@emyen

as far as ISSUU goes, it will automatically take adjacent pages and turn them into spreads, except for the first page. For example, with a 5 page pdf, ISSUU will take page 1 and make that a cover,  2 and 3 and make it a spread, and 4 and 5 and make it a  spread. as far as I know, anyway.

@emyen

I'm exporting my portfolio for Yale as spreads. I think it makes more sense visually, since that is the way they are going to be viewing the hard copy. I don't know how issuu renders their pdfs, but I wouldn't go off that view. I'm guessing issuu runs a script to build the view modes of portfolios that might look weird when you upload a spread-built pdf. Open your file up in Acrobat and that is how it will most likely be viewed by the Yale admissions committee. Good luck!

Does the residency reflect your admission to the graduate school in United States?

For an example US citizen/permanent residence vs international students?

Thanks.

^ no & i wouldn't worry about it

Question about GSD Digi portfolio. They only want max. 30 pages. I have to edit out quite a few projects to get down to the 30 pages. I am considering editing out my "table of contents" page so that I can put one more other project in my portfolio (versus wasting 2 page spread on table of contents). Is it awkward to not have a table of contents and just start the portfolio right away with cover page and then a project on page 2? Thoughts? Suggestions?

@VMarie: Kind of awks to not have a ToC, but if you have a strong enough of a visual categorization system established along your margins/in headers/etc., it could work. You could also do a ToC on pg 3, and have a stand alone piece on pg 2; that way you're only losing 1 pg? Also, brevity does make an impact. Sure every page is absolutely necessary?

Ya I agree. It would be strange to just jump into it. 

@VMarie

I doubt they would make a fuss over a few extra pages, especially if those are dedicated to a table of contents or cover page. I wouldn't worry about it, but give them a call to confirm. UPenn had a 20pg limit, but they told me that this was not so strict that it would prevent them from reviewing the portfolio if it was a few pages over. Good luck to you.

i'm also painfully amputating my portfolio to meet the 30 page requirement. 

FUCK YOU HARVARD!

As far as I know, gsd doesn't include cover page and table of contents as part of those 30 pages. Meaning, you can have 30 pages of your work plus 2 extra pages(cover&ToC). I think this is written somewhere in the instruction or the FAQs page on their website.

Re: qtip's tip (aha, the wit!)

"you may only submit 30 content pages for the online portfolio. If your title page is simply that, a page showing the title of your portfolio, your name, etc. and does not include additional portfolio content, then it does not need to count in the 30 page limit. The same would apply to a page that is only a ToC"

Thanks guys! Very helpful :~)

Hi all.I've  found the web site after applying to universities:) those how applied to MIT, how you've submitted portfolio by email or you sent a hard-copy? I've sent a printed one, because there was no email address for sending portfolio, yet I haven't received a confirmation letter and i'm so worried.

@molly_a

you should've gotten an email after dec. 15 from darren titled "MIT Architecture Graduate Application:: Processing". it has a link with id and pswd so you can check your status.

i  checked my status and portfolio was not received. Than I wrote an email, and Anette said they will update records later. Thank you for your reply anyway.

do you guys really feel a table of contents is that important? strange. Ive never had a portfolio with one. I dont understand the point. "ah here. project 'blah blah' is on page 14. and project 'blah blah blah' is on page 23. Right." i mean really... very useless page unless your portfolio is pushing the 100 page limit. I honestly feel as though you would be wasting their time as well as your own.

Simply my point of view. Design is subjective. Make what you like. I've never had one and I've never had anything but compliments regarding my portfolio. 

@pettydesign

Talked to a graphic designer before, he said that visually, it's better to let your viewers know what's coming at their way. Not just the page number, but also things like how many work they're going to be seeing at, the sequence of how the work is organized. This kind of subtle stuff is important in design and it shows that you care about details. Then again, I've seen bad portfolio that only tells the work and the page number, but have outstanding work.

Good example of Table of contents showing how the work is organized

Bad example of ToC that's not helping the portfolio

So my MIT portfolio sat in a fed ex warehouse in Ohio for like 4 days and finally made it today. Hopefully there's some flexibility there and it doesn't go straight into the "late bin," i.e., the trash can.

@prettydesign, concerning TOC's

I sort of feel elaborate TOC's aren't necessary. I can't say I've ever had the patience to sit and scrutinize it, so IMO I don't think a person who has to review 1,000 portfolios is gonna have the patience either. But that's my feeling about the portfolio in general -- we're not graphic designers. I like the minimalist approach, OK, here's my work and here's my design -- why do anything that detracts from the architecture?

@qtip, i do really like the "good example" you show here. I like it because it is more of a timeline. It gives orientation for the viewer to understand the sequence in which projects were developed. The "bad example" is exactly what Im talking about. Thats bad bad bad. 

I was fortunate to work in a graphic design office through part of undergrad so picked up lots of things there. When developing a portfolio, you should be looking at every single page individually and asking yourself, "is this going to get me into ____ / a job at ____ ?" And when that answer is "no," eliminate the page. I would argue that the majority of table of contents pages I have seen from student portfolios (both on here and those applying at offices I have worked at) are a waste of time, paper and my visual senses. keep it simple fellas! 

@ Lance, 

Hey I probably would not be concerned. I had a portfolio sent "priority overnight" on the 30th to New Haven and it ended up there the 3rd. I was too stupid to notice that FedEX was only working half day on the 31st and not at all on the 2nd. I emailed Yale concerning this and they told me not to worry. That they will include it. According their online system, my portfolio is received. Im more than sure that all schools are receiving portfolios a few days past deadlines. Its the holidays and shipping is ridic. Email MIT (and update the thread for other MIT applicants who are going through the same), but it should be ok. 

wow hey that was fast, as soon as I complained on Archinet my status at MIT was updated to "received." But I think you're right -- I didn't realize it was a non-work day on the 2nd, either, so I'm guessing a lot of people, including MIT, didn't know.

also, I'm amazed at how fast this stuff is being updated... considering how all the schools have the default disclaimer about waiting several days. Is this a sign of the low volume of submissions, I wonder?

pettydesign, Lance Smith-

This portfolio got into gsd last year. I don't think that the project is strong individually. But, it has a nice sequence, kind of like an arrival sequence into a building. He put his medium project upfront. Bad project in the middle and ended with his best project., which probably what got him in. So, I wouln't worry about getting rid of one page that you think would not get you in. Adcoms look at portfolio as one whole thing(maybe this is what differentiate architecture portfolio from graphic design portfolio).

The low volume worries me. Anyone who's been in an architecture program knows that studio mate is important in helping you grow as a designer and architect. I just hope that they wouldn't try to make one giant class from the admitted students.

hey...back after the holidays...does seem quiet here, but I wouldn't be too worried about low volume nationally...i'm pretty sure competition will be as tough as ever...

as for TOC's...i feel like it's a good buffer between title and content.  always seems too abrupt to jump right into projects.  I realize it could be done better than I do (the example qtip posted was pretty cool), but I usually just list out the project titles and use it as a breather page (@Vmarie)...portfolios are too dense to begin with.

Anyways, wrapped up most of the portfolios/submissions...gotta start the canadian ones...
http://issuu.com/dionysuscho/docs/dionysuscho

Soooo been a little quiet around here... everyone all done? I still have to do TCAUP...

what's everyone going to do to pass time? I guess I'll learn grasshopper. Or... not do anything arch related at all!

I'm hoping to get a spring internship (currently waiting to hear back from some places), and also starting to think about the upcoming summer internship application process. My experience with grasshopper was that it requires a (somewhat) different mindset from doing other types of architectural design, so it could be in some senses a way to take a break from the architecture that you are used to. It felt in some ways similar to the computer science classes which I took.

Just looked back at my portfolio and freaked out when I realized that one block of text on the first content page was misaligned about 1/8th of an inch from the others. (I had to redo my margins at the last minute and move everything around.) How big of a problem is that? Has anyone had similar experiences?

shit happens

If you think the 1st page is bad, check out pg. 14! Misalignments up the wazoo up to 3/16th of an inch!

Snail, I really wouldn't sweat it. I'd bet that the reviewers, after glossing through hundreds of protfolios prior, wouldn't even notice such a small misalignment, and would instead be captivated by how great your portfolio pieces are. Or something like that.

The first compliment is free. Next one'll cost you $5.

hey snail, what region do you live in if you mind me asking? and/or do you have a B.S. in arch?

I currently live in the seattle area and no one will touch those of us with a B.A. architecture studies with a 10-foot pole. All internships here almost automatically go to grad students. Even then, it's bad. There are listings here wanting interns with 5-8 years experience. So -- interning here in the NW is pretty much hopeless.

Yeah grasshopper excites me because it stimulates a different part of the brain. I've heard of firms using it to calculate designs for things like solar arrays that have a set area as a constraint, and then used it to parametrically define different solutions. pretty cool...

I wouldn't worry about the portfolio. So far, the only school I've applied to that hasn't had a mistake was the GSD. Ha!

Hey Lance, are you just relying on job listings to find jobs?

Hey Byen01, -- sort of -- I have a really small network of professionals I know that I occasionally shoot e-mails back and forth with --and have any or very little work =( I've also been put in touch with/recommended to people through teachers and professors for gigs, but those always fall through because ultimately a grad student always wins out (which is good for them, I suppose... since they're way closer to entering the profession than me) Haha. Is there anything I am missing, short of bribery?

@byen01 if you're looking to intern in the states...best bet is to get your portfolio around and email a lot of firms in a few cities.  Usually there's no listing for low level individuals like us...but you're bound to strike a few that will want low/no-paying interns, especially since you have a fresh portfolio, and if you're not expecting big bucks, you'll be fine.

@snail i doubt anyone got rejected due to 1/8th of an inch.  no use worrying, anyways! 

Hmm, well after my second year of my B.A. I made a list of, say, 30 firms in San Francisco and just shot them saying "hey give me work blahblah"; I'd say 10 got back to me saying "no work, but thanks for the interest!", 5 said "send us your resume", 3 interviewed me, and 2 offered an internship paying far more than peanuts. And this was during the 08 bust! While this wholesale approach ain't ideal, I'd say give it a try - some firms may need an extra hand but haven't bothered putting out listings. Also, I'm guessing you have some work experience, or...?

*bribery doesn't hurt.

 I just graduate with a BArch degree and is interested in Seattle, I emailed like 30 of the small firms bid firms alike (list from AIA Seattle) and got around 3 responses that show interest. But all is hesitate when hearing i am out of state.. 

@dionysus, huh? I'm from the states and gainfully employed with full benefits, pew pew!

After looking back at my portfolio I think it's more like 1/4 of an inch ... but everyone's comments are still reassuring.

@Lance Smith - I have a BA and I'm in the northeast area. I am nervous about the competition to get an internship, but it seems like most of my classmates have somehow gotten them several times over. From what I gather my friends got theirs by proactively networking.

 I'm applying for the m.arch 1 coming from landscape architecture. i applied to a bunch of schools are ranked highly but I didn't really research the differences between them, and I got started late with applications and missed the deadlines for some of the schools with big reputations:

ucla, berkeley, gsapp, penn, mit, pratt, risd, parsons

Since I don't really know the schools firsthand, I'm wondering if I will be missing out on something phenomenal. Should I beg some of those I listed to accept a late application? ucla in particular seems really good because their faculty seem to really know how to make modern buildings using interesting materials and digital design process without having them being zaha hadid levels of ridiculousness...  I did apply to sci-arc so I guess if I go there I could still meet everybody over at ucla and go to the lectures so maybe it's not a big deal. What about Penn, for instance, how is it different from the other ivies? I know James "High Line, have you heard of it" Corner is from there and all his employees seem to have gone there. Anyway I'd love to hear some thoughts from those who do have knowledge of those schools I listed.

@dannyh: i am gonna go ahead guess that the schools that you have listed would not be interested in someone who could not make a deadline. my personal preference though would be Sci-Arc > UCLA... 

@ Lance... why would you limit yourself to the Seattle area? I think that area is fantastic, but if there are no opportunities there, then I think you should really take advantage of the amazingness that is called summer and grab a short term gig somewhere that not only has plenty of work, but that could also teach you many more things. I graduated in 2008 and ran off to London. I got lucky and we avoided the whole financial mess for the most part. When Germany got building at a fast pace again I moved here to try this stuff out. I just checked a few German job boards and found 54 advertisements for architect positions around Germany that were posted in the past 24 hours. Seriously. When I left London over a year ago, it was booming and everyone was hiring. There is plenty of work out there, you just cant always sit around and wait for it. Many offices here actually love to hire what are called "Praktikanten." Architecture students that just want to work for 6 months or so. They are little investment for offices and dont have to receive all the expensive benefits and vacation policies that the employees get. So your odds of landing a job are increased. 

But be bold. Dont be afraid to go strait to the office that you had already sent stuff to and say, "I am here to see ...." When I got my very first internship while still in undergrad, I targeted a specific office and was told they were not hiring. So I went in anyways and talked to one of the architects. I found out the principal's email and sent him my things directly. Then I just showed up and asked to talk to him for just 5 minutes. Turned into an hour legitimate interview and I got the job. It doesnt always work of course. They will tell you they aren't hiring, and you need to prove to them that an investment in you is worth their time. 

@James, occasionally going straight to offices to speak with principals/archs. about job openings can backfire. I know a good handful of firms (including a one I've worked at) who absolutely HATE people who do that without an actual appointment and will effectively brownlist them (not as harsh as blacklist, but still hilarious), when their website clearly says "only send an e-mail to inquire about openings".

True... but thats like saying don't approach a girl because she may forever reject you (aka slap you). There are lots of girls. Standing on the sidelines gets nothing done. I know it can really annoy people, but you cannot be afraid to step on some toes. 

Or, just convince the girl that slapping is your weird sex thing. Rejection subverted!

@dannyh

You could try to send them your stuff anyway, assuming you got the online applications in on time. I suspect those deadlines are not as hard as they make you think they are...not like they were going to review it on the day of the deadline anyway. I was a little late to MIT last year (didn't get in) and they said they wouldn't have even noticed if I hadn't asked b/c they wouldn't be looking at anything until 3 weeks after the deadline (the deadline was right before their holiday break).

More importantly though, try to figure out what you would like to get out of your M.Arch experience. Then, research/ask around about which programs would best cater to your interests. I think that would generate a better response than just asking people to tell you about all the places you applied to. You're going to be potentially making a $150K investment in tuition alone, so definitely make sure you are serious about this and don't just blindly decide on a school because of their ranking (somewhat meaningless). If you like what's going on at UCLA, I suspect you might also like PENN. MIT as well, though probably not as much. GSAPP and Pratt may be too "out-there" for you as far as technology and design goes, while CAL is probably less focused on technology and more on issues regarding urbanism, the environment, and social change. I don't know much about RISD or Parsons, but I suspect they are more artistically driven. Just my impressions...could be misinformed so do your own homework as well. Hope that's a good starting place, and good luck from one BLA to another :)

@danny/jason

When I last visited Parsons 2( ?) years ago, I'd say that they're actually quite the grounded program, less of an emphasis on both speculative design and use of parametric software. I'd think that it's closer to UW, so if you're looking at UCLA, Parsons may be of interest.

hey guys thanks for that advice and words of encouragement especially @byen01 and @james

I never would have thought the "cold calling" version of arch interning ever worked, but apparently it looks like a winner. I mean, I guess you gotta get your name and work out there somehow. I guess it's like same way musicians send out demo tapes to stations and labels!

And actually...@James... I would take a summer to Germany in a heartbeat. I'm gonna assume by googling "german architecture internships" that something will pop up.

any idea when most responses come back ? late march early april ?

And were all the DAAP M.Arch applicants invited to the Open House next week?

Karimi, mid-March (15th-ish)

just a friendly reminder to check application statuses. I've already gotten 2 "we're missing your transcripts" notices... 1 was tucked away on the MIT app status web site!

It's just because most of the questions have already been answered in previous threads...I will as competitive as last year ! No doubt about that!

in case anyone was still wondering if the number of applications might be lower this year because this thread isn't as active, here's a little definitive evidence:

http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2012/jan/27/arch-school-sees-jump-in-apps/

wtf Shawn, trying to depress everybody or what?