Most people will just say not to change into this field if it means taking out a lot of debt. Don't go in with the expectation of paying that big obligation off fast. 

If you haven't learned from that guy who just got roasted out, it should be that sometimes being in the top schools is the wrong choice. They cost more, they're competitive, and it might not be your best place to study at. You can crash and burn out, waste money, and be left with all the financial crap but none of the "promised" rewards. There's actually no promise but they sure do sell it like the proverbial dangling carrot only requiring three years of servitude. 

If I were you, I'd look in-state first. M.Arch 1 tuition seems to be about $16,000 a year at UW times 3 is $48,000. You can probably knock a good bit of that off one way or another. Say we get to $35,000 at the end--it's not an unacceptable monthly burden. Makes life post-grad a bit tighter but it's not $150,000 grim-future struggle, more like cutting back on alcohol and fancy dinners for awhile.

For your portfolio questions, look in the other threads. The annual process is coming up again so expect similar people in your no-background position to be asking for feedback. I think the only classes you will need to complete are math (calculus at most) and physics, the other stuff probably won't count for much besides some prerequisites and helping you build a body of work. The GPA question has been answered before: above 3.0 shouldn't raise flags.

That was better written than 95% of these kind of posts are so you certainly got something out of your BA. Take a look at some of the writings by famous architects and see how you react. You might do very well to put together some kind of architectural essay as part of your application - it would likely distinguish you. But you'll need to have some core intellectual interest in architecture for that to work: don't write why you want to be an architect. Write a thoughtful study of some aspect of architecture as an art, as a practice, or as a manifestation of socio-cultural influences and you could easily work that into a top m.arch program.

That said, I'm still going to question why you think you want to be an architect. Drawing is something like 10% of what I do. And I'm a designer. There are many architects who spend absolutely no time at all on drawing in the sense you're describing - most drawing is really better described as generating technical diagrams.

If your passion is drawing, you might be disappionted by the actual work of an architect. You should really consider trying to visit some architect's offices and talking to people there to get a sense what the everyday job involves. Maybe you will like it, but nothing you've written gives me confidence about that. It really takes a love of buildings to get excited about the rather bureaucratic effort behind them.

I think people mention those things only because they feel they have to justify pursuing architecture somehow. Maybe they do like details and project management and the reality of the profession but don't know yet so what else in life can be a reason right now? Drawing. Art. Whatever hobby seems creative to them.

I mean, for a non-background, their view of actual architecture is pretty much limited to whatever the media portrays. Most of the characters in shows and videos draw stuff, what exactly is not clear but they do it and the mind starts to connect the dots.

Tomorrow I take my last licensing exa, and hopefully I will achieve the dream I have wanted to achieve since 3rd grade. I have put in a lot of time and effort into this; I have dedicated my life to it regardless of how much I might make financially, although making money is definitely nice...

Like others have asked: what makes this "the" endeavor that will define you going forward? Are you sure you want to be an architect? To find out, what I would do is share some of your thoughts on what you think architecture is.. Maybe I and others on this forum can suggest some reading for you in order to expose you to a different perspective on the field... As a literature major, perhaps you will enjoy architectural/spatial philosophy and theory... Paper architecture, as they call it, may be your calling. Either way- no matter what you ultimately pursue, make sure you treat it as a craft; eat sleep and drink it. Find out as much as possible and make sure you don't get tired of talking about it. If it isn't architecture, it may be something else... But again (and as others have said above: do this i ternal analysis before you spend 150k on your education.

Wow, uh. Thank you everyone for such thoughtful comments. Left me speechless (in a good way). All of the remarks have been really helpful in determining whether I want to pursue this.

@kickrocks - Thank you! I completely agree. I would probably end up going to UW just because of the financial burden of out-of-state costs elsewhere. I'll also be on the lookout for portfolio reviews in the upcoming weeks. So you would say that the GPA and test scores don't have as much of a weight as the other components of an application (e.g. portfolio & essay)?

@midlander - Wow! I've never even thought of doing anything remotely similar to that idea. I appreciate the advice; it's definitely something out of the ordinary, and definitely something I will look into.

@BulgarBlogger - Best of luck with your licensing exam! :)  I like the sound of paper architecture. Sounds like a whole different world with interesting stories. I'll keep it in mind, thanks.

And for the reason behind architecture... It wasn't something life-changing or revolutionary like I woke up one day with the desire to be an architect. It was back when I was working as a graphic designer. A construction guy who founded his own company planted the idea that I may have an eye for structure and design. He asked if I ever contemplated about being an architect. Since then, I've done some research and it's been lingering in the depths of my idle mind. I would like to finally take that step forward and explore it interactively in an engaging manner. 

Yes, I may not have a complete understanding and thorough knowledge of what goes behind the scene, but with the horror stories there are also success and pleasant experiences that stem from it. You only get out what you put in. It may sound like a flimsy and petty reason to delve into the industry, but I still firmly hold the belief that this is a great chapter of my life to pursue.

Based on the consensus and results here, academics is not the top criteria. In general order: portfolio, essay (helps sum everything up), recommendations, academics/GRE. You might not get much funding though with mediocre grades depending on how competitive the program is.

Gotcha! Thank you so much. Really clears up some questions I had. :D

@OP, it sounds like you've at least done some research then and appreciate what the work involved is. It's a big and sometimes obscure field with many niches to fit into. As kickrocks said, interest in drawing is a start - as long as you're prepared to let that lead you into a much different world you'll be fine.

If you are in the Seattle area there are lots of good firms around; see if you can meet anyone who can give you a bit of more personal advice on going to school there. The university can probably give you a list of alumni to contact who can share some insight on the process, which will be a big help to someone totally new to the profession. Good luck!

Yes! Thanks a bunch. I'll most likely be posting here more often when the next admissions cycle rolls around. :)