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Would I be a strong candidate for some of the top MArch programs?
Hello all,
I have just finished up my masters of community planning and I am taking a gap year to try and prepare for my MArch applications. My professors believe that I would be a very strong candidate for the GSD and any University I apply to. I hope that they are right, but I am so nervous that I would be one of the many people that would be applying and that I wouldn't stand out. Most of my planning class went into government and politics and I truthfully don't know where I stand in the design world. I have been self teaching myself architecture along with the software's and skills needed. I hope to go to a good school so that I am able to study parametric design and focus on these beautiful forms that able to be produced through these programs. I just don't know if I would be a strong candidate or not and was hoping to have some insights.
Portfolio (It needs a lot of work and I am still working on it): https://www.behance.net/galler...
GPA: 3.7
Work Experience: I have worked at a large well known architecture firm, a smaller architecture firm, and a planning firm, and I recently have been working with my professor and his research along with helping teach the studio classes. I would say my work experience is nothing special besides the fact I worked at architecture firms.
I understand that these are not the only criteria's that schools look at but these are some of the major factors that go into the application.
Any comments or feedback would be greatly appreciated.
probably one of the best folios I’ve seen here in a very long time. Maybe consider working on smaller scale perspectives but the colourful apocalyptic stuff is totally my jam.
I appreciate it, I can't take too much credit for them because Michael Hansmeyer developed the work flows. I just developed my own based off his research. I am still trying to figure out ways to take those forms and make them into architectural details, and figuring out ways to control those process.
Completely agree with this. From a planning standpoint, this is fantastic, but I would love to see more small-scale/human scale.
Your portfolio is great, so don't stress.
In my opinion, it is recommendation letters that make the difference as to who gets in the top programmes.
Portfolio is of course the primary weighting factor in applications, but after all everyone applying to the top chools has a perfect portfolio, so the call between two top candidates competing for the same spot would be determined by the quality of the recommendation and the status of the person providing it.
I can't comment on the portfolio work itself since I am not an architect nor urban designer, but I do work in graduate admissions for a school which offers an M.Arch. I can't speak for other graduate architecture schools but, at our school, your application and especially your portfolio would be reviewed and evaluated by the faculty admissions committee alongside other applicants coming from what we consider "related areas" (i.e. non-architecture, but in a related field like urban planning, civil engineering, etc.). So, the faculty reviewing the portfolio will not expect you to have the types of architectural design projects that someone with a pre-professional architecture degree would have.
Your personal statement and letters of recommendation can also help push you to the front of the pack with highly rated portfolios, not only for admission but also for scholarship consideration.
Good luck!
lol, your work is crazy good.
you'd also be a strong candidate for architecture firms, animation studios, hollywood, design consultancy, etc. You could also apply to a few teaching fellowships. The only thing you need to ask yourself is what you want you want to do as a next step, and why. I would suggest you hit the ground running and work for a few years. You will gain life experience, more money, and learn how to do your work outside the support of academia. This will help you stand out while gaining perspective.
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