hello everyone. Has anyone done an interview with UCL for their Architecture MArch? I’m having one soon and I’m wondering if those of you who had the interview could share with me what kind of questions I should be expecting? Thanks!
Mar 29, 21 3:33 am ·
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gvyale
Hi, how does it go with UCL? We have a group chat. If you got in and decided to come. Welcome to join the chat
Still waiting to hear from UCLA - AUD for M.Arch. Have they scheduled an admitted student open house yet? I attended USC Friday and will attend SCI-Arc today but still have not received an email about UCLA's decision! Anyone else still waiting??
Mar 29, 21 1:14 pm ·
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archsurvivor101
I heard back in mid-March. The open house is tomorrow
I'm curious regarding people's thoughts on MIT M.Arch 1 vs Princeton M.Arch 1? I have been speaking with current students and alumni, but would love to hear this thread's thoughts as well. What are the programs' strengths and weaknesses in your opinions?
Mar 29, 21 3:53 pm ·
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MTTS
It's a more difficult question than you would think and would be easier to answer if I knew what you wanted to do after graduation. The two schools are so different, which makes it hard to know where to start and end, however, MIT will present a more wholistic education that better prepares you for a career in both academia and practice, while Princeton is theory heavy and is geared more toward academia. However, you can probably end up in the same place by going to either school. I wouldn't say either has a weakness, just differing advantages. MIT probably has bigger advantages being in a major city and with the cross program where you can take up to 49% of your classes at Harvard (Best of both worlds). The Advantage of Princeton, although some think it a disadvantage is their super small student population. I'm willing to bet that Princeton has given you better funding. If the difference in cost at graduation from either school is more than $25,000 I don't think you should consider the differences that much, either school will get you where you want, take the better funding.
Thank you so much for your response. I’m coming for an entirely different field (non-arch background) so I’m keeping a healthy level of openness but in this moment I want to be a practicing architect focused on sustainability and communities of color. I’m also interested in material science and developing alternative construction materials. I have a liberal arts background from an Ivy so part of me feels more comfortable at the idea of going to Princeton because it feels similar but the other part of me would like to try something new in a sense step out of my comfort zone so to speak. I truly just don’t know what to expect. Funding from
Apr 10, 21 10:52 pm ·
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clarity214
Funding from both programs are comparable*. I guess my question now is after hearing vaguely what I’m interested in would you still say that either school would be a good option?
Apr 10, 21 10:53 pm ·
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MTTS
After hearing your interests I would recommend MIT. Princeton is theory heavy. It will be fine for finding work in sought after design firms and teaching positions, which MIT is great too. However, MIT is the route for research and courses focusing on sustainability, Material science and construction materials. You couldn't get a better school than MIT for those things. In terms of addressing communities of color MIT is better, although not the best (Columbia is), however they have a robust urban design department within the school of architecture and you can take courses that will touch on communities of color and even participate in research labs that address it as well. Princeton is the type of place that's perfect for me, I'm trying to go in teaching as well as practice and I'm more interested in phenomenological aspect of design so theory suite me fine, but you want a school that is strong in technical aspects. If Columbia was on the plate I would say they could give MIT a run for their money, but I would highly recommend you research MIT a bit more and even reach out to the dean or faculty, I think you will see how perfectly they align with your interests. Step out of your comfort zone, good luck!
ya, my still says submitted and under "recent activities" only shows when I paid the application fee...I thought about I'm checking the wrong place too but guess we will have to wait.
4 from undergrad professors with a background in target schools; 1 from employer
Personal Essay/Statement/Portfolio
I spent too much time on my portfolio and thus didn't tailor my statement too well, but I think it was highly aligned with the content and concept expressed in my portfolio. I do recommend setting a topic/guideline/theme for the portfolio and make sure your essay is talking about the same thing too. I also put in a lot of ink on how my past academic experience and my current working experience have contributed to my potential research topic in the future.
Schools
GSD MDes / March 2 - Out
MIT SMArchS - In with $$
Yale March 2 - Out
Princeton March 2 - Out
GSAPP MCCCP - Out
Open house impressions
GSD - It's super popular so there are tons of people who are in the zoom meeting room, but glad they also split applicants into sessions and try their best to figure out all the application problems at the open house
GSAPP - MCCCP is fairly a small program so the open house was really friendly and their students are very helpful in answering all the questions.
Tips
I believe it's more important to think thoroughly about what you want to say in your application material to show who you are than spending too much time adding endless details to your portfolio drawing trying to match those portfolios on issuu... just try to show your best self!
I am going to MIT (well I have no other choices), and I wonder if there's a group for admitted students? Can someone please add me in? Thnks!
Mar 29, 21 9:41 pm ·
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kx.rbz
congrats on smarchs. which concentration were you accepted to?
BA Photography & Graphic Design, Marymount Manhattan College, 2019
GPA - GRE - TOEFL
3.49 GPA
Letter of recommendations
Jim Holl, my mentor and undergraduate professor, brother of architect Steven Holl, who was lead architect on the building in which Pratt's School of Architecture is housed.
Genevieve Williams, a current Parsons professor.
A design client of mine who will remain unnamed.
Personal Essay/Statement
Extremely proud of my statement wherein I spoke on Mark Fisher's rendition of hauntology and the slow cancellation of the future, architecture and art's ability to break the banality of postmodern existence, and a few other critiques from the point of post-structuralist philosophy, anarchism, marxism, etc.
Parsons had us choose a piece of architecture based on where we're from and write on it, I chose the high line in New York and basically riffed on the idea that even public space can't be truly egalitarian in a non-egalitarian world, and that architecture isn't meant to change that.
RISD: God this school is so awesome. I love it so much. The studio aspect is so perfect
Pratt: Also absolutely fantastic and very technically precise with solid history/theory faculty, which is heavily important to me.
Parsons: Dear god please don't go to this school. Do not subject yourself to that.
Results
Well, in the case that I get into Columbia, I will likely choose to go there, but still have options to weigh with Pratt. If I don't get in at Columbia, I'll almost 100% be enrolling at Pratt. I just wish Columbia would get back to me already.
RISD is absolutely fantastic and I'm so honored to be accepted there but god I could not imagine uprooting myself and moving to Rhode Island at 24. I love NYC and wouldn't want to live anywhere else in this country.
Tips
None, really. I had a disastrous undergraduate experience after transferring 4 times so I'm not the guy to listen to, although I've learned a lot since then.
Just curious, why are you so against Parsons? Also, a small sidenote I really enjoyed your portfolio. Good luck with Columbia! I am in the same boat as you, and at this point, I don't even know if I would want to go there when they delay their decisions this long. I find it rather infuriating.
Mar 30, 21 1:29 am ·
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_hauntology
Well for me in particular I care very deeply about the theory of architecture and the ways in which it fits into the greater human condition. Every great thinker throughout history has at some point had to grapple with architecture simply because its such an essential part of who we are and impossible to avoid. So, when Parsons displayed an ineptitude for thought I ran as far as I could. Everything that was brought forth by their theory faculty in particular was so unbelievably homogeneous and dogmatic in nature. Not an ounce of evidence that anyone had ever been challenged in any meaningful way.
And thank you! that's honestly where I'm at too. At this point I'm mostly just annoyed, but I won't enroll until I hear back. They're almost two weeks behind every other school, all of which I heard back from in the same week.
any international students had to submit financial documents to USC and haven't heard back yet? i am worried I might not be able to meet the enrollment date since they haven't approved it yet
Mar 30, 21 3:57 am ·
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tt27
I have to submit them and but will do until the 1st of april. I dont think theres an issue since they just need confirmation by the 15th.
Mar 30, 21 5:26 am ·
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rishmufc
Hey, if you've committed to USC M.Arch 2, i would love to connect.
Apr 10, 21 1:58 pm ·
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tt27
Hey did you receive your admissions letter as yet?
Has anybody been accepted to AA's M.Arch Housing and Urbanism course?
Mar 30, 21 12:41 pm ·
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hemantjindal
My friend is also waiting for her decision. she called them last week and they said that the decisions will out after 18th of April as AA is closed from 3rd to 18th April.
Apr 5, 21 12:41 am ·
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hemantjindal
Have you heard anything from AA HOusing and Urbanism?
Apr 29, 21 12:56 am ·
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vli29
yes! Got into AA Housing and Urbanism! Anyone else with an admit?
Congratulations to everyone who got in. I am happy with my acceptances but did not get into my top choices. Are there any other ways (legal and ethical of course) to get into a program once you have been rejected?
Don’t think so mate, at least if you mean for next fall... unless u buy a building or something lol. There are things you can do to increase your chances if you’re on a waitlist, but a rejection might be too late for this year I’m afraid
Could you elaborate on ways to increase chances of getting in if you're waitlisted ?
Mar 31, 21 1:00 am ·
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archsurvivor101
Depends on the school I think. Which schools are you looking at. Some ask for letters of continued interest but others say you can’t do much about it and to just wait it out.
Mar 31, 21 1:11 am ·
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hbassal
Did you maybe incur new achievements since applying?
Anyone know if Yale is open to negotiating financial aid even though its need-based? Would explaining my personal financial situation help anything?
Mar 31, 21 10:58 am ·
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j.adrian
I would say give it a try. In my experience, the financial office was very nice and accommodating. They asked me if I still wanted to apply for financial aid even though it was past the due date. I ended up receiving $31,000/year, and as an international student, that was great. I'm sure they'll further consider your financial situation. And it helps if you have other schools as leverage.
Just received my acceptance to McGill! Currently deciding between there and ETH (Canadian who's been living in Germany the past 8 years); if anyone has any thoughts on McGill's program would love to hear!
Does anyone have any thoughts on Columbias GSAPP intro to Architecture summer program? I recently got accepted into it and have not seen many people discuss any summer programs and if you would recommend it?
Apr 4, 21 11:49 pm ·
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evamcleigh
i went in my 2nd-year high school, it was a super super great program as I didn't know anything about architecture, so with that being said I'm not sure how much you would enjoy it depending on your background.
I took it in 2018 and applied to M.Arch programs this year as a non-background. It's pretty self-explanatory, take it if you think you'd be interested in architecture. If you don't like it, you haven't really committed too much. If you love it, good for you!... based on @jaredo's comment, sounds like online/in-person would both be good experiences, though in-person might be preferable (if you have the option)
I got into UT Austin 3-year program and UO 2-year track in Eugene. I'm still undecided and would appreciate it if anyone could help me decide between the 2 programs.
I am leaning towards UT mainly because of the PRP program but I would definitely end up with greater debt after 3 years. UO so far gives me more scholarship and the program overall is good.
Please advise and thank you all in advance!
Apr 5, 21 2:05 am ·
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archsurvivor101
You should take the shorter duration with more scholarship money imo
Apr 5, 21 2:46 am ·
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Giang Phung
thank you so much for your input!
Apr 5, 21 12:25 pm ·
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_stormaggeddon
congrats on your acceptances! I would probably think about what you could do with an extra year and the money you would save by going to UO. From my experiences, not having as much concern with financials and trying to work a ton during the school year would help you get the most out of your education.
can’t decide between SCI-Arc’s MArch2 and Cornell’s MSAAD, SCI’s program is more rigorous and will give a chance to practice and also to later on go forward a post professional degree, but the school has a peculiar pedagogy. Cornell on the other hand is the better name and it’s more of a traditional kind of education that I’m after, however the MSAAD is too short, and kinda transcends beyond design...
Thoughts?
Apr 5, 21 3:01 am ·
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evamcleigh
short or not really depends on how much you learn from it, i think cornell is a better school overall, sci-arc is not even close intellectually.
Apr 5, 21 4:05 pm ·
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hbassal
Even if it’s research based? As opposed to professional programs that give you a chance to improve on your design thinking?
Letters of Rec: Employer (arch firm), Pitt arch program director, & Pitt sustainability director (also an employer)
Essay: Detailed my past professional experiences and related them to my motivations for pursuing an M.Arch (interest in creating built frameworks for social & environmental justice)
Schools/Results (M.Arch I): In: UC Berkeley & RISD ($), Out: GSD, GSAPP, Yale, Cornell, UPenn and MIT
Tips: I thought about my strengths, uniquenesses, perspectives, past work experience, and reasoning for pursuing this degree and just focused on synthesizing this consistently across my application. Wish I had read more theory before though.
Choice: UC Berkeley! It's cheaper, in a nicer place, more established, has more acclaimed faculty and alumni, and much better studios than RISD. After Ivy rejection and recognizing areas of improvement in my applications I thought about reapplying, but then I spoke to several architects and did some job research and realized an Ivy degree doesn't really give you that much of an advantage, and that I should be really grateful for acceptance to UCB.
I’ve got accepted into University of Michigan Ann Arbor. Waiting for ucl’s response. Which one do you think I should go to? Any suggestions please?
Apr 6, 21 8:56 am ·
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dsh_
don't know anything about UMich- which could be a testament to how popular they are. anyways, UCL is avant-garde, innovative, and always produces state-of-the-art projects. I highly recommend you consider
r ucl, hope you get in!
This thread has really helped me get through this process. Thanks everyone!
For those of you posting multiple schools with multiple $$$$ Please OFFICIALLY DECLINE those offers you won't be accepting! It's my understanding that at some schools any monies attached to a declined offer will be put back into the pool to be distributed to students that have accepted. Free up the $$$$ for the rest of us please! <3 Bless <3
if anyone was offered $$ by upenn m arch & is planning to decline plsss do so!!
Apr 7, 21 2:05 pm ·
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_N8_
Wait until the very last day, I will decline my (small amount) of funding from Penn but I need it to bargain with another school. I assume others will do the same
M-Arch Option 1 Cornell ($) vs Rice ($$$$) ??? How would employability differ on graduation ? thoughts ?
Apr 7, 21 1:53 pm ·
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Archithoughts2
Cornell *might* have better employability in NYC (especially given their semester in the city for the M.Arch if that's your program). Rice has a good enough name though that it shouldn't be crazily different if your work is good. But if you are getting a full scholarship at
Rice that is fantastic and would highly recommend taking that! Congrats either way!
Cornell is roughly $60,000 a year, so you would be taking on $45,000 a year just tuition. That comes out to $157,000 over 3.5 years. Cornell is a better option if you are trying to get into some of the more difficult firms and for getting into teaching if that interests you, however it most definitely is not worth that price difference even in the long run. Rice is very competitive in architecture and will get you into most first Cornell can and is still recognized for producing teachers. My take is that if the difference was $50,000 or less overall, Cornell would be worth it, but for $157,000 absolutely not!!!!
Thank you both this is so helpful. Follow up questions though. I’m wondering if the name and ranking of a school, and the fact that an IVY league impacts salaries and job quality ? The end goal for me is finding a great job with a decent enough salary to start off with, and so I’m trying to evaluate my decision based on this. While I’m more inclined towards the program at Cornell, I’m wondering if it’s worth the money. I know I’m being a little repetitive, but would still love more of your insights on this subject. Feel free to share more thoughts !
Apr 7, 21 10:47 pm ·
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Spritzerrrr
Let me also mention that I am flexible on money, and I want to go to the school that will empower me more.
Apr 7, 21 11:14 pm ·
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MTTS
If money is no issue, cornell is the better choice, however, even if you can afford to pay the $157,000 difference between Rice and Cornell, the two schools are not worth that difference. Whether you have the money to pay for it or not, going to Cornell will not make up that price gap at best it might even out in the long run. If we were talking about Harvard, Columbia, MIT, Yale or Princeton, then if money was no problem I would have advised you otherwise, however I keep saying this, just because you are flexible does not mean you should pay that amount of Money to go to Cornell while you have full tuition at Rice. If you however tell me that that you are trying to work for example at specific difficult to enter firms based in the New England area like So-IL or NADAA and you also wanted to teach at a school in that area like RISD, Syracuse or Cornell, I would say you are paying a hefty price but your option is clearly Cornell. Otherwise, Rice will get you a job at pretty much any firm Cornell can and get you into teaching if you want. Remember even though schools like Columbia and Yale are at the top for grad school both Rice and Cornell are top rankers both for undergrad and grad and their names carry a similar weight in the Architecture world.
RICE vs Cornell
Do a lot of RICE Arch grads end up working in cities other than Houston ? Should this factor into my decision ? I am keen on Rice, but not so keen on working / living in Houston. Would love to hear some thoughts about this. I have the same question for Cornell. I am very keen on working and living in New York. Does Cornell have weight in the New York market. Would going to school at Cornell give me more flexibility in working in different cities, like SFO, Boston, Chicago, etc. ? To what extent does the school you go to affect / empower you to apply to jobs in different cities across the country, and work in the city of your choice.
My final decision is coming down between RISD and IIT, could use some thoughts!
Undergraduate Degree/ School/ Year graduated
Smaller Midwest state school. BS of Design with a major in architecture, graduating may 2021
GPA - GRE - TOEFL
3.83 - 159VR 160QR 4.0AW (glad most schools didn't require it this year)
Letter of recommendations
several studio professors and a mentor who teaches arch. at another school that I've done research with
Personal Essay/Statement
Talked about my interests in architecture and fascinating internship experience. In some I explained how my disability has affected my view of the discipline.
Portfolio
One conceptual research project, the rest of the projects were academic including a smaller design build. For some schools I included my best representational artwork as well.
Schools
applied to university of kansas, Michigan Ann Arbor, RISD, Illinois institute of technology, University of Illinois Chicago, SAIC, RISD, and SCIARC
Open house impressions
unable to attend most, but enjoyed RISD's Q&A sessions. previously toured SCIARC and IIT, loved IIT's campus.
Results
Waitlisted at Michigan.
Accepted into 3 year M.arch programs at SCIARC and UIC. UIC doesn't often grant advanced standing, SCIARC wouldn't accept my BS of Design with a major in architecture, even though its a 4 year program in my University's college of architecture that has 4+2 accreditation.
Accepted into 2 year M.arch programs KU, RISD, SAIC, IIT.
RISD SAIC and IIT all offered partial tuition, RISD also offered a small assistantship. No $ at KU but they would still be the least expensive.
Tips
It just takes so much time, plan to finish things weeks ahead of time so you have room for error and time to nitpick at details.
Apr 7, 21 8:24 pm ·
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fireflyfirefly
I would definitely say RISD. Same job markets as the Ivys and the program is really open to interpretation. PVD is also apparently lovely to live in and very inexpensive.
Wondering what people think of Wash U. Also got accepted at UCLA but with no money, and tuition+room/board would end up costing around $200,000 over the three year program. (I received 50% funding plus the 2 year advanced standing at WashU). Wash U's program appears to be quite conventional (humble housing seems to be the main focus of the curriculum, without much emphasis on emerging technologies). I also am not looking forward to living in St. Louis.
Can anyone speak to the professional opportunities for Wash U grads? It seems like most of their graduates remain in the Midwest, i.e. Chicago or St. Louis. I am concerned that I will be kneecapping future access to other locations for work if I accept this offer.
Feeling quite down and not sure what to do. If anyone has any thoughts I would really appreciate your input.
Apr 7, 21 11:04 pm ·
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adesignerdesigner
I would email UCLA and see if they could match the offer wash u gave you
Apr 8, 21 11:28 am ·
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jake11
I'm choosing Wash U (2 year) over U of Michigan and Penn. After talking with a few architects who went to Wash U, it sounds like there are plenty of opportunities to find jobs in regarded firms around the country. As far as the campus and city go, I absolutely loved my visit last weekend. The architecture facilities and specifically studio spaces were fantastic, and the city and forest park were much more interesting than I anticipated.
@jake11 thats interesting to hear! I've actually considered turning down my offer at WashU in order to re-apply at Penn and for the first time at Michigan. Could you tell me a bit more about what really put WashU over the edge for you? One of the things that worries me is its relatively smaller size compared to those other 2 schools for instance.
It's also great to hear good things about the area, do you mind saying where youre from? coming from big east coast cities I worry that the transition to the midwest will be a bit of a shock.
Also when were you visited you were able to go inside the buildings?
Apr 12, 21 10:27 pm ·
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j.adrian
I'm a WashU alumni (BS.Arch 2020).
There are great facilities in the school. Weil Hall is the new building that houses the fabrication lab and most of the graduate students and it's a fantastic space. It's a shame that my class didn't get to use much of the new spaces in the building.
Apr 13, 21 2:16 am ·
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j.adrian
St Louis is a great place in my opinion. Forrest Park is right across the architecture school and has many attractions. The St Louis Art Museum, Zoo and Science Center are all free to the public. I like to visit the museum after long exams or studio reviews. Additionally, public transportation is completely free for student. This includes the metrolink train and bus service.
I have been to the U Mich architecture school, and while I loved the studio spaces and fabrication labs, it just cant beat the location that WashU offers. Ann Arbor, Michigan is a campus town while St Louis is a lively metropolitan city.
Apr 13, 21 2:43 am ·
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jake11
@architecture? Vs Penn it mainly came down to receiving quite a bit of funding and AP at WashU vs no funding at all and no AP at Penn. Penn was actually one of my top schools going into the application process so I was thrilled with the acceptance, but I'm unwilling to pay full tuition and have an extra year.
U of M was much less straightforward. It would cost about the same and was also a two year program. I'm from West Michigan and got my BS Arch from U of M, so for me it was more about getting a different perspective between undergrad and grad. I loved my time at U of M, and it is a great program (and frankly better fab spaces if that's important to you), but I loved the amount of space each student had in studio at WashU and the student work is just as interesting in my opinion.
Apr 13, 21 10:15 am ·
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jake11
I also think that the career outlooks will be fairly similar with both schools sending students to the east and west coasts. They're both great schools, so I don't think anyone could go wrong either way. I'm just excited to experience St Louis and better weather than Michigan lol. And yes, I toured the facilities with the architecture chair. They were just starting to allow those visits when I reached out about a month ago.
Apr 13, 21 10:22 am ·
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architecture?
Thank you both, thats very helpful! Last thing: It seems like the work coming out of the undergrad program is a lot more conceptual and exciting while the graduate work seems more grounded and practical. Obviously to an extent this makes sense but I was wondering if either of you think there is a clear difference in what undergrads vs grads are encouraged to produce and if, as introductionmediator mentioned, the grad program does emphasis conventional work more especially with the pride they take in the housing studio?
Apr 13, 21 1:56 pm ·
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jake11
That could be the case, at least to an extent. It sounds like it varies by studio a bit too, so you're able to pursue what you are interested in. I know an alum who had a studio that was incredibly conceptual and ended with a theoretical system as opposed to a defined building. On the other hand, a current grad student who did undergrad at U of M as well mentioned that the approach overall has been a bit more technical and relatable the professional world than the approach U of M had taken. However, as you mentioned that may just be a difference between a graduate and undergraduate program.
Who is choosing UC Berkeley and why? At this point I'm in between Berkeley- who offered me a scholarship- and UT Austin- who didn't offer a scholarship-but has the PRP (Professional Residency Program) program.
Has anyone else been accepted to Cornell’s advanced placement M.Arch I program?
Apr 8, 21 6:02 pm ·
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hbassal
They do advanced placement?
Apr 9, 21 2:44 am ·
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MTTS
They are currently re-evaluating for me because I asked.
Apr 9, 21 2:35 pm ·
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hbassal
Asked for AP?
Apr 9, 21 3:21 pm ·
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MTTS
Yes, I asked in original application, I was not offered advanced standing, but I asked why and they said they will re-evaluate
Apr 9, 21 3:34 pm ·
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hbassal
That’s amazing... I hope they approve
Apr 9, 21 3:59 pm ·
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archsurvivor101
@MTTS did they approve your request yet? Mine has been approved but they said they need others to reject their offer first as they have limited seats.
Apr 9, 21 5:19 pm ·
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autoboxunit
I wasn't aware we can ask to be re-evaluated for advanced placement to schools -- is this a policy specific to Cornell? If not -- do you mind sharing how you went about this?
Apr 9, 21 6:23 pm ·
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MTTS
They have not gotten back to me yet. @autobox unit, to get advanced placement you need an architecture background, I'd you do it is a part of the application process, there is a question that asks if you are interested in being considered, this is the same for all the schools I have applied to.
Apr 9, 21 7:47 pm ·
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autoboxunit
MTTS: Thanks for answering. It's just that I was offered advanced placement at two programs but not the third (not Cornell)... I'm wondering who you emailed at the school to appeal (admissions director, etc) and how you strategically worded this email?
Apr 9, 21 8:12 pm ·
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MTTS
The director reach out to congratulate me on my acceptance so we set up a time to talk a few days later and I talked about my concerns with her, finances and advanced placement. She pulled up my portfolio and looked at my background, including the school and said I will put it in for re-evaluation. Part of the problem at Cornell is that there are a limited amount of students that can be put into advanced placement so I'm guessing that's part of it. My experience so far has been different from you in that only 1 school gave me advanced placement, so I want surprised by Cornell.
I’m stuck between going to WashU’s three year MArch program or going to Syracuse two year advanced standing program. Both are around the same amount of money and both are ranked near each other for program prestige. Anyone have any thoughts about the programs and which is better?
HELP
Apr 8, 21 6:09 pm ·
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MiesvanderHo
The 2 year/3 year thing seems like it should factor into your decision if you're really split between the two. What do you want out of your education? Do you want to work ASAP or stay in school longer and learn as much as possible? To me, AP is only worth it if it saves you a year's worth of tuition to pay, but if that's not an issue, I'd say you miss out a lot with it. The whole first year in fact, might put you behind students who didn't take AP. Just something to think about.
Apr 8, 21 6:21 pm ·
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MiesvanderHo
Also rankings for architecture schools don't mean anything at all. See this article: https://www.archpaper.com/2018/04/architectural-schools-ranked-appropriately/ Have you gone to either Open House? Talked to current students? Profs? If you're really torn between them, these questions should be what guide your decision.
I would say go to Syracuse as its a shorter duration!
Apr 8, 21 10:38 pm ·
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h0wl
I'm almost done with Syracuse M.Arch AP, and only thing i will say is that there may be a minor disconnect between the incoming 2-year track cohort with the students who already have met and formed their friend circles already in the prior year. I figure this would apply at almost any school. However, for me i didn't really care because making 1-2 new friends isn't necessarily worth an extra $60k of loans.
Do a lot of RICE Arch grads end up working in cities other than Houston ? Should this factor into my decision ? I am keen on Rice, but not so keen on working / living in Houston. Would love to hear some thoughts about this. I have the same question for Cornell. I am very keen on working and living in New York. Does Cornell have weight in the New York market. Would going to school at Cornell give me more flexibility in working in different cities, like SFO, Boston, Chicago, etc. ? To what extent does the school you go to affect / empower you to apply to jobs in different cities across the country, and work in the city of your choice.
I'm curious about your thoughts on M.arch1 MIT vs YSOA? regarding diverse factors (faculty, pedagogy, percentages of doing practice/research after graduation, interdisciplinary opportunities.. etc)
Apr 10, 21 2:56 am ·
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MTTS
First of all you can't go wrong with either on various levels.
Apr 10, 21 7:27 am ·
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MTTS
Sorry I accidently posted. Both MIT and Yale have well known faculty however, MIT fairs better in attracting dough after faculty being in a bigger city. MIT faculty tend to be focused on technical aspects of architecture, e.g. structures, materiality, high performance and so on while Yale, being theory heavy tends to invite more quirky architects focusing on theories of design and more nuances matters of good design. MIT's program is quite literally design to be a type of lab, so even as a designer there there is so much room for research work and classes will tend to capture research as a focus, so for graduates seeking to do more technically experimental work and research post graduation MIT definitely has more to offer. Of course Yale has it's research in both the technical and theoretical however the program isn't designed for experimentation the way MIT does but a place question good design and the research tens to focus on more intangible questions of design. Yale is focused on producing people like Tod and Billie Tsien and Peter Eisenman who are currently faculty there, while MIT produces people like Deborah Mesa and Sheila Kennedy who are faculty there. Those faculty likely typify their respective school, looking at the type of work those faculty do will show you more about each school than I can tell. About equal amounts of MIT and Yale graduates end up in practice and academia and the teachers are usually practicing anyhow, however MIT grads tend to favor more of a route for research given their background. What will differ is the type practice they enter or even start on their own and the schools they teach at, if you look at MIT you will likely not find that many Yale graduates and vice verse, but look at Harvard and Columbia and you will find about an equal amount of Yale and MIT graduates which is telling, while Berkely will likely have more MIT grads and Princeton will have more Yale grads being a theory heavy school. Lastly to put it simply MIT is all about interdisciplinary design while Yale is not and it is likely due to MIT's draw for research which inherently draws from other fields. The faculty I mentioned at MIT especially Sheila's firm is all about interdisciplinary approaches and one of the studio's she teaches is interdisciplinary by nature. Just by the way your question is framed I can tell you probably are looking for more of an MIT route.
@MTTS wow thank you so much on sharing your thoughts! It does help me a lot. Please reach me out anytime for further discussions or any additional thoughts. All the best of luck with your decision too!
Apr 10, 21 12:51 pm ·
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analoguearchitect
@Yyjh I just got off a call with Deborah Berke/have also spoken to a bunch of students/faculty to learn more about Yale (making the decision between GSD/Yale). I think there's a lot of interdisciplinary work done in labs like CEA and also the extra elective slots allow for easy access to other departments at Yale. Happy to chat about this as well. Within the pedagogy, I do think MIT is more research based, but Yale is definitely no longer the conservative bastion that it was under Robert Stern. I think the bottom-up approach/access is also incredible at Yale (to the point that I can actually reach out to the Dean and ask for her thoughts).
Apr 10, 21 5:56 pm ·
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clarity214
I have a similar question for MIT vs Princeton? And thoughts on what type of student/pedagogy would thrive at one versus the other. Commenting on this thread because you guys particularly @MTTS have been offering great insights.
Apr 10, 21 10:32 pm ·
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clarity214
@MTTS I saw that you already replied to my original question on this thread and replied to you there. Thank you!!
Got some super good news today! I emailed Sci-Arc after my admissions for my financial aid and they offered me a 50% scholarship! Super excited and happy to be attending there this fall.
Hi, I’ve been admitted to the MArch three year program in Pratt and ASU, and I need assistance in deciding which school I need to attend to. Money is definitely an issue and I’ve not received any scholarships. I’m mostly worried about the resources and how much I’ll learn by the end of the course. I’m also worried about the career opportunities. I got a sense that Pratt has better job opportunities, but I’m not able to find anything regarding ASU’s job pool or any kind of assistance from the school after I graduate. I would say I’m more of a research based student rather than theory. And computer aided design is something I want to be good at, by the time I graduate. Please help me decide which school I can go to. The decisions are due 15th April, so I need input as soon as possible. Thanks in advance.
Apr 10, 21 11:01 am ·
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archsurvivor101
I believe, Pratt has a better reputation in the field of architecture and being in NYC certainly has its benefits. Not only is there a better job market for the profession but a lot of students seems to get internships in the summer. However, since you mentioned that you didnt receive any scholarships, you would need to evaluate if living in an expensive apartment in NYC is worth the trouble or the possible loans you would incur.
Apr 10, 21 11:41 pm ·
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DR..
It’s mostly about the tuition.. living expenses can be managed. But the tuition is 55k per year. And it’s a three year program. I’m not even able to get a student loan in my country of such a large sum. Whereas the ASU tuition is about 34k per annum.
Apr 11, 21 2:45 am ·
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DR..
@m.s.a**
Apr 11, 21 2:45 am ·
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archsurvivor101
Did you try to contact someone at Pratt (preferably the M.Arch program director or the financial office) asking for any kind of aid? At the end of the day, I am sure both schools will provide a quality education and it is better to be debt free in the long run. You could try to look up people on LinkedIn who went to ASU and see where they got jobs later on? But I'm sure you'll be able to find employment opportunities at either school
Apr 11, 21 3:06 am ·
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DR..
I have spoken to the institute regarding financial aid, and they don’t have any for me. Thanks for you input @m.s.a
Thoughts on UC Berkeley’s MArch I program (quality, content, etc) ? Does Berkeley assist students in getting summer internships and work on graduation ?
Apr 10, 21 10:52 pm ·
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emselyyy
I emailed them asking about internships and this is the response i got: "In place of formal internship placement for students we do encourage students to pursue their own internship/employment opportunities. Many students utilize Handshake- the Career Center's powerful recruiting platform for UC Berkeley students and alumni. Handshake uses cutting edge technology to help you more easily connect with employers and source jobs, internships, event information, and On-Campus Recruiting (OCR) opportunities. CED also has a dedicated Career Counselor available for current students."
Apr 11, 21 12:28 am ·
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xxy888
I spoke to Renee Chow recently and she's said that work upon graduation hasn't seemed to be an issue from students, except for COVID-19 last year, but only for a few months. I trust she's speaking truth to the best of her knowledge. I love Berkeley, I think their faculty is exciting and the institution is so rich of thinkers. I attended a few crits and they make it a point to invite non-architectural discipline folk to attend and make comment, it was so refreshing to hear anthropologists giving feedback on projects to do with the land, etc. I haven't really seen that kind of open-minded review
at other places.
Hi! I am deciding between UCLA and columbia and can't decide.. what made you pick UCLA?
Apr 12, 21 1:59 pm ·
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faddo001
Hi! That is a tough decision, and a lot of factors that go into deciding. LA and NY are both amazing places to be for architecture. I applied, but did not get into Columbia. But if I had gotten into GSAPP, I think I would have chosen UCLA anyways. Largely due to cost of tuition. Living is expensive in both places. But I also like the vibe of the architecture community in LA better than NY. Listening to current students at UCLA, the studio culture seems really great.
Hi guys, I have decided to go with UPENN's one year MSD program. I didnt get ant scholarship from the school. So I'm taking a loan of 55k USD. What do you guys think about taking loan of such huge amount ? Especially during this time ? Thanks a lot for all the people sharing their thoughts on this thread, it's been very helpful.
Apr 12, 21 3:21 pm ·
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MiesvanderHo
What prior degrees/jobs do you have and what are your plans for after graduating?
I have got acceptance from SCI-ARC , UPENN and AA. but no scholarship. All of the program offered by these schools are similar, so I have decided to go with UPenn, because its bit cheaper compared to other two. I need some thoughts about taking a such huge loan.
Apr 12, 21 3:43 pm ·
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hbassal
Which program are SCI-Arc?
Apr 12, 21 4:42 pm ·
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clarity214
I would consider asking the program to reconsider you for scholarship. As prospective students begin to reject their offers to UPENN they’re going to have more scholarship money. It literally NEVER hurts to ask. I would quite honestly ask all 3 programs and see what they say. I’m also curious if 55k is the cost of tuition or the cost of attendance i.e. tuition, rent, books and supplies, food, transportation etc. If 55k is only tuition you’re going to end up taking out more money potentially. Long story short I would ask each program for a scholarship reconsideration and I would apply for external scholarships.
I asked UMich to reconsider my merit aid like 5 days ago, they just got back to me and didn't budge. They literally gave me 10k for 2 years, and I had Penn to negotiate with. Anyone heard of schools bumping aid even after the April 15th deadline?
Apr 13, 21 2:48 pm ·
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MTTS
Yes they do. It's a common thing to do, however don't expect anything substantial.
Apr 13, 21 11:39 pm ·
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MTTS
Just make sure to be be persistent and continue to ask.
Yes, I went from no scholarship to 18k at GSAPP once, in late-June. By then they'd figured out all the students they needed to accommodate for, so I imagine they were able to reach deeper into pockets. I was a bit of an outlier, though, being a dual-degree student?
Apr 14, 21 7:18 pm ·
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xxy888
But I didn't ask them to "reconsider," I simply hadn't asked or put pressure on them until that point.
Apr 14, 21 7:18 pm ·
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_N8_
Awesome, thanks everyone for the replies. It's not the end of the world if they don't give out more money, but I will ask again in a month of so.
I would assume everyone who is waitlisted at a school whose deadline to accept offer of admission is April 15th will be waiting until after that date passes
Both have offered $ which makes them pretty even tuition-wise at this point. Thoughts?
Apr 14, 21 5:52 pm ·
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xxy888
Definitely Berkeley!!!
Apr 14, 21 7:15 pm ·
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xxy888
Renee Chow (dean) is amazing, her direction of the school I believe has already manifested in a much more rounded and diverse faculty with many interests, and about 8 years ahead of the other schools now crying for "institutional change," I would say! The representations I've seen are all beautiful, provocative, and even their attitude towards tech is nuanced and politically/critically-informed. This is a no-brainer for me, unless you are very committed to L.A.
I'm still trying to make decision between Rice, Cornell and Berkeley. @xxy888 what are some of the other reasons that you've settled on berkeley ?
Apr 14, 21 11:38 pm ·
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faddo001
This is very dependent on the direction you want to take your career. LA is an amazing place when it comes the arch community!
The school's are quite different in their pedagogy.
quick question because i am super confused and feel like I made a mistake. Can you retract your acceptance after you pay the deposit?
Apr 15, 21 12:10 pm ·
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archsurvivor101
Yes for sure but you would not get your deposit back. If you decide to go somewhere else, I am sure you can email the school and let them know that you will be giving up your spot.
Apr 15, 21 12:19 pm ·
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RichardV
I'd agree with m.s.a. but if I may ask what schools are you considering, maybe you could get some quick opinions in the thread. Definitely helped me make a decision.
Just about to! Running into some last minute jitters but would be happy to connect. I've also heard that donna might make a group if enough people ask her to.
I asked Donna W about the FB group and she said in a couple weeks, once the class is finalized, she would go ahead and make or at least help with setting up the FB group - hope that helps and looking forward to seeing you all there :))
I haven't seen any updates, but in the email sent out today there will be a "Meet & Greet" with the registrars and Donna on May 4th. We could maybe ask her then to arrange something?
M.Arch Fall 2021 Application Status
hello everyone. Has anyone done an interview with UCL for their Architecture MArch? I’m having one soon and I’m wondering if those of you who had the interview could share with me what kind of questions I should be expecting? Thanks!
Hi, how does it go with UCL? We have a group chat. If you got in and decided to come. Welcome to join the chat
Any ideas when Pratt will release the rest of their decisions?
The wait is agonizing! I know they are mailing out Undergraduate decisions by today (April 1st), though that probably doesn't tell us much.
Still waiting to hear from UCLA - AUD for M.Arch. Have they scheduled an admitted student open house yet? I attended USC Friday and will attend SCI-Arc today but still have not received an email about UCLA's decision! Anyone else still waiting??
I heard back in mid-March. The open house is tomorrow
I'm curious regarding people's thoughts on MIT M.Arch 1 vs Princeton M.Arch 1? I have been speaking with current students and alumni, but would love to hear this thread's thoughts as well. What are the programs' strengths and weaknesses in your opinions?
It's a more difficult question than you would think and would be easier to answer if I knew what you wanted to do after graduation. The two schools are so different, which makes it hard to know where to start and end, however, MIT will present a more wholistic education that better prepares you for a career in both academia and practice, while Princeton is theory heavy and is geared more toward academia. However, you can probably end up in the same place by going to either school. I wouldn't say either has a weakness, just differing advantages. MIT probably has bigger advantages being in a major city and with the cross program where you can take up to 49% of your classes at Harvard (Best of both worlds). The Advantage of Princeton, although some think it a disadvantage is their super small student population. I'm willing to bet that Princeton has given you better funding. If the difference in cost at graduation from either school is more than $25,000 I don't think you should consider the differences that much, either school will get you where you want, take the better funding.
Thank you so much for your response. I’m coming for an entirely different field (non-arch background) so I’m keeping a healthy level of openness but in this moment I want to be a practicing architect focused on sustainability and communities of color. I’m also interested in material science and developing alternative construction materials. I have a liberal arts background from an Ivy so part of me feels more comfortable at the idea of going to Princeton because it feels similar but the other part of me would like to try something new in a sense step out of my comfort zone so to speak. I truly just don’t know what to expect. Funding from
Funding from both programs are comparable*. I guess my question now is after hearing vaguely what I’m interested in would you still say that either school would be a good option?
After hearing your interests I would recommend MIT. Princeton is theory heavy. It will be fine for finding work in sought after design firms and teaching positions, which MIT is great too. However, MIT is the route for research and courses focusing on sustainability, Material science and construction materials. You couldn't get a better school than MIT for those things. In terms of addressing communities of color MIT is better, although not the best (Columbia is), however they have a robust urban design department within the school of architecture and you can take courses that will touch on communities of color and even participate in research labs that address it as well. Princeton is the type of place that's perfect for me, I'm trying to go in teaching as well as practice and I'm more interested in phenomenological aspect of design so theory suite me fine, but you want a school that is strong in technical aspects. If Columbia was on the plate I would say they could give MIT a run for their money, but I would highly recommend you research MIT a bit more and even reach out to the dean or faculty, I think you will see how perfectly they align with your interests. Step out of your comfort zone, good luck!
Anyone else still waiting for GSAPP M.ARCH? Are they still rolling out or it’s rejection from now on? I haven’t hear back from them at all...
Have you checked the portal? I did not receive an email but there was a status update on my portal
Ya I checked but nothing changed.
Yeah I'm still waiting. Does your portal status just say "submitted" still? Wanna make sure I did it right.
same
ya, my still says submitted and under "recent activities" only shows when I paid the application fee...I thought about I'm checking the wrong place too but guess we will have to wait.
congrats on smarchs. which concentration were you accepted to?
I’m urbanism concentration
I’m in *
I'll have a go I suppose:
Just curious, why are you so against Parsons? Also, a small sidenote I really enjoyed your portfolio. Good luck with Columbia! I am in the same boat as you, and at this point, I don't even know if I would want to go there when they delay their decisions this long. I find it rather infuriating.
Well for me in particular I care very deeply about the theory of architecture and the ways in which it fits into the greater human condition. Every great thinker throughout history has at some point had to grapple with architecture simply because its such an essential part of who we are and impossible to avoid. So, when Parsons displayed an ineptitude for thought I ran as far as I could. Everything that was brought forth by their theory faculty in particular was so unbelievably homogeneous and dogmatic in nature. Not an ounce of evidence that anyone had ever been challenged in any meaningful way.
And thank you! that's honestly where I'm at too. At this point I'm mostly just annoyed, but I won't enroll until I hear back. They're almost two weeks behind every other school, all of which I heard back from in the same week.
Columbia's grad students are currently striking over wages and treatment, can't imagine that is helping their application process.
https://gothamist.com/news/col...
any international students had to submit financial documents to USC and haven't heard back yet? i am worried I might not be able to meet the enrollment date since they haven't approved it yet
I have to submit them and but will do until the 1st of april. I dont think theres an issue since they just need confirmation by the 15th.
Hey, if you've committed to USC M.Arch 2, i would love to connect.
Hey did you receive your admissions letter as yet?
nope, i am yet to receive my admission letter
Has anybody been accepted to AA's M.Arch Housing and Urbanism course?
My friend is also waiting for her decision. she called them last week and they said that the decisions will out after 18th of April as AA is closed from 3rd to 18th April.
Have you heard anything from AA HOusing and Urbanism?
yes! Got into AA Housing and Urbanism! Anyone else with an admit?
When did you get your decision?
Has anybody been accepted to UMich MArch 2 year program and has decided to go there ?
if anyone can leave some opinions on penn vs yale please help me out! here is the link: https://archinect.com/forum/th...
Finally got my rejection from GSAPP. :(
Me too, I’m actually relieved, waiting sucked...
Congratulations to everyone who got in. I am happy with my acceptances but did not get into my top choices. Are there any other ways (legal and ethical of course) to get into a program once you have been rejected?
https://www.netflix.com/title/81130691?s=i&trkid=13747225
Don’t think so mate, at least if you mean for next fall... unless u buy a building or something lol. There are things you can do to increase your chances if you’re on a waitlist, but a rejection might be too late for this year I’m afraid
Could you elaborate on ways to increase chances of getting in if you're waitlisted ?
Depends on the school I think. Which schools are you looking at. Some ask for letters of continued interest but others say you can’t do much about it and to just wait it out.
Did you maybe incur new achievements since applying?
Anyone know if Yale is open to negotiating financial aid even though its need-based? Would explaining my personal financial situation help anything?
I would say give it a try. In my experience, the financial office was very nice and accommodating. They asked me if I still wanted to apply for financial aid even though it was past the due date. I ended up receiving $31,000/year, and as an international student, that was great. I'm sure they'll further consider your financial situation. And it helps if you have other schools as leverage.
has anyone STILL not heard anything back from UCLA? its my last school im waiting to hear from
Why dont you contact the admissions office?
I just got my decision this morning, rejected. All is good though, USC's program looks incredible.
I also got my rejection, but I surprisingly got into USC only two days ago which I wasn't expecting. most likely will commit there!
Also leaning towards USC!
did you get into M.Arch 2 at USC?
RISD vs UPenn MArch I thoughts??
RISD
Has anyone here heard from University of Calgary?
yes, a couple classmates and I received acceptance letters in February
Congratulations! I'm still waiting and it's already end of March.
Thanks! Last year there are a few people I know who didn't hear back until mid April to early May.
Same here!! Waiting for a reply can get really frustrating, I've lost hopes for this year with the high number of applications and deferrals.
Just received my acceptance to McGill! Currently deciding between there and ETH (Canadian who's been living in Germany the past 8 years); if anyone has any thoughts on McGill's program would love to hear!
Is anyone who got into UPenn not going there? if so why?
penn's architecture is not as good amongst Ivy's when compared to their MLA program
Does anyone have any thoughts on Columbias GSAPP intro to Architecture summer program? I recently got accepted into it and have not seen many people discuss any summer programs and if you would recommend it?
i went in my 2nd-year high school, it was a super super great program as I didn't know anything about architecture, so with that being said I'm not sure how much you would enjoy it depending on your background.
It was so great and informative, and I say this having done the online version due to COVID, I imagine in person would've been even better.
I took it in 2018 and applied to M.Arch programs this year as a non-background. It's pretty self-explanatory, take it if you think you'd be interested in architecture. If you don't like it, you haven't really committed too much. If you love it, good for you!... based on @jaredo's comment, sounds like online/in-person would both be good experiences, though in-person might be preferable (if you have the option)
I got into UT Austin 3-year program and UO 2-year track in Eugene. I'm still undecided and would appreciate it if anyone could help me decide between the 2 programs.
I am leaning towards UT mainly because of the PRP program but I would definitely end up with greater debt after 3 years. UO so far gives me more scholarship and the program overall is good.
Please advise and thank you all in advance!
You should take the shorter duration with more scholarship money imo
thank you so much for your input!
congrats on your acceptances! I would probably think about what you could do with an extra year and the money you would save by going to UO. From my experiences, not having as much concern with financials and trying to work a ton during the school year would help you get the most out of your education.
can’t decide between SCI-Arc’s MArch2 and Cornell’s MSAAD, SCI’s program is more rigorous and will give a chance to practice and also to later on go forward a post professional degree, but the school has a peculiar pedagogy. Cornell on the other hand is the better name and it’s more of a traditional kind of education that I’m after, however the MSAAD is too short, and kinda transcends beyond design...
Thoughts?
short or not really depends on how much you learn from it, i think cornell is a better school overall, sci-arc is not even close intellectually.
Even if it’s research based? As opposed to professional programs that give you a chance to improve on your design thinking?
hello, has anyone here applied to/heard back from the MAS DFAB programme at ETH?
does anyone know if there a group chat or Facebook group for incoming USC M.Arch students?
Incoming M.arch student at USC
would love to connect if you're an incoming M.Arch 2 at USC?
Undergrad: BSE Civil Engineering, UPitt, 2020
Scores: 3.3 GPA, 169/160/5.0 GRE
Letters of Rec: Employer (arch firm), Pitt arch program director, & Pitt sustainability director (also an employer)
Essay: Detailed my past professional experiences and related them to my motivations for pursuing an M.Arch (interest in creating built frameworks for social & environmental justice)
Portfolio: https://issuu.com/jono.m.coles...
Schools/Results (M.Arch I): In: UC Berkeley & RISD ($), Out: GSD, GSAPP, Yale, Cornell, UPenn and MIT
Tips: I thought about my strengths, uniquenesses, perspectives, past work experience, and reasoning for pursuing this degree and just focused on synthesizing this consistently across my application. Wish I had read more theory before though.
Choice: UC Berkeley! It's cheaper, in a nicer place, more established, has more acclaimed faculty and alumni, and much better studios than RISD. After Ivy rejection and recognizing areas of improvement in my applications I thought about reapplying, but then I spoke to several architects and did some job research and realized an Ivy degree doesn't really give you that much of an advantage, and that I should be really grateful for acceptance to UCB.
Has anyone applied to ucl?
yep
I’ve got accepted into University of Michigan Ann Arbor. Waiting for ucl’s response. Which one do you think I should go to? Any suggestions please?
don't know anything about UMich- which could be a testament to how popular they are. anyways, UCL is avant-garde, innovative, and always produces state-of-the-art projects. I highly recommend you consider r ucl, hope you get in!
I just had an interview with UCL and the interviewer said that we will most likely hear back from them at the beginning of May
This thread has really helped me get through this process. Thanks everyone!
For those of you posting multiple schools with multiple $$$$ Please OFFICIALLY DECLINE those offers you won't be accepting! It's my understanding that at some schools any monies attached to a declined offer will be put back into the pool to be distributed to students that have accepted. Free up the $$$$ for the rest of us please! <3 Bless <3
if anyone was offered $$ by upenn m arch & is planning to decline plsss do so!!
Wait until the very last day, I will decline my (small amount) of funding from Penn but I need it to bargain with another school. I assume others will do the same
M-Arch Option 1
Cornell ($) vs Rice ($$$$) ??? How would employability differ on graduation ?
thoughts ?
Cornell *might* have better employability in NYC (especially given their semester in the city for the M.Arch if that's your program). Rice has a good enough name though that it shouldn't be crazily different if your work is good. But if you are getting a full scholarship at Rice that is fantastic and would highly recommend taking that! Congrats either way!
Cornell is roughly $60,000 a year, so you would be taking on $45,000 a year just tuition. That comes out to $157,000 over 3.5 years. Cornell is a better option if you are trying to get into some of the more difficult firms and for getting into teaching if that interests you, however it most definitely is not worth that price difference even in the long run. Rice is very competitive in architecture and will get you into most first Cornell can and is still recognized for producing teachers. My take is that if the difference was $50,000 or less overall, Cornell would be worth it, but for $157,000 absolutely not!!!!
Thank you both this is so helpful. Follow up questions though. I’m wondering if the name and ranking of a school, and the fact that an IVY league impacts salaries and job quality ? The end goal for me is finding a great job with a decent enough salary to start off with, and so I’m trying to evaluate my decision based on this. While I’m more inclined towards the program at Cornell, I’m wondering if it’s worth the money. I know I’m being a little repetitive, but would still love more of your insights on this subject. Feel free to share more thoughts !
Let me also mention that I am flexible on money, and I want to go to the school that will empower me more.
If money is no issue, cornell is the better choice, however, even if you can afford to pay the $157,000 difference between Rice and Cornell, the two schools are not worth that difference. Whether you have the money to pay for it or not, going to Cornell will not make up that price gap at best it might even out in the long run. If we were talking about Harvard, Columbia, MIT, Yale or Princeton, then if money was no problem I would have advised you otherwise, however I keep saying this, just because you are flexible does not mean you should pay that amount of Money to go to Cornell while you have full tuition at Rice. If you however tell me that that you are trying to work for example at specific difficult to enter firms based in the New England area like So-IL or NADAA and you also wanted to teach at a school in that area like RISD, Syracuse or Cornell, I would say you are paying a hefty price but your option is clearly Cornell. Otherwise, Rice will get you a job at pretty much any firm Cornell can and get you into teaching if you want. Remember even though schools like Columbia and Yale are at the top for grad school both Rice and Cornell are top rankers both for undergrad and grad and their names carry a similar weight in the Architecture world.
Also copying another thread that is currently discussing Rice in case you haven't already read it : https://archinect.com/forum/thread/150257421/thoughts-on-rice-for-march-i/
RICE vs Cornell Do a lot of RICE Arch grads end up working in cities other than Houston ? Should this factor into my decision ? I am keen on Rice, but not so keen on working / living in Houston. Would love to hear some thoughts about this. I have the same question for Cornell. I am very keen on working and living in New York. Does Cornell have weight in the New York market. Would going to school at Cornell give me more flexibility in working in different cities, like SFO, Boston, Chicago, etc. ? To what extent does the school you go to affect / empower you to apply to jobs in different cities across the country, and work in the city of your choice.
My final decision is coming down between RISD and IIT, could use some thoughts!
Smaller Midwest state school. BS of Design with a major in architecture, graduating may 2021
3.83 - 159VR 160QR 4.0AW (glad most schools didn't require it this year)
several studio professors and a mentor who teaches arch. at another school that I've done research with
Talked about my interests in architecture and fascinating internship experience. In some I explained how my disability has affected my view of the discipline.
One conceptual research project, the rest of the projects were academic including a smaller design build. For some schools I included my best representational artwork as well.
applied to university of kansas, Michigan Ann Arbor, RISD, Illinois institute of technology, University of Illinois Chicago, SAIC, RISD, and SCIARC
unable to attend most, but enjoyed RISD's Q&A sessions. previously toured SCIARC and IIT, loved IIT's campus.
Waitlisted at Michigan.
Accepted into 3 year M.arch programs at SCIARC and UIC. UIC doesn't often grant advanced standing, SCIARC wouldn't accept my BS of Design with a major in architecture, even though its a 4 year program in my University's college of architecture that has 4+2 accreditation.
Accepted into 2 year M.arch programs KU, RISD, SAIC, IIT.
RISD SAIC and IIT all offered partial tuition, RISD also offered a small assistantship. No $ at KU but they would still be the least expensive.
It just takes so much time, plan to finish things weeks ahead of time so you have room for error and time to nitpick at details.
I would definitely say RISD. Same job markets as the Ivys and the program is really open to interpretation. PVD is also apparently lovely to live in and very inexpensive.
Wondering what people think of Wash U. Also got accepted at UCLA but with no money, and tuition+room/board would end up costing around $200,000 over the three year program. (I received 50% funding plus the 2 year advanced standing at WashU). Wash U's program appears to be quite conventional (humble housing seems to be the main focus of the curriculum, without much emphasis on emerging technologies). I also am not looking forward to living in St. Louis.
Can anyone speak to the professional opportunities for Wash U grads? It seems like most of their graduates remain in the Midwest, i.e. Chicago or St. Louis. I am concerned that I will be kneecapping future access to other locations for work if I accept this offer.
Feeling quite down and not sure what to do. If anyone has any thoughts I would really appreciate your input.
I would email UCLA and see if they could match the offer wash u gave you
I'm choosing Wash U (2 year) over U of Michigan and Penn. After talking with a few architects who went to Wash U, it sounds like there are plenty of opportunities to find jobs in regarded firms around the country. As far as the campus and city go, I absolutely loved my visit last weekend. The architecture facilities and specifically studio spaces were fantastic, and the city and forest park were much more interesting than I anticipated.
@jake11 thats interesting to hear! I've actually considered turning down my offer at WashU in order to re-apply at Penn and for the first time at Michigan. Could you tell me a bit more about what really put WashU over the edge for you? One of the things that worries me is its relatively smaller size compared to those other 2 schools for instance.
It's also great to hear good things about the area, do you mind saying where youre from? coming from big east coast cities I worry that the transition to the midwest will be a bit of a shock.
Also when were you visited you were able to go inside the buildings?
I'm a WashU alumni (BS.Arch 2020). There are great facilities in the school. Weil Hall is the new building that houses the fabrication lab and most of the graduate students and it's a fantastic space. It's a shame that my class didn't get to use much of the new spaces in the building.
St Louis is a great place in my opinion. Forrest Park is right across the architecture school and has many attractions. The St Louis Art Museum, Zoo and Science Center are all free to the public. I like to visit the museum after long exams or studio reviews. Additionally, public transportation is completely free for student. This includes the metrolink train and bus service.
I have been to the U Mich architecture school, and while I loved the studio spaces and fabrication labs, it just cant beat the location that WashU offers. Ann Arbor, Michigan is a campus town while St Louis is a lively metropolitan city.
@architecture? Vs Penn it mainly came down to receiving quite a bit of funding and AP at WashU vs no funding at all and no AP at Penn. Penn was actually one of my top schools going into the application process so I was thrilled with the acceptance, but I'm unwilling to pay full tuition and have an extra year. U of M was much less straightforward. It would cost about the same and was also a two year program. I'm from West Michigan and got my BS Arch from U of M, so for me it was more about getting a different perspective between undergrad and grad. I loved my time at U of M, and it is a great program (and frankly better fab spaces if that's important to you), but I loved the amount of space each student had in studio at WashU and the student work is just as interesting in my opinion.
I also think that the career outlooks will be fairly similar with both schools sending students to the east and west coasts. They're both great schools, so I don't think anyone could go wrong either way. I'm just excited to experience St Louis and better weather than Michigan lol. And yes, I toured the facilities with the architecture chair. They were just starting to allow those visits when I reached out about a month ago.
Thank you both, thats very helpful! Last thing: It seems like the work coming out of the undergrad program is a lot more conceptual and exciting while the graduate work seems more grounded and practical. Obviously to an extent this makes sense but I was wondering if either of you think there is a clear difference in what undergrads vs grads are encouraged to produce and if, as introductionmediator mentioned, the grad program does emphasis conventional work more especially with the pride they take in the housing studio?
That could be the case, at least to an extent. It sounds like it varies by studio a bit too, so you're able to pursue what you are interested in. I know an alum who had a studio that was incredibly conceptual and ended with a theoretical system as opposed to a defined building. On the other hand, a current grad student who did undergrad at U of M as well mentioned that the approach overall has been a bit more technical and relatable the professional world than the approach U of M had taken. However, as you mentioned that may just be a difference between a graduate and undergraduate program.
Is there any Umich admitted students group?! Any WhatsApp or Facebook link?
Replying to receive notifications, want to get connected as well!
Guys anyone?? Would love to connect!
MSSD at CMU or MSD-EBD at UPenn?
NAAB Accredited M.Arch. or Design Research/Specialisation?
Any opinion on this?
Hey Guys!
Who is choosing UC Berkeley and why? At this point I'm in between Berkeley- who offered me a scholarship- and UT Austin- who didn't offer a scholarship-but has the PRP (Professional Residency Program) program.
Thoughts?
Has anyone else been accepted to Cornell’s advanced placement M.Arch I program?
They do advanced placement?
They are currently re-evaluating for me because I asked.
Asked for AP?
Yes, I asked in original application, I was not offered advanced standing, but I asked why and they said they will re-evaluate
That’s amazing... I hope they approve
@MTTS did they approve your request yet? Mine has been approved but they said they need others to reject their offer first as they have limited seats.
I wasn't aware we can ask to be re-evaluated for advanced placement to schools -- is this a policy specific to Cornell? If not -- do you mind sharing how you went about this?
They have not gotten back to me yet. @autobox unit, to get advanced placement you need an architecture background, I'd you do it is a part of the application process, there is a question that asks if you are interested in being considered, this is the same for all the schools I have applied to.
MTTS: Thanks for answering. It's just that I was offered advanced placement at two programs but not the third (not Cornell)... I'm wondering who you emailed at the school to appeal (admissions director, etc) and how you strategically worded this email?
The director reach out to congratulate me on my acceptance so we set up a time to talk a few days later and I talked about my concerns with her, finances and advanced placement. She pulled up my portfolio and looked at my background, including the school and said I will put it in for re-evaluation. Part of the problem at Cornell is that there are a limited amount of students that can be put into advanced placement so I'm guessing that's part of it. My experience so far has been different from you in that only 1 school gave me advanced placement, so I want surprised by Cornell.
Thanks MTTS, best of luck to you in this effort.
Hello everyone! I need help and advice please!!
I’m stuck between going to WashU’s three year MArch program or going to Syracuse two year advanced standing program. Both are around the same amount of money and both are ranked near each other for program prestige. Anyone have any thoughts about the programs and which is better?
HELP
The 2 year/3 year thing seems like it should factor into your decision if you're really split between the two. What do you want out of your education? Do you want to work ASAP or stay in school longer and learn as much as possible? To me, AP is only worth it if it saves you a year's worth of tuition to pay, but if that's not an issue, I'd say you miss out a lot with it. The whole first year in fact, might put you behind students who didn't take AP. Just something to think about.
Also rankings for architecture schools don't mean anything at all. See this article: https://www.archpaper.com/2018/04/architectural-schools-ranked-appropriately/ Have you gone to either Open House? Talked to current students? Profs? If you're really torn between them, these questions should be what guide your decision.
I would say go to Syracuse as its a shorter duration!
I'm almost done with Syracuse M.Arch AP, and only thing i will say is that there may be a minor disconnect between the incoming 2-year track cohort with the students who already have met and formed their friend circles already in the prior year. I figure this would apply at almost any school. However, for me i didn't really care because making 1-2 new friends isn't necessarily worth an extra $60k of loans.
Hi everyone, will be attending USC in the fall, looking for other Trojans to connect with. Send me an email!
hit me up on instagram :- rishmufc
RICE vs Cornell
Do a lot of RICE Arch grads end up working in cities other than Houston ? Should this factor into my decision ? I am keen on Rice, but not so keen on working / living in Houston. Would love to hear some thoughts about this. I have the same question for Cornell. I am very keen on working and living in New York. Does Cornell have weight in the New York market. Would going to school at Cornell give me more flexibility in working in different cities, like SFO, Boston, Chicago, etc. ? To what extent does the school you go to affect / empower you to apply to jobs in different cities across the country, and work in the city of your choice.
I'm curious about your thoughts on M.arch1 MIT vs YSOA? regarding diverse factors (faculty, pedagogy, percentages of doing practice/research after graduation, interdisciplinary opportunities.. etc)
First of all you can't go wrong with either on various levels.
Sorry I accidently posted. Both MIT and Yale have well known faculty however, MIT fairs better in attracting dough after faculty being in a bigger city. MIT faculty tend to be focused on technical aspects of architecture, e.g. structures, materiality, high performance and so on while Yale, being theory heavy tends to invite more quirky architects focusing on theories of design and more nuances matters of good design. MIT's program is quite literally design to be a type of lab, so even as a designer there there is so much room for research work and classes will tend to capture research as a focus, so for graduates seeking to do more technically experimental work and research post graduation MIT definitely has more to offer. Of course Yale has it's research in both the technical and theoretical however the program isn't designed for experimentation the way MIT does but a place question good design and the research tens to focus on more intangible questions of design. Yale is focused on producing people like Tod and Billie Tsien and Peter Eisenman who are currently faculty there, while MIT produces people like Deborah Mesa and Sheila Kennedy who are faculty there. Those faculty likely typify their respective school, looking at the type of work those faculty do will show you more about each school than I can tell. About equal amounts of MIT and Yale graduates end up in practice and academia and the teachers are usually practicing anyhow, however MIT grads tend to favor more of a route for research given their background. What will differ is the type practice they enter or even start on their own and the schools they teach at, if you look at MIT you will likely not find that many Yale graduates and vice verse, but look at Harvard and Columbia and you will find about an equal amount of Yale and MIT graduates which is telling, while Berkely will likely have more MIT grads and Princeton will have more Yale grads being a theory heavy school. Lastly to put it simply MIT is all about interdisciplinary design while Yale is not and it is likely due to MIT's draw for research which inherently draws from other fields. The faculty I mentioned at MIT especially Sheila's firm is all about interdisciplinary approaches and one of the studio's she teaches is interdisciplinary by nature. Just by the way your question is framed I can tell you probably are looking for more of an MIT route.
Sorry for the ridiculously long explanation but it's because I'm in a similar place of consideration and had all the info in hand. Best of luck!
@MTTS wow thank you so much on sharing your thoughts! It does help me a lot. Please reach me out anytime for further discussions or any additional thoughts. All the best of luck with your decision too!
@Yyjh I just got off a call with Deborah Berke/have also spoken to a bunch of students/faculty to learn more about Yale (making the decision between GSD/Yale). I think there's a lot of interdisciplinary work done in labs like CEA and also the extra elective slots allow for easy access to other departments at Yale. Happy to chat about this as well. Within the pedagogy, I do think MIT is more research based, but Yale is definitely no longer the conservative bastion that it was under Robert Stern. I think the bottom-up approach/access is also incredible at Yale (to the point that I can actually reach out to the Dean and ask for her thoughts).
I have a similar question for MIT vs Princeton? And thoughts on what type of student/pedagogy would thrive at one versus the other. Commenting on this thread because you guys particularly @MTTS have been offering great insights.
@MTTS I saw that you already replied to my original question on this thread and replied to you there. Thank you!!
Got some super good news today! I emailed Sci-Arc after my admissions for my financial aid and they offered me a 50% scholarship! Super excited and happy to be attending there this fall.
You’re an international student?
no
Hi, I’ve been admitted to the MArch three year program in Pratt and ASU, and I need assistance in deciding which school I need to attend to. Money is definitely an issue and I’ve not received any scholarships. I’m mostly worried about the resources and how much I’ll learn by the end of the course. I’m also worried about the career opportunities. I got a sense that Pratt has better job opportunities, but I’m not able to find anything regarding ASU’s job pool or any kind of assistance from the school after I graduate. I would say I’m more of a research based student rather than theory. And computer aided design is something I want to be good at, by the time I graduate. Please help me decide which school I can go to. The decisions are due 15th April, so I need input as soon as possible. Thanks in advance.
I believe, Pratt has a better reputation in the field of architecture and being in NYC certainly has its benefits. Not only is there a better job market for the profession but a lot of students seems to get internships in the summer. However, since you mentioned that you didnt receive any scholarships, you would need to evaluate if living in an expensive apartment in NYC is worth the trouble or the possible loans you would incur.
It’s mostly about the tuition.. living expenses can be managed. But the tuition is 55k per year. And it’s a three year program. I’m not even able to get a student loan in my country of such a large sum. Whereas the ASU tuition is about 34k per annum.
@m.s.a**
Did you try to contact someone at Pratt (preferably the M.Arch program director or the financial office) asking for any kind of aid? At the end of the day, I am sure both schools will provide a quality education and it is better to be debt free in the long run. You could try to look up people on LinkedIn who went to ASU and see where they got jobs later on? But I'm sure you'll be able to find employment opportunities at either school
I have spoken to the institute regarding financial aid, and they don’t have any for me. Thanks for you input @m.s.a
Thoughts on UC Berkeley’s MArch I program (quality, content, etc) ? Does Berkeley assist students in getting summer internships and work on graduation ?
I emailed them asking about internships and this is the response i got: "In place of formal internship placement for students we do encourage students to pursue their own internship/employment opportunities. Many students utilize Handshake- the Career Center's powerful recruiting platform for UC Berkeley students and alumni. Handshake uses cutting edge technology to help you more easily connect with employers and source jobs, internships, event information, and On-Campus Recruiting (OCR) opportunities. CED also has a dedicated Career Counselor available for current students."
I spoke to Renee Chow recently and she's said that work upon graduation hasn't seemed to be an issue from students, except for COVID-19 last year, but only for a few months. I trust she's speaking truth to the best of her knowledge. I love Berkeley, I think their faculty is exciting and the institution is so rich of thinkers. I attended a few crits and they make it a point to invite non-architectural discipline folk to attend and make comment, it was so refreshing to hear anthropologists giving feedback on projects to do with the land, etc. I haven't really seen that kind of open-minded review at other places.
Anyone attending UCLA's M ARCH program? Would love to connect!
Hi! I am deciding between UCLA and columbia and can't decide.. what made you pick UCLA?
Hi! That is a tough decision, and a lot of factors that go into deciding. LA and NY are both amazing places to be for architecture. I applied, but did not get into Columbia. But if I had gotten into GSAPP, I think I would have chosen UCLA anyways. Largely due to cost of tuition. Living is expensive in both places. But I also like the vibe of the architecture community in LA better than NY. Listening to current students at UCLA, the studio culture seems really great.
Hi guys, I have decided to go with UPENN's one year MSD program. I didnt get ant scholarship from the school. So I'm taking a loan of 55k USD. What do you guys think about taking loan of such huge amount ? Especially during this time ? Thanks a lot for all the people sharing their thoughts on this thread, it's been very helpful.
What prior degrees/jobs do you have and what are your plans for after graduating?
I'm an international Student. I have a bachelor degree in Architecture and 2 years of work experience after graduation.
Portfolio : https://dtamilmani.myportfolio.com/
I have got acceptance from SCI-ARC , UPENN and AA. but no scholarship. All of the program offered by these schools are similar, so I have decided to go with UPenn, because its bit cheaper compared to other two. I need some thoughts about taking a such huge loan.
Which program are SCI-Arc?
I would consider asking the program to reconsider you for scholarship. As prospective students begin to reject their offers to UPENN they’re going to have more scholarship money. It literally NEVER hurts to ask. I would quite honestly ask all 3 programs and see what they say. I’m also curious if 55k is the cost of tuition or the cost of attendance i.e. tuition, rent, books and supplies, food, transportation etc. If 55k is only tuition you’re going to end up taking out more money potentially. Long story short I would ask each program for a scholarship reconsideration and I would apply for external scholarships.
@clarity214 I tried asking them, but they dont seem moved by the request. Will try again. Thanks for the comment. XD
@hbassal M.Arch 2
Does anybody know if there's a Facebook group or group chat for Columbia GSAPP MArch admitted students?
Wondering the same thing!
I asked UMich to reconsider my merit aid like 5 days ago, they just got back to me and didn't budge. They literally gave me 10k for 2 years, and I had Penn to negotiate with. Anyone heard of schools bumping aid even after the April 15th deadline?
Yes they do. It's a common thing to do, however don't expect anything substantial.
Just make sure to be be persistent and continue to ask.
Yes, I went from no scholarship to 18k at GSAPP once, in late-June. By then they'd figured out all the students they needed to accommodate for, so I imagine they were able to reach deeper into pockets. I was a bit of an outlier, though, being a dual-degree student?
But I didn't ask them to "reconsider," I simply hadn't asked or put pressure on them until that point.
Awesome, thanks everyone for the replies. It's not the end of the world if they don't give out more money, but I will ask again in a month of so.
Is anyone waiting for the result of waiting list?
What school?
I would assume everyone who is waitlisted at a school whose deadline to accept offer of admission is April 15th will be waiting until after that date passes
OK - would love some help with this one:
UC Berkeley vs. UCLA???
Both have offered $ which makes them pretty even tuition-wise at this point. Thoughts?
Definitely Berkeley!!!
Renee Chow (dean) is amazing, her direction of the school I believe has already manifested in a much more rounded and diverse faculty with many interests, and about 8 years ahead of the other schools now crying for "institutional change," I would say! The representations I've seen are all beautiful, provocative, and even their attitude towards tech is nuanced and politically/critically-informed. This is a no-brainer for me, unless you are very committed to L.A.
I'm still trying to make decision between Rice, Cornell and Berkeley. @xxy888 what are some of the other reasons that you've settled on berkeley ?
This is very dependent on the direction you want to take your career. LA is an amazing place when it comes the arch community! The school's are quite different in their pedagogy.
Who else is committing to Berkeley today !!
quick question because i am super confused and feel like I made a mistake. Can you retract your acceptance after you pay the deposit?
Yes for sure but you would not get your deposit back. If you decide to go somewhere else, I am sure you can email the school and let them know that you will be giving up your spot.
I'd agree with m.s.a. but if I may ask what schools are you considering, maybe you could get some quick opinions in the thread. Definitely helped me make a decision.
anyone else commit to yale? can we make a group chat or something lol
I have! I've heard from current students that they make an FB group for us..?
i think we have to ask donna wetmore to make one? that's what one of the students said they had to do during open house
I'm in. Once we figure out how to go about it.
Just about to! Running into some last minute jitters but would be happy to connect. I've also heard that donna might make a group if enough people ask her to.
Yo I'm pumped for this group
This is exciting! I look forward to connecting with you all!
Just committed! Excited to meet you all!
I asked Donna W about the FB group and she said in a couple weeks, once the class is finalized, she would go ahead and make or at least help with setting up the FB group - hope that helps and looking forward to seeing you all there :))
has anyone heard any updates on this? :)
I haven't seen any updates, but in the email sent out today there will be a "Meet & Greet" with the registrars and Donna on May 4th. We could maybe ask her then to arrange something?
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