23/ F / International (Indian) / Recently finished 5-yr B.Arch degree programme in India
Applying for M.Arch II this fall
GRE 157 Quantitative / 153 Verbal / 4.0
GPA 8.3/10 | 3.3/4
1 Yr internship experience while in school - One at a major/large organization and one at a smaller office, Looking for a job now to get some experience
Undecided about: Harvard GSD / Yale / MIT /Cooper Union/ Cornell AAP (Will probably apply to one of these...I'm considering the YSOA Dual Degree - M.Arch + MBA)
Portfolio: 20% / Will post a link when I have a draft ready to go. Earlier version undergoing changes at the moment
LOR: 70% / LORs: 1 from former professor/thesis studio guide, 1 from former employer, 1 from future employer
SOP: 5% (I have initial ideas. Need to draft it out)
Transcripts: 10% (Need to update transcripts and get further documentation from my university)
Any tips/comments/suggestions or sharing of experiences would be really helpful.
Best wishes to all fellow applicants!!
international_applicant
Feb 23, 16 5:30 am
@pv1988 every school has its own criteria of admission. I know people who were finally admited at GSD being previously rejected by University of Toronto, Rice, UBC.
pv1988
Feb 23, 16 6:06 am
@Prasidha, maybe you are right. Lets hope we get through in our top choices. good luck!
Thanks @international_Applicant, your comment makes me feel so much better.
This thread is a life saver
ccarry
Feb 23, 16 9:02 am
@jj_arch - I applied for M.Arch I programs
Ebinehita
Feb 23, 16 11:20 am
Can anyone check their U.Mich application status on Wolverine access? The site won't let me check mine for some reason...
RazanALT
Feb 23, 16 11:25 am
My Wolverine access has also been throwing back an error since yesterday.
19cruz91
Feb 23, 16 11:33 am
Same here. I verified and an error sign pops up. Perhaps it is getting close to the time for them to update all status ?...
Harini Padmanabhan
Feb 23, 16 11:42 am
@Ebinehita and @19cruz91.....yes I got the same error message. But I did get an email confirming acceptance and a formal letter as well. I guess it must be a system error as they're updating everyone's admission status because a few days ago, it seemed fine.
BTW which program did you apply for?
Ebinehita
Feb 23, 16 11:42 am
Soooo I emailed them and they sent me this:
"We are in the process of entering decisions into the system and have turned off the ability to view the details until we are finished. Decisions will be sent out by email in the middle of March."
OMG IT'S HAPPENING!!
Ebinehita
Feb 23, 16 11:44 am
@Harini 3- Year M.Arch!
Harini Padmanabhan
Feb 23, 16 11:53 am
Oh ok :) best wishes to you!
RazanALT
Feb 23, 16 12:20 pm
Oh maaan, not until the middle of March?! So much wait!
19cruz91
Feb 23, 16 12:32 pm
I did not realize how many from this forum applied to U MICH. (based on everyone commenting above) well it is one of the biggest programs, plus they are in the process of making a new bldg. Hopefully they have enough space to accept all of us.!
@Harini - i applied to the 2 year m.arch but ultimately it is up to them where im placed, if admitted at all.
Best of luck to all of you! and to me!
jimtennis
Feb 23, 16 1:22 pm
Was exited for 30 minute when got acceptance from Austin, and then just started getting nervous LOL. All sorts of questions just came to my mind... Started imaging if it's going to be my only choice, and then the imagination of living in Texas became more real... I'm living in SF now, guess Austin would be a significantly different city...Does anyone have any idea how is it like living in Austin? Am I allowed to have a gun as a foreigner (I heard everyone in Texas has a gun lol)... This frustration will continue until I receive another offer
international_applicant
Feb 23, 16 1:37 pm
A gun??? That escalated quickly
ccarry
Feb 23, 16 2:11 pm
@jimtennis
I had lived in Texas my whole life, apart from college. People here are just people! Austin is a very cool and liberal city. Tons of great music and food. Diverse culture. Very liberal compared to the rest of Texas. Dude. Relax!
Ebinehita
Feb 23, 16 3:44 pm
u.mich site is back online, but no update...
international_applicant
Feb 23, 16 6:07 pm
3/3 guys! Just got an acceptance letter from Columbia GSAPP MSAAD program!!! :) Super elated
intcon
Feb 23, 16 6:17 pm
@international_applicant Congratulations!! Wish you the best!! :) Did they gave any financial assistance ?
rengrsl
Feb 23, 16 6:31 pm
Congrats to all of you that got acceptance letters!!! That is so amazing!!
I still haven't heard anything :( going crazy over here!!
@Sameness @jj_arch Thank you for the info guys!
@international_applicant did you receive an email? I thought Columbia gave out results around the first week of march! Super congrats to you! Columbia is my dream school!
matdez6
Feb 23, 16 6:50 pm
congrats! haha the wait is killing me too, haven't heard anything yet
international_applicant
Feb 23, 16 6:51 pm
@itcon did not gave me any information for the time being. They send me a pdf saying I can get merit based scholarship. I know I do not qualify for need based scholarship though as Columbia doea not offer such scholarships to internationals.
@flaviabb they send a witty email saying: "it is a full moon in New York. Besides that check your email as your results are out, well done". I do not know if they notify everyone at the same time. So hang on there! You may get an email 2morrow. Fingers crossed for you!
jimtennis
Feb 23, 16 6:59 pm
Congratulations! @international_applicant !!!
Its also weird that they've already been sending result for MSAAD, which was due Jan 15th. HAS ANYONE HEARD BACK ANY RESULT OF MARCH I FROM GSAPP? IT WAS ONE OF THE EARLIEST DEADLINES (DEC 15TH)...
ncsy
Feb 23, 16 8:05 pm
@Ebinehita
The pending request for final transcript on my Yale portal just disappeared... I'M SURE THIS MEANS NOTHING
international_applicant
Feb 23, 16 8:27 pm
For all you guys asking I got a second notification to check again my application at Columbia's admission website and they offered me a merit-based scholarship 33,000$. According to my calculations this is almost half tuition for the MS AAD program. Really happy with this offer. Have to send an email though to ask more information about potential teaching assistanship as I really cant afford to pay the rest of the 90,000$
Harini Padmanabhan
Feb 23, 16 9:42 pm
I just got accepted to MS AAD too :) downside is that there's no mention of financial support.....but still, psyched to known that I got in :D
Harini Padmanabhan
Feb 23, 16 9:43 pm
Congratulations, @international_applicant! This is fantastic :) we might end up in the same place!!
Ebinehita
Feb 23, 16 10:10 pm
@shiyanchen2911 OMG ME TOOOO @%$^^%#
ArchInspired
Feb 23, 16 10:42 pm
@shiyanchen2911 & Ebinehita Has the School ever replied your email and explained what it is? Mine is still there...don't know what it means. I'm applying to March I. Thanks!
Ebinehita
Feb 23, 16 10:46 pm
@ArchInspired
I emailed them about why the column was put there in the first place and this is what they said:
"Please disregard. This is only required if admitted and you decide to accept our offer."
Not sure why they have now removed it though...
ncsy
Feb 23, 16 11:01 pm
about a month ago I emailed and they said the final transcript was not required at that time so I should ignore it. That's it.
BTW I THINK WE'VE ALL GONE TOTALLY CRAZY
ArchInspired
Feb 23, 16 11:28 pm
haha thank you both! seriously, I'm going to have a nervous breakdown any time now lol
international_applicant
Feb 24, 16 4:54 am
Great news Harini! Congrats!!!
Harini Padmanabhan
Feb 24, 16 5:04 am
@international_applicant, did they inform you about the scholarship in the letter or in a different email?
Pitsi
Feb 24, 16 5:06 am
I just heard from GSAAP and I got in too!! Congrats to everybody! :)
international_applicant
Feb 24, 16 6:05 am
@harini They send me the initial email and told me to log in to see the results. I logged in and it was only the acceptance. 2 hours later they send me a second email telling me to relog in to check the updated letter of acceptance. It was changed mentioning the 33,0000$ merit based scholarship
@pizzi greats news too!!! Columbia loves archinect members :)
Harini Padmanabhan
Feb 24, 16 12:35 pm
@Pitsi That's awesome :) Congratulations!! And yes Columbia does seem to like Archinect members haha...
Thinking about what to do.....It's Michigan vs Columbia right now! Big decision =/ any suggestions?
international_applicant
Feb 24, 16 12:46 pm
Did UMich give you any kind of financial aid? I will go where the money is Harini in the end
Shanerr
Feb 24, 16 3:26 pm
@Harini PadmanabhanI will share a frank opinion about the difference between Columbia and Taubman:
20 years ago, you would have been advised to take the Columbia acceptance without question - it was the most important school of architecture in America at the time, under Bernard Tschumi's direction.
But today the program at Michigan is much stronger, with better and more capable faculty. Ponce de Leon brought Taubman into the 21st century, but Columbia will only see improvements in a couple years' time under Andraos' very recent leadership. The MS AAD program would come and go too quickly for you to see and take advantage of the improvements the school really needs in its pedagogy.
00010011
Feb 24, 16 4:09 pm
Harini- if it was between M.Arch 1's and the money was roughly the same I would suggest GSAPP, but their lazy approach to the MSAAD is reason enough to turn it down. It's simply the third year of the M.Arch I + a summer studio. Taubman has spent time developing a curriculum for their MS programs and I think you should take advantage of that. Taubman faculty is less known than GSAPP though if you're just looking to get taught under big wig faculty.
RazanALT
Feb 24, 16 6:13 pm
Hey all, anyone else receive a really weird (spammy?) email from Michigan? I got the following email.
Hello,
Please download the document I sent you.
CLICK HERE (link removed) to view, the file is too big so I couldn't attach it.
Now that I've gotten a closer look on my computer, the above message is most definitely spam! Man, had my hopes up that it might have been some good news!
zeitg31st
Feb 25, 16 12:36 am
Have any American applicants heard from GSAPP yet?
rengrsl
Feb 25, 16 12:42 am
I think the decisions for M.Arch are gonna be out the first week of March @zeitg31st for both international and americans
meomeo91
Feb 25, 16 6:41 am
Hi guys, I have a question: I got in SCI Arc M Arch II program (they notified me a few days ago) and they ask me to make the final decision (along with a non-refundable deposit of 2000$ ) by the 9th of March. I am currently waiting for other responses (GSD/GSAPP/Berkeley/YSOA/MIT) and I don't know if there is enough time to wait for them. Is it possible that they want an answer so early? (even in the website they say that responses are usually sent out at the end of March) Anybody with the same problem? Thank you so much guys!!
international_applicant
Feb 25, 16 6:50 am
Just tell Sci-Arc your problem and tell them the official admission acceptance for.all the univerisites is 15th of April if I am not mistaken. Problem solved :)
@Harini my girlfriend also got accepted at the MS.AAD GSAPP but did not receive any email about funding. She send them an email asking if ahe should wait for any scholarships, and they told her that I got the 33,000$ because I was one of the 2 top applicants. Anyway I cannot afford the rest of the cost of attendance, so if anyone gets waitlisted there, I wont accept the offer. Hope that helps
prasidha
Feb 25, 16 7:00 am
@meomeo91, does SCi-ARC offer any scholarship? If you concern about financial assistance you should tell them that you want to have more time to consider about your financial situation in case they don't offer adequate scholarship. Try to extend the deadline to March 30. The problem is they are not part of the CGS agreement, so they don't have any obligation to adhere the April 15 deadline. If you want to mention about other schools, say that you want to know about their financial offer, but you actually want to join SCI ARC if not because of the expensive tuition. But still, mentioning about waiting other notifications is a bad move.
ArchInspired
Feb 25, 16 7:01 am
@international_applicant omg you must be very talented!! Where do you plan to go? I wonder if they would do the same for M.Arch I, like offering scholarships to a couple of top international applicants... then at least there is some hope that I would be able to afford the school :-)
Sameness
Feb 25, 16 7:10 am
@meomeo91
Where did you hear that? When I was called there was no mention of what date I had to make the decision by, and I am abroad with no faith in the international mail system so if you found out via the acceptance letter I may be out of luck...
meomeo91
Feb 25, 16 7:23 am
2 days After the call they sent me the admission official document via email. There you find all the deadlines included this one. In the same document you find the form to complete to accept the offert. They also offered me a scholarship of 22 000 $ explaining that if you do not meet this deadline within the deposit of 2000$ (this is basically to hold your place in the class and a pre-class workshop in 3D modelling you must undertake) you will loose your scholarship.
international_applicant
Feb 25, 16 8:37 am
@archinspired thank you for your kind words. I do not believe in talent. I do believe in work and how badly you want smth. Anyway I wait for Yale, Harvard, MIT, but both me and my girlfriend are already inclined to Berkeley as their acceptance email and their overall approach, including the interview, towards us was great.
23/ F / International (Indian) / Recently finished 5-yr B.Arch degree programme in India
Applying for M.Arch II this fall
GRE 157 Quantitative / 153 Verbal / 4.0
GPA 8.3/10 | 3.3/4
1 Yr internship experience while in school - One at a major/large organization and one at a smaller office, Looking for a job now to get some experience
Schools im interested in: GSAPP, Taubman, Pratt, Parsons, UIllinois Urbana-Champaign, UTexas A&M
Undecided about: Harvard GSD / Yale / MIT /Cooper Union/ Cornell AAP (Will probably apply to one of these...I'm considering the YSOA Dual Degree - M.Arch + MBA)
Portfolio: 20% / Will post a link when I have a draft ready to go. Earlier version undergoing changes at the moment
LOR: 70% / LORs: 1 from former professor/thesis studio guide, 1 from former employer, 1 from future employer
SOP: 5% (I have initial ideas. Need to draft it out)
Transcripts: 10% (Need to update transcripts and get further documentation from my university)
Any tips/comments/suggestions or sharing of experiences would be really helpful.
Best wishes to all fellow applicants!!
@pv1988 every school has its own criteria of admission. I know people who were finally admited at GSD being previously rejected by University of Toronto, Rice, UBC.
@Prasidha, maybe you are right. Lets hope we get through in our top choices. good luck!
Thanks @international_Applicant, your comment makes me feel so much better.
This thread is a life saver
@jj_arch - I applied for M.Arch I programs
Can anyone check their U.Mich application status on Wolverine access? The site won't let me check mine for some reason...
My Wolverine access has also been throwing back an error since yesterday.
Same here. I verified and an error sign pops up. Perhaps it is getting close to the time for them to update all status ?...
@Ebinehita and @19cruz91.....yes I got the same error message. But I did get an email confirming acceptance and a formal letter as well. I guess it must be a system error as they're updating everyone's admission status because a few days ago, it seemed fine. BTW which program did you apply for?
Soooo I emailed them and they sent me this:
"We are in the process of entering decisions into the system and have turned off the ability to view the details until we are finished. Decisions will be sent out by email in the middle of March."
OMG IT'S HAPPENING!!
@Harini 3- Year M.Arch!
Oh ok :) best wishes to you!
Oh maaan, not until the middle of March?! So much wait!
I did not realize how many from this forum applied to U MICH. (based on everyone commenting above) well it is one of the biggest programs, plus they are in the process of making a new bldg. Hopefully they have enough space to accept all of us.!
@Harini - i applied to the 2 year m.arch but ultimately it is up to them where im placed, if admitted at all.
Best of luck to all of you! and to me!
Was exited for 30 minute when got acceptance from Austin, and then just started getting nervous LOL. All sorts of questions just came to my mind... Started imaging if it's going to be my only choice, and then the imagination of living in Texas became more real... I'm living in SF now, guess Austin would be a significantly different city...Does anyone have any idea how is it like living in Austin? Am I allowed to have a gun as a foreigner (I heard everyone in Texas has a gun lol)... This frustration will continue until I receive another offer
A gun??? That escalated quickly
@jimtennis
I had lived in Texas my whole life, apart from college. People here are just people! Austin is a very cool and liberal city. Tons of great music and food. Diverse culture. Very liberal compared to the rest of Texas. Dude. Relax!
u.mich site is back online, but no update...
3/3 guys! Just got an acceptance letter from Columbia GSAPP MSAAD program!!! :) Super elated
@international_applicant Congratulations!! Wish you the best!! :) Did they gave any financial assistance ?
Congrats to all of you that got acceptance letters!!! That is so amazing!!
I still haven't heard anything :( going crazy over here!!
@Sameness @jj_arch Thank you for the info guys!
@international_applicant did you receive an email? I thought Columbia gave out results around the first week of march! Super congrats to you! Columbia is my dream school!
congrats! haha the wait is killing me too, haven't heard anything yet
@itcon did not gave me any information for the time being. They send me a pdf saying I can get merit based scholarship. I know I do not qualify for need based scholarship though as Columbia doea not offer such scholarships to internationals. @flaviabb they send a witty email saying: "it is a full moon in New York. Besides that check your email as your results are out, well done". I do not know if they notify everyone at the same time. So hang on there! You may get an email 2morrow. Fingers crossed for you!
Congratulations! @international_applicant !!!
Its also weird that they've already been sending result for MSAAD, which was due Jan 15th. HAS ANYONE HEARD BACK ANY RESULT OF MARCH I FROM GSAPP? IT WAS ONE OF THE EARLIEST DEADLINES (DEC 15TH)...
@Ebinehita
The pending request for final transcript on my Yale portal just disappeared... I'M SURE THIS MEANS NOTHING
For all you guys asking I got a second notification to check again my application at Columbia's admission website and they offered me a merit-based scholarship 33,000$. According to my calculations this is almost half tuition for the MS AAD program. Really happy with this offer. Have to send an email though to ask more information about potential teaching assistanship as I really cant afford to pay the rest of the 90,000$
I just got accepted to MS AAD too :) downside is that there's no mention of financial support.....but still, psyched to known that I got in :D
Congratulations, @international_applicant! This is fantastic :) we might end up in the same place!!
@shiyanchen2911 OMG ME TOOOO @%$^^%#
@shiyanchen2911 & Ebinehita Has the School ever replied your email and explained what it is? Mine is still there...don't know what it means. I'm applying to March I. Thanks!
@ArchInspired
I emailed them about why the column was put there in the first place and this is what they said:
"Please disregard. This is only required if admitted and you decide to accept our offer."
Not sure why they have now removed it though...
about a month ago I emailed and they said the final transcript was not required at that time so I should ignore it. That's it.
BTW I THINK WE'VE ALL GONE TOTALLY CRAZY
haha thank you both! seriously, I'm going to have a nervous breakdown any time now lol
Great news Harini! Congrats!!!
@international_applicant, did they inform you about the scholarship in the letter or in a different email?
I just heard from GSAAP and I got in too!! Congrats to everybody! :)
@harini They send me the initial email and told me to log in to see the results. I logged in and it was only the acceptance. 2 hours later they send me a second email telling me to relog in to check the updated letter of acceptance. It was changed mentioning the 33,0000$ merit based scholarship @pizzi greats news too!!! Columbia loves archinect members :)
@Pitsi That's awesome :) Congratulations!! And yes Columbia does seem to like Archinect members haha...
Thinking about what to do.....It's Michigan vs Columbia right now! Big decision =/ any suggestions?
Did UMich give you any kind of financial aid? I will go where the money is Harini in the end
@Harini Padmanabhan I will share a frank opinion about the difference between Columbia and Taubman:
20 years ago, you would have been advised to take the Columbia acceptance without question - it was the most important school of architecture in America at the time, under Bernard Tschumi's direction.
But today the program at Michigan is much stronger, with better and more capable faculty. Ponce de Leon brought Taubman into the 21st century, but Columbia will only see improvements in a couple years' time under Andraos' very recent leadership. The MS AAD program would come and go too quickly for you to see and take advantage of the improvements the school really needs in its pedagogy.
Harini- if it was between M.Arch 1's and the money was roughly the same I would suggest GSAPP, but their lazy approach to the MSAAD is reason enough to turn it down. It's simply the third year of the M.Arch I + a summer studio. Taubman has spent time developing a curriculum for their MS programs and I think you should take advantage of that. Taubman faculty is less known than GSAPP though if you're just looking to get taught under big wig faculty.
Hey all, anyone else receive a really weird (spammy?) email from Michigan? I got the following email.
Hello,
Please download the document I sent you.
CLICK HERE (link removed) to view, the file is too big so I couldn't attach it.
Thanks
Gerry Kreiner - Admissions Representative - BS Architecture '10
Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning | University of Michigan
2000 Bonisteel Boulevard | Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2069
gerryk@umich.edu | taubmancollege.umich.edu
Keep in touch with Taubman College and find out more about what is going on at the school: LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Flickr Vimeo YouTube Tumblr
GO BLUE!!!
Now that I've gotten a closer look on my computer, the above message is most definitely spam! Man, had my hopes up that it might have been some good news!
Have any American applicants heard from GSAPP yet?
I think the decisions for M.Arch are gonna be out the first week of March @zeitg31st for both international and americans
Hi guys, I have a question: I got in SCI Arc M Arch II program (they notified me a few days ago) and they ask me to make the final decision (along with a non-refundable deposit of 2000$ ) by the 9th of March. I am currently waiting for other responses (GSD/GSAPP/Berkeley/YSOA/MIT) and I don't know if there is enough time to wait for them. Is it possible that they want an answer so early? (even in the website they say that responses are usually sent out at the end of March) Anybody with the same problem? Thank you so much guys!!
Just tell Sci-Arc your problem and tell them the official admission acceptance for.all the univerisites is 15th of April if I am not mistaken. Problem solved :) @Harini my girlfriend also got accepted at the MS.AAD GSAPP but did not receive any email about funding. She send them an email asking if ahe should wait for any scholarships, and they told her that I got the 33,000$ because I was one of the 2 top applicants. Anyway I cannot afford the rest of the cost of attendance, so if anyone gets waitlisted there, I wont accept the offer. Hope that helps
@meomeo91, does SCi-ARC offer any scholarship? If you concern about financial assistance you should tell them that you want to have more time to consider about your financial situation in case they don't offer adequate scholarship. Try to extend the deadline to March 30. The problem is they are not part of the CGS agreement, so they don't have any obligation to adhere the April 15 deadline. If you want to mention about other schools, say that you want to know about their financial offer, but you actually want to join SCI ARC if not because of the expensive tuition. But still, mentioning about waiting other notifications is a bad move.
@international_applicant omg you must be very talented!! Where do you plan to go? I wonder if they would do the same for M.Arch I, like offering scholarships to a couple of top international applicants... then at least there is some hope that I would be able to afford the school :-)
@meomeo91
Where did you hear that? When I was called there was no mention of what date I had to make the decision by, and I am abroad with no faith in the international mail system so if you found out via the acceptance letter I may be out of luck...
2 days After the call they sent me the admission official document via email. There you find all the deadlines included this one. In the same document you find the form to complete to accept the offert. They also offered me a scholarship of 22 000 $ explaining that if you do not meet this deadline within the deposit of 2000$ (this is basically to hold your place in the class and a pre-class workshop in 3D modelling you must undertake) you will loose your scholarship.
@archinspired thank you for your kind words. I do not believe in talent. I do believe in work and how badly you want smth. Anyway I wait for Yale, Harvard, MIT, but both me and my girlfriend are already inclined to Berkeley as their acceptance email and their overall approach, including the interview, towards us was great.