Can't forget how critical an "extra" semester is when it costs around 25k, and you lose working time! I think that's the most objective difference, as most other things are really dependent upon your background, what you want out of your education, and where you want to go. Very personal.

Definitely agree that it is a more personal decision rather than an objective difference in pedagogy than if you were to compare let's say a program like Columbia GSAPP to YSOA (GSAPP seems to be heavily speculative and experimental with digital mediums.)

It is more difficult for me to identify a difference in discourse and pedagogy between GSD and YSOA, aside from the general fact that GSD seems to address global/ecological issues more frequently and on a larger scale while YSOA approaches creating space through a wide range of perspectives/courses that are independently focused in their own way.

More GSD folks than Yale at SOM for sure.

Are you a current YSOA student pursuing an MBA? If so, could you provide a little more insight into what your experience has been and what made you decide to pursue one? This element of YSOA has a great deal of appeal for me personally, and I would like to understand more about its specifics.

Nope, it was just something I looked into way back. It is tough as you have to gain admissions to both schools independently and then sequence your semesters to finish them almost simultaneously. About 2 or 3 students tops enroll in it per semester - you should ask their Admissions about it as it is pretty unique. Folks tend to go into the business side of design after this dual degree.

Thank you for your response. The one aspect that seems slightly farfetched for me personally is being accepted to the SOM. (Not that it is impossible.) I assume they are also more likely to select someone who has already matriculated at Yale than someone applying from the outside, but this is me solely speculating. I was also reading and understand that if enrolled in the MBA program your M ARCH requirements are lowered to allow for enough time to pursue both degrees. Nonetheless, I can imagine it is an absurd amount of work.

Depends a lot on the office location and seniority. SOM Chicago hires from UMich, UIUC, UIC for instance. If they're looking for a mid-level hire, your project experience would count for far more than where you got your degree. The leadership echelon indeed comes from a few schools but even then, being great at the political intrigue of such a large firm would make or break a career more so than your alma mater.

I think SOM in seel2884's comment is in reference to the School of Management, where one would get an MBA from at Yale. Also, screw Skidmore loool its the worst

Hahaha you're right! Totally forgot they call their business school the School of Management.

50 to 60 usually

Around 20ish join in the second year for advanced standing though

Geez they really boosted the AP intake that much?

I emailed the admissions director and apparently there are only 9 students who are granted AP status.

Oh oop i read 20 somewhere, saying around 70 students graduate each year. I guess that would make sense of there are 60 joined by around 9 students. I just thought there was close to 50ish students starting the first year

That makes more sense. The MLA AP intake is massive but MArch is usually less than a dozen.

9 is the correct number here. Last year was 12 I believe.

I thought I was the only one! I'm feeling somewhat remorseful now, however, as I do really like the GSD. I think this feeling will fade away soon, but I can't help wishing I applied to both. I would agree with you that Yale is a much better environment and will likely lead me down a similar path. Lastly, you can't get more wholesome than Deborah Berke. She is totally right on with her philosophy and grounding principles. For those interested, I recommend watching her lecture entitled "Everyday 2020" as it provides a great insight into her understanding of current architectural discourse and likely how the entire YSOA operates. Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1xz0tj_Wdg

are you m.arch 1 or 2? you seem to have a much stronger alignments with Yale then the GSD. And your observations about ysoa's trajectory seems accurate. Especially with it's new leadership

I'm M.Arch 1. I think GSD is somewhat TBD at the moment since I'm scheduling some calls with professors. However they're doing a great job hosting little events for students to start meeting each other. So far Yale admin has been a little MIA.

since you're march 1, i'd recommend ysoa. you'd have more time to be part of what you described - and to play a role in it. i always recommend to go to a place where you will not only grow, but will have a big impact. harvard is more corporate, but the real distinction is the size. princeton, ysoa and mit are serious/realistic about trying to make attendance affordable, gsd is not as able to because of it's size. either way, both schools are excellent and have strong alumni networks. there isn't a wrong choice.

i think generally ysoa is having a tough time with their admissions logistic. but that is more of an administration droping the ball and not indictive of what the school is like pedagogically. are both schools giving you good financial aid?

I've got the same amount of aid from both schools, but YSoA is a little less expensive since it's a shorter program. Will definitely try to reach out and negotiate for more aid. I'm a little curious about your background actually? Were you a GSD/YSoA student?

well, you can certainly use gsd offer to pursued ysoa to give you a 2-4 thousand bucks. and neither, i went to gsapp. my partner went to ysoa. good luck

you all are making me question whether i should go to GSD : (  and feeling bad about not having the option to go to ysoa ... 

​I've had the same experience with yale students thru Instagram dm haha, its a little difficult to get advice from them :(

I went to MIT for undergrad and had a lot of GSD faculty on my reviews. I definitely found a lot of them aloof and impersonal, more interested in raising their own talking points than actually discussing your work. I didn't attend the GSD, so this is obviously a brief and possibly biased opinion. But your feelings about limited/impersonal contact with GSD faculty don't surprise me based on my limited experience with them.

At the same time, from conversations with current GSD students, I've heard that there are professors that have actually just sat down with them to talk through assignments that they had trouble with and offer advice - generally making themselves pretty available. So it likely balances out across the faculty (they're more geographically diverse but that affects their availability).