totally feel you on this. I was so excited to visit the schools, and tour the facilities first hand. I feel like it is going to be so difficult to make a decision without ever seeing the campus. (

Two day event*

I have not heard anything from Columbia yet, nor from MIT.

I don't believe so but if anyone received emails please let us know!

@csss same boat. Good luck to you!

I was going to post if anyone else hadn't received any news from MIT, but I figured I just missed something!

Just heard from GSAPP 10 min ago (March 13 '20). I'm in! Wondering if anyone else's fin aid was included in acceptance or is that a separate letter?

@csss congratulations! That’s great

Me too! no there was nothing in there... was wondering if I got any FA at all...

FA is was not included in a separate letter and i was accepted to gsapp over a week ago. I'm assuming nothing was awarded.

ain't got nothing with my acceptance letter as well. happy to have gotten in but I don't know if I can afford almost 100k a year.

Any news from MIT yet?

March 19th: MIT results where you at? call me....

It’s in the supplemental information. It helps to look at it on a computer. I didn’t see it at first on my phone

Thank you ! Under the check list? All I see is the congratulations, transcript, and GRE info :/

Yes in the checklist with a little download button under supplemental. You have to download the pdf.

Did anyone here get more than 25k in aid, not including loans?

At UPenn specifically I mean

They offered me $35,000

Michael is that per year?

Yeah per year, provided I maintain full-time and academic good standing.

Wow they hooked you up. I didn’t even get close to that. Nice work

Yeah it's kinda crazy, much more than Pratt or Temple gave me by a longshot. I still haven't even heard a yes or no from Penn State tho. What's the school that gave you the most?

Pratt did, I got the same as you at Pratt. Haven’t heard from SCI-Arc yet though either

First off, congrats!! Nice to meet someone my age, changing careers. Love how multi media you portfolios is. (Secondly, kicking myself for not applying to Cornell. Looks like an incredible program. And arguably the best in the nation)

Regarding school visits, I’ve been super fortunate to have visited most of my top choices in advance. That said, RPI offered me a Video conference with the head of the department. It’ll be nice to pick his brain about the program, maybe get him to walk me through the facilities on an iPhone or something but I worry it will be insufficient to make a legit, educated decision. I mean, RPI is in a small town in upstate New York, a facet that intrigues me, but a place I’ve never been. Any chance you’ve been up to Troy, NY and could enlighten me a bit, knowing you’ve lived not far away in Ithaca?

Regarding SCI-Arc, I also just got admitted this week. Pretty exciting! I live here in LA, so I was able to visit in January and posted some commentary on it, if you wanna check out the first page of this thread, I gave a pretty detailed review. Someone asked me for cons and I listed them beneath as a reply.

The more I learn about SCI-Arc though, I do grow a bit more concerned. At the end of the day, it is a for-profit institution, it is as much a business as it is a
college. But lacks the history and pedigree of a Cornell or a USC. (Not that that should be held against them. I think it’s actually the point. They take a maverick approach to architecture which might suit you considering you spent 8 years in academia already). They are extremely heavy on theory and don’t seem remotely interested in pragmatics, (I could be wrong) which is cool if that’s what you want. Pros.: It’s in a dope spot here in LA. Stellar fabrication facilities — beyond what I saw anywhere else (perhaps tied with Woodbury, who’s facilities were next level). Amazing staff! They made me really want to be part of the family. (didn’t meet any teaching faculty and only met one student. He was cool, a total artist). The building is pretty damn cool too.

I’ve emailed admissions to see if I can come by this week or next and visit while studio is in session to get a sense of culture, if they haven’t shut down due to COVID-19 yet. (I hear it gets really loud. I’ve seen that mentioned in several threads. Makes sense as it’s a massive concrete building with a super open concept. F*ck’n cool space if you ask me.)

If I’m able to visit again, I’ll DM you more info including some pics I took while I was there in Jan.

Hey,

Hey,

SCI-Arc is located downtown LA, and literally right downtown. Only a few other schools in major cities can compete with that, like SAIC, Parsons, MIT, UPenn. So location wise it has advantages over Cornell, because Ithaca is in the mountain. If you really care about summer internships and jobs, SCI-Arc would be the place to go. You won't have to worry about moving to another city, but downtown LA is going to be pricy. (Upstate NY is not cheap either, if rent in NYC is $2000, Upstate will be around $1000). SCI-Arc styles is the most obvious and distinct among all architecture schools. Just look at their website, and you will know what I mean. In recent years, Penn Design trying to catch up with the digital style and hired a bunch of young professors as well. But in term of artistic freedom, SCI-Arc did it the best. They really caught up with the wave of digital architecture and pushed the boundary in the past 5 years. They never raised any huge big-name architects because they were only established in the 70s and their thriving comes with the digital age, but the same to Cornell. Most students at SCI-Arc stay in LA during or after graduation and work for rich people in Hollywood. You can check out some people on Linkedin to have a general sense. Cornell is generally an engineering school so I guess it will be more technical than SCI-Arc.

SCI-Arc is huge, (or skinny?). It felt like walking 5 blocks to walk from one end to another. Cornell Arch is pretty big too. But I felt the overall size, SCI-Arc is much bigger than GSD, YSoA, and Cornell. But again, SCI-Arc doesn't have anything, no gym, no dining hall, no dorms, which is also a reason that they have low ranking. If you want a safe shell campus feeling, obviously Cornell will be the place to go. The living environment at SCI-Arc would be like pushing you to be a jaded New Yorker, or in this case LA(ker?). It will be harsh for less mature students. But that also explains how people graduate and can adapt to the LA designer circles or be able to deal with those Hollywood and Malibu upper-class clients so fast. LA is going to be hot in summer, and Ithaca is going to be freezing in winter. If you like waterfalls, Cornell is the place to go. I can't believe you got waitlisted from MIT, your portfolio is just perfect for MIT. Anyway, good luck with MIT and Princeton too .

Thanks for all the info guys! And, yes, Imnoc1, that was me at the GSD open house (though I timed out and lost access to the rest of the Architectural Imagination course - have to decide whether to pay $100 to finish it now...)

Good to see there are other career change people out there as well JoeyTheGiant! I read through your post and am really interested in what your portfolio is like - how did you integrate your music? Also, I was seriously thinking about RPI as well (the strength in lighting, acoustics, and environmental aligns really well with my background and interests), but I didn't end up visiting. It sounds like they would be pretty similar to Cornell - a bit isolated, but pretty, and students do one semester at an NYC campus to make up for the lack of urban exposure.

And archi_gram, you bring up some good points about having a lot more available at Cornell (I talked on the phone to Anna Neimark from SCI-Arc about the fact that SCI-Arc won't offer ancilliary classes, such as psychology, pure art history, etc., but hadn't thought about the lack of other support facilities). I definitely see value in the challenge that SCI-Arc presents, and value in the support that Cornell offers. It is quite the philosophical merry-go-round I find myself on trying to compare the two!

I also want to confirm for anyone else considering Cornell, when I left there in 2013, I was renting one room in a 2bd 2.5ba townhouse (with central air and AC, and a gas fireplace) for $675, so you can find much cheaper places, but they will go up exponentially the closer you get to campus/collegetown. There is an amazingly good bus system though (best I've seen outside of a major metro city. Scratch that, better than most bus systems I've seen in cities...). Also, for foodies, there is excellent food there (Maxxie's is amazing Cajun with the best shrimp and grits I've ever had, there are at least 3 fantastic Thai places, and I was never able to find the same combination of cheap and good Korean food in Boston). Having a car helps you feel more in control of your level of isolation in my opinion, but we're probably going to be spending every waking (and some sleeping) hours in studio anyway, right?

Hey @Archineer, I'll email my portfolio to you directly as it is super personal and I consider parts of it confidential in nature. (Some of the songs I included have yet to be released.) Basically it came down to how I presented my song lyrics visually and presented info about them: How they were used commercially, cover art, film and TV credits, global Ad campaigns and Film festival etc... Depending on the school, I also included links to my music and/or video content... [Gotta give credit to SCI-Arc who really encouraged me on the tour that they look for people like me who come from other creative fields, especially here in Hollywood. They also gave me a few pointers on the portfolio itself. – Regarding RPI, as a performer here in LA who's worked in recording studios and been on every major stage in town, I too was drawn to the notion of studying the acoustical and lighting aspects of architecture and perhaps discovering ways to bring in my live-show and music experience into architectural design. Guided research in that area could be incredible! However, I plan to do that no matter where I end up.

A few last thoughts about SCI-Arc and LA in general and I promise I'll shut up: 1) @Archi_gram raises some fantastic points. Downtown LA (DTLA) is super urban and now quite expensive to live in, which was not at all the case 13 years ago when I first moved here. They're trying to make it like a little Manhattan, which is AWESOME but has priced-out people who used to move there to live cheaply. It is amazing to see all the construction; some amazing projects are coming up all over DTLA. Don't be fooled though, the homeless crisis here in LA and throughout California is getting out of hand. Tent communities are popping up all over the city but especially in DTLA. It's sad, deplorable and disgusting, both morally and hygienically. Economic disparity here in Cali is on full display, where shanty-town squatter camps are set against multimillion-dollar high-rises. But there are plenty of areas here in town that you can live that are not to long of a commute from campus. In fact you could find a place in North Hollywood (NOHO- aka the NOHO Arts District) and just hop on the subway (Red Line), which I'm told is where lots of SCI-arc students live.... 2) It does get hot here, especially up in the valley and in DTLA, but not too crazy hot and certainly not humid; very rarely at least. We get our hottest days actually during the fall, what we call "Indian Summer", from late September to Mid October when temperatures will soar well up to 110ºF (50ºC) which is fine if you have AC, but it's common to find places in LA that DO NOT have AC. But throughout the year the weather is lovely and mild. This week has been, cool, rainy and cozy. 3) A huge pro, SCI-Arc grads are known to nail high-paying tech jobs for huge companies like Google, Amazon etc. Word on the street is tech companies love to hire arch grads in general due to our interdisciplinary creative and technical skills, but they really love SCI-Arc graduates in particular. SCI-Arc also feeds seamlessly into the entertainment and gaming industries where there is a TON of money to be made. (SCI-Arc just launched their MS in Fiction and Entertainment with emphasis on animation and story-boarding and narrative. Crazy!!) Where SCI-Arch may be lacking in pragmatics and practical application toward practicing "traditional" architecture, there may be some major benefits for working in other fields once you graduate. And as Archi_gram mentioned, the connection to Architecture firms and job opportunities here in LA are endless. This city is really experiencing an economic and architectural boom, which is why I may likely stay here to study after all. So much is happening with the built environment now - lots of fearless experimentation. 4) One last MAJOR thing to consider, as I mentioned above, SCI-Arc is a FOR-PROFIT institution, and if you plan to apply for any outside fellowships or scholarship opportunities, many funding programs will only consider applicants studying at non-profit institutions.... Okay, I'm done ;)

I’m not an applicant (just find it oddly interesting to follow the conversation) but I live in the Troy area and thought I may be able to share some insights as someone who is not from NY. Troy is actually not as isolated as Ithaca by a long shot. Yes it’s upstate NY but on the eastern side of the state (Ithaca is central NY about 4 hours west of here) but Troy is 2.5 hours from NYC by train and about 3 hours from Boston by car. It’s centrally located if you need/want to get out of town for a weekend or visit friends. The city has really put money into developing downtown Troy; there are new bars and restaurants opening all the time. There is a sizable farmers market on the weekends, and a first Friday arts program. Troy is actually part of a larger surrounding area of cities so just because something isn’t here, doesn’t mean you won’t find it in the larger Albany area. The rent in Troy varies depending on where you are but I’d say $800-$1000 is on the fair side for a 1 bedroom apartment. There is an ample bus system that serves the Albany-Troy area; quite a few people do not even own a car which helps in the winter. The winters here are milder than Boston or even Ithaca, which still gets lake effect snow. In terms of RPI, I can’t speak to that as much since I did not go there but the grads seem capable, knowledgeable, and excited to work. You’re better off speaking with current students/alumni on that front. Hope this helps!

@thatsthat Poughkeepsie here. $1k is pretty average, it could range from $700 - $1500 around colleges, not even downtown. However, rent is not that much compare with Tuition, Cornell is $10,000 more on tuition than SCI-Arc, but still cheaper than GSAPP .

@imnoc1 I tried the link, but at least for now it is still grayed out and showing me only an option to upgrade to verified. Thanks for sending it though, it was worth a shot!

Hi, so actually i have a few friends that went to sci-arc and here are some of their insights on it. regarding location its great but it can feel a bit dangerous at night. especially if you are alone walking home at 3 am after studio. my friend who is a girl said she felt super unsafe being alone. that being said, she did really well at sci-arc and worked at major firms such as MAD, UN Studio and Eric Owen Moss. but she graduated from the undergrad. for m arch 1, my other friend said she was having a bit of trouble getting a good position/offer from the major architecture firms because lots of firms see Sci-Arc as a school that only does a lot of computational design and so they ask her for technical skills mainly... Hope this is insightful for you, if not just ignore this comment haha

another thing about the scholarship, i also received full tuition at sci arc and felt very nervous about maintaining a 3.7 gpa but my friend assured me that grades are very easy to maintain at sci-arc, all you have to do is show up to the classes basically.

she was also there on full tuition scholarship

@JoeyTheGiant Sent you an email, thanks for sharing that! I can't wait to see what you did. You raise some good additional points about LA, especially the last one about how funding/grant opportunities are gonna be unavailable due to SCI-Arc being for-profit. The homelessness situation sounds awful (deplorable was a good word choice), but also like something that is good for architects to be forced to contend with? Though it sucks that rent is so high, I feel like its an advantage to face the issues rather than avoid them. And dry heat would be an interesting change from all the super humid PA and NY summers I'm used to!

Also, @thatsthat makes a good point about Troy not being nearly as isolated as Cornell (but I will also say, Cornell does not actually get lake-effect snow, sadly. I like snow. Ithaca is at the southern tip of Lake Cayuga, and since the jet-stream blows west to east, all the snow hits just north of Ithaca. Sometimes you can drive just 15mins north into Lansing and 2in. of snow will turn into 1 foot...)

@faiths.pang Thanks for the info! I hadn't thought about the safety concerns, but with studio that is a good point. In terms of the scholarship, I have to admit, being a self-admitted nerd, I haven't been too worried about the 3.7 GPA requirement. What has me more concerned is the additional requirement that you have to be in the top 10% of the class as well to apply for the continuing student scholarship. I assume that is top 10% GPA wise?

Thanks @thatsthat! Some great insights. Yes, I love that Troy. Is under three hours from Boston, NYC and Montreal. I speak french, so that could be fun. I love cold weather btw. Hoping things settle down in the next 4 weeks so I can at least see the town with my own eyes. Having said that I’m leaning hard toward staying here in LA. We’ll see...

@faiths.pang are you sure their gpa requirement is 3.7? That sounds abnormal unless they just gave out As to everyone. Is this out of a 4 or a 5?

yes, the gpa req is 3.7. From what I understand, you just need to make sure you do really really well in studio. The other classes are really easy. My friend said that she almost failed a class and still maintained the gpa requirement. Not sure about the top 10% situation but I expect that is also being adjusted based on end of the year portfolio reviews, grades in studio are of course extremely important.

Yup, emailed and asked about the top 10% thing - at the end of each year you have to resubmit your portfolio along with a recommendation letter from a faculty member, and this along with your GPA is considered for the continuing student scholarship. Not quite as bad as it seems since SCI-Arc requires all students to continuously maintain their portfolios, but more work than all the other schools. Though I have to admit, I kind of admire them for not completely basing their financial aid on what a student looks like before they even start.

@TheArchineer where did you decide to go? if you are going to Conell, see you in August

Haven't checked-in in a while, but to answer your question, I got a (very) last minute offer to Princeton, and ended up going there - you can't really beat graduating debt-free from a fantastic school. I am sometimes still a little sad not to be going to Cornell though! There's some awesome work going on there.

Get nothing from all the school accept me. Should I write an email to their FA office?

@ILYS just be as respectful and diplomatic as possible. Let them know they’re you’re top choice and you really would like to study there. Make every effort to sound humble and not at all entitled to anything. @vialee, not the FA office — if it’s an appeal, it really needs to be made to the admissions committee of the architecture school/program and/or the overall graduate division of the university. Also be suuuuuper patient coz they’re overwhelmed right now.

@JoeyTheGiant Thank you! I think I'll try to be honest and respectful... @vialee I think most of the admission letters come with contact info including FA so make sure to check those! I also got instructions from the professor who called me

I emailed them this week requesting an application status; according to them, they have been busy with planning meetings due to moving all courses to online, and they expect to have all results posted and updated to applicants by next week. Wish you best

Thanks a lot for the info! I DM'd them last week and they told me it would come out this week...guess that's not happening anymore haha

what program? I thought their results come out a while ago

M.Arch

I will confirm that I already got my acceptance letter, but if the office says they are still sending out letters, trust that.

Yeah Cornell already sent some offers but mostly to domestic students and with aids. The rest I believe will come out this coming week, as mentioned above.

Yes, my acceptance letter was with aid, so that confirms @juju1992

I am sad that I didn't get into Yale, which would have been my top top choice. While it's true that GSAPP is ranked slightly higher... I would go to Yale if I were you, but ultimately it comes down to what you prefer when you take everything into consideration. 

Hi, I'm in a similar situation! Now I'm leaning towards Rice for its financial award and size of its program. I think it comes down to what aspects you're looking for in architecture grad school? All are excellent programs but each offers different strengths. Yale and Columbia offer a wide range of courses and have amazing faculties; Columbia offers a better location and has more of an emphasis on digital production (?) than Yale. On the other hand, it sounds like Rice's education is more aware of "building" and practicality (?). The size of its program might be hinting that there will be more resource for each student. By offering the first year building project, Yale is probably the most well rounded here (in my opinion). haha I haven't been to any of these schools so I'm quite confused as well... but I do think that all these programs can pave the path to either academia or practicing.

thanks for the advice, i think i will probably go with yale. hoping to hear from them about financial aid soon though. trying to figure out how i can leverage my scholarship from other schools for yale

hey faith & yangtian, I'm also strongly considering Rice (other options are Cornell & Columbia). I'm worried about not having an open house to meet any classmates in advance. Since it's such a tiny program, it would be nice to know who we'll be spending all our time with for the next few years. If either/both of you want to chat here or off-line, let me know!

Hey, I'm currently at Rice, as far as the classmates go, I couldn't be happier with the crew I've got, really lovely people and I feel super close with my classmates. Just about everyone in the school is a joy to interact with, from faculty to staff to students. While I can't say what the new admits are like, it seems to attract a pretty friendly type, so if that is important to you, you can count on a good atmosphere in the school. That was the thing that sold me at the open house, I half-thought they had bribed the students to be extra friendly, but after showing up they just actually were that friendly all the time. Let me know if you have any questions or want to talk about anything .

@placemaker sure lets chat. idk how to chat on this thing though haha. you can also just add me on ig -- faithfull_aesthetics

why not both? You should be proud with all the schools that you got in

Yes

I got waitlisted for computation. what did you guys apply for and hear?

Architecture

applied for Architecture. I am hearing a lot of people got phone calls...is that the only way they send out the decisions?

accepted = phone call, waitlist = email, rejected = email. what did you get?

haven't heard in any form...and application still says pending decision

Congratulations! I am really impressed by your works. I think you deserves the prestigious school with full ride. Hope I can see your coming works through grad school's platforms.

Thank you

Friggin awesome! Well done, and thanks for being super detailed and speaking to the next generation. Next year’s applicants will be better off because of it.

Did all that and still got friend zoned by the GSD, and I have no idea why!

Hey - congrats and good advice for future applicant! Was just wondering why did you only take 2K in loan from Harvard from the 12 K (I think) they give - is that all you needed?

Hi ctrl_z, I was stating everything the school offered. GSD offered me a full tuition (~54k) with an additional loan of 20k per year for living stipend. I will take the full tuition but not the loan because I don't need it. Sorry the loan was actually 20k per year, my bad!

Congratulations on all of your acceptances. Did you hear from MIT yesterday?

Awesome work! Your portfolio is seriously cool. I also wanted to say that I agree with your comments on rigor/quantity of work/showing process, and looking back at my portfolio, I wish I had realized that sooner! Good helpful comments, thanks :D

Hi esher3, I heard MIT from way back. On 24th I got a phone call from MIT. I get to know my scholarship info at the end of the week. Thanks!

Wow great portfolio and congrats on your hard work!

Ah, I see @autofireunit! I just noticed youUS

Ah, I see @autofireunit! I just noticed youUS

Sorry, my mistake ^ just noticed you’re from the US. The international loan is only 12k ;(

Just got notified I've received an advanced standing from GSAPP, from a 3.0 to a 2.0 program

Beautiful portfolio! Congratulations :) Which school are you planning on choosing?

Hi bessie2b, most likely GSD because I can graduate a year early!

Awesome work! Congrats on all your acceptances

Don’t think so. For Sci-Arc I heard back two weeks after others. And about a week after some people for UCLA. Don’t overthink it just yet.

As euphemistic as I would have liked to put it, the answer is likely yes if you don't receive an email on Monday. GSAPP seems to have a tradition of sending out decisions in waves, firstly the offers, and about a couple days later waitlists, then finally rejections. Don't be bothered much tho, seems like you already have very decent offers in your hands!

Hi if you decided to go to Cornell, I have a place with a perfect location, located on campus right next to AAP, less than 10 minutes walk to the architecture building. Too bad I signed my lease too early because the place is just perfect, the room is huge, but now I got accepted by a better school. If you are interested, you can email me at limunan96@gmail.com

Not yet...

Seems like a lot of acceptances happened at the end of February via phone-call. I wonder if that was the format for all acceptances or if there is still a chance for another wave of decisions to be sent out.

I heard by email from them Feb 27th that I was on the waitlist.

me neither. the way I understand it, some students are relatively easy decisions (in or out), and some students they have to ponder over more. Also, they split up applicants to multiple subcommittees, so maybe for some reason some of the subcommittees made their decisions quickly and others are more slow. I do not think it's all rejects from this point forward, as it would have been really easy to just notify us of rejection.

Good to know. Thanks for the intel. I am hoping for an email to be sent today or tomorrow. Good luck to everyone!

Congrats! :) I applied a month ago, but I have a feeling I'll be waiting for their response for a long time... Hope to join your boat soon (fingers crossed!), but you can DM me anyway if you don't mind listening to an uptight stranger with low self esteem (didn't even have the guts to join this really nice thread, jeez)

thank you, and best of luck! as for the DM -- I would, but I've no clue how to haha. ping me instead?

No idea what's ping (am I old?), but I think I've sent you an email (the one you're using here)?

I just replied to it! see you on the other side :)

Congrats! That's a top 5 school in the world

I've been accepted into TU Delft's Architecture track as well.

sbavtnmvrdv is that you simeon

Europe here - Pretty worried tbh; I don’t see how the visa interview will even take place if everything is on lockdown. I trust they will work something out - even if we start a bit
later in the fall. Till then stay safe everyone x

No, China already made through the worst peak and their Shanghai Embassy was not closed during the time, so I don't see there is anything to worry about for getting a visa. If you are worried about the travel ban, unless the government extends the ban for another 4 months, which is very unlikely because us now have more cases than most other countries and the economy is crashing, they need foreign capitals, so I don't see why you should worry about flying here. But if you have Coronavirus, yes, you should be worried, you will lose your chance of getting a visa.

President Trump just said they’re expecting this to be over by July or August so we should be fine.

Not to spoil your party, but I must say, anyone who think this virus is going to be over by July or August is not being realistic.

Not to spoil your party, but I must say, anyone who think this virus is going to be over by July or August is not being realistic.

CBS news just interviewed a Harvard professor who thinks 40-70% of the population will be infected. Until a vaccine is available (6 months testing + 3 months production, that’s 9 months best case scenario), it’s really not safe. The problem with this virus is you don’t know who is a carrier. There could be many people who are not sick or not yet has symptom but is a carrier. Please take this virus serious

Not an international student, but I am curious about how this will affect the next academic year, both for regular classes and studios, and for international travel for studios, biennales, etc. I think there is a good possibility of a second (or maybe by that point, third) wave of coronavirus hitting next fall based on both the COVID-19 reaction to sunlight/warmer climates, and the psychological response of large groups to maintaining selfless behavior in the light of declining risk (as COVID outbreaks would slow down). Maybe for our first studio projects we can design and build our own anti-contagion suits? :D

afaik some schools are sticking to their no deferral policy. You should contact each school specifically. However, with very low interest rates now is probably a better time to secure a student loan.

You need to make sure that you are allowed to do that. Have you called them and asked?

As the others have said, I don't think those schools will allow you to defer, so you'll probably have to reapply if you wait. I think you're right to worry about the economy, and if you have a good, secure job now and a flexible timeline for school, no reason not to wait, though you might want to wait two years instead of one. That being said, since most recessions are

I don't know why archinect wont let me finish that comment. Most recessions are shorter than two years, so grad programs are a good place to wait out the storm. BUT if things continue to go south, next year's applicant pool is likely to be more competitive (laid-off workers and unemployed recent grads applying to school because they can't find work). No guarantee of getting back in.

Well said all of above. Our timing could not have been more fortunate!

Yup, I did a previous graduate degree starting in Fall 2008, right as the last recession hit. Apparently the competition the next year was crazy, even in a field as stable as engineering. I can't imagine what it would be like in architecture, where jobs depend on the economy to be building...

Sorry, but there is almost no question here. The architecture department at Pratt is trash, even their acceptance letters went into people's spam. If you did not apply for Pratt but somehow got on their email list, they have been extending their deadline for almost 10 times this application season. They have been really desperate in recent years. Their faculty resources are horrible. They discourage any creative endeavor, which supposedly led to multiple student suicide incidences in the department in recent years. Just have a look at their website, Pratt's motto is detaching from technology, from creative designs, from the digital age and stick to the boring status quo. There is another thread on this forum from an alumnus that tells this Pratt messy story even better.

As far as career prospects go, neither school is known for having the best career outlooks, tho Pratt is located in NY and I think that should mean more opportunities. But I can second part of what archi_gram said, I would go to Sci-Arc for an overall better education if I were in your position. If you enjoy what they are doing, that is

I mean I wouldn't say sci arc isn't known for having career prospects.. Like I mentioned in the thread before, I have several friends from Sci-Arc that have worked for Gehry, Eric Owen Moss, UN Studio, MAD etc. Although many of their students do end up working in the gaming industry or in Hollywood at some point, those who have the drive and talent will be able to find a great job afterwards. I would probably say Sci-Arc has better connections with these firms. As you know there are many starchitect faculty members at Sci-Arc.

Of course, I completely agree, but I just meant that neither Pratt or sciarc is known for having the best career prospects, comparing to some other schools.

Thanks a lot! I really appreciate this! I didnt really know anything about Pratt, so this is actually helpful. I am probably gonna put down my deposit for Sci Arc while waiting to get off GSAPP's waitlist.

ArtichokeIsBae you have more time before you have to pay that very steep SCI-Arc deposit, I’d wait if I were you. At least another week or so!

From what I understand, both GSAPP and Penn do parametric and digital design. GSAPP seems to focus muchhhh more on representation and visualisation though. I don't know too much about Penn programme other than the fact that if you want to do computational design, it is one of the most highly regarded programmes. 

I think the programme at GSAPP is very high in numbers but provide very little space. I've also heard that the programme is "not as it seems" on their website..which is unfortunate because looking at their website, GSAPP seems super cool.

Chuck, I know nothing about either but I’m gonna try to put you in touch with a friend of mine who’s doing his B.Arch at Penn and also just got into the M.Arch. But has his reservations about it. Strong reservations

I will say GSAPP since most of my friends who are in your position chose GSAPP over Penn in a heartbeat. Does any provide you with any advanced placement or scholarship?

Thanks Joey, that would be awesome!
Autofireunit, no unfortunately not :( but thanks for your input!

If you find out what those reservations are, could you please share them?

Will do, Joey - shoot me a PM whenever you have any updates, really eager to learning more about his reservations :)

Same story. How did u manage to get more funding from rice?

I just emailed their graduate coordinator last year explaining why finances were so important for me and respectfully asking for more. They didn't send me a revised offer until the day decisions were due, which made me panic-accept last year even though I pretty much already knew I wanted to wait a year. Thankfully they gave me the same offer I eventually turned down last year. How did things go for you this time?

Have you decided on where to go?


Also could you possibly go in a bit more details on the facilities at GSAPP and your experiences while being there? I am leaning towards going there and won't be able to go in person to check it out due to the recent mess, so any info would be very much appreciated!

Got rejected from yale/gad/mit last year but got accepted to GSAPP with the maximum scholarship. Applied again this year and got the same results but gsapp cut my scholraship to half and i dont know how to ask for more or ask why

@chuck, I am very heavily leaning towards Rice. I think Cornell would be a better fit for me from a research and resources angle, but I don't think that benefit outweighs the huge cost of the degree. Rice is a great program and their course offerings align really well with my interests, even if I would have to be more self-directed in any research pursuits. That said, I plan on attending all the virtual open houses before making any decisions. Open houses played a huge part in my decision-making last year and it really is a shame we won't have them this year.

re: GSAPP facilities, they're just incredibly restricted in how they can renovate/improve because of the building's tiny footprint, so they're ages behind other schools. The studio spaces are extremely cramped, although they are at least bright with lots of windows. And it's great that they provide computers. But the classrooms are also extremely small, and a lot of them are in the basement with no windows and have miserable fluorescent lights. I didn't spend any time in the shop other than the orientation, but it seemed ok at best . I imagine it gets extremely cramped at crunch time though.

So curious why you decided to wait a year? Rice is a stellar program. And they clearly WANT you there. So important to go to a school that really wants you as much as you want them. It’s like a relationship. They see something in your application that resonates with their program!

@Unicorns I feel for you. Getting a worse response from last year at Yale really punched me in the gut. I think maybe they didn't appreciate me turning them down last year? For you with GSAPP, I think that explaining why you reapplied will probably help your case however you do ask for funding. You could potentially tell them that you thought of your decision last year as deferring rather than declining since official deferral wasn't an option. I don't know how true that is for you, but it's something I wrote in my essays because it was how I was approaching it in many ways.

@Joey there were a lot of factors in my decision and a lot of them had nothing to do with the schools (bad timing at work, financial concerns, family health issues). Honestly, one of the main issues with Rice last year was that their first offer didn't have enough aid for it to be a very serious option for me, so I didn't get to think about that program realistically until the very last second. I also had to miss their open house due to a work obligation so I hadn't met any of my future cohort, which seemed really important for such a small program (not that I'll get to meet them this year either...). But now that all I've had basically a year to imagine a debt-free degree from Rice I'm pretty pumped about it!

Rice is a great school and I am sure you will get a great education out of it if you decide to attend. & Thanks for your insights on GSAPP, I am really having a headache trying to decide between GSAPP and Penn, both are great schools but vastly different. Like you said, for GSAPP I am mainly concerned about the small campus, the cramped studio space, and just the overall stress of living in NY. But I guess every school has it's pros and cons...

Congrats on your almost full ride at Rice. Cornell and Columbia are the top 2 most expensive programs among all universities over the world.

just wanted to bash on GSAPP for a second... seems like a cool program but I was recently admitted and didnt receive a penny in aid...thats obviously largely on me for not being a top applicant...but why bother admitting someone with a 65K price tag attached?? tone deaf and gross! you will probably be with a bunch of rich people or folks stressed tf out about wicked student loans. and NYC rent? "$$$$$$ or byeeeeee!" like a kid born into a SOHO loft would say

Hi if you decided to go to Cornell, I have a place with a perfect location, located on campus right next to AAP, less than 10 minutes walk to the architecture building. Too bad I signed my lease too early because the place is just perfect, the room is huge, and the rent is only $800 which is a steal if you compare with other listings on Facebook, but too bad I just got accepted by a better school. If you are interested, you can email me at limunan96@gmail.com

@placemaker where did you decide to go? If you are going to Conell, see you in August

Nah, as much as I like the Cornell program, it wasn't worth passing up a full ride. I'm heading to Rice :) Enjoy Cornell!

Accepted*

I too am stuck in the same boat!

How are you planning on deciding? I am so lost!

Hi, poodlepalace52 and Andie T, I am currently an MArch student, 2nd semester at UT. With the Covid-19 virus messing up scheduled plans, there will be a virtual open house soon for admitted students to get to know UTSOA (hopefully that might help you both). I got my BS Architecture from The Ohio State University in 2019. I also struggled with making a decision on grad schools, but I chose UT for many reasons. Austin is a great, growing city with wonderful weather and culture. UTSOA has a lot of history but is always forward thinking and is flexible to your needs. Traveling is very common in this program as is career development opportunities. UTSOA's career fair that just happened last month had over 100 firms attend from across the country. Major firms like SOM attended. This is made possible because UTSOA is not singularly focused on just their current students and professors, but is also focused on making connections with successful firms and architects and previous students. The academic community is quite unlike anything I've experienced before. My favorite part about UT is the fact that it remains unpretentious yet has garnered many accolades. -> The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture (UTSOA) ranked the No. 1 “Most Hired From” architecture program by DesignIntelligence. 

I would be happy to help you with any further questions. 

I have a friend who works at un studio who went to IAAC in barcelona and he said that sci-arc is one of the few schools that have a huge focus on computational design. so lots of good things said about sci-arc from a professional in the field :)

I am. Hope it will come soon?

Hi esher3: I am still waiting for it too... Don’t know if it is because of the
COVID-19. Hopefully it will come out this week.

@vialee; my letter arrived today in the post and I’m international. However, I emailed them before asking about FA and they were very prompt to reply!

Oh! Well I'm quarantining elsewhere. Do you think it's only being delivered via mail?

I have only received it in the physical form, meanwhile my friends have received it digitally via email. I think it varies.

I received the physical copy with no FA info…… will email them today！

UPDATE： called them today and have been told they are working from home right now. They will send out all FA info by the end of next week!

just received my FA award today via email but there wasn't any federal loans to cover to remaining which im kinda confused about...also they said that they will follow up with a physical official copy of FA + acceptance letter later

hope u get $$ from yale so we can both go!!!

WashU is an amazing choice!! Arguably the best program on your list of "ins" , perhaps tied with Michigan. Congrats!!! How'd you like the LAIAD program?

congratulations on your acceptances!! I also got into UW but I haven't heard anything about financial aid. I was wondering if you heard anything about funding.

yup, I wrote it just under UW in my list :)
merit scholarships offered starting in second year I think it should be in your letter somewhere
BUT if you are in one of the “14 western states?” you could apply and attend with in state tuition?

oh my bad financial aid no

@JoeyTheGiant

LAIAD
The program was a good fit for me and I’d recommend it to anyone seriously interested in applying to March programs. Considering my background and since the school was already so close to where I was living, it was a much better deal than doing just a summer program else where.

I wouldn’t say it’s easy, but I feel like by the end of the first semester or maybe even as early as the end of the first week you will know whether this is something you really want to get into.

It was stressful, but I feel more prepared having learned some of the most basic. Since I haven’t actually started school I can’t say for sure, but I feel like it gave me a better look into what life might be like as an MArch student than a summer program might have.

Awesome!! Yeah I live near it as well, but didn’t find out about it until too late. It worked out as I still managed to get into all my schools but would’ve been nice to learn some of those skills before school starts this fall. Gonna try to do a summer program somewhere. Probably UCLA’s Jumpstart.

WOW Keen to see your folio mate

First off congrats, and thanks for sharing. Never too late. So What's the verdict? Where do you wanna end up? Looks like Yale makes the most sense.

@wuhuuu it has some stuff from my internship that is under NDA but would be happy to send it to ya privately-- idk if there are DMs here??

@JoeyTheGiant thank you so much!! I'm leaning towards GSD actually- I appreciate their program + ideology much more, will update you on the final decision :)

wow okay! I'll email you shortly

Hey Andie, congrats! Some big wins here. If you read through this thread from page one, we commented a ton on UCLA and SCI-Arc and a bit about USC. I'll DM you now

Thanks so much! I am so overwhelmed by the amount of posts in this thread! Definitely gonna take the time tomorrow to sit down and read through them thoroughly from page one. I am not familiar with this site, how do I see my DM's lol? I feel technologically inept right now.

Check your personal email associated with this account. It should be there.

Hi, Andie T! I commented on a previous post you were in, but will comment here as well.

I'm first year MArch at UTSOA, second semester. 

I would be happy to answer any of your questions about UTSOA! 

To fill in the gap with some juicy GSD stats: https://www.gsd.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/GSD-Factbook.pdf

I’m not sure where the poster in that article got their info, but I know for a fact that some of it is incorrect. The avg MArch class size at MIT is 25 and PhDs are even less, so I’m not sure where the 94 number came from. Not sure about the other schools. Maybe it’s outdated but don’t want to spread misinformation. Best thing you can do is go to open houses or contact schools you’re interested in to learn more about stats.

@ CSSS thanks for the GSD stats. lots of cool stuff there. @ap23, as mentioned, it's just interesting, I'm sure there must've been some level of accuracy at the time. Just killin quarantine time out here lol

Awesome! Congrats! Were u at Tulane open house? I Fell deeply in love with the place. Tough choices ahead!

Hi, minnetexan! I am currently an MArch student at UTSOA and would be happy to answer any of the questions that you might have about our school. I can't imagine how frustrating it is to not be able to attend open houses and explore prospective cities at this time. I chose UTSOA for so many reasons and I would be happy to share them with you!

Share what?

Tips? tricks? lessons? folio? whatever

I’d be happy to help. How can I contact you?

oh wow that's so nice of you! u can email me at my temporary address aril.badai@gmail.com thanks mate

Time off is priceless. Can help you gain so serious and valuable perspective on life and career goals. It’s not a bad idea especially if you’re in your early 20s.

Thank you @JoeyTheGiant! I almost never play safe in my life but the current situation is so unprecedented and unpredictable and I am genuinely anxious... What if the tuition skyrocket in the coming years? What if the admission for grad schools become super competitive? Not to mention that I am not likely going to get a job - my friends have already had their offers revoked (not architectural, but nevertheless) It's real tough times...

If you have an offer to your dream school, or a full ride to a school you're excited about, I think it would be a good idea to take the offer. If you're kind of unsure about the offers you received then it's a harder decision. I don't think this recession is going to be nearly as devastating as the 2008 crash, but architecture is one of the hardest hit industries and internships/ entry-level positions will be hard to come by for a while. You can ask about deferral so you have a guaranteed admission for Fall 2021, or put down a deposit and change your mind last-minute if you find a job/ are willing to lose the deposit.

I agree with @JessMynn. I would also say, if you don't have any grad school offers you are particularly excited about, but another field you might want to investigate (graphic design, business, teaching, etc.) it might be a chance to try for those. Creativity in leveraging a bad economy into a much more interesting portfolio is likely a good way to get into those dream schools, possibly more so if that work is in an area other than your actual bachelor's degree.

Trouble is getting the jobs, though, huh?

Ahp111, follow the money. You’ll still learn what you need for modern design aesthetics. Also, the US government just issued a proclamation that all new governmental buildings be in the classical style. So it will undoubtedly be a well-paid, much desired specialty in the near future. Could be a relatively secure career path. Idk?

Yeah, the program at Notre Dame sounds really promising. I am trying to negotiate $ at Michigan. Let's see how does it work out. Idk how the universities will be supporting international students in the current pandemic. Can't afford to defer admissions, currently in the US without a work visa. Fingers crossed!

Interesting prompt! I do feel like, if handled correctly, so that there is not a major overwhelming of the health system and huge loss of life, the virus itself will eventually be thought of in much the same way as the flu. I feel that the more interesting impact in terms of space and architectural design is the forced move to online learning (more so than the impact on businesses, which already tried to do online meetings where in-person was not actually necessary). I think there will be a push to move to more online and remote capability, for a short while. However, I don't think online learning will ever replace the person-to-person connections people really need to grow, and until VR/AR classrooms are fully realized and matured, there won't be any significant changes. There could be some really neat emergency hospital construction ideas, etc. that could come out of it though!

Also, with regards to the psychological impact on using public places, I wonder if there will be more of tendency towards well-lit and outdoor spaces (since UV kills the virus)? Will the idea of using spaces to force mixing in both public spaces and work offices be feared? Will touchless doors, faucets, trashcans, etc. lead to future generations fearing touch other than that of their own nuclear family members? Obviously these are overly dramatic thoughts, but I've always enjoyed dystopian novels :D

Great points @theArchineer ... @asbb13 which school are you leaning most toward? I’m thinking UCLA for me.

Great input @theArchineer! Hey Joey, Ive decided on UCLA Just the best option pound for pound for me. We should for sure connect when/if you decide fully on UCLA

Yes, I’m 99% sure I’ll be at UCLA. I feel the same. In terms of quality of work and cost of education it just makes sense. I’ll DM you!

If you haven't heard back from Columbia it's a rejection

figured that much, thx lol

i think you should take one of the acceptances, with the covid-19 economy not looking very promising, 3 years should be enough time for the world to fix itself. Uoft since ur domestic, and already live in t.o.

thank you! that's definitely something to keep in mind, future plans are fragile right now with covid-19 upon us. 

I agree with @muji-pen, though if either of these schools are allowing deferrals, you could try again next year knowing you still have these options. I also want to put in a good word for Northeastern - Boston is amazing and faculty seemed really down to earth and interested in the students from my visit there. Question: Where are you hoping to work, and are you likely to need licensure for the work you want to do? NAAB vs. CACB accreditation might be something to think about.

@TheArchineer thanks for the input! I'm glad you have good things to say about Northeastern, I wasn't able to visit so it's good to know what you think. As for accreditation, I'd want the option that gives me the most flexibility in terms of work (I'd prefer not to be static and would like to work in the states at one point) so I would definitely have to look into the NAAB vs. CACB accreditation . I suppose NAAB would be best if I wanted to work in the states.

NAAB and CACB have reciprocity for accredited M. Arch programs, you can seek licensure in the states with an M. Arch from U of T.

That being said, if you pursue your degree in the states, you get a STEM program visa extension (your student visa allows you to work in a relevant field in the states for 12 (guaranteed)-36 months (you can apply for a 24 month extension of the first 12 months)), so it might be easier to find work because your employer won't have to sponsor you for a work visa at the beginning.

@JessMynn thanks for your response! I didn't know about the STEM program visa extension, that's good to know.

Good to know about the reciprocity - what I had seen about reciprocity seemed to say that you needed to have a 10yr history of good standing in the country you were licensed in before you could work in another. https://oaa.on.ca/the%20oaa/join%20the%20oaa/Reciprocity%20Between%20Canada%20the%20United%20States%20and%20Mexico

That's if you want your license to transfer. Where you're licensed depends on where you write your exams, not where you do your degree. So if you have an M. Arch from Ontario, you can work and then write your exams in New York and then be licensed in the state of New York. Is also possible to work anywhere without being licensed in that jurisdiction (many people do), you just can't stamp the plans.

Thanks @JessMynn, that's good to know!

Yes I did reach them for a couple questions. What are you trying to contact them for?

yea same here, I was trying to reach them and see when they would be hosting their virtual open house sessions... never got a reply.

financial aid, they are not answering emails. Also calling them is impossible since they are out of office

who did you contact/ what email?

@juju1992 when did you contact them?

I've sent emails to arch_admissions@columbia.edu 2 weeks ago and I have yet to hear from them.

It's been past 3 weeks, I've contacted 4 different people. No response

Hey! :) I thought this was super helpful feedback for future applicants and even for people choosing between offers. (That’s exactly the reason I’m thinking of not choosing Princeton atm) However, just a small note about model making :) - I got the same offers and bearly had any models in my portfolio. I definitely agree they are very important (in showing process thinking) but it is counterproductive to suggest them as a must - it gave me lots of anxiety when I
applied. So good luck to future applicants - do not stress about fitting any mold!! :)

hmm yeah! actually youre right abt the physical models! i think i was caught up in just trying to be different haha, take note everybody!

Congrats! GSAPP is 3 years btw

While not a must but it sure is an easy way to make a portfolio different! Diagrams can be cliche because they require less time to invest. If done properly they can be amazing. But then again, I feel, perhaps it is also important to align with a school's pedagogy. GSAPP I imagine is light on physical model but heavier on digital (judging by their ins account).

The dirty competition at the Bartlett scared me lol (just accepted my part 2 offer). Maybe I will try to live near the school and keep my printer at home.

Hi there. I'm in M.Arch +3 at USC. Are you joining from fall or still deciding?

I'll also be attending USC's M.Arch 3+ starting fall 2020! Have you two met anyone else who's starting then? I'd love to set up a group chat... I'm particularly curious about housing options, since I've never even been to LA.

Hey! I'm currently enrolled in M.Arch +3 program. Just wrapping up the first year. Let me know about the group chat. I'll be glad to help you guys out with anything!

Which one gave you the most money? They’re all great schools. Go with the one that will cost you the least.
Why apply to schools that you don’t have a great sense of the pedagogy

Which one gave you the most money? They’re all great schools. Go with the one that will cost you the least.
Why apply to schools that you don’t have a great sense of the pedagogy

GSD but not by much... hence my asking. it's easy to envision where you could go to school...another thing to choose where you will go to school. i did preliminary research but just looking for further guidance. also it's not so straightforward to get a feel for pedagogies when yr a total outsider to the field / most of the info you do find is contradictory.

thoughts on which is more academic and/or theory driven and/or interdisciplinary, folks?

Which schools did you visit and how many professors have you been in contact with?

no visits b/c covid. a few professors from each. 

I'm in a similar spot (not from the field, haven't been able to visit many places), but I did do Design Discovery at GSD this past summer and was at their fall open house. I would characterize them as pretty academic/theory driven, but not really interdisciplinary that I saw. Pretty formal and lots of archispeak (which is not my style, but it is, apparently, for lots of others). I would say they are good at putting out finished, beautiful designs with a modicum of architectural interrogation. I can't talk about Yale in comparison, sorry. I have been digging into UPenn a bit since I was also accepted there. They seem to be fairly influenced by their strong landscape program (with many people doing dual degrees), and in the last 8-10 years have been pushing to really strengthen their technology and computation resources, so it sounds like they might be just around the corner from rebranding themselves as a more technological school. Hope that helps!

hey carrie, i know this wasn't your question, but Rice is often open to negotiating funding (although it sometimes takes them a while to send the new offers), so if you haven't asked for more there yet and you like the program, you should try !

Hey Kingsessing. I was offered a substantial stipend from one school. I'll DM you details, as I haven't finalized the contract yet. Having said that. I think mine is a rare case. I absolutely did not expect to be considered, much less rewarded. Note: The award came from the graduate department of the university itself, NOT from the architecture school. -- I intended to post the specific info about it and all my $$ offers on this thread in the next week or so.

Congratulations, JoeyTheGiant—that's fantastic! And thanks so much for sharing. I'll keep an eye out for the details.

Hi Kinsessing. I also received the $3K/year stipend from Princeton, couched in some very specific language about that being the max grant to our incoming class. I've been led to believe that the same tuition and stipend $$$ is offered across the board?

In addition, have an offer for $5k stipend first year from MIT to supplement tuition scholarship. 

Are you going to go to Princeton or still thinking of other schools? I'm deeply stuck between the two. 

Hey newtnuetraility, nice work re: MIT—that's great. And re: Princeton, it was strange ... on my admissions phone call, I was told that all students this year had received exactly the same funding—95% tuition—but then my letter had full tuition plus the stipend (and the same language as yours about that being the max). Hopefully everyone got the tuition plus stipend package, and my admissions caller was just mistaken about the 95% number?

And I am also quite stuck. Princeton seems like a good fit for me in many ways, but I'll go wherever funding is best, so am just trying to figure out whether it's worth trying to ask for stipends elsewhere. (My other frontrunners are Berkeley and Yale.) Did you get to go to fall open houses for either Princeton or MIT?

Active proof that transparency opens up interesting channels- my Princeton offer is the 95% of tuition, which is balanced by the stipend to end up at about a $60/year payout.
I went to the fall open house at Princeton, it was... funny? charming? 
Send me a dm if you want to maybe chat in a more informal way, I'd be curious to hear more about your decision making process. 

Hm, maybe I'm misunderstanding my letter, then (or the tuition cost?); just so other prospective students can see how this resolves, let's tease it out here, though I'll also dm you about more general things. My letter mentions a $53,650 fellowship and a $3K stipend, for a total of $56,650. I've been thinking of the fellowship as essentially full tuition per the below site, but perhaps I've misevaluated? https://gradschool.princeton.edu/costs-funding/tuition-and-costs

Also, newtnuetraility, it seems dms can only be sent to users who have made posts, not comments (unless, again, I'm missing something!), so send me one at your leisure.

I see, our offers are the same. Full tuition is $56,470. You were sent notification via email of an offer via a complex Princeton web system, that letter (separate from your admission letter) has the exact price of tuition for the coming year...

Aha, there we go ... I took one look at the Kafkaesque instructions for setting up that account and have put it off ever since. Joke's on me. Glad to know that everyone is indeed getting the same offer, though.

Dayum great job on getting in Princeton both of yous

Nice idea - I was clueless about costs/value of scholarships when I applied! So... same from Princeton haha & ~14k “half-stipend” MIT (if I remember right) so i think they might give out even more (FYI future applicants)

Wait.. so what is the max living stipend given out by MIT (aside from tuition)?

@skip_leaf, I am not sure - but I assumed if 14k was called by them “half-stipend”, maybe they give out 20k + for top applicants? Just my take on it! Maybe someone else can confirm.

@ctrl_z you got a 14k living stipend on top of full tuition? just clarifying

I have the same, 3k from Princeton and 5k from MIT. GSD said they would match the MIT stipend , but I don't have confirmation on that yet. Pretty happy about these but rent in Boston is $$$$$

Congrats on the acceptances! I'm on the wait list for both MIT and Princeton, so I guess it helps me out whichever one you decide :D MIT didn't have a prospective open house in the fall (apparently they don't do them anymore), but I did do a visit if you have any specific questions - feel free to DM!

Going to GSAPP because I didn't get in Yale, which would have been my top top choice :/

But depends on what you like, they each have distinctive style and very different pedagogy

hey chuck! congrats on GSAPP! what made yale your first choice? I

Hi there, fellow hongkonger here! I've also been admitted to GSAPP and Upenn but heavily leaning towards GSAPP. I've tried negotiating my financial aid with GSAPP's admissions... but its been 3 weeks and I still haven't heard from them yet

Hi @marcus1928 where did you send your mail? I've sent to arch_admissions@columbia.edu and no response for about 1.5 weeks past. Have you got response now??

yea I sent the email to arch_admissions@columbia.edu and i'm still waiting lol

I tried to negotiate financial aid with GSAPP as well, to no avail. Still, I did hear back. I'd recommend emailing Kevin Smith, Director of Admissions, directly. I didn't hear back until I did that.

They replied! Will be speaking with them tomorrow. 

Hi, fellow HongKonger here as well! Im going to GSAPP so it'll be great if I can get to know ppl from Hong Kong studying there haha.
So what is your decision eventually?

Hi there! happy to see another hongkonger attending Columbia! I've also just confirmed my attendance at GSAPP, so I'm really looking forward to it! feel free to send me an email at marcus.chan97@gmail.com

@archithoughts Have fun! I decided to go to Yale...maybe see you guys in New York sometime haha

I received that information a few days after the admission letter

If you have an more questions about UT Austin I would be happy to help! I am currently a first year MArch student! My email is lmaccora@utexas.edu