OK, first I will let you (the reader) know that this thread is all about getting into a M. Arch +1 program at The University of Miami. I assume many of those who peruse these boards are far beyond the throws of adademia and uninterested in these topics of discussion. And this is a lengthy one... With that in mind read on or not, that was your fair warning.
Now for the trail I that I plan to blaze.
I am 22 years old, I graduated from Arizona State University this year with a B.S. in Economics and a business minor. I graduated with a 2.55 culmative GPA. I also took the GRE last December knowing perfectly well my aspirations to enter M. Arch. I scored a (V)490 (Q)530 and I got a 3.5 on the writing. Pretty average. Pretty horrible actally after hearing what other people score, or claim to score >=).
With those statistics about myself, I would like to familiarize you with the person that I am. I am currently unemployed and very unhappy with my degree choice. I worked at Bank of America for a short stint but now thats over. I believe I have a very strong grasp of Economics and Economic principles despite my GPA, and I yearn to apply it to something fruitful and finally make something of myself. I have always been interested in architecture and design, I have taken AutoCAD in high school, I entered college intending to study Graphic Design. While taking basic design courses my GPA was between 3.0-3.5. At a point though I thought I wanted to be something greater than a graphic designer, I also thought I could pursue it as I pleased without getting a degree in it. So after meeting with my advisor I was advised to try out Economics.
Now I am the type of person who doesn't fail, I start something and I finish it. I know personally a lot of people cringe when they hear the word Economics. Especially dring these times people probably want to smack me for studying Economics. But I will admit my GPA dropped as I took Econ classes due to their rigorous mathematical nature. However I always passed, and I always seemed to earn C+'s always falling short of a B which would of at least got me to a 3.0 GPA. This due to my understanding of the breadth of course topics always coming together for finals. I did earn a few B's in 400 level courses, I wasnt totally lost. If you look at my grades I recieved an A or B in any course that wasnt related to economics. It can also be noted that I switched to Economics from Graphic Design and still graduated in 4 years, as someone who is not a failure.
So, in as short of text as I could provide for you that is the nature of my Bachelor's degree and what I am working with to get into M. Arch.
Now I am determined to get into the program at the University of Miami for many reasons. I believe it is prestigous, there is a wealth of architectural history/culture in the area, I see innovation for the future there, I have family in the area, and I also like to chase the sun where ever I chose to live.
Now you know my intentions and my background. Here is where I ask for your help.
UM has that pesky minimum '3.0' requirement, I believe it is possible to get admitted to graduate programs with less than a 3.0. For example UCLA will admit those with less than a 3.0 conditionally. I believe UM has the ability to do that also, however they don't mention that on their admissions page, I can understand why. I also am afraid to call the admissions office and ask. For if they tell me to not even bother applying my goals will be crushed. Also my horrible application GPA could help someone else get in =). So I ask you, how do you feel about conditional admittance or regular admittance with less than a 3.0?
I am aware that GPA is not the most important part of application either. The most important part is the Portfolio. Now for that I am currently taking a Hand Drafting class at UCLA. I plan on putting all the floor plans, elevations, and axonometric drawings in a portfolio, it will total 6-10 drawings I estimate. I am still working through the course. I will make the paper drawings digital and organize them using photoshop. Size them to the proper format, laminate them and bind them according to UM's desire. Is hand drafting adequate for portfolio material? I believe it can be, because it does take skills to produce the correct line weights, lettering, and simply draw everything correctly. Also with technology it could be prudent to learn older methods of drafting. Does all of this sound like good material for admission?
I am also recieving a grade in this drafting class and it has been going well I think I will recieve an A and send that transcript to UM along with my ASU transcripts.
In my letter of intent, should I discuss my grades/GPA at all?
Lastly I believe I will be able to procure two academic letters of recomendation upon clompetion of this course and meeting with one of my past professors. The third might not be academic although I am working to procure a third. Is there a difference between academic and non academic letters?
Also I took physics for my general ed at ASU because I enjoy the subject and M. arch requires it, along with calculus for Econ anyways. Can this help my admission among other applicants who maybe havent taken those yet?
Thank you for reading my story, please feel free to share any thoughts, advice, similar stories, criticism, whatever. I am just looking for any information I can find while I put all of these materials together.
UM likes hand drawings. If you can I would throw some figure drawings in there, using charcoal and conte crayon. Theyre also big on buildings and how they relate to cities over there. I can tell you that Ive known ppl that have gone to the M.Arch program and done well despite their gpa.
You gotta be able to think spatially, and prove that you can, that will matter more than a good gpa in economics.
You have to convince them that you have something that cant be measured by gpa or a gre
i wouldnt mention the gpa in your letter, just play up your strengths and interests instead.
the physics courses, if you did well in them, it could help.
for more info i would post something on the 2011 M.Arch applicants thread on here. good luck
frankly i don't think you will get in with those scores and numbers without building a good portfolio. but rather than leave it to chance, i would recommend looking into:
"I also am afraid to call the admissions office and ask. For if they tell me to not even bother applying my goals will be crushed."
You can't be afraid to call them. They can save you alot of time. To be the bearer of reality, your GPA is substantially lower than their minimum requirements so you have that working hard against you. I am not sure if they will look past your GPA, you will have to call them to ask. You will need an amazing portfolio... Be as creative as possible on it, look at some other examples on here, and post it here for feedback. I would not mention the gpa in the letter, minimize its role/significance as much as possible.
Also note I would not rest all your hopes on one school. Apply to several at different levels. Some state schools are much easier to get into and then you may be able to transfer later with better grades if you wish.
Question why are you going into Architecture? Is it because you are unemployed/ unhappy? I would SERIOUSLY try the field out before you commit to a program. Its much worse out there for us then Econ guys. Most people I know who went to grad school from other fields have left this profession long ago due to misunderstanding our role in society. Why not graphic design?
@ fade to black - thanks for the feedback, I will try to produce some figure drawings to compliment the drafting I submit.
@dot - I actally was enrolled in laiad this fall but i opted out for a drawing course at UCLA. the laiad program takes a year, I am aiming to get materials in before this deadline for summer/fall 2011. I know laiad has an awesome success rate but its also expensive nearly 5x what I am paying for UCLA drafting class...I hope I am not too disadvantaged by making that decision..I spoke with the admissions dude at SCI-ARC and he said there are cheaper alternatives to laiad that are just as good, which is what I based my decision to opt out on....
@dblock - I hope to make a really good portfolio. I believe my drawings will turn out to be superb. And from what I have learnt from research, I think I will be able to organize a strong portfolio. I have seen some examples of SCI-ARC portfolios and Laiad portfoloios, that has given some sort of bearing on what to submit. I will search more also.
I plan to apply to the architecture program at ASU my alma mater as one back up, ASU is pretty easy to get into. I am not sure how good their program is, but there are Frank Lloyd Wright buildings and his influence in Arizona among other architectural positives (PHX is a rapid growth area). I am also seeking other programs with favorable daedlines. I must eliminate a lot of programs because I can not make a Dec. 15 deadline this winter. I will realistically be able to finish my portfolio around the end of the year.
I seek architecture because I have always been interested in it among all of the design processes. I believe it is the greatest of all design processes, due to the possibilities. Like I said I have taken CAD courses before college. I feel my Econ degree/knowledge can also be valuable as a liscened architect if I ever make it to that point. As far as pursuing graduate school my other optioins are MBA and law school. I am just not interested. I also want to escape graphic design, I have mixed feelings about marketing, I enjoy what I can create with the abilities I already posess. Ideally I would like to be something greater than a graphic designer or business person. I am aware of designers like herb lubalin and Saul Bass. If I were to impact the world I hope it would be for more than designing a corporate logo (and I mean no disrespect to their body of work/success). I want to organize and improve the environment we live in, and I think I can be good at it with education and practice. I imagine being able to create my own utopia for everyone to live in. Selfish as it may sound my accomplishments/failures may/may not allow it. I earned my B.S and M. Arch provides a realistic way for me to reach that goal if I can get accepted.
How can architects role in society be misunderstood? What is an architect's role? It must be different from what is commonly percieved, from what you mentioned about those from other fields.
sciarc loves everybody. they just try to not get too much of one type of person. it's like a tea party in alice and wonderland but with a longer table (sciarc has worlds longest pinup wall) and more characters.
The only issue I would point out here is about resting a large weight of your portfolio on hand drafts. When I applied to Carleton and Dalhousie (in Canada) they explicitly asked for us not to include any sort of drafting (CAD or hand); I know this is also prevalent in many other architecture schools. The reasoning is that they expect you to come to the school (in part) to learn proper drafting; so if you already know how, what does that show in your portfolio?
I would highly recommend including much more actual art work (someone mentioned figure drawing), etc. Your graphic design work would be a good start. The CAD/hand drafting would be much more relevant if you had graduated already from a pre-professional Arch. degree and were including it as part of an actual design (along with a model, parti, etc.) for an application to the 2-year stream. For applying to the 3-year stream (where everyone is coming from a non-Arch background) it is not as relavent.
Maybe someone else would like to elaborate more on this, as Im relatively new to the whole architecture scene. It would help alot for you to call the school and ask them directly if draft work should be included or not (and the other questions you've mentioned as well).
And on a side note, Im not really seeing how this makes me feel better about my own trials and tribulations...? This is a pretty standard state of mind for anyone applying to architecture schools. Or anyone in architecture school for that matter. And most likely for anyone in architecture in general.
I'm a current M. Arch student at UM and I really don't think you should be afraid to call admissions and talk to them. Everyone there is extremely nice and I think talking with them will help to clear up a lot of your anxieties. I don't know how heavily they weigh test scores and gpa, but the only way to find out is to ask. If you talk to them you become a human being, otherwise you're just a substandard test score on a page. If it helps, my portfolio consisted entirely of sketches and paintings (I was not an art major) and it was laid out extremely simply as I had no experience with photoshop, indesign, or anything else. Basically, it was not amazing.
Somewhat similar path, I just graduated with a B.S. in business, took some graphic design and interior design classes along the way, though, I always intended to do architecture after high school, but ended up finishing business since it was my minor as well when I started college and had a majority of the business requirements done after a few years.
As some have mentioned, I probably wouldn't have a lot of drafting in the portfolio coming from a non architectural background, some admissions people I spoke to advised against taking drafting classes for portfolio material. Personally, I'm putting some of my graphic design stuff and the rest being drawings, some landscapes, still lifes, and creative drawings.
My gpa and gre were pretty good, though I feel my only drawback is the fact that my degree is from an online school, and while it is accredited, I think may be a negative, as one admissions person told me.
@BenC - I figured a hand drafting class and hand drafted work could be adequate because of the prevelance of CAD. As opposed to submitting compter drawings, hand drafting is much more difficult. You have to measure/scale by hand, produce correct line weights, mistakes become problems to be solved..CAD drafting eliminates all of these problems.. I think there are a lot of principles of hand drafting that overlap with producing any art by hand. The drafting I am working on is not horribly technical, I just hope it shows that I am willing and able to learn anything that an architecture department will put in front of me.
From feedback though it seems I will have to produce some drawings to compliment my drafting projects.
im sorry if my story didnt comfort you. i suppose in your case it was just a ploy to encourage readers who would be turned away by a more common headline. either way I appreciate the response =)
@miat - i appreciate your feedback. I should just grow a pair and call their admissions department. I will also produce some drawings it sounds like including drafting is not smart for a non arch student. I do think the drafting class will help me with a grade and recommendation letter though, if nothing else.
@lomas3- once again it seems my idea of including drafting work is not the best idea. I will have to produce some free hand stuff between now and then.
I'm going to sound like a major jerk when I saw this. I apologize to the person who posted this discussion topic, its not personally directed towards you.
If we have anything more than a tiny minority of people trying to enter architecture that are so completely lacking in BALLS that they are afraid to call up a university admissions office..... we are completely and utterly screwed as a profession.
If you can't make this phone call, how are you going to be prepared to tell a client "I know you have paid me a good sum of $ already, but I will not draw that unsafe fire stair, even if you fire me." Or, "sorry contractor... I know this is going to cost you about $50,000... but you have to rip out that slab and re-do it" Or, "My design is good and worthy of being built".
Time to stop being such a bunch of pencil dicks, pound a 6 pack of Budweiser, and man (or woman) the "F" up in life.
I know this may be off topic, but I hear it all the time. Fade to blackoe suggested that awesomekeith had to be able to think spatially. Exactly what does this entail? Thinking spatially and representing the ability to do so correct? So what is thinking spatially?
I hope you fully know what you're getting into at Miami. I'm a current undergrad student there finishing my 4th year this semester, and I wish I had done more research about the school before going.
They are a verrrry traditional school.. and really lag behind in the technological fields. The faculty.. is okay. Many of them are zealous New Urbanists and are more like town/city planners before designers. There are a handful of good professors, but many are just too old and are well past their prime.
I can go on and on, but I'll just leave my opinions at that. If you're interested in that sort of thing then go for it. Unfortunately, I wasn't so much and sort of went in blind because I received a hefty scholarship.
I love the university, just not the school of architecture here.
i didnt read any of the responses... just based on the totally ridiculous title of this thread, plus a reference to "pesky 3.0 requirements" and your lack luster GRE grades, i sense a serious issue with entitlement here. Just because you want a masters doesnt mean you deserve one, and frankly, any issues youre having pursuing your dream are of your own making. Best of luck, maybe try being a bit more humble... no one's screwed you here as best i can tell.
@awesomekeith - I'm a big critic of SCI-Arc, but in your case, it might be a good fit. That's just a thought.
In truth, your background in economics could be a huge asset, and I would emphasize the fact that you would bring an economic perspective to your design work. I can't speak for the schools you mentioned, but it's possible that schools could see you as a real catch. Why? Because you'd bring a dose of reality into programs that sorely need it.
SDR, spatial awareness is one of 4 or 6 (depending on the test) parts in most IQ tests. It's generally known as "spatial-temporal reasoning." It's actually one of the more complex things one can test for and get some quantifiable results.
It's basically the ability to recognize visual patterns, manipulate objects three-dimensionally in the mind and think about objects as sums of their parts.
Jan 2, 11 3:49 am ·
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READ MY STORY IT WILL MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER ABOUT YOUR OWN TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS
OK, first I will let you (the reader) know that this thread is all about getting into a M. Arch +1 program at The University of Miami. I assume many of those who peruse these boards are far beyond the throws of adademia and uninterested in these topics of discussion. And this is a lengthy one... With that in mind read on or not, that was your fair warning.
Now for the trail I that I plan to blaze.
I am 22 years old, I graduated from Arizona State University this year with a B.S. in Economics and a business minor. I graduated with a 2.55 culmative GPA. I also took the GRE last December knowing perfectly well my aspirations to enter M. Arch. I scored a (V)490 (Q)530 and I got a 3.5 on the writing. Pretty average. Pretty horrible actally after hearing what other people score, or claim to score >=).
With those statistics about myself, I would like to familiarize you with the person that I am. I am currently unemployed and very unhappy with my degree choice. I worked at Bank of America for a short stint but now thats over. I believe I have a very strong grasp of Economics and Economic principles despite my GPA, and I yearn to apply it to something fruitful and finally make something of myself. I have always been interested in architecture and design, I have taken AutoCAD in high school, I entered college intending to study Graphic Design. While taking basic design courses my GPA was between 3.0-3.5. At a point though I thought I wanted to be something greater than a graphic designer, I also thought I could pursue it as I pleased without getting a degree in it. So after meeting with my advisor I was advised to try out Economics.
Now I am the type of person who doesn't fail, I start something and I finish it. I know personally a lot of people cringe when they hear the word Economics. Especially dring these times people probably want to smack me for studying Economics. But I will admit my GPA dropped as I took Econ classes due to their rigorous mathematical nature. However I always passed, and I always seemed to earn C+'s always falling short of a B which would of at least got me to a 3.0 GPA. This due to my understanding of the breadth of course topics always coming together for finals. I did earn a few B's in 400 level courses, I wasnt totally lost. If you look at my grades I recieved an A or B in any course that wasnt related to economics. It can also be noted that I switched to Economics from Graphic Design and still graduated in 4 years, as someone who is not a failure.
So, in as short of text as I could provide for you that is the nature of my Bachelor's degree and what I am working with to get into M. Arch.
Now I am determined to get into the program at the University of Miami for many reasons. I believe it is prestigous, there is a wealth of architectural history/culture in the area, I see innovation for the future there, I have family in the area, and I also like to chase the sun where ever I chose to live.
Now you know my intentions and my background. Here is where I ask for your help.
UM has that pesky minimum '3.0' requirement, I believe it is possible to get admitted to graduate programs with less than a 3.0. For example UCLA will admit those with less than a 3.0 conditionally. I believe UM has the ability to do that also, however they don't mention that on their admissions page, I can understand why. I also am afraid to call the admissions office and ask. For if they tell me to not even bother applying my goals will be crushed. Also my horrible application GPA could help someone else get in =). So I ask you, how do you feel about conditional admittance or regular admittance with less than a 3.0?
I am aware that GPA is not the most important part of application either. The most important part is the Portfolio. Now for that I am currently taking a Hand Drafting class at UCLA. I plan on putting all the floor plans, elevations, and axonometric drawings in a portfolio, it will total 6-10 drawings I estimate. I am still working through the course. I will make the paper drawings digital and organize them using photoshop. Size them to the proper format, laminate them and bind them according to UM's desire. Is hand drafting adequate for portfolio material? I believe it can be, because it does take skills to produce the correct line weights, lettering, and simply draw everything correctly. Also with technology it could be prudent to learn older methods of drafting. Does all of this sound like good material for admission?
I am also recieving a grade in this drafting class and it has been going well I think I will recieve an A and send that transcript to UM along with my ASU transcripts.
In my letter of intent, should I discuss my grades/GPA at all?
Lastly I believe I will be able to procure two academic letters of recomendation upon clompetion of this course and meeting with one of my past professors. The third might not be academic although I am working to procure a third. Is there a difference between academic and non academic letters?
Also I took physics for my general ed at ASU because I enjoy the subject and M. arch requires it, along with calculus for Econ anyways. Can this help my admission among other applicants who maybe havent taken those yet?
Thank you for reading my story, please feel free to share any thoughts, advice, similar stories, criticism, whatever. I am just looking for any information I can find while I put all of these materials together.
UM likes hand drawings. If you can I would throw some figure drawings in there, using charcoal and conte crayon. Theyre also big on buildings and how they relate to cities over there. I can tell you that Ive known ppl that have gone to the M.Arch program and done well despite their gpa.
You gotta be able to think spatially, and prove that you can, that will matter more than a good gpa in economics.
You have to convince them that you have something that cant be measured by gpa or a gre
i wouldnt mention the gpa in your letter, just play up your strengths and interests instead.
the physics courses, if you did well in them, it could help.
for more info i would post something on the 2011 M.Arch applicants thread on here. good luck
frankly i don't think you will get in with those scores and numbers without building a good portfolio. but rather than leave it to chance, i would recommend looking into:
http://www.laiad.com/
it's a good for students seeking to transition into architecture and they have a good record of students transferring to top tier schools.
"I also am afraid to call the admissions office and ask. For if they tell me to not even bother applying my goals will be crushed."
You can't be afraid to call them. They can save you alot of time. To be the bearer of reality, your GPA is substantially lower than their minimum requirements so you have that working hard against you. I am not sure if they will look past your GPA, you will have to call them to ask. You will need an amazing portfolio... Be as creative as possible on it, look at some other examples on here, and post it here for feedback. I would not mention the gpa in the letter, minimize its role/significance as much as possible.
Also note I would not rest all your hopes on one school. Apply to several at different levels. Some state schools are much easier to get into and then you may be able to transfer later with better grades if you wish.
Question why are you going into Architecture? Is it because you are unemployed/ unhappy? I would SERIOUSLY try the field out before you commit to a program. Its much worse out there for us then Econ guys. Most people I know who went to grad school from other fields have left this profession long ago due to misunderstanding our role in society. Why not graphic design?
@ fade to black - thanks for the feedback, I will try to produce some figure drawings to compliment the drafting I submit.
@dot - I actally was enrolled in laiad this fall but i opted out for a drawing course at UCLA. the laiad program takes a year, I am aiming to get materials in before this deadline for summer/fall 2011. I know laiad has an awesome success rate but its also expensive nearly 5x what I am paying for UCLA drafting class...I hope I am not too disadvantaged by making that decision..I spoke with the admissions dude at SCI-ARC and he said there are cheaper alternatives to laiad that are just as good, which is what I based my decision to opt out on....
@dblock - I hope to make a really good portfolio. I believe my drawings will turn out to be superb. And from what I have learnt from research, I think I will be able to organize a strong portfolio. I have seen some examples of SCI-ARC portfolios and Laiad portfoloios, that has given some sort of bearing on what to submit. I will search more also.
I plan to apply to the architecture program at ASU my alma mater as one back up, ASU is pretty easy to get into. I am not sure how good their program is, but there are Frank Lloyd Wright buildings and his influence in Arizona among other architectural positives (PHX is a rapid growth area). I am also seeking other programs with favorable daedlines. I must eliminate a lot of programs because I can not make a Dec. 15 deadline this winter. I will realistically be able to finish my portfolio around the end of the year.
I seek architecture because I have always been interested in it among all of the design processes. I believe it is the greatest of all design processes, due to the possibilities. Like I said I have taken CAD courses before college. I feel my Econ degree/knowledge can also be valuable as a liscened architect if I ever make it to that point. As far as pursuing graduate school my other optioins are MBA and law school. I am just not interested. I also want to escape graphic design, I have mixed feelings about marketing, I enjoy what I can create with the abilities I already posess. Ideally I would like to be something greater than a graphic designer or business person. I am aware of designers like herb lubalin and Saul Bass. If I were to impact the world I hope it would be for more than designing a corporate logo (and I mean no disrespect to their body of work/success). I want to organize and improve the environment we live in, and I think I can be good at it with education and practice. I imagine being able to create my own utopia for everyone to live in. Selfish as it may sound my accomplishments/failures may/may not allow it. I earned my B.S and M. Arch provides a realistic way for me to reach that goal if I can get accepted.
How can architects role in society be misunderstood? What is an architect's role? It must be different from what is commonly percieved, from what you mentioned about those from other fields.
sciarc loves everybody. they just try to not get too much of one type of person. it's like a tea party in alice and wonderland but with a longer table (sciarc has worlds longest pinup wall) and more characters.
so who am i? ... this guy >>
http://knowinglyundersold.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/alice_in_wonderland-6.jpg
The only issue I would point out here is about resting a large weight of your portfolio on hand drafts. When I applied to Carleton and Dalhousie (in Canada) they explicitly asked for us not to include any sort of drafting (CAD or hand); I know this is also prevalent in many other architecture schools. The reasoning is that they expect you to come to the school (in part) to learn proper drafting; so if you already know how, what does that show in your portfolio?
I would highly recommend including much more actual art work (someone mentioned figure drawing), etc. Your graphic design work would be a good start. The CAD/hand drafting would be much more relevant if you had graduated already from a pre-professional Arch. degree and were including it as part of an actual design (along with a model, parti, etc.) for an application to the 2-year stream. For applying to the 3-year stream (where everyone is coming from a non-Arch background) it is not as relavent.
Maybe someone else would like to elaborate more on this, as Im relatively new to the whole architecture scene. It would help alot for you to call the school and ask them directly if draft work should be included or not (and the other questions you've mentioned as well).
And on a side note, Im not really seeing how this makes me feel better about my own trials and tribulations...? This is a pretty standard state of mind for anyone applying to architecture schools. Or anyone in architecture school for that matter. And most likely for anyone in architecture in general.
I'm a current M. Arch student at UM and I really don't think you should be afraid to call admissions and talk to them. Everyone there is extremely nice and I think talking with them will help to clear up a lot of your anxieties. I don't know how heavily they weigh test scores and gpa, but the only way to find out is to ask. If you talk to them you become a human being, otherwise you're just a substandard test score on a page. If it helps, my portfolio consisted entirely of sketches and paintings (I was not an art major) and it was laid out extremely simply as I had no experience with photoshop, indesign, or anything else. Basically, it was not amazing.
Somewhat similar path, I just graduated with a B.S. in business, took some graphic design and interior design classes along the way, though, I always intended to do architecture after high school, but ended up finishing business since it was my minor as well when I started college and had a majority of the business requirements done after a few years.
As some have mentioned, I probably wouldn't have a lot of drafting in the portfolio coming from a non architectural background, some admissions people I spoke to advised against taking drafting classes for portfolio material. Personally, I'm putting some of my graphic design stuff and the rest being drawings, some landscapes, still lifes, and creative drawings.
My gpa and gre were pretty good, though I feel my only drawback is the fact that my degree is from an online school, and while it is accredited, I think may be a negative, as one admissions person told me.
@BenC - I figured a hand drafting class and hand drafted work could be adequate because of the prevelance of CAD. As opposed to submitting compter drawings, hand drafting is much more difficult. You have to measure/scale by hand, produce correct line weights, mistakes become problems to be solved..CAD drafting eliminates all of these problems.. I think there are a lot of principles of hand drafting that overlap with producing any art by hand. The drafting I am working on is not horribly technical, I just hope it shows that I am willing and able to learn anything that an architecture department will put in front of me.
From feedback though it seems I will have to produce some drawings to compliment my drafting projects.
im sorry if my story didnt comfort you. i suppose in your case it was just a ploy to encourage readers who would be turned away by a more common headline. either way I appreciate the response =)
@miat - i appreciate your feedback. I should just grow a pair and call their admissions department. I will also produce some drawings it sounds like including drafting is not smart for a non arch student. I do think the drafting class will help me with a grade and recommendation letter though, if nothing else.
@lomas3- once again it seems my idea of including drafting work is not the best idea. I will have to produce some free hand stuff between now and then.
when did Archinect jump the shark?
I'm going to sound like a major jerk when I saw this. I apologize to the person who posted this discussion topic, its not personally directed towards you.
If we have anything more than a tiny minority of people trying to enter architecture that are so completely lacking in BALLS that they are afraid to call up a university admissions office..... we are completely and utterly screwed as a profession.
If you can't make this phone call, how are you going to be prepared to tell a client "I know you have paid me a good sum of $ already, but I will not draw that unsafe fire stair, even if you fire me." Or, "sorry contractor... I know this is going to cost you about $50,000... but you have to rip out that slab and re-do it" Or, "My design is good and worthy of being built".
Time to stop being such a bunch of pencil dicks, pound a 6 pack of Budweiser, and man (or woman) the "F" up in life.
@druf - I pound 6 packs of budweiser all the time. But I suppose you are right, that is an irrational fear that I felt.
update awesomekeith?
I know this may be off topic, but I hear it all the time. Fade to blackoe suggested that awesomekeith had to be able to think spatially. Exactly what does this entail? Thinking spatially and representing the ability to do so correct? So what is thinking spatially?
Keith,
I hope you fully know what you're getting into at Miami. I'm a current undergrad student there finishing my 4th year this semester, and I wish I had done more research about the school before going.
They are a verrrry traditional school.. and really lag behind in the technological fields. The faculty.. is okay. Many of them are zealous New Urbanists and are more like town/city planners before designers. There are a handful of good professors, but many are just too old and are well past their prime.
I can go on and on, but I'll just leave my opinions at that. If you're interested in that sort of thing then go for it. Unfortunately, I wasn't so much and sort of went in blind because I received a hefty scholarship.
I love the university, just not the school of architecture here.
Best of luck
i didnt read any of the responses... just based on the totally ridiculous title of this thread, plus a reference to "pesky 3.0 requirements" and your lack luster GRE grades, i sense a serious issue with entitlement here. Just because you want a masters doesnt mean you deserve one, and frankly, any issues youre having pursuing your dream are of your own making. Best of luck, maybe try being a bit more humble... no one's screwed you here as best i can tell.
oh and your name is awesomekeith... maybe youre just not that awesome. I promise im not insinuating your mom is a liar...
man im mean today!
Almost a dozen people have been murdered in my neighborhood in the past week. Your trials and tribulations make me lolz, but good luck!!
@awesomekeith - I'm a big critic of SCI-Arc, but in your case, it might be a good fit. That's just a thought.
In truth, your background in economics could be a huge asset, and I would emphasize the fact that you would bring an economic perspective to your design work. I can't speak for the schools you mentioned, but it's possible that schools could see you as a real catch. Why? Because you'd bring a dose of reality into programs that sorely need it.
Learn to be more concise, though.
Just my 2 cents.
ohmzzz -- It used to be called structural visualization or spacial visualization -- the ability to conceive of 3D space and form.
SDR, spatial awareness is one of 4 or 6 (depending on the test) parts in most IQ tests. It's generally known as "spatial-temporal reasoning." It's actually one of the more complex things one can test for and get some quantifiable results.
It's basically the ability to recognize visual patterns, manipulate objects three-dimensionally in the mind and think about objects as sums of their parts.
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