Coming from someone who grew up in Connecticut, I wouldn't bother with RISD. When I asked a good friend from Yale about it when I was looking at places to apply, he said "RISD
is basically an art school for rich kids. Sort of like Bennington or Hampshire." It's terribly over-priced and the campus isn't all that great.

I can't speak for Sic-Arc or Pratt, but I have a friend at Cincinnati and he loves it. And Cornell is a great choice, probably the one I would stick with if I were you. Carnegie Mellon is beautiful, however I'm not familiar with their B.Arch program. Yale is also spectacular, but then again I have a lot of ties there so I haven't heard many bad things about it.

Hey there, tachyons. Thank you for your reply. Not from the US myself, a lot of my research about universities rely on what the uni presents itself to me and a lot from other students - be it on websites or through students who are personally studying there. I thought RISD looked great with its dorms and stuff, but I did notice that it didn't have a lot regarding architecture on its site. Would love more opinions on that.

What other schools should I consider? 

Thanks!

Hi Ryoisa,

I went to Cooper Union in Manhattan and received a BArch degree. Everyone that is accepted receives a full-tuition scholarship which is a big help these days. It is a good school in transition and the city itself is a great resource if not more important than the university. They have a large foreign student population as well and a nice mixture of older and younger students.

Best,

Aaron

Cooper, Cornell, and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo would interest me if I were you.  

Aaron,

Cooper's on my list but more towards the 'impossible' side? I hear that it is notoriously difficult to get in. I would love to hear more about how it is like at Cooper - how the classes are as well. Does Cooper direct students to be more towards the design side or is there a good balance of both?

Lackey,

I know Cooper and Cornell speak for themselves, but what's this I hear about Cal Poly? What is it about Cooper, Cornell and Cal Poly's architecture programs that make them stand out in the nation? Forgive me, as I'm not from the US and have to rely on hearsay and personal experiences regarding the university. Appreciate if you could tell me more.

Carnegie Mellon has an extremely rigorous program that is nicely well-rounded.  While the studio sequence remains the core of the design education, you also learn drawing, furniture-making, site design, the psychology of habitation, and many other things that are tied into the studio sequence.  The curriculum is really well designed although of course it's very difficult.

I've spent a fraction of time at Cornell & RISD and was highly impressed with what I saw at both.  From what I've seen I'd say they are similar to CMU in structure & methodology.

Syracuse also has an excellent program.

You say you're not US -based - just to be sure, you are aware of the cost of these programs for non-US citizens, correct?  Sci-Arc, RISD, Cornell, and CMU will all cost (I believe) in the mid-40s per year, making over $200,000 for tuition alone over the course of the 5 years.  And then you have all your living expenses on top of that, which vary per city of course.

Ryoisa,

I would definitely recommend applying to Cooper not only for financial reasons as Myriam stated, but also because it is a good school with a lot of history behind it. The main factor in evaluating an applicant is the home test which allows you to demonstrate your creativity. So, the crazier the better.

Class sizes are very small, about 30-35/year. When I attended ('02-'08), the studios were primarily professor-based meaning there is a lead professor who sets the design agenda and who has a very specific definition of practice which often contrasts with others. Cooper was just beginning to incorporate digital technology when I left so it is behind some schools in that area. A lot of the foundational education is based upon drawing and making by hand. The technical courses are what they are--you can only expect to learn so much from school as opposed to in practice. I would say the program is more theory-based as the Dean, Anthony Vidler, has a background in theory.

Also, I went to The Bartlett for a year and it was a wildly different program. Almost the complete opposite of Cooper in the way they run their studios. It is more student-based in that the tutors encourage you to follow your own interests so the range of work is varied--everything from videos to animations to robots. Definitely heavy on the design side w/ kick-ass drawings.

-Aaron

Cal Poly SLO is consistently ranked as a top 5 school for their B.Arch program.  Not going there myself, I can't tell you exactly what it is that makes them so good, but I believe they have an extremely cohesive program with no real weaknesses.  Additionally, its a state uni, so it costs FAR less than a private school.  And as a final point, San Luis Obispo is one of the nicest areas in California, a very nice little town amidst rolling hills a few miles from the ocean.  I've been in the LA area for 5 years now and it's really not all that great to me, hey you might love it.  But I think arriving out of nowhere to say, USC, might be a bit of a shock as to how the city is down there.

If you're out of country, make sure and look into costs for each and every school, could be a major factor.

Pratt over SCI-ARC in my opinion, I went to Pratt for undergrad and SCI-ARC for grad

Dear ryoisa:

The schools you list at the outset all have name recognition value -- and for the record, my daughter is currently a doctoral student at Cornell in an area other than architecture, while my son recently graduated from Pratt with a BFA, so I have some personal, as well as professional, familiarity with the campuses and their programs at those two. Each has points in their favor, depending on your desires. Pratt is an interesting mix of a classic university campus with a contemporary urban setting. As they say in Ithaca, "Cornell is Gorges," and it's often true. It's also true that Ithaca has fewer days of sunshine than any city in the US, and some people find that to be a problem. On the other hand, depending on where you're from in the UK, that might make Ithaca almost homey in one respect.

But if you're thinking about New York, you owe it to yourself to take a look at NJIT, just across the Hudson river in the University Heights district of Newark. Our transit connections to New York, Boston, and Washington are great, and so are our physical and digital networking facilities. Our faculty is drawn from the same pool of professionals that teach at Columbia, Cooper, Parsons, Pratt, and Princeton. And both our base price structure and our opportunities for student financial assistance are considerably more compelling, which means that -- unless one of those schools offers you full funding -- you will graduate from NJIT with a B.Arch or M.Arch and a much smaller debt load, which will give you a great many more choices as you move forward in your subsequent professional career.

We are a comparatively young program that isn't terribly well-known, but the truth is that we committed to digital design in the 20th century, while many other schools were still debating the relevance of computers to design and design education. In the 21st Century, we've added a School of Art + Design to the New Jersey School of Architecture, and the focus of all of our programs is digital design across the full range of scales from that of the individual object (Industrial Design & Fine Arts), the strictly virtual realm (Digital Design), the building (Interior Design & Architecture), and the block/community/city/region (Infrastructure Planning).

Inasmuch as our graduates have brought virtually every firm in New Jersey and more than a few in Manhattan into the digital age, our alumni now have a solid presence in middle and -- increasingly -- senior management of firms in the New York metropolitan area, which provides real advantages in terms of network for internship positions. We are also a sufficiently large school that we can offer a variety of possible concentrations --  parametric design, sustainable design, advanced structures, and history & theory -- at the undergraduate level, along with some compelling dual degree options, among them, a BS Arch/MArch program, a B.Arch/Master of Infrastructure Planning program, and a B.Arch/MSCE program in construction management.

Most importantly, I would suggest that you take a good look around, ask all the questions you want, visit all of the schools you're seriously considering, and consider not just name recognition value and program quality, but the relationship between cost and value. If you put that kind of effort into your search for the right school, the odds that you will be comfortable with your decision are much, much better.

And if you have any questions about NJIT's CoAD, or you're going to be in New York and want to schedule a visit, drop me a line.

Best,

Fred Little, Manager of Graduate Programs, NJIT College of Architecture & Design

little (at) njit.edu

Myriam-

Thank you for your reply. Hopefully you could elaborate on what you were impressed at RISD, Cornell and Syracruse. Little details like these mean a lot to me as website information differs greatly from what a person can offer! I am aware of these costs and am relying partly on scholarships.

Aaron - 

Thank you for your reply. You mentioned you went to the Bartlett for a year. Was it an exchange program from Cooper that allowed this? You also mentioned that Cooper only integrated digital technology when you left. I'm assuming that you are experienced in the architecture field already, and would like to know if that has impacted your practice in any way?

Keith -

What advantages, in your opinion did Pratt have over Sci-Arc? What made you leave Pratt in the first place?

Littlefred -

Thank you for your response and advice, especially in choosing universities. This is indeed difficult to do; to choose the 'right' university for myself. Is the NJIT program rather like 'lecture-style' teaching, or is there plenty of hands on experience in the studio? One of the factors in choosing a university for me is that it has the right balance of a design factor together with the technical aspect of being able to produce a building that is functional. I have heard criticisms about certain architecture schools that produce students with whimsical designs, but never being able to translate their ideas to real life and this bothers me.

Ryoisa, I received a BArch from Pratt (1990), and an March from SCI-ARC (1994).

In my view, Pratt was much more grounded and had a very strong core program both in design but also all the practical stuff you need in practice.  The structures sequence, environmental systems, and the simple fact that you have the flexibility to take classes in other programs at Pratt University.  So for undergrad I think this broad based approach is important.  Also, with the school renovation they now have studios which were lacking when I went there.  Pratt is in Brooklyn and is an urban campus, so I always recommend visiting a school before signing up.

SCI-ARC is much more focused, it is a stand alone building and is more of a hands on laboratory.  As an undergrad you have limited opportunity to interact with students or professors in other majors, it's basically architects. 

More importantly as I have pointed out in other threads, you need to be aware that the architecture profession itself has over a 20% unemployment rate currently.  This is a numerical fact that I suggest all folks looking to enter a 5 year program consider. 

Hi ryoisa --

In both out undergraduate and graduate programs, studio is the armature around which the curriculum is articulated. Between studio and basic graphics courses, first-year students in both the grad and undergrad programs have 19 contact hours in studio settings with a teacher-student ratio of 15-1 or less. In subsequent years, that number of contact hours goes down to about 13, but the amount of time spent in studio does not really decline.

Non-studio core courses are large lecture-format courses in the undergraduate program, whereas in the graduate program, they tend to a smaller and more seminar-like format. In both the undergrad and grad programs, upper-level electives are comparatively small courses in the range of 15-30 students each.

Given our role as a public institution, we are serious about insuring that our students are employable, and our comprehensive studio demands full integration of multiple building systems -- structural, environmental, and so forth -- into the final design. That said, we are also committed to digital and generative design, and students who wish to push the envelope in that regard are strongly encourage do so; not merely virtually, but also to use the school's computer-controlled digital production equipment to fabricate prototypes, models, assemblies, and installations developed in this mode.

Hope this helps!

Fred Little

What struck me about those programs would be idiosyncratic to my own beliefs about education and my own personality - not sure it would help you.  For what it's worth, I found RISD to be more free-thinking in terms of design exploration which impressed me - as it also seemed to be coupled with enough rigor in the process of experimentation.  I found Cornell to be extraordinarily rigorous - less freely experimental, but also very structured and organized, which is also rewarding to an architectural education.  I was personally dismayed by the studio spaces at Cornell but that's for a really idiosyncratic reason that you may not agree with.  The studio spaces at CMU (Carnegie Mellon) are intentionally made to encourage a sense of community, collaboration, and cross-pollination, which is more to my taste personally.  Also, CMU as a whole (I mean, the University as a whole, outside of just the arch. dept.) has a fairly unique commitment to cross-departmental studies and really encourages students to study all kinds of disparate things and pull them together into whatever major you choose to create for yourself.  There are very few required University courses - I recall three, freshman writing, world history, and economics - b/c the University would rather you spend your time learning what you want.  For that reason (amongst many others) I found CMU to be an amazingly fertile place, creatively.  It's also a school with a real focus on craft, which I think is somewhat due to the history of its location; Pittsburgh is a town of craftsmen, it's in the blood and soil of the place.  I have yet to see that in any of the other architecture schools I've personally spent time in (although I suspect CCA and SciArc at least share that core value, and probably others).  Architects have a more structured curriculum than the rest of the University, because we are required to complete twice as many units for our degree than anyone else (this is more or less true across the country - not unique to CMU).  But I still appreciated the complete lack of constraints on my course selections outside of architecture, and I loved the fact that all my non-arch friends were pursuing all kinds of crazy individualized paths of study.  I knew people who studied psychology, philosophy, and robotics (all together), and ended up at the fore-front of the field of human-computer interaction.  You can craft a major from drama and chemical engineering and end up doing who knows what.  Every conversation at that school draws in references to all different disciplines, forging links between all kinds of people.  Film, and architecture, and drama, and nano-technology, and glass-blowing, and linguistics all mushed in together.  That kind of un-cloistered thinking is the key to creating our country's future, I think.   Anyway, off my hobby-horse now.

(btw, the studio spaces I saw at Cornell were in their old building.  I don't think it's in use anymore.)

Keith - 

I understand Pratt is an urban campus in Brooklyn. From hearsay, my view regarding Brooklyn is that it's sort of a 'bad' neighbourhood - correct me if I'm wrong. However, the website portrays a great picture of Pratt - it looks like a gorgeous campus, with trees - almost as if it's secluded in one area of Brooklyn, isolated from the outside? How were Pratt's facilities compared to SCI-Arc? Did starting from a multi-disciplinary school allow you to form more bonds and connections which aided you later?

Littlefred -

Thank you for your helpful replies. I shall be looking into NJIT's curriculum more and taking your words into consideration.

Myriam -

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you sound like you're a very artsy person (from an art-filled background and more to design concepts) because you remind me of my art teacher. She mentioned to me about considering the studio spaces in the schools I am looking to apply to. Thank you for sharing regarding CMU.

However, what's this I hear about Cornell offering a professional degree as compared to the rest of the universities?

ryoisa, Pratt has a campus which is a few city blocks which are fenced in.  Originally when it was built, they planned to convert it  into a shoe factory if the university did not work out (if my memory serves me correct).  They have some wonderful architecture @ Pratt including a new "Myrtle Hall", which I have not visited yet.

Higgins Hall (architecture school) is actually two blocks away, so it is a standalone building.  I went to Pratt from 1985-1990, so the neighborhood might have changed since then.  In general yes, students had to be aware of their surroundings and the neighborhood.  Being close to NYC is a great asset, we used to go in to go to lectures @ Cooper Union, art exhibits, museums etc...

SCI-ARC is in a new building and has moved since I went to school there.  Basically it is a long narrow building with a parking lot.  You have a studio space, and there is a great shop and some great equipment to use. 

I also did a summer program @ CMU during high school (6 weeks).  They have a really great campus and building.  It is certainly the most "traditional" college experience of the three, and I am sure offers amazing courses in other areas which you have access to.

Again, I think visiting the campus is a necessity before you choose.

Hi Ryoisa,

The year I spent studying at The Bartlett was not part of an exchange program while at Cooper. The lack of digital training has greatly affected my job search. While I did not have advanced training in 3D at Cooper, I gained important tools in other areas. But to be honest as far as recent graduates are concerned, employers are looking for people that can render and model in 3D.  

-Aaron

Keith-

Thank you for your advice. You've been most helpful! Hence, with the description about Pratt, would it be like a concrete jungle? I will keep in mind to visit the campus, hopefully I'll have the chance to do so.

Aaron - 

I would love to know more about your term of study at Bartlett. I do hope you can find time to elaborate about it, thank you.

Does anyone know anything about RISD's Architecture program? 

Actually Pratt's campus is really nice.  Lots of trees, sculptures, and sitting areas.  The library has interior stacks and glass floors constructed by Tiffany, it is worth seeing just in itself.

More importantly school is so much about the professors!  Research who is teaching what, who do you want to learn from? 

Hi Ryoisa,

I spent a year studying at Bartlett as a Year 2 student in their Part I program. The unit/studio structure was in many ways the opposite of my experience at Cooper Union. In the beginning of the year, the unit professors present a studio theme and students then choose/rank their top unit choice. Professors/tutors get to choose students as well based on interviews and work/interests so studio selection is a back-and-forth process.

The difference between Bartlett and Cooper is that Bartlett has more studio choices to choose from. Studio space is limited at Bartlett and in my experience was used mainly for storage though I know of students that did their work in studio. The studio experience is largely independent and one usually goes in for a tutorial/critique session once or twice a week working from home or elsewhere. The tutors are generally young working professionals/recent graduates and the atmosphere is generally informal. The strength and weakness I see of the school is that like many other architecture schools it can often be an insular environment where themes/ideas get passed on and regenerated from generation to generation. Studying at Bartlett as a visiting student was incredibly helpful because as a visiting student I could keep my distance from it while investing myself in it.

That said, the production quality of drawings and visual graphics at Bartlett are jaw-dropping. Every year the work gets more and more obsessive and complex delving into disciplines outside of architecture. A good gauge of the kind of school Bartlett is would be to take a look at the paths recent graduates have taken. I know of alumni working in film production, interactive technology, animation, etc. It all depends on what you're interested in and in what environment you find most fruitful.

Aaron 

Being an international student, you should leverage the brand name and network when moving back home.

RISD, Pratt or Cooper are probably known  in the design field but nobody else has ever heard about them.

A BArch from Cornell (or Princeton or Yale) will give you more recognition internationally, and will open you more doors... even outside the architecture field.

Hi there, thank you all for your replies. It has certainly helped me a lot in my research. My apologies for not being prompt to reply as I was caught up with school exams.

Ryoisa, please keep us posted on your decision, I feel like I am going to school all over again!

I recently visited Sci-Arc and loved it's quirky and intimate environment. I loved the open concept and how each student has their own square of workspace. It was very unconventional in terms of its campus (an old warehouse) but I quite like it!

I'll be doing an internship in February '12 hopefully but unfortunately this will be after I have applied for architecture so there is not turning back for me. I'm currently immersed in university applications still. 

I know I'm diverting from my original topic but I'd love to know what a day in a life of an architect entails? Is it sketching and discussions everyday? What should I be expecting?

Hello everyone !

I'm a french student in architecture in Paris, graduating next June with a 3 years non-professional Bachelor of Architecture.

I applied for Fall 2012 to Pratt (March I), Parsons, and AA (transfer 3rd year undergraduate), and get into Pratt and Parsons, still waiting for AA answer. 

I discovered architecture programs in Cornell and Cooper too late to apply this year, but do you think it is worth to apply next year as a tranfer student in 4th year ? Or do I have to start the program from the beginning ?

I'm looking for a rigorous program on structure and practical knowledge, I fell closer to modernist theories rather than "parametrics"/digital, and would like to have international job opprtunities (studied chinese for 5 years). I was also thinking about engineering schools (Delft, Netherlands or EPFL, Switzerland)  but I'm not sure to have an appropriate background. 

Can you please give me some advice on wich program I should consider ?

City College of New York if you are considering NYC. Great price, education by world class professors. I highly recommend it.

If you can get into cooper, tuition gets waived as an undergrad so take that into account.