.. i think the word 'never' is a big sticking point. a 'top 10' education certainly helps to open doors (since a lot of professors at 'top 10' schools have good relationships with principals at 'good firms', and by building bonds with professors you most likely would get a recommendation or good word) but it doesn't and shouldn't limit you in your career choices. I've worked at a starchitects firm where we would get several interns from decidedly not-top-10 schools, yet once they proved their mettle were hired full time.
so there's no rules per-se, no 'true or false', it's really all up to your potential as an individual, and your drive.
i also agree w/s.ward, 'top schools' and 'good firms' are so subjective it's impossible to anwer....
I think going to a good school gets a raised eyebrow, perhaps, but it's always your work and your attitude that will make the difference. If I am going to hire someone, I'll want to know what school they went to, but that could mean nothing. ALL of the greatest schools produce bad architects and poor designers (just because you are brilliant and get a 1500 on your GRE and a 3.95 gpa, don't mean you can design and manage projects). A quick flip through a portfolio will reveal all.
And yes, it's all subjective. The top 10 ain't the top 10, beyond the marketing hype. It's always down to that little black book of projects we all have.
i think its only true for a few practices, they hire a majority of people coming from certain schools, mainly because they have contacts with them of teach there.
but: not all people that work for internationally famous practices make it big
and: not all people that work there come from great schools.
at the end of the day is about how good you are, and studying at the GSD might mean you are good, or at you had to go through a certain selection process...but not all its lost if you dont get in (or so i hope...:)
portfolio is the weapon of choice. if you are really confident in your work you could even omit the school you graduated in.
at the starchifirm i was at we did a lot of exhibitions, models and presentations, so the interns spent most of the time supporting senior staff: building models, cad support, running the laser cutter and rapid prototyping machines, presentation support, etc..
it was a bit of an 'indoctrination' type approach, high pressure, long hours, low pay; but it was quick to see who could work well and do good work with a team in tough situations.....
i think a major reason that starchitects have top10 school kids
work at startchitect firms is because those architects teach at
those schools..case in point...n architects in building their
ps1 installation used their students..in the field and on presentations.
kennedy violich hire out of harvard as do office da...
i worked at a firm that hired mainly harvard kids..i just was their
on the right day..i went to penn state...although when i interviewed
with meier his associate said that kids coming out of psu were
some of his best hires...although i wouldn't necessarily consider
it a top 10 architecture school...
i think most of architecture is in who you know...your school may
get you hired early on...but as you gain more and more
experience it becomes far more about the experience and knowledge
you possess and how good your work is.
I think lars hit it right on the nose. A "top" school will give you exposure to some "starchitects" which in turn may open that door a little earlier. At the end of the day, if you have talent/drive you will eventually get there if you want it. I don't work for a "starchitect", but I do see how difficult the screening process is to get a job at my office (top10 in the world...in size) It may be corporate, but the principals usually look at the top schools first (whatever their choice is...but all the typically mentioned ones are there), then to the employee referrals.
from what i keep hearing from my teachers is
"portfolio" not school but the experience of work, and drawings models, show that you understand and make sure you understand.
education=career
"If you don't go to one of the top 10 arch schools, you will never work at a good firm"
TRUE or
FALSE.....?
A bizarre premise altogether but, unfortunately, one a lot of people seem to worry about.
The questions I would ask:
What are the top schools?
Why only 10?
Top arch schools with what focus? (Columbia doesn't have Rural Studio; Harvard doesn't have coops like University of Cincinnati.)
In what year, since school rankings shift constantly?
What is a good firm, and by what criteria?
Is it better to do poorly at GSD or well at City College?
If we keep in mind that the principals in a lot of nationally-recognized firms did not go to schools that might normally show up in the top 10:
Does it count as working at a good firm if it's your own?
Does it have to be nationally-recognized to be good?
False if you want to practice, true (with some exceptions) if you want to teach at one them (by whatever definition the top ten are).
.. i think the word 'never' is a big sticking point. a 'top 10' education certainly helps to open doors (since a lot of professors at 'top 10' schools have good relationships with principals at 'good firms', and by building bonds with professors you most likely would get a recommendation or good word) but it doesn't and shouldn't limit you in your career choices. I've worked at a starchitects firm where we would get several interns from decidedly not-top-10 schools, yet once they proved their mettle were hired full time.
so there's no rules per-se, no 'true or false', it's really all up to your potential as an individual, and your drive.
i also agree w/s.ward, 'top schools' and 'good firms' are so subjective it's impossible to anwer....
i think i've been going to too many "top 10" openhouses and reading too much about "award-winning" projects...
I think going to a good school gets a raised eyebrow, perhaps, but it's always your work and your attitude that will make the difference. If I am going to hire someone, I'll want to know what school they went to, but that could mean nothing. ALL of the greatest schools produce bad architects and poor designers (just because you are brilliant and get a 1500 on your GRE and a 3.95 gpa, don't mean you can design and manage projects). A quick flip through a portfolio will reveal all.
And yes, it's all subjective. The top 10 ain't the top 10, beyond the marketing hype. It's always down to that little black book of projects we all have.
i think its only true for a few practices, they hire a majority of people coming from certain schools, mainly because they have contacts with them of teach there.
but: not all people that work for internationally famous practices make it big
and: not all people that work there come from great schools.
at the end of the day is about how good you are, and studying at the GSD might mean you are good, or at you had to go through a certain selection process...but not all its lost if you dont get in (or so i hope...:)
portfolio is the weapon of choice. if you are really confident in your work you could even omit the school you graduated in.
...all good feedback...
the second part of the quote:
"...and if you dont get in to one of them, then wait a year and apply again."
wha??? thankfully i did not get sidelined by this commentary (from someone that i respect)
o+ what did the interns do at the starchitect firm, by the way?
igottaq.,
at the starchifirm i was at we did a lot of exhibitions, models and presentations, so the interns spent most of the time supporting senior staff: building models, cad support, running the laser cutter and rapid prototyping machines, presentation support, etc..
it was a bit of an 'indoctrination' type approach, high pressure, long hours, low pay; but it was quick to see who could work well and do good work with a team in tough situations.....
i think a major reason that starchitects have top10 school kids
work at startchitect firms is because those architects teach at
those schools..case in point...n architects in building their
ps1 installation used their students..in the field and on presentations.
kennedy violich hire out of harvard as do office da...
i worked at a firm that hired mainly harvard kids..i just was their
on the right day..i went to penn state...although when i interviewed
with meier his associate said that kids coming out of psu were
some of his best hires...although i wouldn't necessarily consider
it a top 10 architecture school...
i think most of architecture is in who you know...your school may
get you hired early on...but as you gain more and more
experience it becomes far more about the experience and knowledge
you possess and how good your work is.
I think lars hit it right on the nose. A "top" school will give you exposure to some "starchitects" which in turn may open that door a little earlier. At the end of the day, if you have talent/drive you will eventually get there if you want it. I don't work for a "starchitect", but I do see how difficult the screening process is to get a job at my office (top10 in the world...in size) It may be corporate, but the principals usually look at the top schools first (whatever their choice is...but all the typically mentioned ones are there), then to the employee referrals.
from what i keep hearing from my teachers is
"portfolio" not school but the experience of work, and drawings models, show that you understand and make sure you understand.
FALSE!
Never went to college for Architecture, California has work equiv. towrds license, worked for Aaron G. Green until his death.
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