Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc)
Pratt Institute
University of Southern California (USC)
Tulane University
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Temple University
University of Oregon
Cranbrook Academy of Art
New York Institute of Technology (NYIT)
Kansas State University
M. Arch I Application Advice
Hello, I'm a 23 year old Industrial Engineer (GPA 4.12/5, or in proportion 3.57/4.33) from Colombia with a strong desire to complete an M. Arch I degree. I plan to apply to several schools but I am kind of lost in terms of how should I complete my portfolio and personal statement.
I've read many threads on this subject and have found out that both should be related and should adjust to the different schools I apply. Now, I've taken two semesters of undergrad Architecture in my University (Universidad de los Andes) and I've done work that I still don't know if its good enough for a portfolio for the top-notch M. Arch Schools (Yale, GSD, GSAPP, Berkeley, etc). The grades I received for most of them where pretty good, but I still want the opinion of people who have applied and passed at these type of schools.
The following are pictures of some of the work I've done so far and I hope you can give me some advice on whether or not include them in the portfolio. They are literally cell phone pictures and are just being posted so I get a general opinion on them regarding their inclusion from my application portfolio. By no means are these pictures going in the portfolio. Thank you for your time!
Bridge for Technical Studio 1. Held 43 kg.
30 minute drawings on clay models designed in previous sessions.
Roman Pantheon representation that sought to analyze the building's constructive composition (different layers) and layout geometry. History Studio 1.
Sculpture Pavillon for the National University of Colombia.
Variation of Rem Koolhaas' Fukuoka housing project. We designed metropolitan solutions for Bogotá and Barcelona based on Koolhaas' solution for Fukuoka.
Also, I took the GRE a week ago and got a 154 Verbal / 160 Quant. Still waiting on the AW score. Should I take it again? Are this scores worth sending to the schools I want to get in?
Finally, is it possible to receive financial aid from these schools even if I'm an international applicant?
Fuck, it's that time of the year again.
Ok, why do you think you belong in a top-notch school? If I was in charge of funds, why should I give you a grant or scholarship? I'm not seeing much that makes me want to seek you out specifically.
kickrocks,
I don't know if I belong in a top-notch school, but I would definitely would like to study in one, hence the advice I am seeking.
Furthermore, I went to a top-notch school in Colombia (ranked 4th or 5th in all of Latin America and first in Colombia), and I want to keep going to the best. The work I've posted has received top-notch grades (always in the 95 point percentiles in the 8 classes I've taken in undergrad architecture), so I only want to know if I should produce more work or if its better to produce new work.
Either way, I'm just looking for advice on very basic work of undergrad architecture classes and some general info on how financial aid works. Its not too easy to pay 50k worth on tuitions when you and your parents earn in Colombian pesos, so I'm just curious on how the whole thing works based on me being an international student. That is all.
I told you how it works: what is your potential worth? So far, there isn't much to make want to offer anything. Some top schools do have seats reserved for cash machines but you're not in that luxury spot.
If you applied to the same profession over here, it'd probably be a lot different with your credentials. But you're switching professions and not showing much that belongs in some of the best institutions in the world. The work you've taken is what, introductory level courses? C'mon, be realistic about the level of difficulty.
What my point is is that you should look at schools that might be looking to accept students form all over and willing to put out some funding. Not somewhere everyone wants to go regardless of merit and can choose to nitpick or deny funding but still get fistfuls of dollars shoved through the mail slot.
Understood. First, if I can afford it (and not ask for financial aid), that means I have a much better chance of getting into a top school. Second, if I can't afford it, I should seek completing much better work (I think I'll take the pictures down and rather briefly describe the project) that shows I'm up for the challenge and worth the funding granted by the schools I want.
Thank you.
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