3tk i was at washu '98 to '02. do we know each other? i marjored in arch...

To drop in a thought or two...I spent a year meeting with prospective students for my alma mater, and they were usually in the same situation as you. So here are some major things to know before you look:

1) Decide if you want to do Architecture as a professional undergraduate degree (5-yr. B. Arch or 6. year M.Arch ) or if you want to do a bachelors in some field and pursue architecture as a Masters degree (3 Yr. M. Arch, or 2-year M. Arch if your undergraduate degree was in a related architecture concentration). Once you decide on this, then check out which schools offer what types of programs.

2) DI magazine ranks undergraduate programs, which are either the 5 Yr B.arch or 6 yr. M.Arch. All those schools listed are offering some type of variation of the two programs. What this means, generally, is that you are deciding that architecture is your choice of profession and you are looking to get your professional degree as quick as possible

3) I recommend going to visit the schools that interest you. Reputation aside, you want to make sure that you LIKE the school, the way they teach, the studio culture, etc. That can make a HUGE impact on your experience. See what specialties the school pursues i.e. strong envrionment/engineering, art/theory. history, etc. Each school has a particular take on how they'll teach, and I personally feel that finding the best match in this regard may override the ranking order of some magazine.

4) If you don't have a portfolio, but really want to apply to a school with a portfolio requirement, then be creative. Look at anything you've done in the past that shows your ability to create, to compose, to be innovative. Portfolios don't always need to be about pretty drawings. Seriously.

5) Finally, don't slack off on your final year. If you are particularly interested in architecture, start pursuing related activities i.e. drawing classes, maybe a pre-college program in architecture, etc. This stuff will give you a bit more insight into what you'll be doing when you get there, and can show the admissions people that you are serious in your intent.

Good luck to you...feel free to ask more questions if you want...

Good luck indeed :)

go overseas, get an education and some culture at the same time

went to the 'Cuse...loved it...but
would have preferred...
1.) Princeton
2.) Cornell

i second the idea of the pre-college arch program. UT-austin has one (the summer academy in architecture) and it is a great way to see whether or not you want to do this or not. the summer 'tween junior and senior years is a great time to do it.

yeah, pre-college arch programs are great. i attended the cornell summer arch program and i enjoyed it a lot!

hey guys

i know people who've graduated from some of the "best" ugrad and grad programs in the country, and others who've graduated from "lesser" schools. regardless of the quality of your education, of what you are taught or exposed to or even who you know, it is the person that you inherently are that defines the scope of your career. for all the wash u, umich, rice and uva people i know who are stuck in the back of a shitty, nothing firm with a stack of redlines. sheesh. i'm not saying don't go there, hell i did, but it doesn't mean you are worth anything. you still have to make something of yourself on your own no matter where you go to school.

8888- dunno i was in 209-212 in 98-99 and in 311 in fall 2000. taed 209 for a couple of yrs. ttk8d@virginia.edu

agreed on le bossman. education is what you make of it. the most important thing is to find a school that fits your personality. that being said, the contacts you make are invaluable. the friends you make among your peers and the faculty can help you immensely; value the personal contacts you make and take pride in your work and who you are. be humble and listen, but don't be afraid to stand up for what you believe. people value you for having a belief in things not by kissing ass all the time.

jsbach
go to the school where you think you could be happy even if you leave the architecture program after 2 years. I know that right now you believe that you want to be an architect, but things can change. You're still young and you just don't know. Go to the school that has the best balance of the top 3 (or 5) programs (outside of architecture) that you might also be interested in following. feel it out and see where the reality of college differs from your perceptions. don't be so anxious to find the 'best' school of architecture. look for the best university, first. Find the school where you can become the best jsbachsenata that you can be, then concern yourself with architecture later. look for the big picture

...but don't go to Ball State


does anyone know anything about the program at drury?

offensive, vado

jsbach, have you considered majoring in something other than architecture and pursuing a m. arch instead? just another route to consider

the more you pay for school = the better it is. it's a proven fact!