the list of issues with my portfolio is very long, and as always time is short, so I will take a consensus of the replies as to the most pressing issues and try to correct them, also there may be things that I simply don't see, also there are things that I perceive as being good, when in fact they are not. so I would be very interested in hearing your opinion of the most pressing issues with my portfolio my friend.

If you think anything in here is good your delusional

thus we reach the reason as to why I'm posting on a forum online, but I would ask a more detailed analysis of my work, unless it seems to be so bad I should simply give up on the profession?
im not sure of my architecture, but i am sure of my art but the financial returns of a career in art is suspicious at best. 

Its almost incredible what one may achieve with the search option and 5 minutes of reading time, also thanks for the gold star.

also the enter button simply adds the comment instead of going to the next line which is annoying. 

so:
1.decrease renders, increase info-graph like drawings to more clrealy represent the parts of the project?
2. either add crisp plans (im at 23 pages so an extra 2 pages for plans is reasonable i think) or remove rendered plans and then add plans
3. remove some renders to increase visual fidelity and better organise
4.apply to the 3 year masters, should i also apply to the 2 year programs? or will it be a waste of time, i dream of going to McGill but i think that is a bit far reaching.
also Carleton is on the top of my list as my sister goes there for architecture as well, i have heard the program is no the best but of course my undergrad is a severely hampers my prospects

also from what i gather you seem to be quite honest, even if some people think it coarse.
on a 1-10 scale of people my age in the profession where am i from a design point?

Thanks for that last comment. I don't think you're eligible for McGill's as they are very selective and cater more to their own undergrads than externals... but a quick phone call to their graduate department should sort that out. It is a better prog than carleton but really... you're looking for that piece of paper that allows you to register as intern (and log exp hours) in canada, and for that, Carleton is not a bad choice. Better than UofT... that's for sure.

As for your folio options. What too many people here try to do is show every single god-damn rendering they produced during their studios. Show one stellar rendering in full bleed page and use the other page (or 2) to show the thought process and best technical drawings. Everyone can output shiny graphics but very few can explain their process... and even less so in a succinct graphical way. Slapping everything on top of a colour gradient does not show that you have a good understanding of spatial design.

No sure what you mean about age, but the M.Arch is filled with all sorts of characters of all ages. The profs at Carleton are mostly approachable and it would not be a bad idea to reach out to them and ask about the program.  I don't / can't judge design value without seeing the dirty napkin sketches.

yes i will definatly call the graduate departmen and see what they have to say.

I am curious as to your dislike for the University of Toronto. All i have noticed is that they are much more expensive than comparable universities, but of course no true information about the education there will be apparent from the internet.

By technical drawings, you mean detailed drawings of the various structures and installations needed for the building to be constructed in the real world? also what I meant was that I was curious about the standing of my work in comparison to my peers who have recently graduated from their undergrad. I ask this because back in Egypt I had a certain standing among my peers and professors and as such would like to know if this is accurate or not. so how may I show my dirty napkin sketches? as this will be also useful in understanding how to best present my work in my portfolio. A second reason to ask is that, as seen above, a person on the internet has called all my work bad, now I don't put much precedence to the opinions of people on the internet, but there is the chance that I am a fool and have yet to realize it. Although I understand your position on not being able to accurately judge a design without seeing many aspects of the process, even a simple marker of above/below or average would be helpful. thanks for your time btw

Lots to take apart here in your response, perhaps you should stop trying to compare yourself & your work to others and instead focus on building up a cohesive package. For what it's worth, your renderings look average as do the plans and section drawings. It's apparent to me that you're a slave to the final forms generated through the computer model and not to the quality of the interior spaces. For example, had you chosen to use a page or two and focus on one dead-sexy section next to the renderings, this would show how you can value a design at different scales. For what it's worth, I think your "content" page is the strongest in the hole folio.

As for my dislike of UofT, I'd say it's 2 parts: One, the ranking of UofT as a University is not a good representation of it's architecture program. Being the largest university in the largest city in Canada will automatically set you apart. Second, the architecture-related undergraduate degree that feeds a good chunk of the M.Arch candidates is very poor. I get it that "some" design background is important when getting into a 3y M.arch, I find the UofT undergrads overvalue their abilities (in general) whereas a non-design M.arch applicant is aware of their nativity. It also does not help that a large portion of the graduate work is toronto-centered and simple. With all that said, I have no issues with anyone choosing any institution if the purpose is to get that piece of paper. The real education starts after school once you get into the real world.

Thank you for your insight on the subject of U of T. I will try to apply all of the changes and will most likely post my results in a week, I hope to hear your input on this as well, if you have the inclination to of course. Also, may I ask why architects on the forum are grumpy? I'm sure they get the same repeat questions and posts about various subjects but I feel there is something more, as there are many threads about how people are dissatisfied with the field.

We're not grumpy by nature... most here are jaded by one-post wonder members looking for free advice and or asking about stupid shipping container thesis. As for grumpyness outside of the archinect forums, well that depends. There is a loud minority who, perhaps through poor employment choices and ridiculously high tuition loans, feel they are owned 6 figure starting salaries and are angry because architects are not considered equal to doctors (we're not even close). These grumpy folks make it look like it's a shit-show at best while the mostly silent majority does just fine. Who's fault is it that someone takes a $18/hr drafting job with no paid overtime or thinks $100k student loans is an intelligent investment? Not mine.

I think that people turn to forums when they have an issue, although there is a certain way that people may ask for advice, I think that seeing the same post by a collection of different individuals over the years should prompt maybe the creation of a "sticky" post with the headline of "read if you are about to ask one of the following questions" as a sort of community created FAQ. I don't think it would take much time and should include all the relevant links. You are talking about students from the US yes? as I think tuitions here in Canada can be paid off in maybe 2 years accompanied by some frugality in life. There is a point to be made through that simple and abstractly looking at just the years needed for licensure, it seems that architecture is a poor choice financially and from the perspective of time.

We've discussed having a sticky note thread many times before, just has not happened yet. Not sure if ever since so many don't bother searching before posting, I doubt they would read it.

Typically, the high 6 figure loans are US students but I've known of a few Canadian ones to rack up similar sums here.  Not sure how as tuition is already cheap and heavily subsidized (double that if you're a resident of Quebec).  Depending on your office skills and aptitude, student loans can normally be paid back relatively quickly and the licencing path is simpler.

I'm unsure how moderation works here, but if a sticky is applied any thread not adhering to the points posted in the sticky should be deleted? or a warning and a pointer towards the relevant information in the sticky. Of course, I'm still new here and offering solutions for non-existent problems is not efficient, I'm sure there are reasons for the way this forum works. I am unsure what you mean by the licensing path is simpler, in comparison to what?

licensing path & exams is simpler in canada than the US is what I meant.

yes, I completely intend to. Other than those seven points and the points that I have discussed with NS, is there anything else that you might like to suggest?

I suggest a good strong cup(s) of black coffee.

Perhaps change the typeface to a sans-serif

Yes a change in the typeface to something that is more easily read for the paragraphs, but I do like the font I have used for the headlines and such, thanks for the suggestion though. Also, coffee is the healthy (?) start of any day although I have been keeping the amount at 1 cup per day for at least 2 years now.

Don't you think it looks too much like Game of Thrones?

well, I guess they look similar somewhat, here are two links, the first is the font I'm using, the second is the game of thrones font, put side by side they are similar in certain aspects but I think they differ. Of course, this is completely subjective. http://image.fontsgeek.com/preview/kru3yi4vxqpqxu6nmgol57d6367695Trajan%20Pro%20RegularT.gif https://smartfonts.com/font-images/g/a/game-of-thrones_try-it.png

Trajan Pro with those vertical stripes through the O's = the GoT font :)

yes, I concede the point, the more I think about it the truer it is. But I have a thing for this font, so I'm not sure if I should listen to reason or to continue in my hedonistic ways.

Sure you can continue using the Game of Thrones font, it's your portfolio not mine...what do I care ;)

'Shame! Shame! Shame!'

Firstly thank you for taking the time to give a detailed reply. yes, I agree with your points on the standardization of the way that I convey the meaning, via words and diagrams, I aim to solve this in the next iteration of the portfolio, which I most likely will finish in 3 days I think. I removed the photo and completely redid the C.V. I have also come to the conclusion from everything that has been posted that I have made a large error in rigor in which I convey ideas, I was very used to explaining things for my professors, so assumed that all which I have already in my mind may be conveyed through my portfolio, but it seems that is not the case and that I must show the thought process through my preliminary sketches and the evolution of the project through the given timeline.

To be honest, academia does not interest me very much, thus the reason I'm pursuing a masters is because its the next hoop I need to jump through to work as an architect. That being said I enjoy the work very much and my long-term goal is to open a firm with both my younger sisters, who are also architects. I guess this is evident in my work that I treat this degree as a stepping stone, and not a goal in of itself. I can't help but feel that 5 years + 2 for a masters + 3 years for an internship + exams are really needed in the field, as much more complex fields require much less. these are the rules and I must follow, though unhappily.

I, unfortunately, stopped lifting seriously 2 years ago, but at my best I had 150 deadlift, 135 squat and 105 bench @ 76 kg bodyweight.

At the time I had thought that they were pretty and emboldened the work, though I have changed this in the new iteration. I agree that too glossy is an issue and that i will attempt to include more thought-process work in the new iteration. This is a remnant of my subpar education in Egypt where slick renderings where how people judged work, so a reshifting of posture is needed now. also, your moniker reminded me of Sonoluminescence, an interesting phenomenon that you should google.