm also from Tacoma! Go Aroma.

I am about 90% sure that I am going. Unless I get a bad vibe at the open house would I change my mind-something like EOM talking about Deleuze naked and juggling flaming bowling pins would do it.

thanks kevin for sharing ur 2 cents with me, appreciate it..................
im also waiting on the financial aid decisions from UIUC. any1 here going there?????

well, that was fun. now 3.5 years of degradation and a few decades of being an underpaid workaholic/alcoholic. yeah! who's with me?

i'm looking forward to it

seriously

Any thoughts on UW vs UT vs Cornell vs Michigan!?!? Though I think i have ruled Michigan out....

abstraktura-

Thats so weird...we're almost in the exact same situation. I'm also Canadian and spent all my money backpacking (currently i'm living in Paris), and in the Fall i'm 98% sure i'll be headed to the GSAPP. It's been a really tough decision because Columbia is where i want to be, but UofT is offering to pay my entire tuition with the possibility for more money. In the end, yes i'll be in uber debt, but i think the GSAPP will provide me with the type of education i'm looking for.

I know Columbia offers Canadians a "special" loan through Citibank called the "Canadian Citi-Assist" loan. Call the financial aid office, they'll tell you more about it, but i think they give you a good interest rate (if there is such a thing), and you can borrow as much as the total cost of the program.

If anyone else finds anything else maybe they can post it here, or start a new thread about it?

ibizaClubbin: I'm so happy for you, you should definitely follow ur dreams..

Well...most of us here we will be in debt, we will have a facebook thread for that, no doubt.

We'll be poor but exhilirated!

Testing image post. I have never done one before.

Test 2:

ME & GT.

This is the story of what happened to my application.
Names, numbers, and e-mail addresses have been omitted.

Forwarded conversation
Subject: Admissions status?
------------------------

From: rh
Date: Thu, Apr 3, 2008 at 9:58 PM
To: rm

Dear R****,

I am sure your inbox is very full and that you are very busy, but I am just dying to know if I have been accepted to Georgia Tech. Please e-mail me my status if you can. I hope that a lack of notice is not an indication of rejection. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
R*H***

----------
From: rm
Date: Fri, Apr 4, 2008 at 7:12 AM
To: rh

Mr. H****(he misspells my name here),
All decision letters have been mailed. You should expect it to arrive in your mail at the current address you gave soon.

RM

----------
From: rh
Date: Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 9:41 AM
To: rm

Dear Mr. M***,

I am concerned that my notice has been potentially lost or sent to the wrong address. I live here in Atlanta and usually mail only takes a day or two to arrive. If I have been accepted I would like to attend the open house this Friday and need to plan my end of week schedule arround the open house. If it is not too much trouble, could I be informed via e-mail or have another letter be sent to:
rh
(my address appeared here)
Thank you for your help on the matter.

Sincerely,
R* H***

----------

From: rm
Date: Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 9:49 AM
To: rh

Mr. H,

You applied to the MS program. That program is overseen by M***** S***** in the PhD. Office. Please contact her for information concerning your application status. [email protected] or 404-***-****. Be advised that the decision process for the M. Arch is complete.

rm

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: rh
Date: Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 9:56 AM
To: rm


That is even more of a concern. I think that there has been some other mistake. I applied to the M. Arch program, see attached image. What needs to be done to reconcile this?

MArch

--

From: rm
Date: Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 10:14 AM
To: rh

According to your application from January 16th 2008 you applied to the MS program. If you think this is in error you will need to contact the Office of Graduate Admissions. Keep in mind that the deadline to have all items to the Architecture Program Office was January 15th and that the Architecture Admissions Committee has met, made their decisions and been dissolved.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: rh
Date: Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 10:35 AM
To: rm

If it is a matter of the deadline, I sent my application on January 15th and will be happy to provide documentation of that to the Office of Graduate Admissions. I do not expect any special treatment, nor for a committee to reassemble on my behalf. I assume this is highly unusual and would not press the issue if it did not have such a dramatic effect on my life for the next two years. Please let me know what steps do I need to take to correct this?

Sincerely,
R* H***

Jan15th

--

From: rm
Date: Tues, Apr 8, 2008 at 11:43 AM
To: rh

R*,

Your file is being reviewed. However, due to you having applied to the MS program we have to submit a change of program to the Graduate Admissions office. I have submitted the required form and I will be able to give you the decision as soon as I receive the decision and they have changed your program.

rm

Not so far but I will inform you as soon as I can.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: rh
Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2008 11:44 AM
To: rm

Thank you for your help R****. I look forward to some resolve after having been on pins and needles for weeks. Is there any indication of when a decision will be made and the program changed?

rh

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: rm
Date: Tues, Apr 8, 2008 at 11:45 AM
To: rh

Not so far but I will inform you as soon as I can.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alright archinect folks, any reactions, thoughts, comments?

this is really bad ryhane. it's obviously their fault. but i think you should have gotten an administrator on the phone and hashed this out. maybe you still can.

Question regarding scholarships and grants:

What if student A is offered a scholarship from school B but turns down the offer and goes to another school...then is some as of yet unsuspecting student C about to get a gift from school B, or does this scholarship money just dissappear?

is this a GRE question?

ryhane - that sucks. i remember administration not being so good there. and if i remember who you're dealing with (i think i can tell from the initials), he's really not friendly. is there anyone else you can contact?

i say go storm the building! sit there until you get a decision.

i'm now on the "active waitlist" for cincinnati - more decisions to come by april 21st. meh - kind of what i expected.

ryhane, this is so typical of Ga Tech. I've said it once on here before. The teachers are great but the Admin is horrible. I would call them asap!

I wish this place didnt die out so fast! I wanna know where everyone is going!

i would love to be able to tell anyone where i am going, but i'm stuck in waitlist hell!!!

Damn near positive I will be at SCI-Arc once I get the physical mail from them, barring the possibility that the email I got from them was an accident (maybe my name was really supposed to be in the reject pile!).

I'm pretty sure I'm going to VTech.

almost positive i'm going to nc state.

Going to parsons... need to find an apartment so that i'm not stuck in commuter's hell.

Got an email from Pratt. They already have the documentation ... So I will know soon if I get in...

Pratt vs SCI... What do you think?

PS. norita, if I go to Pratt lets go live together! :P

dobedos - I'll be joining you at SCI-Arc! wooo!

Who is going to the open house at SCI. I will decide this weekend....

We could have party in LA. :D

im deciding between umich and sci-arc. and am seriously leaning towards sci arc. although im wary of super form-based architecture and am not looking forward to having to buy a car, the possibilities of sci-arc seem too good to pass up