Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc)
Pratt Institute
Tulane University
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Temple University
University of Oregon
Cranbrook Academy of Art
New York Institute of Technology (NYIT)
Expensive US vs. Australia Barch Undergrad
In this application season, I only applied to US schools and got into Syracuse, UIUC, Virginia Tech, Pratt, and Tulane with no scholarship, got waitlisted by RISD. I grew up in China but had Australian citizenship, and my family lives in Sydney. If I go to school there I would save at least 200k for this degree, and I get to live with my family.
The only problem is I didn't even consider that as an option because all my classmates are going to top schools in the US, and I applied ED for Cornell and got deferred and then rejected at last. My teacher and counselor's suggestion is to either go to one of the schools I got accepted to or to transfer after freshmen. I went to school in both New York State and Sydney for a while, and I do prefer US better.
My parents could afford for me to go to the US because my sisters go to Australia to study, which saved them a lot of money. And they really respect my decisions so they support me in either decision.
It is a hard decision because I don't know where I want to live and if I'm determined in architecture or not. I still need to research for more but my plan now is to ask US schools for more scholarships, visit the Australian schools to see if it's what I want, and if not I will attend Syracuse University for a year to see if it's worth it.
Please share some experiences here and thank yall in advance!
"If I go to school there I would save at least 200k"
End of discussion. Most likely the easiest decision you'll ever make.
^Agreed - not worth financial debt for rest of your life. You can always visit or (if available) go for an exchange program.
I wouldn't really be in debt because apparently my parents really want me to go to the US to study and they would pay for it, but yeah I can do more things with that amount of money
Must be nice not having to care about money and not worry about adult responsibilities.
Do you have a USA passport? Dont have one? Dont go to school there and play into the dumb system. Esp those schools (they're not top tier)...they're def not worth it. Take a gap year, do an internship and apply in AUS. Your counselors are not helpful if they didnt even have you apply to one or two local schools...
I think I can start school in Australia without a gap year, thanks!
With Australian citizenship you can easily work in the US with E3 Visa. The only difference is getting licensed in USA with NAAB accredited degree is a little easier. There is the EESA route for foreign degree. For 200K saving, I would choose Australia. The school you listed are considered typical in my view. Not even ivy league. Heck, you could finish the B.Arch in Australia and then do the M.Arch with an ivy league for resume shine like most of the foreign applicants. But most of them do it for the work visa though. The stuff taught at Arch school are not that far apart. Mostly just design studios and basic lectures. Not even remotely resemble the actual practice. If you know the pay of the profession, I seriously doubt you will sink 200K into it.
Thank you, I didn't know that there is a difference in the Visa. Yes I am aware that the salaries are comparatively very low :( If the undergrad curriculum is very alike then yeah probably the cheaper one.
Follow up: my parents really want me to go the US and they are gonna pay for my undergrad 100%, because they think it is an opportunity for me to broaden my horizon, especially since US is kinda leading the technological advancements these days. They really attach importance to my personal growth and they say that I can always come back to Aus after finishing undergrad in US. They think 200k for an opportunity is worth it (I guess they are just super rich and I go to a very expensive international high school), but I think I can do so much more with that money. For me it's a tough decision and I want to visit the schools before I make a decision. Again thank you for any comments!
Since money is no issue, I would suggest Australia undergrad then apply to ivy league M.Arch programs if you are still interested in architecture.
These are art degrees. You will not learn actual building science and technology. Maybe a few lecture slides to show you what is out there and give you some general ideas.
You need the Master and Ivy league name if you want to enter those big name design firms. Very competitive.
You need a Masters degree and an Ivy League name OR you need to be good at what you do. You don't need both. Having both could be helpful though.
mate, not worth it.
If money isn't an issue, why are you asking us? Alternately, if money isn't an issue, then why are you going to architecture school? Go into whatever your family has all this money from, seriously.
Alternately, if your sister's education is the only reason you have enough money you can go to the us, then that is suggesting the amount of money is in fact finite and probably worth saving for what seems like a marginal advantage.
If it's legitimately no skin off anyone's back to go wherever you'd like, just do it then. Forget the haters.
I think it's a tough decision for me, and decisions are not black and white. I am in neither of the cases you men tioned. Money is an issue, but it's not a big issue. Additionally If money isn't an issue, there are other factors that affect college selections, I have mentioned living conditions, my family, and the time it takes to complete the degree. There are also so much more like future outlooks, curriculum differences, and school vibes. Thank you for your advice though!
Definitely go visit Syracuse in order to make the most informed decision you can. If studying in Aus means you have to live in your parents house, I would not be in favor of that.
Could just stay in the dorms . . .
Looking to party wild? Architecture is definitely not the major/career for that. Yo, I just remembered, isn't Syracuse a top party school? Just google it. Top 10.
Bro, do you even party, Yo?
Fight for the right
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