its all the same. go with OSU. they real education starts when you start working in the real world. don't buren yourself with debt now.

is this fight going to be on showtime?

Hi Morteza! Is this the firstime you study in the US as an international student?? Remember that you cannot work with a student visa unless you already have a work permit. The only jobs available to you as a student are those on campus... Maybe try to look for an assistantship or apply for a scholarship?

I agree with tuna. At the end of the day, it is all the same. Employers dont give a fuck where you went to school. Paying back student loans at $12/hr aint fun...

^^

Thank you and yes, it is my first time in U.S, and by job I meant the non-federal Work-study opportunity that Sci-Arc offers.

Tuna, Mdler
Thank you very much for your honest responses

I was admitted to OSU a year ago and got a full ride guaranteed all the way through in two different programs. I also was admitted to Harvard for a program I really liked.

I'll state for the record that I love OSU.

But if financing is your issue, then I'd recommend being very wary of turning down a school just because it costs a few dollars more. You have to think of your life as an investment, and few investments are successful when you fret excessively about minor up front costs. Over the course of your lifetime, the benefit of a career kickstart, reputation, and connections made, that comes from a fancy school is incredibly valuable. If you do the math, you'll find that general graduates from Ivy League schools make $850,000 more on average over their lifetimes than graduates of state schools. Of course, a lot of that difference comes because the Ivy students were on average smarter in the first place. but early in your career, when you're paying back loans, it can make a huge difference. If you're smart about it, we're talking tens of thousands of dollars a year, even early in your career.

Worrying only about financing is a fairly cynical way to look at it, but I very closely weighed my options that way before making a decision. Additionally, it's important to consider whether you'll actually be happy studying at OSU. Clearly, if you have the acumen and talent to get accepted at Columbia, you already have a lot of skills. Be cognizant that, frankly, you're going to be immersed in a general higher level of discourse at Columbia. It's nothing against Ohio State...it's just that there's a different emphasis. Conversely, Ohio State is a very fun place...visiting is a good idea because the attitudes of the students are going to be very different.

Apparently paragraph returns are abundant at OSU.

^^I'm really not sure what this post even means, so I won't address it.

But I now realize my post implies I chose OSU. I did not.

archplanner

Thank you,
I am thinking of my studies as investments but I also want to be realistic with my financial issues, I know that my savings would hold me there only for a single semester. What's the point of entering a fancy university and not being able to finish it. I should now be choosing between an unlikely possible GSAPP degree and a guaranteed degree from OSU.
The only funding options that GSAPP offers to international students are; teaching assistanceship and on campus jobs. If entering Columbia and not being able to get one after my first semester, then I'm doomed.

Well yes, certainly you need to choose a school you can actually pay for. If it means bankrupting oneself and dropping out, obviously that is not a good option.

There are a number of real plus sides to OSU. I think it is a real rising star as a school. With Cincinnati continuously being de-funded, OSU, with its new building and legion of reasonably impressive faculty, I think will see continued improvements in its reputation in the next few years.

Certainly an education is what you make of it. In the overall, I haven't been overly impressed with the portfolios I've seen out of OSU's program. OSU is making a valiant attempt at becoming a solid theoretical school, which is rare amongst the schools in the midwest. But it's an uphill battle and I don't think they've won it yet. Watch some of the lectures on their website and you'll get a pretty good sense of this. I think OSU perpetually struggles with the fact that it attracts a wide mix of students and abilities,

For schools yet to really nail down a nationwide cache, it is often difficult to find jobs outside of the region where the school is located. OSU, because it's such a huge and dominant school in general, will probably give you fewer problems in that regard.

Columbia is, of course, known for being fairly radical and theoretical, and may not be the best option for someone needing to make a lot of money quickly out of school. Plus New York is exorbitantly expensive (literally New York is about 2.5 times as expensive for daily living costs as is Columbus).

Ultimately, are you planning to work here or internationally? And have you visited OSU?

I'm not sure of your exact situation, but if you're looking for people to talk to or advice, I do have a lot of connections in Columbus and a few specifically at Knowlton.

archplanner

Yeah, I've heard it alot about OSU's theoretical approach, And it's one thing I'm not sure I will like. However seems to be a neccessary part of graduate studies, But wouldn't it be more helpful for those who want to continue as scholars rather than practitioners?
I am currently in Iran and have never been to U.S. before, so no I have not visited the school and it is not possible to attend the open house. It would be very helpful if I get to talk to someone at Knowlton.
About my career goals, I don't think U.S. is a great place for architecture practice scince the mass of constructions in States is not comparable to the ones in Dubai and other Arab Emirates. I am planning to work for some renowned firms in U.S. for a while (perhaps teaching simultaneously) and then start a career on my own in Dubai.

If you are leaning towards Columbia or Michigan, you should talk to those schools and see what they can do about your financial aid situation. Some schools are willing to increase the scholarships offered if you express hardship. You can also mention that you want to attend their school but you have been offered a good scholarship from another just to see if they are willing to increase their offer. Send a polite email to them to expressing this. I have tried this and it paid off for me.

Base on the schools you were accepted to, IMO, Columbia and Michigan has the strongest reputations. I honestly have never heard of OSU's architecture program. As for SCI-Arc, that is a pretentious third rate film school masquerading as an architecture program and a disgrace of an education for any practical purposes. It's a small school that has very weak networking that won't get you very far outside of southern California. You might as well go to an art school to get an MFA or be more practical and get a film degree from a real school than go to SCI-Arc.

Interesting thread! - I'm in a similar situation: accepted at Columbia and Cornell and trying to decide between the two - although I have to say, I'm getting a nice vibe from Cornell throughout the application process.

A critical point that makes the decision so hard:

In the Cornell Acceptance letter: "We were impressed by your qualifications and are able to offer you financial assistance in the form of a partial Teaching Assistantship for the fall and spring semesters in the total amount of $14,750 for tuition; subject to review of summer semester performance. The Teaching Assistantship requires an average of 7.5 hours of work per week. This award entails an additional stipend of$11,118."

Both are good schools, however Columbia is more well known (maybe means easier to find a job afterwards?) and also it's in New York!! - although Cornell's first semester is also in NY - but conversely it also makes it more expensive! Columbia has more international students (maybe?), and possibly more international tutors as well, hence a more diverse and dynamic atmosphere?

What do you guys think?

go Buckeyes!

my wife went to cornell for english lit. the financial aid was the deciding factor. our experience was that they give money and benefits b/c they lack other amenities that their competition has --- don't get me wrong, ithaca is a very cool place and cornell is a great school --- but it is not in new york city, boston, phili, or the bay area, nor is it a short, easy drive to such places; and as cool as ithaca is, it is isolated and there are a lot of things it does not have that are easy to find in the urban areas where most of Cornell's competition are located....oh, and the winters are usually longgggggg and bleaakkkkk (though summer and fall are spectaular)---- so they seem to compensate by being a little more generous with the financial aid

on the other hand, if you love outdoorsy activities like hiking, sailing, rowing, skiing, etc, cornell may have the better location

i don't think a degree from cornell will be held against you when looking for a job - i think you'll do just fine

cornell has a very diverse student body and a diverse and dynamic atmosphere