You simply cant be an Architecture major, and do well, if you have a double major, are in a band, play a sport... etc. You pull all-nighters all the time. you sleep in studio. you need to be committed to having 5 years of socializing with only those in your major. that's how much time it takes- a good architecture school takes all your attention.

PS- Any good program will have a study abroad semester or two- for architecture.

U of Cinn, VT, Pratt... very good.

Holy application fees! You guys didn't mess around! Can't go really wrong with any of 1 thru 5, if they're affordable. Usually i say visit, get a sense of school culture, etc, and pick what feels right. If you've done that and still don't have a bias, it's easy: Pick the one that will end up least expensive.

Thanks Steven...yeah, those fees surely added up!

I guess we wanted to make sure he "got in somewhere!" LoL...and now that he hasn't really been "denied" anywhere, we found ourselves in a fortunate predicament. Luckily we've planned way ahead for his college expenses so the affordability is there.....

Not being an "architecture person" myself, I/we didn't know if any of them "stuck out" as a, "Wow, don't turn THAT one down," sort of place...or one that future employers would be more impressed with over another?

Thanks for your input....much appreciated! We've got some visits lined up and are planning others as we speak....

P.S. I agree with you "doodles" re: the time commitment...those are just other interests I thought I'd mention.....and yes, Va. Tech and Pratt are at the top of our list...maybe U.C., we'll have to wait and see. (Since we live in Cincinnati, I kinda hoped he'd be able to experience living somewhere different?"

Thanx again.....HR

As a UMinn grad, I can tell you that a bachelor's of arts in Arch is pretty doable with an unrelated minor.  Less studio time.  I did arch w/ Japanese (which is itself an intensive language course, a credit or two more than most other languages per semester at my school), came out with magna grades.  A language double major however, may be a little harder.  Adding band on top of that may be a recipe for spreading oneself too thin.  The tradeoff is that I still had to do a 3 yr grad program for the MArch.  That was when the undergrad program there was a little weak though (light on structures/systems), so things may have changed.

Bravo on all this work you guys have done... my college application process was a total mess, and i probably left some opportunities out there cause i frankly had no idea what i was doing...

Id make a couple quick points...  

Architecture school is very intense, no doubt about it, but doodles notion that one cant possibly be successful if doing anything other than architecture is complete BS... i hear that all the time, and frankly its not true...  I worked, i played a sport, i was in bands, i did everything i wanted to and did totally fine at a school relatively well known for its large work loads...  If your son has aspirations of being any kind of a well rounded human being, and not a stereotypical woe-is-me architect, i would personally encourage him to do as much as he feels he can handle.  I wouldn't even put the "are you sure you're not overcomitting" notion in his head, he will figure it out on his own if its a real issue...

2nd point... architecture is generally an urban endeavor.  Its not just about the reputation of the school or teachers... its not just about the program... its about the context.  Living around and being exposed to architecture while you're learning how massive a role it subtly plays can be as large a part of ones education as formal schooling.  With that thought in mind, i would personally avoid going some place like Manhattan, Kansas even though K-State has a great program (as an example).  

I apologize for the long and rather rant like post, but i get frustrated with people discussing university experience as if it is the end all be all.  Yes, it is a huge decision, but i feel like too many people underestimate the flexibility of an 18 year old kid.  You are supposed to struggle, its supposed to be hard as hell, you're supposed to be lonely, question your methods, question your motivations, question your decisions... isnt that like the entire point of being 18-22 years old?

bottom line, id say go to pratt... brooklyn is sweet and he will wear that experience as a badge of honor for his entire life... im not sure one would say that about his formative years in Ames, Iowa or Muncie, Indiana... sorry if that sounds condescending... i might be a jerk...

Thanx brorstein....yeah, I'm thinking if he goes that route maybe it should be an "either / or" type thing....and if he chooses to continue German, probably a minor instead of a major would be more appropriate given the time commitments with architecture?

Thanks for your feedback!

lletdownl...Hell no, don't apologize!! LOVED your post! That's what I/we want....honest, no holding back, tell-it-like-it-is feedback. You definitely bring up some great points...good to know of someone who has taken on all of those things and survived, too! LoL

Your 2nd point was also something that we hadn't really thought about, but I think we really should...makes sense when you look at it from that angle, for sure.

Thanks for the advice (and feel free to leave more...long, rant-like, condescending, doesn't matter...it's all good!

HR

Sorry, but given the screen name Howard Roark I am exceptionally skeptical that you or your child - who is not posting here himself, after all - are going to be happy with being an architect.

Have your son talk to some practicing architects, both seasoned and recent grads, and get  sense of their day to day work life, and find out what their school debt to income ratio is.  Architecture as a profession is in a time of massive change.  It's not only the fact that architecture grads have the highest unemployment levels of any degreed graduates, it's also the ongoing challenge of trying to make a way to work in a world that is moving more and more toward valuing the inexpensive short-term solution over the considered, holistic solution that we are taught in school.

Buyer beware, is all.  If your son were to cruise these forums he would find lots and lots of rabidly unhappy people in this profession.  I for one love what I do with my degree every day, even with small financial reward, but it is NOT AT ALL like what Howard Roark did with his fictional days.

Thanks Donna....btw, the name I chose was simply a last minute decision when creating my account on this site. (My son had to read "Fountainhead" for a class and, as I sometimes do with my kids, I happened to read it as well...it has no hidden meaning nor does it symbolize any "expectations."

Thanks for your comment(s) After reading some of these Forums I'm beginning to see what you mean. Although my son has ALWAYS wanted to be an architect...from as far back as I can remember...I'm begininng to wonder if he should reconsider his major? Not because he couldn't do it or because he has lofty expectations...only because I, as his father, want him to be happy. I'm not sure he'd be happy graduating with a degree in something that he LOVES...but nowhere to "use it?"

Stressful stuff to say the least.

Thanks again for your thoughts.

HR (aka Jeff;)

Don't you find it a bit premature to be worrying about whether your son should major/minor in German/do band or not? Once he's set on a primary major, just play it by ear; that's the joy of a liberal arts college. If having access to German (so ein quatsch!) or a solid marching band is actually a priority, then pick a school that has those opportunities/amenities available. I find it silly that undergrads should have their entire 4-5 years planned out from the get-go, as an architecture program will have him on a rather tracked progression anyways.

I'll just echo the advice above to visit the schools and get a feel for them, once you've seen a few of the programs you'll be better able to decide where to go.

On the issue of the double major and/or marching band ... yes, architecture takes all the time a student has plus more. But I won't go so far as to say that it couldn't be done. I was attempting a double major at one point in my education in Spanish before I gave it up and settled with a minor. It wasn't that I couldn't do it, it was just that once I got into the higher level courses they took up too much time. It came down to whether I was going to read those one to two hundred pages written by Mexican-Jewish women authors, or keep on schedule with my architecture projects.

A good student will be able to manage their time and will be able to be involved in other things besides architecture. It could be other courses, employment, extra-curricular activities and/or clubs. I bet there comes a point when they have to make decisions based on where they put their priorities.

One of the students I worked with while working as a teaching assistant was trying to get involved with too many extra-curriculars. Just about every class he'd complain that he didn't get much work done because he was so busy, but yet he had to get a good grade or he'd risk losing his scholarship. Then he came to class and told me he tried out for and made the football team. The next week he asked the professor if he could leave studio early to make it to practice on time. At the end of the semester he wondered how his grade had gotten so low. He needed to straighten out his priorities.

one thing you'll want to do is make sure that the school ALLOWS a double major or major/minor. my undergraduate architecture school had no structure for accommodating such an effort and - despite the fact that i had all of the credits required for a minor in history - the school had no way to recognize it. it would be good to know that in advance. i didn't.

First, he should do a LOT of researching and soul-searching whether this profession will take him where he wants to go.  I don't need to reiterate all the problems-they are amply documented elsewhere on Archinect.

Does he have an idea where he ultimately wants to live?  There is a lot to be said for going to school with the folks you will be networking with in your profession.  You'll know the town and players by the time you graduate.  You won't be the outsider

your son sounds a lot like me.  not only are we fellow ohioans, i also wanted to minor in spanish, travel abroad, and be in the marching band on top of majoring in architecture.  and i went to one of the schools on your list!  it doesn't sound like you're really considering it, but if i have any advice to share, don't send your child to kent state.  there are some great people there, and the study abroad program is excellent, but the college is horribly underfunded and the faculty is unenergized to cultivate a bubbling academic atmosphere...which is sadly transferred directly to the students.  there are better options.

and from experience band is definitely manageable...even with architecture.  extra curriculars outside your college academic bubble, i would argue, are of extreme value.

but i have to echo the warnings of others here as well.  i just graduated from kent with a b.s. in architecture.  i'm currently rethinking getting my masters at this point because the opportunity that i expected in this profession hasn't exactly resulted as planned.  (although things were great in 2007 when i was deciding all of this.)  as weird as it is for me to be saying this now, school doesn't do the real world justice and i would echo what donna said about talking to practicing architects and recent grads.  encourage your son to find an internship this summer if he can find one.  (keeping in mind that the ohio architecture scene isn't exactly cutting edge.)

and finally, there's no way to make a truly informed decision.  i realized that once i spent a year at kent.  schools are trying to sell you a degree, they'll say anything.  you and your son are innocent and naive outsiders.  at least looking back, that's how i felt.  so, yes, this decision is a big deal, but know that in many ways you just have to pick one and go with it.

As a Cincinnati Pre-Arch who made the cut, I would not wish that process on my worst enemy. You are essentially competing with your classmates and close friends for between 6-10 spots out of the 30-40 who take the risk. Grading is subjective and very political, anything below a 3.6 and you will be forced to reapply or change programs. I'm very thankful that I made it through and the reason that I am happy in the profession now is because of my experience at UC. I turned down guaranteed acceptance to other programs to take the risk because I couldn't see myself going anywhere else. 

May I suggest that you first determine the criteria by which to select the architecture program - below is an excerpt from Becoming an Architect, 2nd Edition.

Regardless of the degree you may pursue, how do you select an architecture program?  After learning about the many degree programs, choosing among them may seem a daunting task; over 125 institutions in the United States and Canada offer professional architecture degree programs.  However, if you analyze the criteria that are most important, you can quickly narrow your search and manage this process.

You know the degree programs, the list of architectural programs, and the typical courses offered, but what is most important to you?  Think about the criteria listed below in the following categories: You, Institution, and Architecture Program.  Take time to think about answers to the questions posed and write them down.

By going through this process, you will be better matched with your eventual college choice and more confident in your decision.  As you develop criteria on which to base your decision, certain degree programs and universities will surface as logical choices.

You
Consider the following attributes prior to selecting a school:
Level of confidence, Personality type, Closeness to home, Budget:

Institution
Attributes to consider when selecting an institution include:
Type of school, Locale, Public vs. private, Cost, Financial aid:

Architecture Program
Because you will spend the largest portion of your college career within the architecture program, consider the following factors as you make your decision.
Degree, Academic structure, Philosophy/approach, Reputation/tradition, Enrollment, Academic resources, Special programs, Faculty, Student body, Career programs:

Best - If you wish to connect, visit ARCHCareers.org and select Dr. Architecture

I'll second Donna's very grounded advice above.   If your son does choose to enter into an arch program, I received my undergrad from Pratt (class of 1990), and they have an excellent, well rounded program.  I cannot speak of the other schools.

You may want to search through these forums, there have been many discussions on similar topics.  The advice I have been giving, as Donna mentioned above, is to have your son meet with 10 local architects and get their face to face feedback before committing to a course of study in Architecture.

If I were you I'd make sure your boy goes to the cheapest and well-rounded school.  He won't be making big bucks after graduation so it is important that he is in as little/no debt as possible.  I went to VT.  It is an outstanding program and got next to no debt!

Just saying.

And an architecture degree from an expensive school will not get him a better offer in terms of money.  I sit next to a dude who went to GSD and he tells me he will never be able to pay back his student loans.

By the way, congrats on his acceptances.  Those are all solid schools.

I will go with Ball state, it's great for the money. One of the coolest architectural offices in Chicago (Landon Bone Baker) their folks are from Ball State.  Experience is very important, you have to spend tones of time for a happy ending, so owning a large sum won't be fun. I will go with that. If money is not an issue I will still go with cheaper school and invest the money so it will be available when you start your practice. Good luck and let us know.