As of right now, I wouldn't factor Tulane's "building renovation" as a plus.  They have been talking about doing it for literally decades.   Don't believe anything until its completed, and then see if it actually made the building better for end-users.

Charlottesville is gorgeous year-round.  Plus its not too far from DC if you want to take a day trip and see some sites.  The restaurants there are top-notch for a town its size.  Additionally, the school had a real emphasis on 'interdisciplinary' studies when I was there; they required interaction between students in different fields.  The alumni network is extremely strong; you can move probably anywhere after graduation and find alumni there.

I am biased toward Tulane but only because I haven't worked with many UVA grads and don't see them around much.

NOLA can be a tough place to live, but very rewarding.

I only know one UVA M.Arch alum. great person and beautiful portfolio. He said that "living there sucked and the school wasn't worth it". With that said, I think he was being critical (don't think he meant it) because as I said his work was great and got job offers at really awesome firms after graduation. I think he was mostly uncomfortable with the culture in the state.

Hope that helps at all? ha

UIUC, ASU, University at buffalo, University of Arizona.

Which should i consider to choose among these for M.ARCH program?

The Dean at Tulane was  a prof previoulsy forced out at UVa. The Old Guard at UVa scoffed at his work and did not think it was up to the standards established in the 90s when UVa's grad school ranking climbed into the top 10. They argued the planning ideas were strong but not developed into strong buildings. He applied for the Dean job at Michigan and ended up at Tulane. UVa has some very good people–as I am sure Tulane does–and the school will keep you so busy that you will not have much time out of studio. Charlottesville is an odd place–it is part bedroom community for the DC set, has three coffee roasters in a town of 47,000, is one of the few places with a (closed street) downtown mall filled with (upper middle class and rich) people–which also has a dark history and pockets of poverty to remind you how fortunate you are and how clueless some of the faculty are there (see note below regarding previous Dean). There is a relatively new Dean and the students are very smart and motivated. If you are in your twenties and into Olmstead–who isn't into Olmstead?–it is a good place to go.  There is a large nationwide networking group–SF, Austin, Chicago, DC and New York. The recognition that landscape (don't call landscape architecture "landscape" to the old Dean's face or she will ask you to do 10 pushups and draw a cultural atlas on your arm with a sharpee) and architecture are two parts of a whole is very productive. There are a couple of super Spanish architects there who add incredible knowledge of structures to the landscape/architecture paradigm and/or endeavor to create amazing work as good as anywhere. I have heard that the emphasis on designing building has ebbed in favor of planning. (Not sure though.) There was a razzle-dazzle display by newer faculty there about fracking/shale oil at a recent biennale that was a better expository research article than compelling tectonic experience. Also, there has never been much of an architectural theory crowd at the school–I am talking like K Michael Hays stuff which tends to be incomprehensible and in the end a waste of time unless translated into English which renders most of it to be snake oil–but there is a serious interest in ideas that will help you stake out a career in an architecture and/or teaching. I would not borrow much money to go to either school for an MArch as I think it limits what you can do after you graduate. Get some money from them! Good luck!

UVA MArch '14

I dont know anything about Tulane, other than the chair Inyaki Alday who was our former dept. chair at Uva.  I liked him a lot and he is the catalyst for the strong Spanish contingency at the A-school.  

I chose UVa over Penn and Rice.  A few reasons below why I enjoyed my time in Charlottesville:

1. Cville is a beautiful place year-around. And considering the city's size, it has abundant amenities as mentioned above.  I would not consider Charlottesville "rural" or "dull".  Thats more fitting for Blacksburg :).

2. The alumni network is deep. Name any big, important, or starchitect office or otherwise, and there is a UVa alum in that office, or even as a founder member.  

3. UVa as a whole is legit. I was very impressed by what the other departments are doing on the national and int'l stage.  Doesnt feel like the other state (commuter) school I went to for undergrad.  

4. The landscape and architecture studios collaborate together a lot. Many are double majoring in those two.

5. Brand new fabrication facilities.  You name it, they have it.  I havent been to all of the architecture schools in the US, though I've been to several. It has to be one of the best shops in the country.

6. It was very affordable compared to all the other schools I applied to.

7. I really enjoyed the faculty. Not a whole lot of old-timers who are passed their prime.

8. There are more reasons but I need to get back to work.  Send me a message if you want some more opinions....