Wow thanks for sharing your insight! May I ask, was YSOA your preferred choice over GSAPP? From your comment it seems that you are at GSAPP, and I’m curious about whether you feel the connection is weaker amongst peers there? I had heard Columbia breeds collaboration, but also the opposite in that it’s more competitive as it has graded and GpA still. Do you feel you have to compete for time and attention from faculty more? I wish I could bet on the MBA but I feel the chances are so low of getting in... do you have experience with the CCCP and what it’s like? The dual seems quite fun
, but do you feel it’s “too much”?

Oops bad phone typing. My other thinking was.. maybe it’d be good to come from two different institutions for greater network and resources..? Am I right in understanding your implication that Yale grads have more agency to start up shop and get work? I’m a bit intrigued why you are advocating more
for YSOA (are there personal negative experiences at GSAPP you’d be willing to share?) I would super appreciate it as I missed all the open house opportunities for exchanging with current students due to time zone issues!!

Don't get me wrong, I like GSAPP (never applied to Yale), and similar to you I'm a little older than the typical grad. My experience here is very different though. I got AP so entered into the 2nd year, then COVID hit and 3 of my studios were online. I've met amazing people and made some really good friends, and everyone was extremely helpful and accommodating. So in that sense, no, GSAPP is not cutthroat/competitive. Everyone helps everyone, and the studio environment, while cramped, was incredibly fun.

I don't know about the dual CCCP program, but I know many people in the dual MSRED/M.arch, and they're doing alright. They tailor the courses to work around many of the arch classes, so time-wise they shouldn't be a problem. I'm advocating Yale mainly because it offered you the most money lol. I'm sure you can get to where you want from either school. The name recognition is a little stronger in Asia as well, and the dual MBA program might be a good place to network if you get in.

Thanks so much for clarifying! As you can imagine feeling bit muddled right now. May I ask a few more practical questions? One: is the typical size of most studios / electives, and are professors are generous with their time and energy? I’m so excited about many of the faculty but don’t know if they’ll be accessible if I don’t get into their class, etc. Second, is it easy to take courses outside GSAPP and find connections within the greater institution? Interdisciplinarity seems encouraged at Yale and am wondering if Columbia’s electives are restricted to “studios” and design history or more free for all (I’m talking literature, etc). Is it possible or realistic to audit for example? Thirdly, are collaborative projects built into the curriculum at all? Do people end up working together? And as an AD student with professional experience, do you feel there are extra benefits to being in NYC or part of the GSAPP network in terms of finding opportunities or professional advancement in the more
local sphere? Thank you so much for your time!!

lower.case.yao has some very good points and certainly knows better than I do as I did not get into either school, but from what I’ve learned and heard it does seem like Yale may be the way to go, if I were in your shoes...especially with the extra funding but maybe even if funding were not a consideration. It seems you’ve emphasized your desire for an interdisciplinary curriculum and I do believe you will get that more at Yale, particularly if you are still interested in creating other forms of art with their other stellar arts programs so close by and accessible. I have a friend who will be attending Yale for that very reason. Either way, you will be in a great program and as Yao said I’m sure you’ll be able to end up in the same place, it just seems like given everything you’ve described Yale may have the slight edge for you, but follow your gut! Good luck!

And to your point about active student groups, I wouldn’t necessarily discount Yale’s groups, and would probably say from what I’ve learned (and heard in both open houses) that this point would be relatively even between both. GSAPP has all those you mentioned, but Yale seems to have its active equivalents w/ it’s Equality in Design/NOMA
chapter/OutLines/paprika (publication that lots of people mentioned)

Studios are usually 12 people max, and everyone usually gets their first or second pick. Good thing about GSAPP is the variety of critics available to you because of NY. Electives are harder depending on how in-demand the class is. One class had to pick 20 people out of 40 that enrolled. Depending on your interests you might even join some seminars with only 6 people (had that happen to me twice). They open up studio and some electives to the MS AAD students in your last year of M.arch, so some classes get even more tight. I don’t think you’ll have a chance at registering other classes, but I’m really not the person to ask haha. They did open up classes during
our last two semesters because of COVID, so we could have registered for 2 extra classes university wide, but realistically you have absolutely no time to work on those classes.

The GSAPP network is huge, and many professors have very real connections with studios here and really everywhere else. Good thing about the large student body is a wide network of people
you can network and make connections with.