Cool thank you so much! Quote isn't helping the narrative so I'll try something else, and I'll look at the color too. I appreciate it

they are cheezy, and I don't know why I tried it but I did.. it's deleted now though!

Awesome, agree on all accounts. Thank you!

Pretty great advice, thanks

We are not here to offer you advice for free. This is what your professors should have done. And if they did, it looks like you didn't really
make use it.

Are you done now?

Jesus! Nobody came to your house asking for a free advice. If you've got nothing of subst ance to stay just move along.

I agree with you about the work being, meh. Is there anything that you recommend I add/change to make it any better at all? I need to keep the portfolio under 20 pages (minus cover and table of contents pages) so I think that's been my struggle is adding more detailed content that is either illegible due to scaling down or too much content on the page making it illegible composition. That's the design problem of a portfolio I know, but that is what I'm struggling with right now and hope to get just a few more tips on. I click submit in two weeks so there's a bit of time, but not enough to design a whole new project and document it properly.

That's very true. List hasn't changed a whole ton since I last posted one of my earlier portfolio drafts in July: Michigan, Penn, Pratt, Princeton, PSU, SCI-Arc, Woodbury and Yale. I've added three schools that I may be better off just burning the application fee for warmth, but it's my money and I would rather attempt an application than not. So nobody is going to talk me out of applying to schools that I "have no business applying to". I have very specific reasons that I'm applying to each of these schools; both personal and reasons addressed in my statements. I am curating the portfolios to each school: with variety in projects/sketches/works etc.. but the composition has remained very much the same for sanity/clarity sake. Applying to eight schools, completely reworking my undergraduate work/portfolio, working full-time and trying to maintain a home life isn't the hardest thing I've ever done, but it hasn't been easy either. I've also visited many of these schools (across the country for me) and seen the work, talked to faculty/students/alumni both at the school and socially, and exhaustively searched issuu for any examples of applications and graduating m.arch portfolios alike. So, with this all being said, this is what I was able to come up with. I've worked hard at getting to this point in my work and getting to know many different schools to find where I may fit best. If there are major holes in the work, it would help me a ton to know what others are seeing that I'm not.

Excuses, rambling..and a bad portfolio. Honestly you won't go very far if you are seeking free portfolio advice on the Internet and I think you know it.

apkouv - I would eat my hat if you could even muster something that was slightly resembling a theoretical critique of my work. If you don't come up with something relating to an architecturally related critique of the design or theory in your next comment - everyone will know that I called your bluff and you'll look like an idiot. The ball is in your court.

Splines - thoughts on my portfolio compared to these schools?

I would be ecstatic for the maybes and perfectly happy with the likelys. I really appreciate you taking the time to look at the portfolio and lending insight. I’ll continue refining the work to gain a chance at the maybe schools. I’ll contact you in the next couple of days. Thanks again!

You are just wasting your time. Your portfolio is on the lower end of what we usually see on here

You are just wasting your time. Your intelligence is on the lower end of what we usually see on here

Why do you lie to yourself? Coming to Archinect for a review of your portfolio by complete strangers? Your portfolio lacks in a lot of areas and that's not something that you could fix within a couple of weeks. You just didn't make use of your education. Which school did you go to and what was your GPA? Do you have any professional projects to show?

Alina, how did you get another account? lol

You spent more time designing the cover and the filler pages than the projects. Have you got any work experience at all? Coordinated a set or anything showing technical ability? Where is all that in your portfolio?

I'm not applying to drafting school, I'm applying to design school. I work on CD's and RFP's every day at work and have been doing it since before I graduated from undergrad. This is my undergraduate work applying to an M.Arch program, in case you're confused, Alina. I don't understand how you get banned and then come back and act the same way expecting a different outcome. By the way, still waiting for your critique because I said that you'd look like a fool if you didn't provide one and well...

Drafting school? Do you understand what technical ability stands for? But you want to be a designer, right? You must be one of these dreamer kids who think they can make it into Yale (Norman Foster's alma matter) with a subpar portfolio of polished bullshit reviewed by a bunch of random people on the Internet. Once you get your results make sure you post the rejection letters on here as well. It will make a valuable lesson for the young folks.

That's where you're wrong, I don't think I can make it into Yale. If you could actually comprehend what you read, you would see that I already said that above. You think the only place I came to for advice was Archinect? No, it's called diversifying. If I only relied on my mentors and peers in real life I would only be getting a tiny slice of opinion with hardly a diverse outlook. I think the most valuable lesson here is to not listen to your dumbass lol

And why are you talking about Norman Foster? What does that have to do with anything?

It's evident that you can't handle criticism, which is a key skill for any good architect. I won't say anything else. Just post your results in 6 months time and we'll have another chat.

Apkouv is just being a wanker. While your folio is not stellar, the layout decision show you understand basics of design. Certainly needs more refinement, many images are too small and/or generic and I'd love to see more concept sketches instead of mediocre 3D models.

I am a wanker because I refuse to praise mediocrity?? I think you have certainly hit the bottom of the barrel with this comment. What happened to high standards?

my standards are higher than yours. thanks for stopping by.

Apkouv I never asked for praise, I asked for advice. Your “advice” is dickish and unhelpful

Thanks Non - I’ll work on that

Archlandia, there's nothing to work on. If any school admits you it will be because they want your money. No other reason. That's the harsh truth. Non Sequitur, speaking of high standards, it is obvious what your standards are when you randomly call other people wankers like that.

Happy you're come around and recognized your flaws Ap.

Go away troll.

I’ve never trolled anyone.

Great, thanks for taking a look at it. Those cycling plans are next on my list now; I pulled them from an unfinished Rhino model. I'll mess with the order of the projects some more too. I appreciate it!

It's hard to receive precise feedback on this forum. Especially since most peoples first impulse is to demean or criticize your post. Most architects are especially conservative.

With that being said, here are some comments that I hope could help you in your journey towards grad school:

ugh i just typed a long list and somehow it didn't send. I will retype this evening.

I was hoping it would read as dramatic, but none of that matters if it's hard to even see what it is.. I'll lighten that up, thank you!

So I placed more graphically interesting things representing the project on the title pages just now, and it does read much better. I used the images from what is already existing in the portfolio though. I think I will need to produce an additional image for each project that I can use so I don't just duplicate the "final image" that I've chosen. I thought I would try something different with the sketches, but this way does look much better. Good call, and thanks!

Yeah I took them down while I work on it a lot more. I will repost it this weekend, or next week at the latest, for round two (*round three?)

https://issuu.com/reedportland/docs/m.arch_draft_portfolio_2020 Here is the most recent version

​Ha! A tanning bed...ouch! I can't do much to change that now but I'll take it as a learning opportunity. Text critiques noted, I'll take a look at cutting a lot of it out. I was hoping it would present more like an editorial which is why I had so much text in there in the first place, but another learning moment. I've always heard the opposite about people applying after taking a few years to practice, I didn't know that people may see that negatively. Why would that be a negative?

Yes, lot of admissions people do think more highly of someone who has taken a year or two between undergrad and grad school to work in some firms and make sure that architecture is really what they want to do. But a year or two spent growing up and getting your head straight is a little different than a decade and a real career. It's not that they don't like people who have done the latter - some of those people do get admitted, and often make great students. But there can be some concerns. I'm just saying maybe leave it a little harder to do the math.

Ah I see what you’re saying. Yeah I’ll just take the year off of the sculptures for sure because I did those before I even went to undergrad. I graduated from undergrad in 2016. Also the budgets and other info you mentioned, I’ll take that stuff out too.

I think you're definitely right about the some of the drawings being too dark. Thanks for taking a look and giving your feedback, I appreciate it!

Removed again until I submit. I'll definitely post it in your M.Arch decisions thread after I submit it

Sounds good, good luck with your apps! If you have got some time I posted mine for some feedback as well :) cheers

I'll give you some feedback on it later today. Thanks, you too!

all the best to u!! Dont give up :)

UPenn or Penn State?

I think he applied to but not accepted yet...

This seems very strange. Penn has an acceptance rate of 7.44%, with a 3.9 GPA requirement. The OP had a 2.54 from Portland State University. I know people with 3.7, stellar portfolios and work experience at starchitects being rejected. I have also met Penn scholars and reviewed their work, which was of significantly higher calibre than what we have seen on this thread. Perhaps you could enlighten me as to why Penn has lowered the bar in this case? But, let's not forget that this was the OP's claim and not necessarily the truth. #Varsity Blues.

i see

Ap, perhaps you should've known better if you really knew Penn so well. Yes Penn is a great school but no, Penn's architecture program does not have an acceptance rate of 7.44%, nor a ridiculous 3.9 GPA requirement. The people whom you know who got rejected with a supposedly 3.7 GPA and a stellar portfolio/work experiences probably suck so bad that they couldn't even get in with these backgrounds. Not sure why you are being so hostile. OP is going to Penn and they gave him a bunch of money too.

OP got into 5 of 7 schools and committed to UPenn with a 75% tuition scholarship