Archinect - Forum

How is it like to study architecture at RISD undergraduate program?

2024-04-27T13:03:00-04:00

Hello,

My son is accepted to RISD this year. He is very determined to study architecture and has made that his career choice in the future. RISD is his top schools. We are deciding/debating which school he should go.

We toured the school and visited the architecture department building. We like the school overall in general. But we had a hard time finding more information about the specific experience of the architecture program (faculty quality, teaching, studios, student experience, internship and career opportunities and choices after graduation).

If any alumni or current students here can share their experience, it would greatly help us to make a more informed decision. Many thanks in advance!

RISD vs. UMich Taubman (Undergrad)

2024-04-25T19:58:00-04:00

Hello! I was recently accepted to several undergrad architecture programs and I am having trouble choosing between RISD and UMich. (I was also admitted to Carnegie Mellon, Syracuse, Pratt, and UIUC but my parents and I have narrowed it down to these two...)

RISD

Pros: Excellent reputation (is this true?) interesting faculty and extremely talented art/design students, really supportive advising/careers department, Brown classes, clubs/organizations across RISD/Brown, and other opportunities with lectures/partnerships, etc. ~1 hour from Boston and 2 hours from NYC

Cons: Although I'd consider myself a strong artist I've heard some say it's too conceptual/artistic? Expensive!! 'Architecture' work begins 2nd year as first year is the foundation studies program (difficulty keeping up with other students for internships first three years?)

UMich Taubman College

Pros: Liberal arts curriculum, part of a highly respected research institution with abundant research opportunities, amazing faci...

choosing where to obtain my master degree

2024-04-25T16:27:00-04:00

Hi! Asking you for a piece of advice, need some help to decide. If you have some relevant experience, it would be very precious.

I speak English quite fluently (C1) and some Spanish (B1), also not fond of the idea of learning German or French at least before entering the master's program, cause it’ll take too much time and effort.

In the education process I appreciate having an opportunity to develop some critical thinking skills and would like to receive feedback from some renowned architects and experts. Also it is important for the program to be relevant today and related to contemporary architecture. After graduating my masters I would like to stay in that country and live in a big eventful city with rich cultural life etc etc. Also it is really important for me to have a liveable salary in future without like working at nights etc etc.

1. Netherlands
_program: TU Delft post-master ‘The Berlage’
_city to live and work: Rotterdam or Den Haag, maybe Amsterdam

2. Switzerland
_progr...

Master of Architecture: University of Michigan vs University of Tennessee

2024-04-17T12:25:00-04:00

My daughter has narrowed down her choices, but is having a hard time deciding between University of Michigan and University of Tennessee to pursue her Master of Architecture degree in the fall. She is graduating in a couple of weeks from Central Michigan University, after 4 years of being a track & field athlete, with her Bachelor of Interior Design and Real Estate Development & Finance. Does anyone have any recommendations on which school would be better for her to get her Architecture Masters degree from? She fell in love the the campus at University of Tennessee, but keeps going back and forth because of the school rankings, etc. It's hard to tell what is true to read online. She wants to choose where she will be able to get the best education and then best job. Any suggestions would be appreciated. My husband and I are both pharmacists and know nothing about architecture. Thank you.

Result application KADK

2024-04-15T11:51:00-04:00

Hi,

Has anyone received the result of the master’s admission of KADK yet? I haven’t received any messages from them :)

M.Arch at Yale or UVa?

2024-04-15T00:07:42-04:00

I was just accepted off of the waitlist at Yale University. Prior to the offer, I was prepared to attend University of Virginia.

Which school should I pick?? Yale or UVa?

I attended the admitted students day at UVa and fell in love with pretty much every aspect of the program and community. I was able to get a comprehensive view and it felt "right". The environment seemed very collaborative, supportive, and healthy- I could see myself being very happy there. I got a quick tour of Yale SoA and I was not apposed to anything about it but I didn't have the same "right" feeling. At the time I was still waitlisted and didn't have the opportunity to get the same comprehensive view I had at UVa (plus it was also a very grey cold day). I am hoping to visit again before making my decision and spend more time with students to see if I feel the same healthy/happy environment I experienced at UVa.

I don't know if I would prefer living in New Haven or Charlottesville. I am from the northeast and I...

M.Arch direction and help

2024-04-12T22:56:00-04:00

Hi I graduated from UVA's B.S program in 2017 and have since been working but finding myself wanting to go back to school and study to get an m.arch to then work professionally at a higher level and produce research on sustainability and technology in the profession because I find it lacking and not well implemented.

I have a 3.4 in my major and am interested in going to Sci-Arc UCLA UC Berkeley and other places but I am not sure what I should do besides returning to my portfolio and improving it amongst other things.

Are the schools I have in mind good ideas or should I look elsewhere? Ideally I would like to stay in California.

UT Austin or Penn

2024-04-11T23:30:00-04:00

hi all, I’m down to two schools for M.Arch and have just a couple of days left to decide. I have merit scholarships at both, making them both affordable and about the same cost.

I am leaning toward UT because of the work they are doing, they have a strong program, I have been to Austin and think it would be a great place to spend a few years and just because… I for whatever reason like the idea of UT.

However, I recognize Penn is one of the top-ranked programs in the world and I am concerned not choosing it would be a mistake. Would it?! I know they are well-known for helping students end up with very impressive portfolios and they have a wide alumni network. Additionally, People keep talking about it being an Ivy and prestige and I get that but.. I don’t really care about that. I do care about my future career trajectory though.

I would probably like to end up in Chicago long-term (though not certain) so one doesn’t have a location advantage over the other there

Would I walkin...

What am I supposed to get out of design studio?

2024-04-10T21:34:24-04:00

First year, second semester B.Arch student here. I feel like studio is preoccupied with iterating for the sake of iterating, with little grounding in reality. It doesn't feel like I'm being taught HOW to design, and school treats beauty arbitrarily compared to whatever explanation you can tie to a made-up concept in a model. Sometimes it feels like professors are giving feedback just making things needlessly complicated, without much logical reason to back it up. I've been told to "de-archituralize my thinking" and to "create less practically." Makes designing architecture very frustrating. All this said, I feel like the only thing I'm gaining out of studio is learning software knowledge and soft skills, like presenting or researching. What is something that design studio has taught you?

QS Rankings by Subject 2024 are out

2024-04-10T10:08:57-04:00

If anyone was interested: https://www.topuniversities.co...

Columbia MSAAD vs UPENN MSDAAD

2024-04-09T12:49:00-04:00

Hello I am an international applicant and I got admission offer from Columbia MSAAD and UPENN MSDAAD for this year.

I am currently looking having trouble deciding which school to accept the offer from. Both schools and program are very satisfying for me at this point but MSDAAD seems like a better fit for my architectural taste and focus.

I guess the trouble deciding a school is due to lack of information about two programs in the states. The reputation, how people in the field view thses school, and so on.

Would love to hear advice from anyone with similar experience or any thoughts. Thanks

Deciding Architecture Program

2024-04-07T20:57:00-04:00

So I'm a prospective architecture student and i recently went on a college tour that mentioned that getting your architecture license wasn't necessary to practice if you're working in a firm with a licensed architect. Is this true?

I also got into two IPAL programs and am mostly deciding between the two as they will probably give me the best head-start.

I kinda dont want to spend 15 years getting my license which is why im considering the IPAL program

But is it recommended to do the Integrative Path to Architectural Licensure or is it a waste of time and money

Planning on pursuing preservation architecture, but confused

2024-04-05T17:02:00-04:00

Hello,

I am early in my undergrad education at University of Illinois and majoring in architecture. I really want to be a preservation architect, but I have been shifting interests towards archeology. I think preservation architect is such a broad term and I specifically want to work with more ancient buildings and monuments. I have this one professor who used to be a preservation architect (until he shifted towards academia) and he tells me that I should go to field school in the summers to work on archeological sights, which I am planning on.

The thing that I am confused about when I do research online is that there seems to be no cross-over within the fields of archeology and architecture, which is very strange to me. According to the internet, it looks like I am going to have to pick one or the other, but this professor of mine has done both. I am curious if anyone else out there has a similar career. I have also found this masters program that I am dying to do; it’s cal...

Does undergrad major impact grad school?

2024-04-04T23:06:56-04:00

I am a current high school senior choosing between a couple different schools right now. I was hoping to major in architecture in undergrad, but my top choice school (UMich) accepted me under a different major. Would not majoring in architecture in undergrad hurt my chances of studying it in grad school?

MArch UofT vs UBC

2024-04-04T18:46:00-04:00

Hi All,

I’ve been accepted to UBC’s 2-year advanced standing option and UofT’s 3-year master’s program with some scholarship support. While I’m disappointed I didn’t receive advanced standing at UofT, I had planned to attend because I live in Toronto and believe its worldwide reputation would benefit me, especially since I aim to practice in Europe in the future. Additionally, I’m considering pursuing a Ph.D. after becoming licensed.

But after speaking with some people in the architecture field, as well as doing some research online, UofT’s MArch program seems to fall short of expectations. Aside from the financial aspect, is UofT really that bad of a choice?

When I look at the work of the graduates and professors from both schools, I think I would enjoy my time at either school. So at this point, it’s really the reputation that I’m trying to understand.

Grad School Funding

2024-04-04T15:56:00-04:00

I was recently admitted to the MArch program at UMN but my financial aid package was way less than I expected. I did my undergrad in Minnesota but because I was enrolled in secondary education I am not eligible for in-state tuition. I thought it might be more considering that I come from a low-income family and received a full ride to attend undergrad, but maybe grad programs don't focus as much on that.

I was hoping to defer a year so that I could receive in-state (and give myself the chance to apply to other programs which I did not do) but they have said that they don't often offer deferrals. I am also not sure that I am 100% on the program but it's the only one I applied for and was admitted to so I feel like it would be a waste to just forfeit my acceptance into a program seeing as I don't have a background in architecture and am unsure if I would be able to get into other programs next year.

I am hoping to get some advice on whether or not it seems worth it to attend now eve...

Architectural Research Topic

2024-04-04T11:39:00-04:00

Hi! I'm currently working on my architectural research topic and I want to focus on something about "child-friendly urban spaces" on which it more of an exploration about how children should be considered in planning cities,, however, I'm hesitant to choose this topic because I'm stuck and I can't think of a specific area of study/aspect to explore that soon I'll be proposing a project out of it.

M.Arch Admissions

2024-04-03T12:27:00-04:00

Hi!

I have been very lucky to receive admissions to several graduate programs: RISD, Tulane University, UPENN, UVA, Carnegie Mellon, Clemson, and VTech

The decision has been a bit overwhelming though. I only applied to programs I was genuinely interested in, and though very different, I think Tulane and RISD are at the top of my list for personal interest and financial offer.

Both institutions have the same price tag, but Tulane is offering a 75% scholarship and RISD is offering 50%. I already tried to appeal to RISD, but they were firm in their initial offer.

I guess I'm struggling to determine if RISD is worth the extra cost. It seems like the prestige of RISD carries a little weight at least in the north east, and the rigor of the program excites me. But I know that student loan debt can be crippling and I know I can get a great education at a more affordable school.

Does anyone have any experience with a similar dilemma they could share? Any insight is helpful at this point. ...

How to prep for applying to top level M.Arch programs

2024-04-03T12:26:00-04:00

Hello archinect,

Hope you guys are doing well. I'm currently a first year, 2nd semester B.Arch student, and am extremely intrested in continuing to a M.Arch right after or a couple years after graduation. But I feel like I need to understand to a greater extent what GSD or GSAAP or MIT or any other masters program students are like. What are their work ethics, do they procrastinate, are they avid readers, do they do their own personal projects, are they conceptual thinkers, what does their work experience look like, how professional are their portfolios? These are some of the questions I've garnered up over time. Im aware all students are different, but I want to better understand the average. I know it might seem early, but I really want to focus on my architectural journey and expand my understanding of architecture. Thank you!

M.Arch Portfolio - Why did I get rejected?

2024-04-02T23:04:48-04:00

Any feedback is appreciated. This is my second application cycle, I got rejected from all the schools I applied to: Rice, MIT, and GSAPP.

I am planning on reapplying next year to Rice, GSAPP, and more schools (possibly Tulane, Syracuse, UT Austin, Pratt, the list is growing.) I want to get in somewhere next year, so I am starting to work on my application now.

https://issuu.com/visionsofnin...

Yale v.s. Cornell MArch, which held in higher regard?

2024-04-02T15:42:00-04:00

Hi all!

I got into the MArch I program at Yale and Cornell. I am getting conflicting information online and from my friends about which program is more prestigious. I am sure both programs are well designed and will provide me with different skills. However, prestige is important to me, though I understand that most people would disagree with this as a decision-making factor. Putting aside the argument of whether ranking matters or not, just purely for understanding the general consensus, which program is more well known and held in higher regard in the architecture field? Thank you so much for your input.

Pursue MArch at TU Delft, Harvard, AA, or pusue work experience

2024-04-02T08:58:41-04:00

I have been admitted to my dream graduate schools in TU Delft, AA, Harvard, and KTH, however I have also received a job opportunity with one of my favorite architecture practices, in Copenhagen. I would love to take this job opportunity as I will be working on projects I relate heavily to however I am wondering about the chances of being re-admitted to these schools for next year. Only the AA does deferrals. I am only 22, however I do have work experience. I have a clear goal for my architectural journey however I am not sure WHERE to pursue this goal. I understand this is mostly a personal decision and either option is a good one, however I would love some feedback and opinions on this conundrum. Thank you.

Undergrad - Considering Cornell vs Syracuse vs Columbia

2024-03-31T21:11:00-04:00

"Oh jeez" - rick and morty

Never assumed to be in this position since I really had low expectations about the process, I was skeptical about being admitted to Syracuse since they rarely accept people from IB programs (guys i think he does IB) March 28th comes, I see that Columbia accepted me. After being deferred from Cornell ED, I assume "well theres no way I got into columbia, theres definetly no way the luck will pass on to Cornell." Well against all statistical caveats, I got into both and fainted in the shower before prompty rushing out with a towel, screaming into the living room where my parents were. Family friends are proud, but deliver mixed results about which to accept. I'll list the pros and cons (subjectively) for each program, and would like to know ANY opinions, experiences, advice, hardships, etc. that anyone would like to share. I also got accepted to Syracuse on a full scholarship, and since its a top 5 US Undergrad architecture program thats accredited, I'm still...

GSAPP M.S.CDP vs Bartlett Architectural Computation MSc

2024-03-29T17:16:00-04:00

Hi! I'm planning on applying for an architecture-related master's degree next year. Still, I'm having trouble finding the right master's for me. I have been working for over five years now to dip my toe in different ways to work, communicate and represent architecture.

I did my B.Arch and right after graduation I started working at an architecture firm (drawing plans, architecture details, etc). I was not too fond of the experience, so I went on to write for architecture platforms. This was better. Now, I'm working for an architecture journal as an Editorial Manager, which I enjoy. Since working on the journal's webpage, I have become very interested in programming, especially after taking a course on Processing. I'm trying to take more courses to learn Java, Python, GIS, Data Visualization, etc. Now, I'm seriously considering applying to a Computational Design master. Considering I have nearly zero experience, I wonder if I'm making the right decision.

I've never been the one to h...

Cornell or AA

2024-03-29T16:21:00-04:00

Hey guys, I just received offers from both the AA and Cornell AAP for undergrad architecture and am struggling to make a decision between the two.

I understand Cornell is an ivy and has name recognition but it is a 5 year course for a BArch in the middle of nowhere. Compared to the AA being 3 years for a BA in central London (followed by 2 years elsewhere for RIBA part 2).

If anyone can give some insight on their times at either Cornell or the AA it would be much appreciated!

M.Arch @ UVA, RISD, U-M? (Yale & Northeastern)

2024-03-26T10:53:00-04:00

Hi all!

I am planning to attend a 3 years M.Arch program but want to make sure I pick the right school. I applied to 9 schools and have been offered admission at University of Virginia, University of Michigan, University of Colorado (Denver), and Rhode Island School of Design. I am also waitlisted at Yale University and still awaiting a decision from Northeastern University. I am interested in a program with a focus on the technical/practical aspects of architecture as that is something I’ve missed in undergrad. I also have interests in environmental/sustainable design and fabrication. If you could provide any guidance that would be great!!

UVA: I visited and loved it! The work, people, and overall atmosphere was very impressive. But does the name carry weight in the professional world compared to RISD or potentially Yale? It is currently also my most affordable option (nearly 1/3 of the price of the others and wouldn’t put me deep in debt)

U of M: I visited and did not like it as m...

M.Arch @ UT Austin, A&M or UofHouston?

2024-03-25T16:15:00-04:00

I am an accomplished luxury homebuilder seeking to make a more meaningful and responsible contribution in my second act. I have been accepted into 3 different grad programs in Texas. I'm currently based in NW Houston and have a family commitments that disallow a full relocation at this time. A&M and UH are both within commuting distance. Going to UT Austin would be the equivalent of traveling for work, but is worth doing for the right program. I just need to be convinced that it is. I want the strongest design/theory based experience, but also one that is committed to diversity and social responsibility.

Help me understand the learning culture and tools available at each program. I really appreciate any insight and thoughts you have to offer. Thank you in advance!

Architectural History Survey Course

2024-03-25T11:07:00-04:00

Hello everybody!

I got accepted to the M.Arch program at Columbia University. Before starting classes this fall I need to complete a 3-point survey course focused in some period of architectural history at a accredited college or university.

Do you know of any place near NYC to enroll or, if possible, an online course?

Thanks in advance.

Gonzalo

KTH vs KU Leuven for Masters degree

2024-03-24T10:21:00-04:00

Hi all

I was recently admitted to KTH and KU Leuven for my masters degree ( in architecture). I’m interested in sustainability so I’m leaning towards KTH but I’m worried about the cost of living as a foreign student in Sweden.

I would really appreciate any advice on choosing between these two universities! Any thoughts/suggestions?

GSAPP VS PRATT VS SCI-ARC ?

2024-03-20T16:55:00-04:00

I have gotten offeres, but only recieved Scholarships at Pratt and SCI-arc. Since decision deadlines are nearing I am still having trouble figuring out what suits the best. GSAPP is 3years and really super expensive for me, Where as Pratt seems to be more affordable ( but is it prestigious enough ?). I have had great views from people here, need more inputs with greater diverstiy.

I am an international applicant, coming from a developing country. Getting into these universities is a huge achievment for me already. I want to stay back and get a little experience since my major aim is to come back and persue teaching academics in my own coutnry. Looking forward to some great views.