Hi all, 

I am currently deciding where to go to grad school, and I think I may have been a little narrow-minded in my outlook when applying. I am currently choosing between two schools on opposite ends of the country, which seem to be completely different in their design strategies. I would appreciate any help that I can get. 

I am currently about 8 months into an M.A. degree in Beijing, studying Chinese Architectural History and writing my thesis. After I graduate from school, I would like to work in a Chinese architecture firm, or an American/British firm with solid roots in Beijing. Later, I would also like to work as a Professor or Assistant Professor of architecture. A dream job, with very few openings as far as I am aware, is to be a campus architect. I was able to see the good work that the campus architect at my alma mater did, and it really seems like an interesting career path. Furthermore, it doesn't seem to be disconnected from the pulse of the industry: he just transitioned to a job as a principal in one of the (in my opinion) best architectural firms operating in the U.S. today.

My current options are as follows: 

-SCI-Arc with a 30k/year scholarship (dependent on the maintenance of a 3.7 GPA). I am totally sold on their design philosophy, and appreciate their emphasis on history and theory. However, they are missing a few critical elements that I want to explore: (1) I am interested in historic preservation, and as far as I know they do not have many resources for that. (2) I would not be able to take Chinese classes at the school, which is critical for me (the closest Confucius Institute is at UCLA, but Chinatown is nearby). (3) I don't know if this is the best school to pursue my interest in becoming a campus architect--it seems to be primarily known within the architecture field (?). This acceptance can be deferred, but I might lose my scholarship.

-UPenn with a 20k/year scholarship. UPenn has solid Chinese Architectural History resources, a good historic preservation department, and resources for me to continue studying Chinese. However, I am not sold on their emphasis on parametric design. Also, they would require me to attend a summer program that conflicts with the end of my M.A. program here in China, so I am not sure if it's even possible for me to attend. 

-I am waitlisted at Columbia. Columbia has almost everything that I want: an urban location, a great historic preservation department, opportunities to take Chinese, an emphasis on history and theory, a large alumni network, and--first and foremost--a great design education. However, I have not gotten in yet. 

-I have been offered a fully paid TA position with my current M.A. program. Here, I could improve my Chinese, save up for living expenses next year, and rework my portfolio to reapply to schools (I would likely reapply to Harvard and Yale too, where I was not accepted). 

-I could search for jobs in New York City or Beijing. I could work for a cultural heritage preservation NGO, or apply for jobs at an organization like UNESCO. 

My gut is telling me VERY little. Thanks in advance, everyone!