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Princeton's Post-Professional Master's degree, fees & other options
Hello everyone.
It's my first post here, so I hope I'm doing everything right.
In a few months I'll get my Master Degree in Architecture from a European university.
I feel quite insecure about my education (even though I might have the right recommendations, CV, portfolio etc. to get in a prestigious university) and I'd like to gain more knowledge and practice (as well as contacts) before starting my professional carreer, especially in critics, history and design methodology.
So I wouldn't spend 4-5 years for a PhD, setting my carreer inside academia, but I'd like to be in one of the following universities anyway: Princeton, Columbia, UPenn, Harvard, MIT, Yale.
I could barely afford 10% of the fees these universities require though, and I feel it's too risky to get a student loan in my current condition, and I don't even think I could get one as a foreigner.
I know I greatly appreciate Princeton's professors and the School's theoretical agenda as I already had contacts with faculty members. Also, it seems the only university to offer a tuition coverage of 100% if needed, so I decided that I will apply to Princeton's Post-Professional Master's degree (M.Arch. II).
My questions are:
- How likely would it actually be to get the full tuition coverage?
- How important is the GRE score in the examination process? They don't even set a minimum score.
- How different is the program from the Master's? Is it helpful for someone who already holds a Master degree? (I see it is not accredited by the NAAB).
- are there other high-quality american universities which offer similar programs with similar scholarships that you would recommend?
- I described all my conditions above so that anyone with greater experience could suggest a different move: should I apply for a position that doesn't require tuitions instead, (i.e. as assistant professor for a couple of years) even though I might not have strong direct contacts inside the faculties? Any advice is helpful!
Please forgive my naivety, and thanks in advance.
Andrea
The program is not particularly different than the first-professional M.Arch. The post-pro students are intermingled with the upper level students from the other M.Arch program. Post-pro students just take more electives, and skip the first-year core curriculum.
Princeton gives some full or close to full rides for tuition - but unlike most of the other Ivy M.Arch programs, Princeton's admissions process is not need-blind. In other words: most of the other schools assess applications separate from finances. Once they pick a class then they look at financial aid packages to figure out how to get that class. Princeton doesn't do it that way. They consider the applicant's finances and the parents' finances (yes, even for grad students) as one of the criteria for ranking students for admission. So while having deep pockets isn't an absolute must for admission, they subsidize the free or heavily funded rides for their very top picks by selecting some of their other students in part because of their ability to pay full or nearly full tuition - so applying with no money makes your chances that much slimmer.
GRE is fairly unimportant - far behind portfolio and recommendations. It can be a little more important if your GPA isn't stellar. Princeton is a little more into using GPA as a weeding criteria than most of the other programs you listed - you won't make it past the clerical staff with under a 3.0, and may get weeded in a later round for less than a 3.5.
@Threesleeve - is it uncommon for people with 3.3~3.4 GPA to get in with average GRE, even with good portfolio, SOP, and LOR? Do you know the % of people that get full/near full ride each year?
It's possible to get into Princeton with a sub-3.5 GPA, but not as easy as at the other Ivy M.Archs. The others don't use GPA as much of a determining factor, as long as it's above 3.0, but Princeton gives it more weight.
Many of those who get substantial grants have some direct connection with current or recent former faculty - having been taught by them elsewhere and/or worked for them, or otherwise knowing somebody well enough to get a recommendation from them. If you've got a comparatively low GPA, and no personal connection with anybody who pulls any weight with the architecture school, you've got a steep uphill battle to get admitted, let alone a free ride.
"Princeton gives some full or close to full rides for tuition - but unlike most of the other Ivy M.Arch programs, Princeton's admissions process is not need-blind. In other words: most of the other schools assess applications separate from finance"
are there more schools that go through similar admission process as Princeton? Ones that consider financial status and GPA more significantly than others? Any well known schools that have particular/special admission process? I am trying to make list of schools to apply to.
Q) How likely would it actually be to get the full tuition coverage?
A) Not likely at all. Most of these are given to students with connections at the school or students with senior status. I believe most of the schools you picked are 3-4 year programs (M.Arch accredited). They are expensive and they know people are willing to take out loans to go to these private institutes.
Q) How important is the GRE score in the examination process? They don't even set a minimum score.
A) They do have a minimum score even though they dont post it. IMO they do this because a few with sub par scores may have an amazing portfolio with a resume that compliments it. If you dont have any work experience then expect them to take a look at your GRE score to weave out applicants in the same situation.
Q) How different is the program from the Master's? Is it helpful for someone who already holds a Master degree? (I see it is not accredited by the NAAB).
A) i dont know if i understand your question. They wont care what degree you have. You can have a Degree in transgender lesbian dance and they will still look at your portfolio and judge you accordingly so they wont care if you already have a masters and in fact many people will go to these schools for the same reason you want to. They will have a masters of architecture and go though these programs again just because of the name and because they are more theoretical.
Q) are there other high-quality american universities which offer similar programs with similar scholarships that you would recommend?
A) ill try breaking it up from best to worst to the best of my knowledge.
-University of Michigan
-Washington University
-Rice
-UC Berkeley
-UCLA
-University of Virginia
then i would look at:
-University of Washington
-Syracuse
-University of Texas Austin
-UIUC (Biased)
-University of Cincinnati
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