i've been moving around more in the theory/history circles, and that's strictly a phd thing. i dont know much, but it seems that the ddes program is really for professional architects who want to brush up on their design techniques. the phd program is for aspiring professional academics - writers, teachers, etc. the mdes at the gsd is the same: professional architects, some of which are taken into the phd program if they show the interest (although this may change now that the program is expanding?).

Hey Howard -- I did receive the Parsons package a few weeks ago, it was only today, though, that I realized I had a voicemail from David Lewis.

From the other posts on this board, it sounds like a lot of the phone calls -- including RISD -- are on a rolling basis. I can't imagine that any dean would be able to call more than a few people a day -- and the fact that they called ridiculously early implies that they may try to do it whenever they get a free moment here and there...After hearing all the stories on these boards about phone calls, I was really excited to get one...I am far from the caliber of applicant as others I have seen here and on the portfolio thread (although I do have ok GRE scores!!), so it was kind of an honor to get something personalized...

designrocks -- I've heard from everyone I've spoken to throughout this process (and read about in these threads) that the portfolio is the first thing they look at in your application. I can't imagine this wouldn't be the case -- if you were staring at a stack of a hundred applications, would you rather look at the pretty picture books or read people's transcripts?

I hope to hear your voice, you know it's been so long
If I don't get your call then everything goes wrong
I hope you'll tell me something I've wished all along
Don't leave me haaaaaanging on the telephone

...dedicated to a special someone ;)

Why does it seem like so many people here are trying to find the "formula" to get into an ivy league school? Don't get me wrong, I understand the plight to understanding the mechanics of the system to improve your chances by concentrating on this or on that....

...I'm just afraid some kids walk away from these forums with an idea that they need to put forth 63% of their energy towards a portfolio that looks at least 55% like user: archinectguy001 and has the same amount of pages as user: archinectgal002. but wait, theu GPA is not a 3.75 or higher, better focus more on......

and the sick cycle continues....

I too have a hard time believing that any admissions committee would actually "dock points" for summer program portfolio material or instructor recs, just for the sake of it. Some people mentioned this in regards to Yale, but it didn't stop them from taking me, and the portfolio and recs must've been my strong points, because it sure as hell wasn't my grades or professional experience. When you think about it, as mab82 said, who else would be more familiar with your recent design work and potential? The only setback is the purely nominal fact that the instructor isn't a full-time professor. If philosophies conflict between schools, the admissions committee will still base their decision on your work, not the fact that the work came from a summer program from a particular school. My Disco instructor gave me top numerical scores, but the written part was very thoughtful and balanced, making sure to highlight both strengths and weaknesses. I'm sure it would've been far more meaningful than any letter from an employer, or even most professors unless you've worked with them very closely.

as far as i know, no design studios as part of the ddes.
ph.d.--> academic career
ddes--> professional career

usually ddes topics are oriented towards advanced building technology & urban planning. but my info is 5 years old. mdes to ddes is an easy leap, mdes to phd not as easy. for history theory, very strongly go the phd route. the idea of the ddes is that it's something you're going to apply to a professional career, and usually history theory research leads to teaching.

What I meant is that the work that you produce (summer programs being a good environment, opportunity for this ) and place in your portfolio will end up speaking for you during the admissions process. The remaining items essay, rec letter and numbers (gpa, gre) are also important but are more like supportive materials to your whole package. I don't think that you are given extra "points" because of where the work was done - good work is good work no matter where it is produced.

its not where you but what you do w/ the degree that matters

mofongo

I'm not sure if you were responding to my post or not, but I totally agree with your last statement. I just don't think it can (or should) hurt to go to those programs, nor can it help save for the fact that it's an opportunity to learn and create stuff. If you're motivated enough and capable of making up your own problems and designing solutions with no guidance or instruction, and the quality of work is the same, then that's just as good--probably better, because you managed to do it totally solo. But if you have stuff from Disco or whatever in your portfolio, I don't think it hurts to say where you did the work. If anything it may be weird if you don't, because it'll probably be obvious anyway.

it was a more general response - but I agree. Any work (specifically studio) in a portfolio that doesn't have a proper description (who, what, when, where) is weird and does stand out.

Designrocks....

Portfolio, portfolio, portfolio. That is straight from the mouths of a number of Grad Program directors. Don't let the other stuff fall too far off the radar, but portfolio. Letter's of reccomendation are just there to make sure that you can get them. Everyone is "of excellent ability", and everyone is "brilliant and well suited for a rigorous curriculum."

I'd say a professional resume can help if there are things that stick out alot. Like working in a major city, or working for a big name, or getting work published, or foreign study or anything that shows a certain "worldliness" since most schools target globalization as a critical aspect of culture.

But defenitely a portfolio that shows your abilities to analyze, synthesize, represent, and produce in whatever background you have is most crucial.

all this talk about factors that may/may not get you into a particular grad program makes me wonder how much emphasis admissions people put on how they think you'll fit into a particular school. or how likely you seem to be the kind of graduate they want to have and/or how much you fit in with the other students and faculty, interests-wise, and maybe even background-wise (though everyone claims to want diversity, but i think there's a difference between "diverse enough" and really diverse). i mean, as much as people claim to want to have all kinds of engaging, critical discourse blah blah blah, at the same time, people don't want schisms within particular department, or at least they don't want people to shake it up too much.

i say this because, having applied to phd programs (in another field) this is a huge factor in whether or not you're accepted, and i feel like it has to be important in applying to professional programs as well. having been rejected from yale and princeton, i feel that makes sense, since i almost couldn't really picture myself at either school even if i had gotten in (don't get me wrong, there are absolutely things about those programs that i love that seemed like reason enough to apply) and i think the admissions committee can see that.

as people have been discussing, it definitely is more than numbers, i mean, i look great on paper (1420 GRE, 6.0 on writing, undergrad gpa something like 3.6 and an MA from a top school with only one grade not a pass or an A, and it was a B), and i am really proud of the portfolio i applied with (i don't think it sucked!) and i think the people who wrote my recs were the best people for me to have asked. as good as all that stuff can make you sound, it doesn't really make you fit in better in a place where you don't.

all these programs have way more "qualified" applicants than they have spaces. however, i don't think everyone equally fits in with the image programs have of themselves, or what they're striving to achieve and who they want there.

anyway, that was more than my two cents. maybe i'm off and it's just excuses to make me feel better about my rejections.

Is it ethical for a school to add you to their mailing list before they inform you whether or not you are accepted?

I really don't need any more mailbox drama. Don't they know the emotional roller-coaster we are on? I mean, I'm glad to hear what's going on there...but I'd like to read about it in a clean pair of pants.

did anyone else who applied to UW get an email yesterday or today about enrolling in their summer school to fill prerequisites?

8888 - yes

flickbee - I think you have a valid point there. Although I was crushed when I started receiving rejection letters, people closest to me pointed out that my personality probably wasn't fit for those environments, and maybe not fit at all for any east coast environment - although I'm not entirely convinced of that last statement. I'm still second guessing myself like crazy (how else could I have screwed up my portfolio and application, etc????), but I do think schools put a real conscious effort into figuring out who you are and how you fit into their school and surroundings.

A friend of mine was just accepted to the University of Oregon Portland program and rejected from University of Maryland, for anyone interested. . .

well, i'm still waitlisted. princeton is inviting ppl on the waitlist to the 'admitted student open house'.

I got the acceptance call from Cornell yesterday, pretty wild!

However I got into UVA too, and I think I will going there, I am from VA and you can beat in state tuition.

Also got into UMD, UNC -Charlotte...and some others..hehe.

By the way I am attending grad arch for my first Professional degree, so these are the M Arch 1 Programs, I have an undergraduate degree in Industrial Design from Pratt.

wtg Nachas! :-)

YEEESSSSSSSSSS!!

UCLA email folks.

just got accepted to UCLA too via email.

i feel such a relief that i'll be going somewhere now.

oh, 1470, 6 for GRE

congrats ants. i am relieved as well....i didn't want to leave LA.
maybe i'll see you at the Open House.

best part is i had chinese food last night, my fortune....

"your hard work will soon pay off"

a friend got into UVA also, today or yesterday...she's still waiting on UPenn, GSD and UF...

no more word from columbia/gsd? congrats everyone!

after 9 rejections last year, one rejection and one waitlist this year...

accepted - ucla !!!!!!!

congrats ACFA and MArch.

and Nachas.

and vman...ok, I'm done.

nice work vman

congrats to everyone who got good news from ucla!!

dmc i'm with you on wondering about columbia/gsd.

hey vman- what did you do after the 9 rejections last year? I'm just curious... i know if nothing worked out for me i wouldn't want to stay at my job, because i would feel like i wasn't adding much to myself as an applicant.

just to give everyone hope, i have a friend that got into UVA like 2 weeks ago. and AP had one that got in just now. so acceptances may trickle.

don't lose hope.

anyone get a rejection from ucla over email?
my box is empty.

just a heads up boys and girls, i just gave the UCLA AUD a call and, according to them, decisions are not gonna be out 'til next week.


stop spreading lies.

no lies....you are partly right, read for yourself

Dear Applicant,

This email is to informally notify you that you have been recommended to
the Graduate Division for admission. You will be receiving a more
formal letter from the University via email, and from the department via
post.

I am sending this email because we want to let you know about our
upcoming Fall Open House. It will take place on April 2nd and 3rd
(Sunday and Monday). I have attached a flyer that gives a bit more
information.

Again, more formal notification will be arriving shortly and we look
forward to seeing you at Open House.

Jim Kies
Graduate Advisor

i got the same. attached w/ a PDF flyer

addictionbomb-

somewhat audacious for your 3rd post on archinect to question the veracity of the people here.

my apologies.

ah bullocks.

congrats guys, i'll just go back to clicking update on my email until i develop carpal tunnel. i suppose i'm out of luck though. bummer

yeah, sorry you either didn't get your email yet or didn't get in all together, but after going 0-8 over the past two years i deserve a little extroverted happiness.

good luck

i'm also going to assume that the email that I got from ucla means i'm in...

congrats wilday!!

when did UCLA start sending the emails??? please share.

i got mine at 10:51 [pst] this morning

gmail says i got mine exactly at 10:51 as well. we must've both been on the same "undisclosed recipients" list.

the UC's function in that the respective department admits you. then sends you to the general graduate program division who (from my understanding) just makes sure you're graduate school material. i think it's mostly to make sure you really graduated from undergrad.

berkeley did the same for my girlfriend (non-arch program). the dept. sent her an email and said she was being passed on to the "graduate division"

I also received the acceptance email and pdf flyer for the open house from UCLA at 1:59 PM (est) this afternoon! Woohoo! Congrats to M.arch, ACFA, Vman, and Wilday and everyone else accepted to UCLA and I'll see ya at the open house. Never been to Cali before...this should be an experience...

congrats ryan.

i moved from the east coast and haven't looked back!

congrats all!

ucla is not a school i applied to so im feeling pretty calm today...

thanks MArch, congrats to you too!

i live in cambridge and still haven't gotten anything in the mail from the gsd, so unless they send them in waves dont hope for anything today...

M.A. They were beginning to send things out today, might take even one day to get stuff?

Congratulations all, sounds like UCLA will have good archinect representation.