Also i know interviews for SMarchS arent required but i saw somone had one in the past. i havent had one and results should be coming soon which makes me worry.
Feb 29, 20 2:24 am ·
·
koala96
Not heard from SMARCHS yet but I know someone got interviewed mid feb for urbanism specialisation.
Feb 29, 20 3:15 am ·
·
I.M.Pain
what did you apply for?
Feb 29, 20 3:18 am ·
·
I.M.Pain
i applied for computation fyi
Feb 29, 20 3:18 am ·
·
koala96
I applied to architectural design
Feb 29, 20 3:34 am ·
·
argarch
I received a phone call for admission to the SMArchS Urbanism program 2 weeks ago. No formal letter or financial support information yet.
Feb 29, 20 11:25 am ·
·
I.M.Pain
Oh were you the one who posted the Feb 15 phone result in gradcafe?
I think many of my friend got admitted to had yesterday (match 27) around afternoon. However, I haven't heard back from them. I have applied to the Design Engineering (M.Arch to be the second choice) and they applied M.Arch.
5 professors, one was previously an alum and professor at the school I was applying for
Personal Essay/Statement
X
Portfolio
included 4-5 academic projects, 2 undergrad research projects that were not quite but closely arch related, plus competitions and art works if there were enough pages to them in
Damn Congrats on GSD! Much more rejects on Grad Cafe this year than last year
Mar 9, 20 9:25 pm ·
·
robin33
Sci-Arc- accepted 3/11. am waiting to hear about financial aid
Mar 11, 20 6:35 pm ·
·
robin33
Upenn- accepted 3/12 with aid. Now, just waiting on MIT's decision.
@archi_gram, thanks!
Mar 12, 20 12:19 pm ·
·
Archlandia
Which school are you leaning toward as of now? Who gave you the best funding?
Mar 14, 20 3:26 pm ·
·
robin33
@Archlandia - as of now, pratt has offered the most FA but it is the school i am least interested in. I would love to go to sci arc ( i'm a double major in fine arts) but a more practical side of me is leaning towards harvard or MIT if i get in. Honestly i'm already on track at my current university to complete a master's by next year with tuition 100% waived and a TA stipend so I have to think about this a lot. I honestly wasn't expecting to get in to any of the schools when i applied so I will definitely have to look over their curriculums again when i have some time to see what i'm signing myself up for.
GPA - GRE - TOEFL 8.40/10, 152(VR) 161(QR) 4.0(AW), 104
Letter of recommendations Two/ Three professors, One/ Two internship employer (depending on the school)
Personal Essay/Statement Harvard and Yale- Very personal. There were two essays and each addressed the reasons to study further and what I can contribute to the community. MIT and Cornell- Similar but more focused on the subject.
Portfolio Two personal projects, two group projects, form & composition exercises/ visual arts
Schools MIT, Yale, Harvard, Cornell
Open house impressions -
Results Awaited
Tips Start early and be clear about your reason for pursuing a Master's degree.
Thanks to everyone who posted their suggestions. Not sure if I'll get into any of these schools but this forum kept me motivated all along. Cheers.
Worked in film in L.A. for four years before quitting and going to the GSD Design Discovery summer program and am now interning for an architect
GPA - GRE - TOEFL
3.03 GPA (yup)
152 Q | 159 V | 4.5 AWA
Letter of recommendations
2 undergraduate professors, 1 current boss (architect)
Personal Essay/Statement
I was so worried about my portfolio that I really didn't put as much time into these as I should have. If I had to do it again, I would have drafts of all of these done at least a month or two before they were due. I mostly talked about my film background and my perspective on how it relates to architecture.
Portfolio
This is very difficult as a non-background. It's hard to know where to even start. I put about a year's worth of work into mine and along the way I pretty much decided that I was going to color outside the lines with mine. I only put in 5 projects (some film and some from my summer at the GSD) and I tailored it to my personal experiences through and through. I did my best to make sure that everything connected and flowed in a central narrative. Graphically, I made sure it was extremely clean and I honestly spent a lot of time looking at the graphic trends coming out of the schools right now. I didn't copy anything, but it helps to be aware of the bar that is set. The best advice I can give here if you're non-background is to get comfortable with being different and use it to your advantage.
GSD - I spent this past summer doing the Design Discovery program and the GSD is honestly awesome. The building is amazing, the faculty are incredible and the students are brilliant.
Cornell - I really loved Cornell and Ithaca. It has a kind of homey feel to it and the facilities are top-notch. I really felt seen by the faculty there and it seemed like a place that you could have a close relationship with them, which seems harder at a place like the GSD just due to its size. Cornell is exactly what you think of when you hear "upstate ivy league".
GSAPP - I mean, it's New York. And the faculty are so cool and seem to be involved with the NY scene. The amount of space you get as a student leaves something to be desired, but like I said, it's New York. I really liked that you could do a Real Estate double Masters here too.
Results
GSD -
Cornell - In with 30k/year scholarship (!)
GSAPP -
UMich -
UPenn -
Georgia Tech - In
Pratt -
Tips
Ok, first off, I'm here as proof that you can get into a great school with a terrible GPA. Don't be afraid to apply!!
That being said, I applied to Cornell last year and got rejected. They advised that I do a summer program. So, I spent my summer at the GSD doing Design Discovery and pushing myself as hard as possible. I would watch lectures on youtube everyday during lunch. Then, I came home and start taking classes my pre-reqs, which I made sure to have a 4.0 GPA in. Then, I got an internship working for a local architect who graduated from the GSD. Basically, I put in a ton of work over the past year to prove to myself and the schools that I was willing to work hard for this AND that I actually knew what I was getting myself into when applying.
Another important thing that I'm sure helped me is my somewhat unique background. From everything I've learned, it helps to stand out. The difference between my application this year and last year is that last year I tried to pretend I wasn't interested in film anymore. This year, I milked every bit of my education and experience in film and put it all out there. However, I made sure to present it all in a way that would be graphically interesting and related to architecture. But I didn't try to pretend to be something I'm not. Turns out that works a whole lot better.
Beautiful! Don't know you but I'm proud of you! Great comeback! Congrats.
Mar 2, 20 6:22 pm ·
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archi_gram
Damn, Congrats on GSD! Much more rejects listed on Grad Cafe this year than last year, and only 4 people got aids so far. You must have a really strong portfolio
Mar 9, 20 9:34 pm ·
·
ap23
Final Update: In at Pratt w/ $$, Waitlisted at UPenn and GSAPP. It's been really interesting to see where things landed and it just goes to show that all of these schools look for different things in their applicants. Now to choose between Cornell and the GSD....
Mar 17, 20 5:43 pm ·
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TheArchineer
Hey @ap23, I'm just reading through some of these posts, and also did Design Discovery this summer, and in at Cornell (probably going there unless the MIT or Princeton wait lists come through) - great job getting in at GSD too! I guess I'll be Zooming with you tomorrow, but feel free to DM me if you want to talk schools!
Apr 5, 20 6:51 pm ·
·
mitbos
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
Apr 11, 20 5:24 pm ·
·
Whoknow
Hi i would love to get connect with you through social media
Help! Got into UVA path 2.0 , Pratt m.arch AP with 50k scholarship, cornell with 22k, IIT with 50k ( not even considering) and awaiting columbia and Yale( fingers crossed)
I love nyc and want a job in Nyc in the future but i’m also an international student but i’ve studied that even after a cornell ms.aad I might still be able to get my licensure after a an EESE evaluation.
So for now; Cornell>UVA>pratt ( but 50k+nyc?)Super confused!
Suggestions please!
Mar 2, 20 1:09 pm ·
·
ap23
It totally depends on what you want in your education. I also applied to Pratt and Cornell, and I live in VA, so I know many people who graduated from UVA. The reality is that you could probably get a good job in NYC coming out of all those schools. UVA might be a little bit harder, but people definitely do it all the time. A lot of UVA grads I know end up in Richmond or DC. So, what it most likely will come down to is what you want in your education and how much you're willing to spend for it. Cornell is obviously an ivy league school with a lot of research going on. Pratt is an art school in Brooklyn. Two very different things. UVA is a public ivy and is similar to Cornell in terms of its remoteness. I don't know a ton about their academics. I would say, just weigh all the factors and write a pro/con list. Also, talk to current students and faculty. I would keep in mind that the cost of living in NYC is much higher than Ithaca, so Cornell and Pratt could come out to be much closer in price than it would seem. Keep in mind that this is just my two cents having visited all these schools and totally my personal opinion.
Mar 2, 20 1:22 pm ·
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peijunfei
I assume you are applying march 1 which is 3-3.5 yrs program, then definitely Cornell. As our friend's argument above, which makes sense to me, the living cost is much lower in Ithaca, not even mention 3 yr. And as I know about the program of Cornell, they have a teaching spot located right in Manhattan FIDI, and normally there will be semester students spending in that spot.
Mar 2, 20 2:33 pm ·
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archi_gram
Probably depends on your results from Yale and Columbia. Yale >>>>> Columbia and the rest. If you can get into Yale, you probably won't need to think about that much. It will be much easier to land a job or start your own studio if you graduate from Yale. Columbia though not as good as Yale in terms of reputation, still got the best of both world, great location and faculty resources. Cornell master program is the smallest. It is in the middle of the mountain, so it's nice to see nature, but will be painful to find a decent job or internship for summer and then move around. I don't know where UVA is, but all your other schools are all in huge cities or New Haven. If you care about post graduation opportunities and experiences, take that into consideration, because summer internships are really important. Cornell has a nice building, but their Rate my professors scores are tragedy for some reasons...
Mar 9, 20 9:49 pm ·
·
mitbos
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
Apr 11, 20 5:25 pm ·
·
sqqq
@c_meeeee where did you decide to go? if you are going to Conell, see you in August
Anyone applied to MAUD, MDes or MArch II at the GSD or SMarchS at the MT? Did anyone hear anything from either school?
Mar 2, 20 1:52 pm ·
·
argarch
I applied to MAUD at GSD and SMArchS Urbanism at MIT. I got a phone call from MIT but did not hear from GSD.
Mar 2, 20 1:59 pm ·
·
nariygnew
Can I ask you if it was a decision call for SMArchS Urbanism? I applied to SMarchS HTC and all the programs above at GSD, and I have not heard from any of them.
Mar 2, 20 2:12 pm ·
·
argarch
Yes, a professor called to tell me I was admitted, but I haven't received any official admission letter or financial support information yet
Mar 2, 20 2:18 pm ·
·
Unicornsarereal
GSD March II is supposedly going out today.... good luck to us alll
Mar 2, 20 2:22 pm ·
·
landarch2217
MLA applicant here - do your sources have any idea when GSD MLA is going out? :D
Mar 2, 20 2:24 pm ·
·
gi21oxx
I applied to MAUD and SMarchS but still nothing...
I had prep for this because according to the GSD annual fact book, the March II are the most difficult program to apply. Be aware the total March I is roughly 3 times of March II enrollment, refer to here page 16 enrollment chart: https://www.gsd.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/GSD-Factbook.pdf
Mar 2, 20 7:20 pm ·
·
koala96
Many MArch II candidates in this thread have got a reject. Btw have you heard from MIT SMArchS ?
Mar 2, 20 7:20 pm ·
·
peijunfei
And what's more, is the MAUD program is the second hard program to apply, so @Koala96, we got a hard path on application strategy targeting GSD. Lol
Mar 2, 20 7:20 pm ·
·
peijunfei
I did not apply MIT SmarchS since I missed the ddl. Sad
Mar 2, 20 7:22 pm ·
·
mitbos
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
Apr 11, 20 5:25 pm ·
·
sqqq
@koala96 @peijunfei where did you guys decide to go? if you are going to Conell, see you in August
If I could go back in time and give myself some advice, it would be to stay off these forums, gradcafe, and issuu. I wasted so many hours of my life stressing out (about getting in, finances, etc), doubting my work, and comparing myself to applicants of years past.
Full-tuition scholarships are given out by almost all top programs (yes, even to non-background students). People who get them just don't talk about it online much. If you're an applicant for 2021 looking back on this thread, go work on your portfolio and make it unique and personal to you! Good luck and chin up!
International/ B.Chemistry/Nazarbayev University (Kazakhstan)/ 2017
GPA - GRE - TOEFL
3.00 - 153V 159Q - 7.5 IELTS
Letter of recommendations
Professor (research mentor) Art studio mentor Employer (head of department)
Personal Essay/Statement
Spent 2 months, it was the most difficult part. Concentrated on what I want do in my thesis year and after graduation.
Portfolio
Sculpturing, modeling, photography, personal projects
Schools
UMich, Virginia Tech, Illinois at Urb-Ch, Sam Fox, Maryland
Results
Virginia Tech, Sam Fox
Waiting for others.
Mar 3, 20 12:14 am ·
·
faiths.pang
I can tell you a little bit about sam fox if you havent visited yet. I graduated from the undergraduate art programme! the new building they have is amazing, facilities are really great. Professors are also very nurturing!
Mar 4, 20 6:21 am ·
·
GK GK
So kind! Thank you, faith.pang! What about location compared to VT and UMich?
Meanwhile in UMich :)
Mar 5, 20 1:29 pm ·
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faiths.pang
yeah I agree with lmnoc1, the new building is fantastic though. St. Louis has a very interesting history. But then again, the city itself doesn't feel as lively as Ann Arbour. The downtown in STL is pretty dead. But STL has a french quarters and food is pretty good. cost of living is cheap
Mar 9, 20 11:13 pm ·
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faiths.pang
yes. forest park is HUGE, it was the location of the 1904 world's fair. lots of WUSTL students go there to hang out after school or on the weekends. if youre going to sam fox, you will be about a 3 minute walk from forest park. theres also an art museum, a boat house, a zoo in forest park, in winter it becomes an ice skating rink.
4 urban design projects + 3 architecture projects. Mix of academic and professional (awarded design competitions).
Schools / Programs + Results
GSD / MAUD - Admitted with $$
MIT / SMArchS Urbanism - Admitted - No financial information yet
MIT / MCP - Admitted - No financial information yet
UC Berkeley / MUD - Admitted with $
Columbia / MSAUD - waiting
U Michigan / MUD - Admitted with $$$
UT Austin / MUD - waiting
Mar 3, 20 6:03 pm ·
·
faiths.pang
huge congrats!! you have a lot of amazing choices
Mar 4, 20 6:19 am ·
·
ahp111
Hey @argarch, do you have any idea about the maximum funding for MUD at U Michigan?
Mar 4, 20 1:58 pm ·
·
argarch
They offered me a 37.5k top merit scholarship, distributed over the 3 terms. I don't know if that is the maximum.
Mar 4, 20 2:20 pm ·
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ahp111
Oh okay! Which university are you inclined towards?
Mar 5, 20 12:47 pm ·
·
argarch
Probably MIT because of funding.
Mar 5, 20 10:04 pm ·
·
MJ31
Hey! Did you hear back from MIT?
Mar 5, 20 10:25 pm ·
·
MJ31
Just received the letter. Got in with one-year of fellowship in SMarchS Urbanism.
Mar 5, 20 10:26 pm ·
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argarch
I did not receive any funding for the first year in SMArchS. MCP offered a full tuition scholarship. @MJ31 did you receive that fellowship for the first year?
Mar 5, 20 10:45 pm ·
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MJ31
Yes, fellowship for the first-year that includes 50% tuition fee waiver.
Mar 6, 20 6:25 am ·
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argarch
Congrats for that then!
Mar 6, 20 11:33 am ·
·
lco1996
@argarch Got in as well! but no funding. I called and tried to appeal but they said no cause this year funding was reduced (so i've heard) :( @MJ31 congrats! does the fee waiver entail your total tuition over two years would still be ~75,000 USD?
Mar 6, 20 7:11 pm ·
·
argarch
Congratulations for the admit! Funding seems to be limited in the arch department. I will probably go to the MCP and focus it on urban design. Except GSD improves my financial offer.
Mar 6, 20 7:37 pm ·
·
MJ31
Thanks!
Mar 8, 20 3:32 pm ·
·
MJ31
@lco1996 The fellowship will be rolling as long as I maintain a certain GPA. So can't predict my tuition for the second year.
Mar 8, 20 3:35 pm ·
·
MJ31
Congratulations to both @argarch and @lco1996.
Mar 8, 20 3:36 pm ·
·
argarch
@MJ31 which program are you incline towards?
Mar 10, 20 1:24 am ·
·
MJ31
I'm gonna go with SMArchS Urbanism program!! Which one have you finalized?
Thought I'd chime in - I applied for a dual degree at Columbia: M.Arch and Historic Preservation. I got accepted last week (2/26) to HP but haven't heard back on M.Arch.
Open house for HP is April 1st and Open house for M.Arch is March 30th so I can only assume they'll start sending out the acceptance letters this week. Can't be sure though.
Best of luck to everyone!!
Mar 4, 20 12:17 am ·
·
peijunfei
GSAPP typically send out decisions by March 10-15th.
Got a email directly from one of the professors from Cornell AAP saying want to have a talk about MSAAD program and answer questions. Any one received the email as well? Is this just a general email to every admitted student?
WUSTL (alma mater) ($$ but dont know how much yet)
Sci - Arc (full scholarship)
Rice (full scholarship)
OUT
Harvard
I'm really leaning towards Rice as I feel like I need an architecture background that really teaches architecture (coming from an art background I need the structure) Still waiting for other schools!
Mar 4, 20 6:17 am ·
·
chuckluck
Congratz! That's some serious money you've been given!! When did you hear back from Sci-arc if you don't mind me asking (assuming M.Arch I)? Still waiting for their results
Mar 4, 20 7:50 am ·
·
juju1992
Nice!
Would be keen to see your portfolio!!
Mar 4, 20 7:55 am ·
·
hbassal
Are you not curious as to why you didn’t get into GSD while you got into others with full scholarships?
Mar 4, 20 12:12 pm ·
·
faiths.pang
@chuckluck -- Thank you so much :) I heard from them Feb 28, they called me but with the time difference in Hong Kong (where I am at the moment) I missed their call and then finally heard back from them this morning
Mar 4, 20 1:01 pm ·
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faiths.pang
@hbassal I am very curious as to why I didnt get in. I actually attended GSD discovery in 2018. maybe im just not good enough! and i will try to upload my portfolio!
Mar 4, 20 1:02 pm ·
·
faiths.pang
also, if anyone's interested sci-arc asked for a phone interview. I think it was for the scholarship.
Mar 4, 20 1:08 pm ·
·
JoeyTheGiant
Congrats Faiths.pang! Some great news! Phone interviews are for international students to verify English. It’s a better indicator for success than scores alone. Anyway, I’m here in Houston now visiting UH. Houston’s a great town. Lot of growth. Rice and the Rice Village Area are so beautiful!! You’ll love it!
Mar 4, 20 6:10 pm ·
·
faiths.pang
actually im just in Hong Kong visiting family, I'm an american citizen haha and im from california :)
Mar 5, 20 10:56 pm ·
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faiths.pang
also update: in at Penn Design, no mention of funding though
LORs - 3 professors, one I was a TA under, another I worked for professionally
Essays - Varied by school based on length and prompt, but I wrote a skeleton essay that I modified. Probably the weakest part of my application.
Portfolio - Mostly GSD summer program final project, 3 personal projects
Schools in order of preference -
1. ColumbiaGSAPP - M. Arch I
2. Princeton SOA - M. Arch I
3. Penn - M. Arch I /MLA
4. GSD - M. Arch I/MLA
5. Cornell - M. Arch I
(MIT would have been 4th, but I didn’t think my application was ready by the deadline.)
Open house impressions
I’ll visit campuses based on admissions.
Results -
GSD - in with $$$$ (not from GSD, Harvard Graduate School Fellowship)
Penn - in with $$$
Cornell - in with $$
Princeton -
Columbia - By far my top choice, super anxious.
Tips
The order I would do things in if I had a mulligan would be:
Research programs/ schools, make a list of max 6; if it can be fewer, all the better.
Make a checklist of application requirements for each school including essay prompts.
Send LOR requests.
Send in transcripts to be evaluated by WES or equivalent (non-us students applying to US).
Focus purely on GREs for 2 weeks.
Draft a portfolio and statements of purpose. If you require additional essays, draft those too.
Attend a summer program. (prob. not necessary if you have a design background)
Alternate between portfolio and essays with lots of feedback until day before deadline or submission ready.
Things I looked at when narrowing my choices of schools:
Curriculum/ course offerings. (this eliminated a surprising amount of universities)
Quality of student work, awards won by students, competition opportunities
Faculty
Extra-curricular / workshops
Location
Prestige
Facilities (will be added to my tally after I visit all the schools)
Gut feeling (will be added to my tally after I visit all the schools)
Cost (will be added to my tally once I have all financial aid/scholarship info)
The free practice GREs on the ETS website are easier than the actual GREs. If you want a more accurate experience, you’ll have to get a paid version and write it all in one sitting. I breezed through the free ones with plenty of extra time, so I focused my energy on my portfolio and wrote the exam without prepping beyond the two free tests. I ended up running out of time on both quant sections, when math is usually my strongest section. My scores are good enough to get me in, but I’m worried a less than perfect score will affect my chances of qualifying for the very few merit-based scholarships.
If the GRE is an obstacle, there are good schools that don’t require it. (Cornell, RISD, and MIT are a couple of examples). Plus, I’ve heard more schools are considering dropping it.
Format your portfolio properly. Invest in a layout software like indesign or affinity publisher. If cost is a factor, there are free trials. Blurb has a free layout software for download, though I haven’t tried it. Blurb is also a great resource for ordering a print portfolio.
Keep in mind the reviewers will be going through your portfolio quickly, and some put them up on big screens, so make each page/spread clean, easy to read, and impactful. White backgrounds are generally best for this, and efficient use of white space.
If you don’t have a design/art background, I highly recommend taking one of the summer programs offered if you can afford it. Most of them offer some kind of financial aid to US citizens, though the cost of travel and taking time off is still a factor. My application was significantly stronger for it. And you may decide the studios are too strenuous and choose a different route. I saw somebody comment in a different forum that the summer programs are too strenuous for someone without an arch background, but if you can’t handle the studios in a not-for-credit, all-skills summer program, you probably can’t handle an M. Arch. If you can’t attend one of the summer programs and you’re struggling to fill your portfolio, take an art course or a furniture design course etc.
I should clarify that I'm in for MLA at Penn, haven't heard back re: M. Arch.
Mar 4, 20 1:31 pm ·
·
ILYS
May I ask how you applied for Harvard Graduate School Fellowship? What was the procedure of searching for fellowships/the materials needed/the decision etc?
Mar 5, 20 4:10 pm ·
·
JessaMynn
I looked at the financial aid section of the schools I was applying to, and googled a series of word combinations e.g. : "fellowships for architecture studies", "Grants for architecture studies", "Fellowships for international graduate students applying to the US" etc. and I applied to all I was eligible for. Some I had to write an essay for, but most were just transcripts, and statement of intent. I've been awarded three so far, and waiting to hear back from the others. If you're applying for fall 2020, I don't think you'll find any for which the deadline hasn't passed, most were due November-January. This is where I found the Harvard one: https://scholarships.harvard.edu/ Most of the awards listed on this site are part of the GSD financial aid application, but some are separate, you just have to read the application instructions.
Mar 5, 20 5:02 pm ·
·
ILYS
Thanks so much for the info! I actually applied this year but I might gap. Was still in school in December so I did not have much time, but I really regret not having applied for more funding.
Mar 5, 20 7:42 pm ·
·
archi_gram
Holy molly, I think you have the highest $$$$ from GSD on both this forum and on Grad Cafe! Huge Congratulations! You are probably one of those 5 students this year
Mar 9, 20 9:58 pm ·
·
Nonononotme
May I ask why Gsapp is your first preference? It's curriculum is a bit ~ok~ and they don't have thesis . Maybe location ? Btw they sent out update a
couple of hours ago and I got in!
Mar 13, 20 7:22 pm ·
·
Nonononotme
Or if I have to change the question, which Gsapp course that U find very interesting?
Mar 13, 20 7:24 pm ·
·
JessMynn
@ wuhuu Hey! Congrats! I got in as well, pretty stoked. GSAPP is my top choice mainly because I find the work coming out of the studios/ workshops to be the most experimental and humanist/ inline with my interests. It's a positive for me that there's no thesis, I don't really see the benefit in writing one. I like that the
curriculum is more practical, and I think that it pays off; I talked over a dozen firms and it was overwhelmingly consistent that MIT grads (praised the most) and Columbia grads adapt better to practice and get promoted more quickly then other top-tier, east-coast programs (though no feedback for Princeton grads, I'm not sure where they end up, maybe primarily academia? there's also fewer of them, so IDK) But it's such a personal decision that if that's your reaction to the program, then go somewhere that excites you so you can produce the best portfolio possible and enjoy your time in school.
Mar 20, 20 7:31 pm ·
·
chiangie_
hey @JessaMynn, congrats on
your offers! Is GSAPP your final choice?
Apr 2, 20 2:45 am ·
·
JessaMynn
Hey! Most likely GSAPP is my final choice. I'm a little worried with how hard it NY is COVID-19, there's no way it will be over by September. I think I'm just going to take a chance and put my deposit down.
Apr 9, 20 1:51 pm ·
·
chiangie_
Interesting choice considering you got a Harvard fellowship! Did you get any scholarships from GSAPP?
Future applicant here so please forgive my ignorance..but for those posting 'accepted with $$' is the tuition assistance awarded based off of financial need, merit or other? Do applicants need to submit their FAFSA at the same time as applications? Not clear on this so any detail is appreciated, thanks!
Mar 4, 20 5:48 pm ·
·
JoeyTheGiant
In most cases $$ is referring to merit based scholarships which are awarded by the admissions committee as they review your application. It’s “need blind”, meaning they’re awarding the $ purely based on merit with no clue whether or not you need it. When you wrap your Applications it’s a good idea to immediately fill out your FAFSA and list up to 10 schools you’ve applied to. All of them will receive it and be able to determine need. Then, they can decide to give you need-based scholarship or not and what loans to offer. Hope that helps!
Mar 4, 20 6:15 pm ·
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JessaMynn
Every school I applied to required I fill out a financial aid application with the the school's application. Some of them had a separate deadline for the financial aid application.
I'm not American, so I don't qualify for FAFSA, but from what I remember most, if not all, schools I applied to required FAFSA be filled out as part of the application for American citizens if they wanted to be considered for financial aid. The $$ will typically be a combination of both need and merit based scholarships, but some people will only receive need based aid, some only merit scholarships. Unless the person posting specifies, you won't know the breakdown.
Mar 4, 20 6:59 pm ·
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amillioner
Thank you both for the answers. If one is not offered merit-based, is it appropriate to inquire if there are funds available? Or is this frowned upon? I'm surprised to see how common it is to receive scholarship funds based off those posting on this forum
Mar 4, 20 7:10 pm ·
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JessaMynn
There will be a financial aid offer in your offer of admission. It's possible to negotiate it, and many people do successfully, especially if you've been offered more money elsewhere.
Mar 4, 20 7:35 pm ·
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JoeyTheGiant
Yes @amillioner, @jessaMynn is correct. I'm in the same boat. One of my top school choices offered me $0in scholarship, so I am very respectfully appealing. I'm reaching out to the department and seeing if they can find some cash for me. Similarly, another of my top choices offered me just shy of a full ride. The School costs $58K per year (tuition + fees) and they offered me $50K scholarship, which is amazing. I'm going to see if they can get that amount up to 58k to cover all Tuition and I may even ask if I can apply for fellowship/stipend to cover at least some of the cost of living. Want to earn this M.Arch with as little debt as possible. But As @jessaMynn said, I won't really have much bargaining power unless another of my schools offers a full ride. (Still awaiting decisions from 4 schools, of which 2 are large, private, nonprofits who will likely have the funds. The other two being, for-profit art schools who may not).
Anyone knows at all what's up with Cornell's decisions (M.Arch I) at all? Haven't heard back so super anxious. As far as I can tell all the results/offers so far are with $$ and mostly (90+%) to domestic students, many of my international friends still haven't heard a word. Does that mean it would all be rej from now on?
Mar 4, 20 9:01 pm ·
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JoeyTheGiant
A wise man once said: "No news, is good news." If you haven't heard back yet, I think that could be good.
Does anyone know if Columbia gives out scholarship for their MSAAD program?
Mar 5, 20 5:43 pm ·
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peijunfei
Same qeustion.
here
Mar 5, 20 5:52 pm ·
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jack_arch
just heard back from Columbia, which is the last school to get back to me.
Did Columbia offer you anything @peijunfei?
Mar 5, 20 6:28 pm ·
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peijunfei
Nope, they mentioned in the email the scholarship stuff will be worked out by fin aid office blabla, I don't believe that I will just email some prof. and lecturer I knew tonight to find out what's the deal.
Mar 5, 20 6:42 pm ·
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jack_arch
are you an international student?
btw, so which school are you thinking to go?
Mar 5, 20 10:05 pm ·
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frostfrog
International student here. MSAAD. Nothing about FA on the admission letter. I doubt I could get any :( But I have heard from last year attendee that he got his FA letter in near March 15 so I hope next week we could get more information about it
.
Mar 6, 20 7:24 am ·
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peijunfei
uhh, I am hard to define that I have both abroad and a domestic degree in architecture and landscape? and also working in the US? I suppose in different schools, I will be treated differently and dropped into a corespondent compilation of applicants.
I only can go to the school offer me enough fin aid since I am financially independent without any sponsor, while as I am bot a citizen of the US I cannot apply federal assistant either. All on myself will see where to go. Finger crossed.
Mar 6, 20 10:34 am ·
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Unicornsarereal
I got my acceptance to the MS AAD with a scholarship in the acceptance letter, its merit based (about 18k)
Mar 8, 20 2:08 pm ·
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archi_gram
only 9 people on Grad Cafe got in this year and only 1 of them
got 18000
Mar 9, 20 10:02 pm ·
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jack_arch
congrat Unicornsarereal! Are you coming to the Open House?
archi_gram, where do you see "9 people" on "Grad Cafe"? I only saw 1 or 2 posts for MSAAD at Columbia this year
Nothing at all? based on history it seems they send out acceptances and rejections in wave. what smarchs program did you apply for?
Mar 6, 20 5:19 am ·
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gksrnrdls
architectural design ;( what happened..
Mar 6, 20 5:54 am ·
·
I.M.Pain
i
havent seen much news
Mar 6, 20 6:08 am ·
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I.M.Pain
i havent seen much news of anyone getting any result besides the one guy receiving admit for urbanism
Mar 6, 20 6:09 am ·
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d-lo
i got a waitlist for M.Arch I a week ago
Mar 6, 20 9:47 am ·
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argarch
I received my letter yesterday. No funding though..
Mar 6, 20 9:52 am ·
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I.M.Pain
congratulations! how do you know no funding?
Mar 6, 20 9:55 am ·
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nariygnew
I also got SMArchS HTC Waitlist... Anyone in the same boat? Are there anymore thinking of turning their off down?
Mar 6, 20 3:20 pm ·
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monkeyfish
Doubt it. SMArchS has a high yield rate and it looks like theres a lot of waitlisted people.... I asked a professor i know in the program and he said its unlikely any waitlisted people would be offered. probably gonna ditch the waitlist and accept somewhere else before deadlines comeup...
Mar 6, 20 6:48 pm ·
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a_ho
@monkeyfish Do you think this statement only applies to SMarchS or all the programs at MIT?, I am also on the wait-list.
Mar 10, 20 1:33 pm ·
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monkeyfish
as far as i know smarchs for all 6 streams cause thats what i asked the professor about. what program are you waitlisted in
GSD cancelled their open-house. What are the odds that other programs will too?
Mar 6, 20 4:43 pm ·
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peijunfei
GSD is wired this year after asking around about the rough enrollment stat...Have not heard of other programs do this. The new chair and host cat definitely had changed
GSD already.
Mar 6, 20 6:15 pm ·
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sylly
What do you mean? The cancellation is in relation to CONVID19.
Mar 6, 20 7:28 pm ·
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JessaMynn
Did they send an email? I don't have one.
Mar 6, 20 7:41 pm ·
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sylly
Email was sent a few hours ago
Mar 6, 20 7:55 pm ·
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yangtian_yan_
Yale's open house is also cancelled!
Mar 7, 20 5:51 pm ·
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archi_gram
I called GSAPP and Cornell both said very likely they are going to announce the cancellation very soon
Mar 9, 20 10:04 pm ·
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faiths.pang
rice has also cancelled
Mar 9, 20 11:20 pm ·
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faiths.pang
im pretty certain most institutions will cancel open house this year
Mar 9, 20 11:20 pm ·
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landarch2217
Upenn Weitzman just cancelled their open house
Mar 10, 20 2:26 pm ·
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AndieT
Does anyone know if these schools will be extending their decision deadlines?
In: SMarchS (no funding), UMichigan MUD (no funding), GSD (no funding)
Not sure if its worth all 50,0000 per year is worth any of the degrees
Mar 6, 20 7:06 pm ·
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peijunfei
$500000 per year is the most I have EVER heard. What are you waiting for?
Mar 6, 20 7:15 pm ·
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lco1996
LOL sorry 50K not 500K. so total is gonna be 100K. a few years from the degree it wouldnt be worth it considering the return of investment and the fact many people develop their career without the degree (talking about SMarchS and MUD tho not M.Arch)
Mar 6, 20 7:21 pm ·
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vialee
Got into GSD M.Arch 1 for 3.5 year program. No funding. It would take me 30k to earn the degree. Don’t know if I should go or not.
Mar 6, 20 7:44 pm ·
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vialee
Not 30k. It is 300k. Sadly
Mar 6, 20 7:45 pm ·
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JessaMynn
@Ico1996 In undergrad I had a professor tell me "If you're paying to do a non-professional graduate degree, you're doing it wrong." If you already have a professional degree, you're probably not going to get a significant monetary ROI, so it's up to you to decide if the experience is worth the debt.
Mar 6, 20 7:51 pm ·
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csss
I agree with this, but the crux of it is professional, so for people doing the M.Arch which is sort of a barrier to career entry, it would certainly factor differently. Still a dilemma though to go into so much debt for a degree. Just means we all have to become amazing architects/other professionals later :)
@csss and @jessamynn yeah agree! to go into debt for a non professional degree like MIT SMarchS probably is not a good ROI and only really applicable if you want to pursue academe (but even then the ROI is still crap)
MArch since its a professional degree for accreditation tho makes more sense only if you become a rich and famous starchitect (or marry one) lol
I have applied to both architecture programs and human computer interaction programs.
So far I have got into almost all the M.Arch I programs without any funding. Schools including Harvard GSD, Yale, Columbia GSAPP, Berkeley, UCLA, WUstl. Those programs last from 3 years to 3.5 years, which cost me around 80k each year for tuitions and living expenses. So basically I need to spend 3 years and around 250k to brought a M.Arch degree. Does it worth it?
Mar 7, 20 12:54 am ·
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vialee
Also the HCI programs are only 1 year or 2 years. Which cost me around 80k-140k to finish the degree.
Mar 7, 20 12:55 am ·
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faiths.pang
hmm well, i think it depends on what you really want to do. Are you set on becoming a practising architect? Or would you be open to working in other areas of the design? At the end of the day, it really depends on how certain you are about architecture
Mar 7, 20 1:50 am ·
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chuckluck
Congratulations! When did you hear back from GSAPP M.Arch I? Didn't seem like anyone else got it. And to chip in
, it'll be worth it if you make it worth it
Mar 7, 20 2:33 am ·
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JessaMynn
@vialee It's unusual that none of the programs offered you any funding. You could call and try and negotiate some need based financial aid, but to raise it significantly from $0 is unlikely (but still worth a shot!). Is your BA in architecture? If so what I would do would be work for a year or two, save up some money and strengthen your application, then reapply. This will have the added bonus of given you work experience so that when you graduate with an M.Arch you won't be limited to entry-level positions. Also Berkeley and UCLA are public universities, so you can either differ for a year, move to California and apply for residency, or attend right away and apply for residency after your first year (for which you will have to pay full tuition). Once you have California residency tuition is about half. I can't speak to architecture vs HCI, I think that will just come down to which program suits you better. @chuckluck I haven't heard back from GSAPP either; I was told the M. Arch I wouldn't be out until next week. Maybe early notification? Either way, nothing can be done until we hear from them.
Any insight for someone who’s never been to the US (from Europe) and won’t be able to go to any Open House? I know there’s a lot online about the unis/courses themselves, but would love to know more about the atmosphere/life/jobs in these places.
Looking specifically at Harvard, MIT, Yale and Princeton (all MArch 1) and assuming full rides - is there one people would recommend - and why? I think I would like to get a job in the NY area afterwards if it’ll be possible.
If there’s already a thread on this - please let me know x
Mar 8, 20 8:08 am ·
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lco1996
first off congrats on all your acceptances! those are the best schools you could possibly choose from!
Mar 8, 20 12:35 pm ·
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lco1996
I would pick harvard gsd: famous staff, larger and better fabrication facilities than MIT, a lot of brand prestige even to those outside of the industry, in boston so getting a job in NY by pure proximity would be easier. of course the same thing could be said about MIT, but based from my exchange there, GSD is a way bigger school than MIT's school of architecture by pure population so you would be able to expand your network more
Mar 8, 20 12:41 pm ·
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JessaMynn
I would pick Princeton first, GSD last from those choices, which goes to show a lot of it comes down to personal preference. My biggest factor in picking schools was how interesting i found the courses and studios/ the student work being produced. MIT and Princeton are also much smaller class sizes than the GSD, so it depends on if that's a pro or con for you. I spent the summer at the GSD and I found the MLA program (more innovative research, better in-house faculty) a lot more intriguing than the M. Arch program, but I applied to both so I would have the option to do concurrent degrees. Princeton is the closest to NY, but I don't think choosing one over the other will be more conducive to working in NY. They're all top tier programs so the difference is negligible. Also FYI the roof of Gund hall (GSD) leaks BADLY when in rains, so depending on where your desk is you have to be prepared for wet feet and fending off rain damage. I do like the idea of the trays though, it has high ceilings and lots of natural light. Maybe try contacting the schools and asking if they can put you in contact with current students.
Mar 8, 20 1:28 pm ·
·
indigoing
I'm in the exact same boat, currently in Europe and can't visit any open houses. After talking to a faculty member at Princeton, it seems like the programme is being pushed into a digital fabrication/design direction, they want to place a heavier emphasis on practice. I'm not that convinced by the faculty at Princeton, to be honest... I think the classes and the faculty in the Landscape department at the GSD look incredible, but I'm very nervous about closing the door on an MArch, as I only applied into the MLA at the GSD (MArch at Princeton and MIT). I recommend reaching out to staff, it has been very helpful to me so far.
Mar 8, 20 4:21 pm ·
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sylly
Contact faculty at all three schools and ask to be put in touch with current students!
Mar 8, 20 7:28 pm ·
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ctrl_z
Thanks everyone! Will try to get in contact with current students - great idea.
Mar 10, 20 4:44 am ·
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clevelandcynic
Hi ctrl_z! I went to MIT architecture for undergrad and took several M. Arch level classes with the grad students. Happy to answer any questions about the school/culture
Hi everyone, congrats on the admissions and making through this stressful process!
I've been placed on waitlist at Princeton (MArch I) today, and wondering if anyone knows what the chances of getting off the waitlist are?
I'll contact the admission office but I imagine with the size of its program, the chances are quite slim?
Mar 9, 20 9:33 pm ·
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archi_gram
I
ts Princeton. Most people wont even dare to apply because they know they wont get in. Probably depends on what other schools you are in to see if it worth the wait
Mar 9, 20 10:40 pm ·
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constellation
I’m on the Princeton waitlist too. Let me know if you find out any more info re: chances. Best of luck to the both
of us.
Mar 10, 20 3:03 pm ·
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yangtian_yan_
Hi, best of luck to both of us! The admission office hasn't responded; I imagine the delay might have something to do with the outbreak of the virus. BTW, do we need to let them know that we want to stay on/ accept the waitlist?
Mar 11, 20 9:13 pm ·
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constellation
I don't think so, only if you want off.
Mar 12, 20 1:24 am ·
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yangtian_yan_
have you heard back from Princeton yet or are you still interested? I still haven't but I've had a couple of email exchanges with Paul and he said this year the responses were coming back very slowly.
I have a couple of admits but mainly i am debating over two colleges. U of Michigan - taubman and Georgia Tech SOA. Both are M.arch courses and a lot of different articles state different rankings, job prospects, course workload etc. Need some advice on which to pick. Keeping in mind that the U of M course costs twice GaTech.
Hi. Undergrad from GT SOA here, I’d be happy to connect you with a current graduate student there to answer any questions.
Mar 10, 20 9:25 am ·
·
harshikaseth
Hi! I am a graduate student so it would be great if you could get me in touch with some students from the M.arch course. Thank you! My email ID is harshika.s.seth@gmail.c
om
Mar 10, 20 10:05 am ·
·
harshikaseth
Hi! I am a graduate student so it would be great if you could get me in touch with some students from the M.arch course. Thank you! My email ID is harshika.s.seth@gmail.c
om
Mar 10, 20 10:05 am ·
·
harshikaseth
Hi! I am a graduate student so it would be great if you could get me in touch with some students from the M.arch course. Thank you! My email ID is harshika.s.seth@gmail.com
M.Arch Fall 2020 Application Status
Has anyone heard from MIT SmarchS?
Also i know interviews for SMarchS arent required but i saw somone had one in the past. i havent had one and results should be coming soon which makes me worry.
Not heard from SMARCHS yet but I know someone got interviewed mid feb for urbanism specialisation.
what did you apply for?
i applied for computation fyi
I applied to architectural design
I received a phone call for admission to the SMArchS Urbanism program 2 weeks ago. No formal letter or financial support information yet.
Oh were you the one who posted the Feb 15 phone result in gradcafe?
I think many of my friend got admitted to had yesterday (match 27) around afternoon. However, I haven't heard back from them. I have applied to the Design Engineering (M.Arch to be the second choice) and they applied M.Arch.
You mean to MIT M.Arch? or MIT SMarch?
GSD M.Arch
ah okay well hopefully GSD gets back to you!
M.Arch I or M.Arch II?
GSD M.Arch 1 3.5year
Undergraduate Degree/ School/ Year graduated
GPA - GRE - TOEFL
Letter of recommendations
Personal Essay/Statement
Portfolio
Schools
Open house impressions
Results
Tips
cross finger
Harvard- Accepted with aid 3/2
Congrats, which course ?
MDes for Harvard
Columbia- Accepted, no aid 3/5
Yale- rejected 3/6
Pratt- accepted with aid 3/6
Damn Congrats on GSD! Much more rejects on Grad Cafe this year than last year
Sci-Arc- accepted 3/11. am waiting to hear about financial aid
Upenn- accepted 3/12 with aid. Now, just waiting on MIT's decision. @archi_gram, thanks!
Which school are you leaning toward as of now? Who gave you the best funding?
@Archlandia - as of now, pratt has offered the most FA but it is the school i am least interested in. I would love to go to sci arc ( i'm a double major in fine arts) but a more practical side of me is leaning towards harvard or MIT if i get in. Honestly i'm already on track at my current university to complete a master's by next year with tuition 100% waived and a TA stipend so I have to think about this a lot. I honestly wasn't expecting to get in to any of the schools when i applied so I will definitely have to look over their curriculums again when i have some time to see what i'm signing myself up for.
8.40/10, 152(VR) 161(QR) 4.0(AW), 104
Two/ Three professors, One/ Two internship employer (depending
on the school)
Harvard and Yale- Very personal. There were two essays and each addressed the reasons to study further and what I can contribute to the community.
MIT and Cornell- Similar but more focused on the subject.
Two personal projects, two group projects, form & composition exercises/ visual arts
MIT, Yale, Harvard, Cornell
-
Awaited
Start early and be clear about your reason for pursuing a Master's degree.
Thanks to everyone who posted their suggestions. Not sure if I'll get into any of these schools but this forum kept me motivated all along. Cheers.
Undergraduate Degree/ School/ Year graduated
B.A. Film / public university / 2015
Worked in film in L.A. for four years before quitting and going to the GSD Design Discovery summer program and am now interning for an architect
GPA - GRE - TOEFL
3.03 GPA (yup)
152 Q | 159 V | 4.5 AWA
Letter of recommendations
2 undergraduate professors, 1 current boss (architect)
Personal Essay/Statement
I was so worried about my portfolio that I really didn't put as much time into these as I should have. If I had to do it again, I would have drafts of all of these done at least a month or two before they were due. I mostly talked about my film background and my perspective on how it relates to architecture.
Portfolio
This is very difficult as a non-background. It's hard to know where to even start. I put about a year's worth of work into mine and along the way I pretty much decided that I was going to color outside the lines with mine. I only put in 5 projects (some film and some from my summer at the GSD) and I tailored it to my personal experiences through and through. I did my best to make sure that everything connected and flowed in a central narrative. Graphically, I made sure it was extremely clean and I honestly spent a lot of time looking at the graphic trends coming out of the schools right now. I didn't copy anything, but it helps to be aware of the bar that is set. The best advice I can give here if you're non-background is to get comfortable with being different and use it to your advantage.
Schools
Harvard GSD, Cornell, GSAPP, UMich, UPenn, Pratt, Georgia Tech
Open house impressions
GSD - I spent this past summer doing the Design Discovery program and the GSD is honestly awesome. The building is amazing, the faculty are incredible and the students are brilliant.
Cornell - I really loved Cornell and Ithaca. It has a kind of homey feel to it and the facilities are top-notch. I really felt seen by the faculty there and it seemed like a place that you could have a close relationship with them, which seems harder at a place like the GSD just due to its size. Cornell is exactly what you think of when you hear "upstate ivy league".
GSAPP - I mean, it's New York. And the faculty are so cool and seem to be involved with the NY scene. The amount of space you get as a student leaves something to be desired, but like I said, it's New York. I really liked that you could do a Real Estate double Masters here too.
Results
GSD -
Cornell - In with 30k/year scholarship (!)
GSAPP -
UMich -
UPenn -
Georgia Tech - In
Pratt -
Tips
Ok, first off, I'm here as proof that you can get into a great school with a terrible GPA. Don't be afraid to apply!!
That being said, I applied to Cornell last year and got rejected. They advised that I do a summer program. So, I spent my summer at the GSD doing Design Discovery and pushing myself as hard as possible. I would watch lectures on youtube everyday during lunch. Then, I came home and start taking classes my pre-reqs, which I made sure to have a 4.0 GPA in. Then, I got an internship working for a local architect who graduated from the GSD. Basically, I put in a ton of work over the past year to prove to myself and the schools that I was willing to work hard for this AND that I actually knew what I was getting myself into when applying.
Another important thing that I'm sure helped me is my somewhat unique background. From everything I've learned, it helps to stand out. The difference between my application this year and last year is that last year I tried to pretend I wasn't interested in film anymore. This year, I milked every bit of my education and experience in film and put it all out there. However, I made sure to present it all in a way that would be graphically interesting and related to architecture. But I didn't try to pretend to be something I'm not. Turns out that works a whole lot better.
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!
Great to hear! Congrats!
So inspiring!!! Hope you get some good news from the other schools as well wish you the best!
Update: In at UMich with $$$!
Update: In at GSD with $$. Shocked and grateful and shocked.
Beautiful! Don't know you but I'm proud of you! Great comeback! Congrats.
Damn, Congrats on GSD! Much more rejects listed on Grad Cafe this year than last year, and only 4 people got aids so far. You must have a really strong portfolio
Final Update: In at Pratt w/ $$, Waitlisted at UPenn and GSAPP. It's been really interesting to see where things landed and it just goes to show that all of these schools look for different things in their applicants. Now to choose between Cornell and the GSD....
Hey @ap23, I'm just reading through some of these posts, and also did Design Discovery this summer, and in at Cornell (probably going there unless the MIT or Princeton wait lists come through) - great job getting in at GSD too! I guess I'll be Zooming with you tomorrow, but feel free to DM me if you want to talk schools!
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
Hi i would love to get connect with you through social media
Does anybody know how big the Cornell msd.aad program is?
The email says there is an open house in April, let's figure it out then.
I don't see people applying to UVA in this thread. How is the school? Is anyone planning on going to its open house if admitted?
a friend of mine was admitted into UMich this morning on scholarship—just letting ppl know!
Does anyone know the max funding from Cornell upon acceptance? I haven’t heard anything yet and was just curious.
I don't know about the "max funding', however, your financial package should be included in you offer of admission letter.
14k for MSAAD, 5k-20k/yr(not accurate) for March(1) varies on applicants.
I was given 24k for MS AAD not sure what the maximum is.
That's a lot! Huge congrats!
Thank you
@peijungei
Are you also waiting for GSD MArch II ?
Correct, we are overlapping like 90% to each other lol, good luck bruh!
You too :)
I was given 30k for MSAAD and got a mail that I received a director's award.
but rej from GSD M.Arch 2
Congratulations for Cornell! Huge!
@gksrnrdls
Saw one 30k on Grad Cafe, the highest among the rest is 14k
Help! Got into UVA path 2.0 , Pratt m.arch AP with 50k scholarship, cornell with 22k, IIT with 50k ( not even considering) and awaiting columbia and Yale( fingers crossed)
I love nyc and want a job in Nyc in the future but i’m also an international student but i’ve studied that even after a cornell ms.aad I might still be able to get my licensure after a an EESE evaluation.
So for now; Cornell>UVA>pratt ( but 50k+nyc?)Super confused!
Suggestions please!
It totally depends on what you want in your education. I also applied to Pratt and Cornell, and I live in VA, so I know many people who graduated from UVA. The reality is that you could probably get a good job in NYC coming out of all those schools. UVA might be a little bit harder, but people definitely do it all the time. A lot of UVA grads I know end up in Richmond or DC. So, what it most likely will come down to is what you want in your education and how much you're willing to spend for it. Cornell is obviously an ivy league school with a lot of research going on. Pratt is an art school in Brooklyn. Two very different things. UVA is a public ivy and is similar to Cornell in terms of its remoteness. I don't know a ton about their academics. I would say, just weigh all the factors and write a pro/con list. Also, talk to current students and faculty. I would keep in mind that the cost of living in NYC is much higher than Ithaca, so Cornell and Pratt could come out to be much closer in price than it would seem. Keep in mind that this is just my two cents having visited all these schools and totally my personal opinion.
I assume you are applying march 1 which is 3-3.5 yrs program, then definitely Cornell. As our friend's argument above, which makes sense to me, the living cost is much lower in Ithaca, not even mention 3 yr. And as I know about the program of Cornell, they have a teaching spot located right in Manhattan FIDI, and normally there will be semester students spending in that spot.
Probably depends on your results from Yale and Columbia. Yale >>>>> Columbia and the rest. If you can get into Yale, you probably won't need to think about that much. It will be much easier to land a job or start your own studio if you graduate from Yale. Columbia though not as good as Yale in terms of reputation, still got the best of both world, great location and faculty resources. Cornell master program is the smallest. It is in the middle of the mountain, so it's nice to see nature, but will be painful to find a decent job or internship for summer and then move around. I don't know where UVA is, but all your other schools are all in huge cities or New Haven. If you care about post graduation opportunities and experiences, take that into consideration, because summer internships are really important. Cornell has a nice building, but their Rate my professors scores are tragedy for some reasons...
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
@c_meeeee where did you decide to go? if you are going to Conell, see you in August
Anyone applied to MAUD, MDes or MArch II at the GSD or SMarchS at the MT? Did anyone hear anything from either school?
I applied to MAUD at GSD and SMArchS Urbanism at MIT. I got a phone call from MIT but did not hear from GSD.
Can I ask you if it was a decision call for SMArchS Urbanism? I applied to SMarchS HTC and all the programs above at GSD, and I have not heard from any of them.
Yes, a professor called to tell me I was admitted, but I haven't received any official admission letter or financial support information yet
GSD March II is supposedly going out today.... good luck to us alll
MLA applicant here - do your sources have any idea when GSD MLA is going out? :D
I applied to MAUD and SMarchS but still nothing...
Applied to the MDes program at the GSD, but didn’t hear from them yet. Are there any fellow MDes applicants out there?
I applied. Haven’t hear anything from them. But my M.Arch friends had received their offers last week.
Update: rej from MDes
But got into GSD’s M.Arch I!
Congrats!
Update: Also got accepted to MDes with some financial assistance :)
I did. Mdes ADPD and HPD. I haven’t heard anything yet. Which programs did you apply?
Hi! I applied to CC. :) I hope we get good news soon...
Hi! I applied to CC. :) I hope we get good news soon...
Best of luck! Let’s hope that we can meet at GSD. =)
Update:Rej from GSD both in March2 and MAUD.
Same here
Guess see you in Cornell open house then...
Let’s hope others turnout well
Same here :( not even waitlist...
I had prep for this because according to the GSD annual fact book, the March II are the most difficult program to apply. Be aware the total March I is roughly 3 times of March II enrollment, refer to here page 16 enrollment chart: https://www.gsd.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/GSD-Factbook.pdf
Many MArch II candidates in this thread have got a reject. Btw have you heard from MIT SMArchS ?
And what's more, is the MAUD program is the second hard program to apply, so @Koala96, we got a hard path on application strategy targeting GSD. Lol
I did not apply MIT SmarchS since I missed the ddl. Sad
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
@koala96 @peijunfei where did you guys decide to go? if you are going to Conell, see you in August
Just got into Harvard like 30 mins ago!n!!!!!!!!!!!
M.Arch 3.5years
Me too! Admitted to MAUD
Same here! 3.5 MArch!
Wow congrats!
Congratulations, y'all!!
Is anyone still waiting on an answer for GSD?
Yes, for M. Arch I. I imagine it's not a good sign...
Same here M.Arch I, is this good or bad?!
feel same... waiting..
Is anyone still waiting to hear from MIT? Really my dream school... If I don't get in I might gap
(March I)
yeah im still waiting too..
same... seems like waiting for rej...sad
Hi I'm waiting for any news from MIT too.. As long as the waitlist is already gone out, I assume I'm waiting for rej letter...
Anyone still waiting on Cornell M1??
I am
I haven't heard for MSAAD, so probably a reject!
One question, what is M.Arch I AP?
I got into GSD today but no so. What does so means? Any difference? Top students?
https://www.gsd.harvard.edu/architecture/master-in-architecture-i/
Advanced Placement, as in it'd be a 2 and a half year program instead.
hahahaha i see. T
hanks chuckluck!
If I could go back in time and give myself some advice, it would be to stay off these forums, gradcafe, and issuu. I wasted so many hours of my life stressing out (about getting in, finances, etc), doubting my work, and comparing myself to applicants of years past.
Full-tuition scholarships are given out by almost all top programs (yes, even to non-background students). People who get them just don't talk about it online much. If you're an applicant for 2021 looking back on this thread, go work on your portfolio and make it unique and personal to you! Good luck and chin up!
I learned that quite a few students actually receive $$$$ from many good schools
International/ B.Chemistry/Nazarbayev University (Kazakhstan)/ 2017
3.00 - 153V 159Q - 7.5 IELTS
Professor (research mentor)
Art studio mentor
Employer (head of department)
Spent 2 months, it was the most difficult part. Concentrated on what I want do in my thesis year and after graduation.
Sculpturing, modeling, photography, personal projects
UMich, Virginia Tech, Illinois at Urb-Ch, Sam Fox, Maryland
Virginia Tech, Sam Fox
Waiting for others.
I can tell you a little bit about sam fox if you havent visited yet. I graduated from the undergraduate art programme! the new building they have is amazing, facilities are really great. Professors are also very nurturing!
So kind! Thank you, faith.pang! What about location compared to VT and UMich? Meanwhile in UMich :)
yeah I agree with lmnoc1, the new building is fantastic though. St. Louis has a very interesting history. But then again, the city itself doesn't feel as lively as Ann Arbour. The downtown in STL is pretty dead. But STL has a french quarters and food is pretty good. cost of living is cheap
yes. forest park is HUGE, it was the location of the 1904 world's fair. lots of WUSTL students go there to hang out after school or on the weekends. if youre going to sam fox, you will be about a 3 minute walk from forest park. theres also an art museum, a boat house, a zoo in forest park, in winter it becomes an ice skating rink.
Thank you for information!
I got the GSD email, do i have to open it? *nervous laughter*
oh never mind, it was one of those "regret letters"...
patpat.
anyone heard from yale or columbia yet?
I don't think they are gonna announce the results very soon. I assume ard the 12th of Mar.
ah, ok thx
Some people have heard from Columbia, but I haven’t seen anyone that’s heard from Yale yet
Just got into Yale
BS Arch / International / 2017
3.89 (ranked 1th) - 157V / 155Q / 3.0AWA - 108
2 academic + 1 professional
4 urban design projects + 3 architecture projects. Mix of academic and professional (awarded design competitions).
huge congrats!! you have a lot of amazing choices
Hey @argarch, do you have any idea about the maximum funding for MUD at U Michigan?
They offered me a 37.5k top merit scholarship, distributed over the 3 terms. I don't know if that is the maximum.
Oh okay! Which university are you inclined towards?
Probably MIT because of funding.
Hey! Did you hear back from MIT?
Just received the letter. Got in with one-year of fellowship in SMarchS Urbanism.
I did not receive any funding for the first year in SMArchS. MCP offered a full tuition scholarship. @MJ31 did you receive that fellowship for the first year?
Yes, fellowship for the first-year that includes 50% tuition fee waiver.
Congrats for that then!
@argarch Got in as well! but no funding. I called and tried to appeal but they said no cause this year funding was reduced (so i've heard) :( @MJ31 congrats! does the fee waiver entail your total tuition over two years would still be ~75,000 USD?
Congratulations for the admit! Funding seems to be limited in the arch department. I will probably go to the MCP and focus it on urban design. Except GSD improves my financial offer.
Thanks!
@lco1996 The fellowship will be rolling as long as I maintain a certain GPA. So can't predict my tuition for the second year.
Congratulations to both @argarch and @lco1996.
@MJ31 which program are you incline towards?
I'm gonna go with SMArchS Urbanism program!! Which one have you finalized?
I haven't made a decision yet
Thought everyone might wanna take a look at this article by Archinect. Super interesting read. Another reason why I may wanna go with UCLA now that I've been admitted. Some surprising insight: https://archinect.com/features/article/150170495/a-deep-dive-into-the-salaries-of-nyc-architects
This was interesting! Thanks for sharing.
Thought I'd chime in - I applied for a dual degree at Columbia: M.Arch and Historic Preservation. I got accepted last week (2/26) to HP but haven't heard back on M.Arch.
Open house for HP is April 1st and Open house for M.Arch is March 30th so I can only assume they'll start sending out the acceptance letters this week. Can't be sure though.
Best of luck to everyone!!
GSAPP typically send out decisions by March 10-15th.
Got a email directly from one of the professors from Cornell AAP saying want to have a talk about MSAAD program and answer questions. Any one received the email as well? Is this just a general email to every admitted student?
Hi I'm kind of late to this but thought I'd share
I'm really leaning towards Rice as I feel like I need an architecture background that really teaches architecture (coming from an art background I need the structure) Still waiting for other schools!
Congratz! That's some serious money you've been given!! When did you hear back from Sci-arc if you don't mind me asking (assuming M.Arch I)? Still waiting for their results
Nice! Would be keen to see your portfolio!!
Are you not curious as to why you didn’t get into GSD while you got into others with full scholarships?
@chuckluck -- Thank you so much :) I heard from them Feb 28, they called me but with the time difference in Hong Kong (where I am at the moment) I missed their call and then finally heard back from them this morning
@hbassal I am very curious as to why I didnt get in. I actually attended GSD discovery in 2018. maybe im just not good enough! and i will try to upload my portfolio!
also, if anyone's interested sci-arc asked for a phone interview. I think it was for the scholarship.
Congrats Faiths.pang! Some great news! Phone interviews are for international students to verify English. It’s a better indicator for success than scores alone. Anyway, I’m here in Houston now visiting UH. Houston’s a great town. Lot of growth. Rice and the Rice Village Area are so beautiful!! You’ll love it!
actually im just in Hong Kong visiting family, I'm an american citizen haha and im from california :)
also update: in at Penn Design, no mention of funding though
https://issuu.com/faiths.pang/docs/pang_faith_portfolio
Huge congrats!! And I stand corrected! :)
wow absolutely love your portfolio, and huge congrats on all of your acceptances!!
Still waiting on half (but really just Yale... anyone know when thats coming round?
lol GSD with $$ do you still need the rest, but YSoA worth the wait. I think you have the highest GRE verbal here
have you found out yet? from gsapp or ysoA
Out of curiosity, how many of you here had to apply again for a second or third time to be accepted by GSD?
1. Columbia GSAPP - M. Arch I
2. Princeton SOA - M. Arch I
3. Penn - M. Arch I /MLA
4. GSD - M. Arch I/MLA
5. Cornell - M. Arch I
(MIT would have been 4th, but I didn’t think my application was ready by the deadline.)
The order I would do things in if I had a mulligan would be:
Things I looked at when narrowing my choices of schools:
The free practice GREs on the ETS website are easier than the actual GREs. If you want a more accurate experience, you’ll have to get a paid version and write it all in one sitting. I breezed through the free ones with plenty of extra time, so I focused my energy on my portfolio and wrote the exam without prepping beyond the two free tests. I ended up running out of time on both quant sections, when math is usually my strongest section. My scores are good enough to get me in, but I’m worried a less than perfect score will affect my chances of qualifying for the very few merit-based scholarships.
If the GRE is an obstacle, there are good schools that don’t require it. (Cornell, RISD, and MIT are a couple of examples). Plus, I’ve heard more schools are considering dropping it.
Format your portfolio properly. Invest in a layout software like indesign or affinity publisher. If cost is a factor, there are free trials. Blurb has a free layout software for download, though I haven’t tried it. Blurb is also a great resource for ordering a print portfolio.
Keep in mind the reviewers will be going through your portfolio quickly, and some put them up on big screens, so make each page/spread clean, easy to read, and impactful. White backgrounds are generally best for this, and efficient use of white space.
If you don’t have a design/art background, I highly recommend taking one of the summer programs offered if you can afford it. Most of them offer some kind of financial aid to US citizens, though the cost of travel and taking time off is still a factor. My application was significantly stronger for it. And you may decide the studios are too strenuous and choose a different route. I saw somebody comment in a different forum that the summer programs are too strenuous for someone without an arch background, but if you can’t handle the studios in a not-for-credit, all-skills summer program, you probably can’t handle an M. Arch. If you can’t attend one of the summer programs and you’re struggling to fill your portfolio, take an art course or a furniture design course etc.
I should clarify that I'm in for MLA at Penn, haven't heard back re: M. Arch.
May I ask how you applied for Harvard Graduate School Fellowship? What was the procedure of searching for fellowships/the materials needed/the decision etc?
I looked at the financial aid section of the schools I was applying to, and googled a series of word combinations e.g. : "fellowships for architecture studies", "Grants for architecture studies", "Fellowships for international graduate students applying to the US" etc. and I applied to all I was eligible for. Some I had to write an essay for, but most were just transcripts, and statement of intent. I've been awarded three so far, and waiting to hear back from the others. If you're applying for fall 2020, I don't think you'll find any for which the deadline hasn't passed, most were due November-January. This is where I found the Harvard one: https://scholarships.harvard.edu/ Most of the awards listed on this site are part of the GSD financial aid application, but some are separate, you just have to read the application instructions.
Thanks so much for the info! I actually applied this year but I might gap. Was still in school in December so I did not have much time, but I really regret not having applied for more funding.
Holy molly, I think you have the highest $$$$ from GSD on both this forum and on Grad Cafe! Huge Congratulations! You are probably one of those 5 students this year
May I ask why Gsapp is your first preference? It's curriculum is a bit ~ok~ and they don't have thesis . Maybe location ? Btw they sent out update a
couple of hours ago and I got in!
Or if I have to change the question, which Gsapp course that U find very interesting?
@ wuhuu Hey! Congrats! I got in as well, pretty stoked. GSAPP is my top choice mainly because I find the work coming out of the studios/ workshops to be the most experimental and humanist/ inline with my interests. It's a positive for me that there's no thesis, I don't really see the benefit in writing one. I like that the curriculum is more practical, and I think that it pays off; I talked over a dozen firms and it was overwhelmingly consistent that MIT grads (praised the most) and Columbia grads adapt better to practice and get promoted more quickly then other top-tier, east-coast programs (though no feedback for Princeton grads, I'm not sure where they end up, maybe primarily academia? there's also fewer of them, so IDK) But it's such a personal decision that if that's your reaction to the program, then go somewhere that excites you so you can produce the best portfolio possible and enjoy your time in school.
hey @JessaMynn, congrats on your offers! Is GSAPP your final choice?
Hey! Most likely GSAPP is my final choice. I'm a little worried with how hard it NY is COVID-19, there's no way it will be over by September. I think I'm just going to take a chance and put my deposit down.
Interesting choice considering you got a Harvard fellowship! Did you get any scholarships from GSAPP?
why would the GRE be an obstacle?
Because it’s $200 and it sucks
it’s also incredibly easy and $200 is a completely insignificant amount of money in this context
That seems like a very narrow-minded and useless comment in this context
Future applicant here so please forgive my ignorance..but for those posting 'accepted with $$' is the tuition assistance awarded based off of financial need, merit or other? Do applicants need to submit their FAFSA at the same time as applications? Not clear on this so any detail is appreciated, thanks!
In most cases $$ is referring to merit based scholarships which are awarded by the admissions committee as they review your application. It’s “need blind”, meaning they’re awarding the $ purely based on merit with no clue whether or not you need it. When you wrap your Applications it’s a good idea to immediately fill out your FAFSA and list up to 10 schools you’ve applied to. All of them will receive it and be able to determine need. Then, they can decide to give you need-based scholarship or not and what loans to offer. Hope that helps!
Every school I applied to required I fill out a financial aid application with the the school's application. Some of them had a separate deadline for the financial aid application. I'm not American, so I don't qualify for FAFSA, but from what I remember most, if not all, schools I applied to required FAFSA be filled out as part of the application for American citizens if they wanted to be considered for financial aid. The $$ will typically be a combination of both need and merit based scholarships, but some people will only receive need based aid, some only merit scholarships. Unless the person posting specifies, you won't know the breakdown.
Thank you both for the answers. If one is not offered merit-based, is it appropriate to inquire if there are funds available? Or is this frowned upon? I'm surprised to see how common it is to receive scholarship funds based off those posting on this forum
There will be a financial aid offer in your offer of admission. It's possible to negotiate it, and many people do successfully, especially if you've been offered more money elsewhere.
Yes @amillioner, @jessaMynn is correct. I'm in the same boat. One of my top school choices offered me $0in scholarship, so I am very respectfully appealing. I'm reaching out to the department and seeing if they can find some cash for me. Similarly, another of my top choices offered me just shy of a full ride. The School costs $58K per year (tuition + fees) and they offered me $50K scholarship, which is amazing. I'm going to see if they can get that amount up to 58k to cover all Tuition and I may even ask if I can apply for fellowship/stipend to cover at least some of the cost of living. Want to earn this M.Arch with as little debt as possible. But As @jessaMynn said, I won't really have much bargaining power unless another of my schools offers a full ride. (Still awaiting decisions from 4 schools, of which 2 are large, private, nonprofits who will likely have the funds. The other two being, for-profit art schools who may not).
Anyone knows at all what's up with Cornell's decisions (M.Arch I) at all? Haven't heard back so super anxious. As far as I can tell all the results/offers so far are with $$ and mostly (90+%) to domestic students, many of my international friends still haven't heard a word. Does that mean it would all be rej from now on?
A wise man once said: "No news, is good news." If you haven't heard back yet, I think that could be good.
Any news from Texas A&M or Princeton?
I got in at A&M, just confused atm if I should accept or not.
Anyone heard from Yale (M Arch) yet??
wondering this as well
getting nervous..
The results are just not out yet so we'll stay patient, fingers crossed
this is agony! I want to make some decisions
“Hey Yale, you still alive!?”
Yale results are out!
Just received an offer. Still waiting for the FA.
same! just got into yale :)
Does anyone know if Columbia gives out scholarship for their MSAAD program?
Same qeustion. here
just heard back from Columbia, which is the last school to get back to me.
Did Columbia offer you anything @peijunfei?
Nope, they mentioned in the email the scholarship stuff will be worked out by fin aid office blabla, I don't believe that I will just email some prof. and lecturer I knew tonight to find out what's the deal.
are you an international student?
btw, so which school are you thinking to go?
International student here. MSAAD. Nothing about FA on the admission letter. I doubt I could get any :( But I have heard from last year attendee that he got his FA letter in near March 15 so I hope next week we could get more information about it .
uhh, I am hard to define that I have both abroad and a domestic degree in architecture and landscape? and also working in the US? I suppose in different schools, I will be treated differently and dropped into a corespondent compilation of applicants. I only can go to the school offer me enough fin aid since I am financially independent without any sponsor, while as I am bot a citizen of the US I cannot apply federal assistant either. All on myself will see where to go. Finger crossed.
I got my acceptance to the MS AAD with a scholarship in the acceptance letter, its merit based (about 18k)
only 9 people on Grad Cafe got in this year and only 1 of them got 18000
congrat Unicornsarereal! Are you coming to the Open House?
archi_gram, where do you see "9 people" on "Grad Cafe"? I only saw 1 or 2 posts for MSAAD at Columbia this year
sorry i was talking about the whole GSAPP
Has the MSAAD program from GSAPP released their decision?
I got an email from them this afternoon.
Congrat! Do you know if they release all the offers at one time ? I feel like I might be rejected cuz I didn’t receive any email
thank you. I heard they sent it out by wave in terms of program and funding. I hope you get in, good luck!
Did Columbia send out Master of Architecture decisions, too?
i'm still waiting as well :(
yes!receiced the offer yesterday
I still haven't heard back from Columbia, have you guys?
Waitlisted at MIT SmarchS.
Anyone else got results?
Urrrr I didn't receive any mail from them...:(
Nothing at all? based on history it seems they send out acceptances and rejections in wave. what smarchs program did you apply for?
architectural design ;( what happened..
i
havent seen much news
i havent seen much news of anyone getting any result besides the one guy receiving admit for urbanism
i got a waitlist for M.Arch I a week ago
I received my letter yesterday. No funding though..
congratulations! how do you know no funding?
I also got SMArchS HTC Waitlist... Anyone in the same boat? Are there anymore thinking of turning their off down?
Doubt it. SMArchS has a high yield rate and it looks like theres a lot of waitlisted people.... I asked a professor i know in the program and he said its unlikely any waitlisted people would be offered. probably gonna ditch the waitlist and accept somewhere else before deadlines comeup...
@monkeyfish Do you think this statement only applies to SMarchS or all the programs at MIT?, I am also on the wait-list.
as far as i know smarchs for all 6 streams cause thats what i asked the professor about. what program are you waitlisted in
Oh okay, waitlist for M.Arch I ...
GSD cancelled their open-house. What are the odds that other programs will too?
GSD is wired this year after asking around about the rough enrollment stat...Have not heard of other programs do this. The new chair and host cat definitely had changed GSD already.
What do you mean? The cancellation is in relation to CONVID19.
Did they send an email? I don't have one.
Email was sent a few hours ago
Yale's open house is also cancelled!
I called GSAPP and Cornell both said very likely they are going to announce the cancellation very soon
rice has also cancelled
im pretty certain most institutions will cancel open house this year
Upenn Weitzman just cancelled their open house
Does anyone know if these schools will be extending their decision deadlines?
In: SMarchS (no funding), UMichigan MUD (no funding), GSD (no funding)
Not sure if its worth all 50,0000 per year is worth any of the degrees
$500000 per year is the most I have EVER heard. What are you waiting for?
LOL sorry 50K not 500K. so total is gonna be 100K. a few years from the degree it wouldnt be worth it considering the return of investment and the fact many people develop their career without the degree (talking about SMarchS and MUD tho not M.Arch)
Got into GSD M.Arch 1 for 3.5 year program. No funding. It would take me 30k to earn the degree. Don’t know if I should go or not.
Not 30k. It is 300k. Sadly
@Ico1996 In undergrad I had a professor tell me "If you're paying to do a non-professional graduate degree, you're doing it wrong." If you already have a professional degree, you're probably not going to get a significant monetary ROI, so it's up to you to decide if the experience is worth the debt.
I agree with this, but the crux of it is professional, so for people doing the M.Arch which is sort of a barrier to career entry, it would certainly factor differently. Still a dilemma though to go into so much debt for a degree. Just means we all have to become amazing architects/other professionals later :)
Anyone waitlisted at the GSD MDes program?
@csss and @jessamynn yeah agree! to go into debt for a non professional degree like MIT SMarchS probably is not a good ROI and only really applicable if you want to pursue academe (but even then the ROI is still crap)
MArch since its a professional degree for accreditation tho makes more sense only if you become a rich and famous starchitect (or marry one) lol
Hi guys! I need some advices on this.
I have applied to both architecture programs and human computer interaction programs.
So far I have got into almost all the M.Arch I programs without any funding. Schools including Harvard GSD, Yale, Columbia GSAPP, Berkeley, UCLA, WUstl. Those programs last from 3 years to 3.5 years, which cost me around 80k each year for tuitions and living expenses. So basically I need to spend 3 years and around 250k to brought a M.Arch degree. Does it worth it?
Also the HCI programs are only 1 year or 2 years. Which cost me around 80k-140k to finish the degree.
hmm well, i think it depends on what you really want to do. Are you set on becoming a practising architect? Or would you be open to working in other areas of the design? At the end of the day, it really depends on how certain you are about architecture
Congratulations! When did you hear back from GSAPP M.Arch I? Didn't seem like anyone else got it. And to chip in , it'll be worth it if you make it worth it
@vialee It's unusual that none of the programs offered you any funding. You could call and try and negotiate some need based financial aid, but to raise it significantly from $0 is unlikely (but still worth a shot!). Is your BA in architecture? If so what I would do would be work for a year or two, save up some money and strengthen your application, then reapply. This will have the added bonus of given you work experience so that when you graduate with an M.Arch you won't be limited to entry-level positions. Also Berkeley and UCLA are public universities, so you can either differ for a year, move to California and apply for residency, or attend right away and apply for residency after your first year (for which you will have to pay full tuition). Once you have California residency tuition is about half. I can't speak to architecture vs HCI, I think that will just come down to which program suits you better. @chuckluck I haven't heard back from GSAPP either; I was told the M. Arch I wouldn't be out until next week. Maybe early notification? Either way, nothing can be done until we hear from them.
Hey guys,
Any insight for someone who’s never been to the US (from Europe) and won’t be able to go to any Open House? I know there’s a lot online about the unis/courses themselves, but would love to know more about the atmosphere/life/jobs in these places.
Looking specifically at Harvard, MIT, Yale and Princeton (all MArch 1) and assuming full rides - is there one people would recommend - and why? I think I would like to get a job in the NY area afterwards if it’ll be possible.
If there’s already a thread on this - please let me know x
first off congrats on all your acceptances! those are the best schools you could possibly choose from!
I would pick harvard gsd: famous staff, larger and better fabrication facilities than MIT, a lot of brand prestige even to those outside of the industry, in boston so getting a job in NY by pure proximity would be easier. of course the same thing could be said about MIT, but based from my exchange there, GSD is a way bigger school than MIT's school of architecture by pure population so you would be able to expand your network more
I would pick Princeton first, GSD last from those choices, which goes to show a lot of it comes down to personal preference. My biggest factor in picking schools was how interesting i found the courses and studios/ the student work being produced. MIT and Princeton are also much smaller class sizes than the GSD, so it depends on if that's a pro or con for you. I spent the summer at the GSD and I found the MLA program (more innovative research, better in-house faculty) a lot more intriguing than the M. Arch program, but I applied to both so I would have the option to do concurrent degrees. Princeton is the closest to NY, but I don't think choosing one over the other will be more conducive to working in NY. They're all top tier programs so the difference is negligible. Also FYI the roof of Gund hall (GSD) leaks BADLY when in rains, so depending on where your desk is you have to be prepared for wet feet and fending off rain damage. I do like the idea of the trays though, it has high ceilings and lots of natural light. Maybe try contacting the schools and asking if they can put you in contact with current students.
I'm in the exact same boat, currently in Europe and can't visit any open houses. After talking to a faculty member at Princeton, it seems like the programme is being pushed into a digital fabrication/design direction, they want to place a heavier emphasis on practice. I'm not that convinced by the faculty at Princeton, to be honest... I think the classes and the faculty in the Landscape department at the GSD look incredible, but I'm very nervous about closing the door on an MArch, as I only applied into the MLA at the GSD (MArch at Princeton and MIT). I recommend reaching out to staff, it has been very helpful to me so far.
Contact faculty at all three schools and ask to be put in touch with current students!
Thanks everyone! Will try to get in contact with current students - great idea.
Hi ctrl_z! I went to MIT architecture for undergrad and took several M. Arch level classes with the grad students. Happy to answer any questions about the school/culture
Hi everyone, congrats on the admissions and making through this stressful process!
I've been placed on waitlist at Princeton (MArch I) today, and wondering if anyone knows what the chances of getting off the waitlist are?
I'll contact the admission office but I imagine with the size of its program, the chances are quite slim?
I ts Princeton. Most people wont even dare to apply because they know they wont get in. Probably depends on what other schools you are in to see if it worth the wait
I’m on the Princeton waitlist too. Let me know if you find out any more info re: chances. Best of luck to the both
of us.
Hi, best of luck to both of us! The admission office hasn't responded; I imagine the delay might have something to do with the outbreak of the virus. BTW, do we need to let them know that we want to stay on/ accept the waitlist?
I don't think so, only if you want off.
have you heard back from Princeton yet or are you still interested? I still haven't but I've had a couple of email exchanges with Paul and he said this year the responses were coming back very slowly.
I have a couple of admits but mainly i am debating over two colleges. U of Michigan - taubman and Georgia Tech SOA. Both are M.arch courses and a lot of different articles state different rankings, job prospects, course workload etc. Need some advice on which to pick. Keeping in mind that the U of M course costs twice GaTech.
Hi. Undergrad from GT SOA here, I’d be happy to connect you with a current graduate student there to answer any questions.
Hi! I am a graduate student so it would be great if you could get me in touch with some students from the M.arch course. Thank you! My email ID is harshika.s.seth@gmail.c
om
Hi! I am a graduate student so it would be great if you could get me in touch with some students from the M.arch course. Thank you! My email ID is harshika.s.seth@gmail.c
om
Hi! I am a graduate student so it would be great if you could get me in touch with some students from the M.arch course. Thank you! My email ID is harshika.s.seth@gmail.com
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