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Yale VS Cornell M.Arch 1
Hi all,
I have been accepted to both Yale as well as Cornell for the MArch 1 program. Got rejected from the GSD, very bummed out about it.
I have got some funding from Cornell but am waiting to hear about funding from Yale to ask for more funding.
Unfortunately as an international student I wont be able to attend the open House at either and am really relying on you guys's past and present experiences to help me decide.
I am going to tell you a little bit about what I want to get from my degree and then my current perceptions of the two colleges. Your insights would be really appreciated!
I already have a non professional Architectural undergraduate degree. Post starting my MArch 1 program I want to take classes in Urban planning as well as Landscape Architecture to eventually do a Dual degree with whichever one I resonate with more along with my MArch1. SO all in all I am looking at a program that would be interdisciplinary with an environmental, urban and social outlook or agenda.
My current perceptions about the two colleges:
CORNELL:
20-24 kids per batch so more individual attention.
Offers a Masters in Regional Planning as well as a Masters in Landscape Architecture and are willing to do a customized program in order to help me achieve whichever Dual Degree I would like to do. But just the fact that they offer these to masters makes me think the opportunity of a interdisciplinary education is higher.
I am not fully aware about how good the facilities at Cornell are compared to Yale as I have heard Yale as the best facilities.
Extremely secluded location which maybe makes getting certain types of faculty more difficult than Yale.
YALE:
55 or so kids per batch.
Although it doesnt have an Urban Planning program or department it has an amazingly well renowned Forestry department which offers a dual degree with MArch 1 and Environmental management.
Lack of an Urban planning department makes me wonder how much of the bigger picture or urban context and interdisciplinary study is given importance at the program.
They have extremely well renowned faculty coming and the school has a stellar reputation (Even though Cornell is ranked #2 After the GSD)
They have state of the art facilities (I read somewhere even better than the GSD?)
I have heard the school is very theoretically oriented, a little old school (even about design) and not very Diverse.
Any inputs or thought or experiences would be very very helpful in trying to help me figure out which of these schools is more right for me. I look forward to hearing from you all and have a great day!
I don't think that facilities or "individual attention" would vary much between these two great programs (correct me if I'm wrong). Wouldn't worry about the rankings either.
Of the two, Yale usually seems to attract a wider variety of visiting professors, which means both more diverse studios and professional networking opportunities.
Besides the financial side and dual-degree options (which seems like you've researched well) my main advice would be research the faculty and student work and trust your instincts.
Thanks for responding ai_0 , I guess you are right about the facilities and class strength being most likely at par with each other.
I think the ability to go for the open house would have been super helpful, but since I cant i am hoping other students from the two programs or those who have visited may be able to tell me more than what the websites can. Thank you so much for taking out the time to advise me!
If your interest are in urban investigations, there will be plenty of opportunity at Yale. One of your semesters in 2nd year will be all about urbanism. In 3rd year you will have the opportunity to decide what you want to study for your studio. Each semester brings a vast variety of studios from a little building, a big building, urban design, or just strait theory. Everyone at the school has a very different interest so it tends to shake out where most people do projects they are interested in. You do not need a dual masters degree to study urbanism. The dual degree with the School of Forestry has more to do with people interested in sustainability and a few other things, not urbanism.
I never did just a building at Yale. Everything was a big big project. Usually more urban. I did enough buildings in undergrad and in real life, so I focused my studies on the larger picture.
Thank James! when you say you can decide what you want to study in your third year do mean a thesis? Also through year one and two are there multiple different studios you can chose from (I think you already answered this but just clarifying)?
Also are you able to take classes in different departments at Yale and maybe even audit other ones or is the course pretty packed with very little room to explore other things?
Thank you for helping me out! :)
Yale has no thesis. Third year is comprised of an advanced studio each semester. These are usually when you get the all-star professors. Everyone in the M.Arch I program does the same projects in first year but with different professors. Second year gets mixed up a bit more, but there are overarching goals of the program. Choice comes in 3rd year.
You can absolutely take any course in any department of the University. Well... this depends also if you can get into the course. Most non-seminar courses in the university are capped at 10 students. This creates amazing environments where you really get to know professors, but it can be competitive in getting a specific course, especially if it is popular within a department. In the end, I was able to take nearly every course I went after. I took courses in the American Histories department, Sociology department, and the School of Management (Business School). It helps that you have an architecture degree already. You can have a lot of your required courses waived if you would like which would allow you to take courses in other departments (a lot of people take courses in at the Yale Art School (the best art school there is)).
Yale has no thesis. Third year is comprised of an advanced studio each semester. These are usually when you get the all-star professors. Everyone in the M.Arch I program does the same projects in first year but with different professors. Second year gets mixed up a bit more, but there are overarching goals of the program. Choice comes in 3rd year.
getting the yale professor you want for studio is not a guarantee. in first and second year you are randomly assigned a professor, some of whom you will not click with. some will be great, though.
in your final year you will be able to bid on what studio and professor you want. this is the best year as you will be learning from a practitioner, most likely, who is really talented. most of the time you can get in to your first or second choice for at least one of these semesters.
I wouldn't sign up for yale based on some roster of professors they have. trust me, it isn't worth it. look at the curriculum and what the content of each studio will be, and if those projects inspires you, it's a good sign. ultimately your enthusiasm for the work itself is going to be fulfilling, not listening to a professor pontificate.
also i highly suggest you visit each school if at all possible.
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