IN at GSAPP M Arch program...too expensive anyway :(

yay in at GSAPP. But so expensive ugh bittersweet

Just got my first rejection from MIT. Bitter but gonna be alright. Congratulations to everyone that got in

In at GSAPP-- delighted! But no aid whatsoever, so I probably can't go. Why must they be so stingy? 

Hey guys, were you able to open your financial aid package from Columbia...and if yes How? Thanks

Today was like a roller coaster ride: rejection from Cornell, admitted by GSAPP (but without any funding...) and now another rejection from MIT. I will probably attend columbia but it's so damn expensive :-(

Just curious, it seems like that most people in this post did not apply for SCI-Arc, is there a reason for that? Is it because of the cost, or is it because ivy school/state universities are more preferred? Thanks!

international_applicant also got my first rejection from MIT. Can't say I'm surprised though. That was a mega reach for me.

@RazanAlt I would not say it was a long shot for me as I have seen a lot of people I know with less being accepted. I would say though that my portfolio was more architectural than research based and that is what they also told me at their email. Still it hurts as MIT was my dream school though. Just waiting for Yale response to work on that final decision. Although I think that Berkeley is the best option for me out there right now, both financially and architecturally

Yes, having the same problem! Where can I find financial aid information? (If any...)

@Archinspired it's sooo expensive. On top of living in NYC. Which program were you admitted to? Congrats! Just waiting to hear back from Princeton.

@lustforarch Congrats on the acceptance. Columbia sends their financial offer along with the letter of acceptance. If they did not mention anything, you probably did not get any.

@chendon7 I know! I was just doing a random search for condos around the school...the rent is insane. I'm still waiting for Yale but the chance is pretty slim. So most likely I'll be in the city for the next three years! Oh sorry, forgot to mention, I'm in for the March program. 

@lustforarch They do send scholarship info with the letter of acceptance, but I was asking about the federal aid package for domestic students...the one with work-study, grants, loans...etc. They said it would be available this week:(

As long as we r talking about GSAPP..just wanted to know if there are any international students here who got any scholarship, teaching assistant positions etc to help defray the cost of attendance for one year long programs??

@jj_arch I got 33,000$ merit-based scholarship for the MS.AAD program at GSAPP. I asked for a guaranteed TA position but they said that they cannot guarantee one. I have to go there and apply at the beginning of the semester. Big risk from my point of view

@international_applicant- yes yes ..I read about it on this thread earlier. Big congrats to u for that.. That's so awesome!! I got accepted to the MSAUD program but no funding .. I enquired about it but sadly, nothing came out of that..all I can bank on is hope that I PROBABLY would get a job once I start the program..

I wonder what's taking Yale so long this year. In past years according to GradCafe they've always released the decisions by now.  Hmmm...

I'm in at Pratt!!

rejected from MIT.....ugh well, now... only YSOA is left... come on...my dream school!!!

@jj_arch i got Advanced Placement at GSAPP with 1/4 scholarship and stipend. Columbia is very sincere to have me and i might just head there if they increase their financial for me. I got MIT but no financial aid. @asdmin COME ON YSOA!

@dashingnerd - Congrats to you on your acceptance with aid!! thats real amazing !!R u international?? Which program did u apply to??

I have already accepted their offer but it would have been great if they had offered me some aid...as of now, I am going to be paying for the whole program and all expenses...it would have been reassuring to know if they could atleast guarantee me on campus employment.

@ArchInspired I'll likely do the 3 year M.Arch too! The offer did mention graduate housing but apparently you'll need to accept the offer before they provide you with the application. Are you thinking to drop by the open house?

@chendon7 Unfortunately no, NYC is simply too far from home. Are you going? If you do, please let me know if the studio space is as cramped as they said it to be :-P

@rengrsl - I received news from Pratt ...I got accepted for their Graduate Architecture and Urban Design Program with scholarship.  I am going to be attending GSAPP as well 

Got waitlisted by Princeton for M.Arch I. Please turn down your offer if you don't plan on going. Many thanks!

@ArchInspired I'll definitely let you know! I have a feeling it may be...

@rengrsl are you doing an M.Arch as well?

@rengrsl @chendon7 @jj_arch Haha let's occupy Avery Hall!!

Hey all, is there anyone here who got accepted and thinking to reject MIT's SMArchS Urbanism program? 

Got waitlisted last week for Cornell AAP M.Arch I, if anyone is not going there please notify school as soon as possible! really want to go there 

Hahaha..@ArchInspired- Yes lets!!

wow ! you guys wont believe but i have been reading the whole thread since 6 pm and that is close to around 4 hours!.

lol

but thanks to all of you . i mean all of you.

it was very informative and i am actually a little more clear on what path to choose and work towards.

24 / m / international applicant/ will apply for 2017 / 5 year B.Arch 

1.5 years of professional experience in a mid size firm (by next year 2.5 years).

have to give all the English exams from GRE to TOEFL.

Will start preparations from now (am i late already ??)

would like a few advise from all of you..@harini, @jj_arch, @ArchInspired, @RazanALT

@international_applicant (dude you are the boss man !, do share your portfolio ), @dashingnerd, @zeitg31st 

1) what would you guys suggest as to keep as a target in terms of number of universities to apply for.

I had a huge list before reading all this.( like 25 universities shortlisted!)

Actually frankly speaking, I am looking forward to a very intense and culturally involving experience for masters. I would like to explore the place i go and get drowned in the reality of it to have an overall exposure to ways in which people live.

2)  Any suggestions on the approach towards working towards these applications from your own personal experiences.? ( for ex. a friend of mine got stuck in the admission process for Columbia and in the middle she had to drop it losing the money for the application and ultimately the chance to get in) 

3) I definitely fall in the category for the need based scholarship. and as i am an international applicant it raises the point mentioned earlier about working visa and huge debts.(that again gives skepticism to me)

any suggestions on that part to choose which university? ( as in many previous comments i saw money being a very major factor towards admittance) 

4) my dream list is here

YSOA, Berkeley, TU Delft, Columbia, Taubmann, RMIT Melbourne, IAAC, ETH zurich.

I am wondering why no one here was interested in Australia or iaac Barcelona ?

How do you say are the universities in Australia for masters - QUT, UTS , University of Sydney ??

is there a specific reason ? As far as i know RMIT is great and IAAC i would like to know.please share your knowledge and throw some light on it as i might be unaware of the reality.

5) Would be glad and very thankful if you can share your portfolios to understand the quality of portfolios as you all have been accepted in all the prestigious institutions. will certainly come to know the level i am fit for.

6) Do you guys think that faculty who guides you throughout the whole masters course matters more than the name tag of the institution ? because in my experience faculties are the heart of any institution, if they are amazing, students are for sure going to nurture on their best levels.

what institutes do you consider have the most dynamic and great teachers irrespective of being ivy league or anything?

sorry if you all got bored but these questions have been running in for quite a few months in my head and i felt you guys would be the best to ask all this openly.

Thanks to you all in advance and heartily congratulations to each and everyone of you.(PARTY HARD GUYS - YOU ALL DESERVE IT)

awaiting your responses.

I am doing M.Arch 1! What about you guys? @chendon @ArchInspired @jj_arch

@rengrsl I'm doing an M.Arch 1 too!

@deepshah1991  I am living in Australia at the moment,  working in an architecture firm and I have to say that schools here are nowhere as good as in the US! (I am an international too, not from Oz and also lived in the US in the past)

@deepshah1991 good luck with the next non architectural disgusting months that you are gonna have in order to complete your applications. Looking back at my experience I really enjoyed compiling my portfolio. That was the only fun part of the application though. GRE was by far the worst part of it. To answer your questions: 1) there is not a right or wrong number of unis to apply. When I told my professors at my uni I am applying for 6 they told me I was crazy. :) 2) write a standard morivation letter but always tailor it according to each university. Do the same for your portfolio. I often hear about people who created 4-5 different portfolios. Fo not do that. Change the one you create according to the pages, mb limits each uni asks. 3) check for foundations at your country giving scholarships. I applied to 7-8 of them in my country in order to add them to the unis' financial offers and manage to ends meet 4) i do not know anything about australia and rmit. I do though about iaac. Dont do that. Really. Too expensive for what they give you in return. And for what? Work in spain? Bad economy 5) I will post my portfolio shortly after I finish with all the application and acceptance process. Hopefully it will help you and others, as several portfolios uploaded in this forum did the same for me Hope you the best. Remember, you reap whatever you sow. Give your best and you will be rewarded

@rengrsl Same here, M.Arch I. I'm really looking forward to staying with the same 70-90 people for three years, pulling countless all-nighters along the way!!

@rengrsl - I am going to be doing MSAUD program... 

@deepshah1991 - wow!! firstfall congrats on taking the first step towards deciding that you actually want to go to graduate school!! In my case, that was the hardest part...making up my mind!! I started my preparations late September last year which was already late according to my friends and colleagues :) I rushed through GRE and TOEFL exams in the month of october...do not devote too much time studying/going for classes for these exams!! I gave up my social life in order to meet the deadlines set within this short period. Am with  @international_applicant on this that Reap whatever you sow.

Going onto answering all your questions : 

1)I applied to 9 universities which was a lot and I was thoroughly exhausted by the time I was done with applying to all of them. I say 5-6 is a good number so that u do your very best and give necessary time to each application. 

2)stay on top of every university's specifications, be sure of the program you want to specialise in - your interest and focus will shine through your statement of intent & portfolio then. Do not cringe from asking the university any queries you may have during the application procedure - they are usually very prompt and give clear concise replies.

3)I am an international applicant as well but do not fall in the need-based category, so am paying for my tuition and all related expenses myself. unfortunately, aid to international students are highly limited. I did not have the time to seek help from my government/agencies etc.

4) My dream schools were all in the US - nevertheless I did apply to one in Singapore - I didnt apply to anywhere in Europe thinking of future career prospects and language barrier problems.

5) Unfortunately, I would not able to post my portfolio online as it contains some professional work and I have signed an NDA before sending to schools. Not to worry - bring what you have best in yourself to the table, let the admissions panel see that - atleast that's what worked for me. It is easy to feel down in the dumps if you think that your work doesn't match upto others' portfolios but my guess is that the university needs to know what sets you apart from the large applicant pool , not how you match with the others. 

6) Both matters - faculty and name of institution. I honestly don't think one can gauge everything there is to know about individual faculty members, their method of teaching etc until and unless you work closely with them and sit in their classes. There is a limit to how much you can get information about each off the internet. So initially, the name and programs offered by the institution marked my choice for applying to.

Thanks for your wishes...everything is such a rush..gearing up to relocate and looking forward to this whole new adventure !! :)

Yale is just really snailing this year ...

I just received a package from GSD MLA1 program and it says I have been chosen to receive a Dean's Merit Scholarship in the amount of $20,000 !!!! But.......some.of u guys already know that I'm still desperately waiting for Yale lol Anyway, so happy :) BTW, Dean's scholarship is just for 1 year, right? not annual. Then it means I can get $10,000 each year + $20,000 for the first year..?

@asdmin congrats! That is a huge honor

@international_applicant Thanks! but what I really wanna do is Architecture. That's why I'm ao waiting for YSOA.....I hope Yale would accept me with some scholarship offer... plz.... Ivys are so expensive....

Will probably be joining Columbia M.arch 1 as well! Look forward seeing some of you in open house.

Penn sent scholarship info today!

Ah!! Someone posted an acceptance to Yale on GradCafe !! O_o I'm soooo ready for this part to be over!

omg I just saw that as well! Yale is the only school I'm waiting for now. So nervous! I'm reloading the application page every five minutes lol

I guess its the march i first, so i ll have to wait for the march ii decisions

 Me too @ArchInspired !!! I don't have high hopes but I just really want to know at this point so I can get serious making a decision!! Best of luck to all the YSOA applicants!!