Hello!

I am pretty sure that you have already read this article, but just in case you haven't - http://www.archdaily.com/444902/the-best-us-architecture-schools-for-2014-are/

I have been looking for a graduate school recently and was overwhelmed by the plethora of choices. My teacher suggested first to write an essay about my goals and interests and then to seek programs that will be most compatible with it. Maybe this could be helpful for you also. Good luck with your research!

Yes, I am very familiar with the article and it's previous iterations.

I find it virtually useless, but thank you and good luck.

Pick the one that accepts you and offers the most money. Second to that, often best to look at the local market where you are most likely to work after graduation. The name of a school carries little weight in the professional world so pick a program that will help you find a job afterwards. For example, a flashy parametric-heavy school might look neat but if you're planning on working in some small town doing home renos, it might just not be the right use of your time.

Graphemic, I agree with Non Sequitur completely here. Going to school near/where you want to live/work will give you a leg-up at the exit.

Retired, but see the frustration. Going back to school this fall for some fun and can’t find/learn anything about the coursework on the schools web-catalog, finding myself emailing all the different professors with questions….can’t imagine doing this with 5-10 school choices. Reaching out here is a good strategy and looking up and emailing students “advertising” themselves in the People Section of this site is smart….learning from those attending seems to me to be the best method.

I'm a bit late to this thread, but one question you should ask yourself is whether you want to focus on practice and/or teaching post grad school.  Often programs that only offer graduate degrees have less opportunities to receive research assistantships or teaching assistantships, because of the sheer volume of students in each program and as an M.Arch student, having little experience.  Schools that have larger undergraduate student bodies offer exceptional opportunities for teaching and building relationships with faculty.  

Another good question to ask yourself is whether you want to be part of a "factory" program that spits on good designers, but...don't have many opportunities to build relationships.  Again, some of the top schools on the lists fall into this category.  They give you prestige in that you can say you received your degree from there, but so did everyone else...  

As much as I support the logic of local, my own observation from the two schools I attended makes me think that there is actually something to be said about the bigger name schools and preferable job outlook.

Of course this might just be related to the caliber of students at each as well.

I'm interested to hear more about your story. Have you applied to any schools yet?

I'm a senior at LC, but have been dating a Reedie for 2+ years and all my best friends go to Reed or graduated from there last spring. 

Wow, I lost track of this thread. Yes, I am in the final throes of preparing my applications. Thanks all for the suggestions. They line up pretty well with what played out. I am now applying to Columbia GSAPP, Sci-Arc, UCLA, U Michigan, and Woodbury University.

First things first, I decided to try my best to get into the schools I liked the most. Whether I get in, and then also get enough financial aid to go is completely unpredictable, so I stopped thinking about it.

Geography was the next item that cut down the areas of interest. I visited Columbia and was absolutely smitten with the city, and the school's integration with it. Other than New York, I don't have any interest in the east coast, as I've lived my whole life on the other side and don't want to leave. U Michigan was the exception. I ruled out U Washington, and I've no interest in staying in Oregon, leaving California. 

Finally, when deciding which schools "fit me," all I can say is that is was a very imprecise process, taking several months, and is only becoming a narrative as I finish my statement of purpose.

I want to practice post-grad, and I want to be doing critical work, whatever that may ultimately mean. For this "reason," I am aiming for the more experimental, "parametric" programs. I couldn't say I'm a CAD junkie, but I am hoping that the faculty and students gathered at these programs will provide the lively debate and challenging coursework I desire. This is the kind of space that I know inspires me, and one which would help me formulate my own ideas in relation to, at least what is perceived to be, the cutting edge of architecture. 

I can't really say for sure what any of these schools will be like, or if I will get in, but I've gone through the syllabi for all of their core curricula as well as their electives and studios. My preferences emerged from my impression of these artifacts. This is an inexact science, applying to grad school.

Now all I'm terribly worried about is not failing the GRE. 

Rather, failing the GRE.