although this is probably too late for most of you, but DO NOT send via USPS.....use FedEx, DHL, or similar service that is both trackable and requires a signature for delivery.

it's not necessarily a faux pas to call to verify the receipt of your package, but they don't always update the computer file (if they even keep one) when they receive your stuff, and the person on the phone likely won't want to go digging through all the submittals to find your name......good luck though!

you can use usps just ask for a signature confirm. if you use overnight (express) service with usps, they require signatures unless you request signature bypass. hope this helps

whoa whoa whoa....i'm all nervous now. i used usps certified return receipt. i received a receipt for one but not the other (b/c im assuming its break time and i think it went to a PO Box). should i call the schools to verify that they received them? should i fedex the remaining packages?? now i'm all concerned!

yup, me too.

I had planned the usps route because I'd found it easier to receive things through them and their express service seemed a similar setup.

NOTE: UPS here in Boston does not deliver to p.o. boxes

i used usps with tracking and insurance (ifgiure they treat those packages just a little better) and im pretty sure all my schools got it.

i would not freak about late apps or calling to confirm. fedex was three days late with one of my apps last year and i called the school to explain -- they said it was no problem, and i ended up getting in too. these places are not as uptight as you think (well save for yale, they would not confirm).

i just didn't track anything. to be honest i was trying to keep it cheap.

i think alot of people dont apply to princeton because they know their chances are slim, at least according to alot of people i know who are applying. last year i heard they accepted 8% for MArch I (unfortunately i wasnt one of them). a far cry from the 35% of yale or 30% of harvard or columbia.

as far as financil aid, not everyone who goes there gets a full ride, but some do. Paul Lewis said at the open house that most 3-yr March I students get about 75% tuition covered, with a couple of them getting full tuition. Supposedly occasionally students get full tuition PLUS a stipend--now thats a deal!

brandonmhorn --

i just saw from your post that sejima is teaching at princeton. can be confirmed on the princeton site (sejima and nishizawa are visiting faculty for 3 yrs) --- way cool. are you going to take their studio?

god i'm so close. last two going out tomorrow. then.... it's partay time. (the alcohol will make me forget that i've applied and soothe the anxiety)

start the countdown to april...

Netizen, 35% for Yale and 30% for Harvard?! Are you sure?!

archimorphic- whats your story of sci arc being over rated?

for acceptance rates, you can look at the naab 2004 info spreadsheet for all accredited arch programs. you can download it from the naab website. based on that, your percentages seem off. i'm not sure how they check the figures but those numbers were what i used to figure my chances

skeerd--after i applied last year i called the schools and asked for acceptance rates to the MARCH 1 (3 year program) only. The numbers published in ncarb are for all programs. The schools are technically obligated to give you this information.

The percentages I refer to are all the accepted students, not all those who ultimately decide to go . (schools will often cite the latter to again, make their numbers look better) For example yale suaully accepts about 150 students for March 1 in order to get a class of about 55. (i ended up going to yale). Granted the numbers i cite may be wrong but its the info that was given to me by the school secretaries.

Usually in the ncarb and other published material schools adjust the numbers in their favor. Best is to call the school directly and ask the secretary--who will either look it up for you or email you the numbers.

anyway the point wasnt the percentages but simply that princeton is much harder to get into in terms of numbers--which i guess everyone knows already.

here's some info I hope might be of some interest:

MIT is accepting twice as many applicants this year than last year... it has something to do with the new dean and students' complaints about it's small size... although i think they are claiming it is something else... but anyway- I hope this is good news to some of you..

as for me - i'm also applying this year - sent in all my apps and proceeded to get the flu... missed new years.

- good luck to everyone else!

-to

Booyah.

I've been writing each of my personal statements switching out a paragraph more or less pertaining to the particular school, but with no change elsewhere. While each school's required purpose is typically similar, it is rarely the same. Some may want more history, others ask "what can you do for our school?", and others are more concerned with your philosophy so to speak. I really don't plan on writing 5 separate statements, but am curious as to what your approaches have been.

exactly the same. I'm applying to five too and basically finishing with a paragraph or two on why I want to study at that specific school/city. it took me long enough to get everything into a statement i was happy with for the first one so there was no way I was gonna write 4 more...

I'm not quite finished with my personal statement, but I finally have the right track for it, I think. And I am still cranking on my portfolio. I had one finished, but got new input and completely started re-tooling it after Thanksgiving. I think I'll be done by my deadline this weekend.... I am prepared to go without sleep to do it. Oh, and I keep forgetting to get transcripts from one of my schools. Crap. Better do that today.

same w/ super heavy. overall it's variations on a theme with a few thing emphasized more than others depending on the school... not really happy w/ some came out but the varying limitations (ahem. 1 page only). bug the hell out of me. harvard's was by far the most generous of mine w/ the 1000 word cap.

last app going out this week... time to start having a life again.

just sent out my last two... can't wait for the portfolio posts but afraid they will cause me more stress than i already have as i'm sure there is stunning work out there.

my statement was more about me so the differences for each school were limited. just glad it's finally over!

anyone try using an essay editing service for their letters? Just curious to see if they think it made a difference...

no.

hell no.

to be more helpful...
im assuming you meant a professional service. I sort of got an impression those are most helpful towards maybe med or law school for some reason. But mostly couldn't see spending $100+ on something like that. Not at measly architect pay especially. I did have a number of friends look over it, one of whom edited our school journal and another who is a professional editor. So I can't say i didn't have help, even semi-pro or pro help. It just wasn't very intense, some emails and a phone call or two.
Could my statement be better? probably.
Does it say what I want it to in a fairly intelligent manner? sure.
Will a few hunnys worth of pro help toss me into a whole new category? doubt it.

I feel compelled to offer some advice based on my experience with applying to Harvard, Columbia, Cincy and NC State last year.

Harvard accepts about 20 percent of their candidates; however, only students that show a tremendous amount of need are given grants or financial aid. Odd really since they have a 13 billion dollar endowment. I digress - also, don't expect a rejection letter if they reject you.

At Columbia, the process is outdated, but they do send a rejection letter.

Expect to hear from the "Ivy's" by the second week of March.

Cincinnati on the other hand, regardless of how maligned they are on this board, treat their candidates like rock stars. They accept only 5 percent of the people that apply, but if you get in, expect an avalanche of scholarship money. No kidding. I knew people who got in and the bitching is focused on the work that is required of them (alot) - just like it should be. Expect to hear from them by the end of January if you haven't already - they often notify by email.

NC State is a good middle of the road program. They are an up and
coming program and have alot of potential and notify by email by April.

Just my 2 cents.

Is there a hard deadline for Cincinnati? Everything I've gotten from them has given a range - "postmarked no later than February 1"

Do they have a rolling admission? Would they start accepting people before their given deadline?

ditto the UC question. I think I read somewhere they start accepting dec. 1st. And if you read closely, it says "MAY not be able to accept after feb 1st deadline" like, MAYbe they still can though?
crazy, just crazy...

AAAHHHH... I just noticed I spelled a word wrong on the cover of my portfolio. I went to the printer and the guy who printed out my portfolio is sick today. I guess its true.... anything that can go wrong will go wrong....

eesh.

"Joe Architect: Protfolio of Work"

Thats rough.

or

"Protfolio of dork" -yikes!!! atleast you have`nt sent them.

groovedawg- where you at?

If its mispelled as "Portfolio of Rawk" you might still have a chance.

How important is sending transcripts of ALL colleges attended, even though I have only taken couple courses from one of them?

on to the financial stuff...

AFCA congrats! i have two left and i hope to be done this weekend. let us know how FAFSA is. i've never done them before and i'm kinda scared...

congratulations-to all of you out there, I don't think Ill make it until March, or as I like to think of it MArch. I have had a few sleepless nights thinking of this $h!t.

For people who have not submitted for the 15th or 16th deadline yet, are you trying to get it in by friday 13th or after MLK day? I wondering if it make a difference...

mine's arriving friday. but i doubt it'll make a difference. they'll probably just all open them on monday or tuesday anyways.

ACfA going to the FAFSA dance (looming) and i'm taking W-2 as my date. taxes first (boo). luckily it's not so hard w/ me making the dozens of dozens of dollars i make every year. and forms are a helluva lot easier than portfolios and personal statements.

is there anyone else out there who did NOT send self-adressed stamped envelopes for the return of their portfolios? why do i want multiple copies of my portfolio returned, especially after they've been manhandled by admissions peoples? am i alone here?

it's that or have them trash it. I spent enough money on a printer, ink cartridges, paper, and binding that I want that stuff back, no matter what it looks like at the end.
They manhandle portfolios ?
Can portfolios be manhandled?
Sounds like something an elementary school bully would do to me, but I guess now he does it to portfolios.

I didn't send return postage for any of my portfolios. My printer was great and made me like 10 extra copies for free. I really don't need the four I sent out back. Besides, if I have to reapply, I'm going to have to change things anyway, no?
Argg . . . I can't believe we have to wait until April to find out who's accepted.

is anyone paranoid about recommendation letters not getting there or getting lost? I had two recommendations sent with everything else in one whole package to three of the schools I applied to, but one professor was late- so I had him mail them himself. he said he did, but I have no proof. I'm being paranoid now. Should I have him mail me copies and then fedex them all over again for assurance? or should I chill the hell out?

hey mlertpac, words of advice.... do not worry it will only make it worse. Just remmeber every problem has a solution. I had the same problem with one of my professor. I emailed him saying happy new year last week, and asked him if he needed any additional info. This was a nice way of saying wheres my shit at!!! I eventually got so paranoid I called him. As we talked he mentioned he had to do 40 recommendations and he was just too busy to get back to me. However, he had the letters under control and told me not to worry. He did like the fact that I contacted him and was responsible enough to bother him, but try not to get all jittery on them.

I hate to play into your problem mlertpac, but I had one recommender who is the biggest pain in the ass. I asked her to write a recommendation two and a half months ago... I did all the legwork for her...I gave her sample recs, 3 pages of cv, envelopes with the schools' addresses and postage, and she somehow lost it or misplaced it. 2 and a half months later, she says she will mail it( this was yesterday) and wants to know what schools I am applying to and what their addresses are. I doubt that recommendation will make it, but I have faith that this won't effect me(or I'm in denial) and am too angry to waste another thought on her.

mlertpac i wouldn't worry. you are so damn talented those schools would be foolish to not let you in.

signed,

a friend.

If you guys fail to get admissions from schools that you wantted to attend, what shall you do? Is one more try worth? I don't know whether one more try give me more strength or not.. Tough days..

e4nim... trust me getting into grad school is worth it. I have an undergrad degree and have spent 7 years working in arch firms. I can not go any further with my degree. If you really want to be an architect you need a masters. (now that my wife with her PHD I am going back to school) My suggestion to all of you is if you do not get into a school work for a year... you will learn a lot, and it will only look good on your behalf. Heck we need people to work in our office if anyones intrested email me...

to all those who dont get in....



you can surf your way to a degree....in between archinect of course!

No. Academy of Art University(SF) has online architecture and design classes that I at least, partly respect I'm doing that if I don't get into anywhere and will work at the same time.