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GSAPP vs. UT
Hi all!
So I have just completed the application cycle for M.Arch programs and I am very pleased to be in the conundrum that I am with the decision making process. Unfortunately, my application process was very scattered because I did not have any form of mentorship to guide me along, so it was all very off the cuff. Thankfully the originality payed off I and I received great praise for my work.
Issue is now deciding based on my career goals. The landscape work of SCAPE by Columbia professor Kate Orff is exactly where Id' like to be career wise, but unfortunately GSAPP did not offer any aid. While my parents can offered it without taking out severely high loans, I'm still not sure whether it is worth it. If it were not for the connections at GSAPP and the opportunity to work under these professors, I would happily go to UT Austin (or UVA). I'm meeting with the program chair at UT Austin to discuss things further, but is there any general advice on whether the connections at GSAPP are worth it? Especially is one would like to do more experimental urban planning and design work? Or any advice on whether a transition from Austin/Charlottesville to NY would be easy?
Worse case scenario: should I wait another year and submit a more power application now that I know what to do? And apply to more schools that may be more generous with aid? (WashU and UVA both provided full and 50% tuition already)
Sorry if this post is annoying! Simply a ball of anxiety at the moment :)
Thanks!
as a uva/columbia grad (not recent), take the financial aid & be excited for the programs...you have a good list
don't get me wrong, gsapp is great, but the costs of school & school in nyc are brutal
and i wouldn't push it out another year
I would honestly like to mention the story of a friend. He was offered Harvard GSD amongst the big names. He was in the same conundrum where he had to choose GSD vs UT Austin for his MUD. UT offered him a good scholarship and it ended up to be really cheap. Whereas GSD offered some funding, even after that his expenses were sky rocketing.
In UT Austin now, he’s really happy. Eating out doesn’t seem stressful, he’s not tensed about repaying his loans and he was offered a summer internship from Perkins+Will. So at the end of the day it all boils down to your skills, portfolio and CV. I agree that being from an Ivy League school could be really a strong addition to your profile, but so would UT Austin as it’s a good name. Plus you’ll be devoid of the stress of the loan.
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