usps absolutely sucks. when i was moving out to la for a couple of months, i shipped all my stuff by usps ground and didn't insure anything, thinking something that big surely can't get lost. well, it did and usps assured me they have no idea where it is. then strangely, it just shows up on my doorstep 2.5 months later, the box barely held together by a couple of pieces of tape and my stuff spilling out of the holes.

oh another time, sent something by usps express mail instead of fedex becuase it was cheaper and closer. well, instead of delivering it to the address i had written on there, person looked at the consulate's office name and thought i wrote the wrong address down (bc there are 2) and took the liberty of delivering it to what he thought was the consulate's office. he delivered highly time sensetive information to wrong office building. cannot follow directions!

"grades between 2.5 and 3.5 mean almost nothing"

That's a relief, because my undergrad grades are certainly nothing to brag about, but they fall within that range. Although I am rocking straight-A's in my night classes, which I hope somebody pays attention to despite the fact that the transcript states that they are worth 0 units, and therefor 0 GPA.

My GRE score was 1540. My GPA was 2.04. Probably not too many applicants like me.

oh, and do grad schools give a damn about the writing score for the GRE, or will my perfect 6 mean absolutely nothing, getting drowned in the "good" of the 1340?

I don't know the answer to that.

I don't think that matters.

Again, a majority of the schools count these (GPA and GRE) as a small proportion of your app. If you had a shitty GPA and GRE, but you had an unbelieveable statement of purpose, the statement may counter the scores.

I know SCAD will give me a scholarship for my 6.0, but that's the only one that publishes anything to do with GRE scores. Other than that, Pratt said that GRE scores are "encouraged for scholarship purposes", and that's it.

I would hope, esp. given what NoSleep posted, that your GRE would balance out your GPA.

so if nobody actually cares about the writing scores (indeed, most people only state the verbal + math score), then why bother giving the writing section of the GRE in the first place? The scoring method alone ensures that it will always be shunted off to the side.

I'm officially glued to this thread until decision time.

Please, God, let me in somewhere.

U of Oregon includes their scoring process based on the writing. Divide 800 by 6 and multiply by your writing score and add that to your GRE (verbal and math). So total score could be 2400.

i think grades/gpa really don't count that much either. i have 3.1 and 1490 with a 6 on my essay and i still got rejected everywhere last year with the exception of sci-arc. i didn't go becuase after having moved out to la i realized i am a miserable eastcoaster at heart so i decided this year i would work on actually completing all of my pre-reqs (history classes & studio) and reapplying to schools on the east, hopefully with a stronger portfolio, recs and sop.

rationalist, i'm thinking grad schools in other disciplines look at gre writing scores.

robust,
carnegie mellon hasnt cashed my app check yet either. i think they are waiting until my account reads $0 to send me into the negative followed by their rejection letter. sweet.

Can you feel the pump?! Page 14 and the frequency of posts is increasing. Get ready for some life-changing decisions, people.

baboomba! quit it! You are making me anxious! And I still have to write this global warming essay for the Bartlett. So technically I'm not even done yet although I should be.

+i, what program at CMU did you apply for?

Forget the global warming essay! Just start drinking!

I'm pretty much glued here, too. My coworkers don't know about this, and my friends are probably tired of grad-school talk by now, so you guys are all I have left!

Noticed that my check to MICA has not been cashed. I think I'll call them tomorrow (once I've been paid and have the money in my account for it) and make sure everything's ok.

No matter what happens I just want you guys to know that I think each and every one of you is a winner.

WonderK, phd... which makes me feel even more ridiculous because it's a long shot...

but if you get in, you're fully funded, right? Or is that not the case in architecture? I know that in other fields PhD students are basically guaranteed funding because their research ups the prestige of the school.

kind of... you still get a "package" just like all the other degree types... hopefully with a stipend. and more than likely you will end up a teacher's assistant/or something to that effect. i think it's a little better in other fields, whereas in architecture (like everything else in architecture) you get shafted. although if i had the chance to continue my research and publications i would give anything...

Here's a little comic interlude for folks who missed the GSD open house.

link

I think it is an old post for some, but will be new to others.....

cheers,

I called the admissions office at Cornell to verify they had received the last of my outstanding transcripts. They did, and my application is finally complete.

Weird part was, when I gave the lady my name, she immediately knew exactly who I was, and didn't need to verify my SSN or anything like that. I'll take that as either a very good sign, or a very bad sign.

or it just meant that she had just been talking about you five minutes ago...

Actually, Toshiko Mori IS a man. And when you're not accepted to X school, it is because he lashed out his super-frog-tongue and stole your precious application checks from the mail.

Has anyone heard anything from Berkeley? I just cant accept the 'we will call you if there is something wrong' answer from them.

this is toshiki mori

... maybe some of you are confusing her with Fumihiko Maki?

I have heard nary a peep from Berkeley...all my other schools have contacted me to let me know that all application materials are complete...thanks for showing absolutely no initiative Berkeley...I am taking notes here.

hmm, that's Pratt for me. When I asked, they specifically said that they won't even tell me whether my materials got there or not until March 1st.

I considered Pratt, but I couldn't even get a catalogue or brochure out of them. I tried to register on their website as a prospective student, but it kept giving me an error message telling me I was already registered (regardless of which of my several email addresses I gave them). In reading other threads here, I get the strong impression that the Pratt admin people aren't really on top of the game.

I was going to apply to Parsons...but then decided against NYC

About a week ago Georgia Tech sent a postcard in the mail saing my application was complete. Yesterday I got a letter from them saying, oh wait never mind, you're missing a financial aid form. I choose to interpret this as they desperately want to accept the glory that is OutsideDream86, but they need a financial aid form so they can throw as much money as possible at me. Lots and lots of money.

I'm thinking about moving away just so I won't get another letter from WashU. Seriously, I don't need a letter or graduate handbook or love poem every week for 3 months telling me what wonderful new changes are going on. It's nice that they've taken an interest in me, but seriously. It's coming across as desperate.

Yet another reason why UT Austin is awesome: I didn't know I was supposed to send a hard copy of my personal statement, so they sent me an email telling me to just attach it and email it to them. Why can't all applications be done like that. 'What's that? You're missing my portfolio? Click! There ya go.'

I haven't gotten an 'application is complete' postcard/email from NJIT, U Houston, UT San Antonio, UWash, UN Las Vegas, UC Denver, UCincinnati, or UIChicago. Has anyone heard from these schools? I guess I could call or check a few online, but I think I'm too cynical to even bother.

Gin, once you get on that list, there's no end to it! They're the ones that sent me a big, fat, evil, priority envelope the other day and got my hopes up, only to crush them with my third copy of their graduate course catelog. But really, that's nothing to the fact that RIT took five emails just to get my application filed under the right program. That just scares me.

On the other hand, MICA has been stellar in all my dealings with them. Other than Ms. Lupton forgetting I was a phone interview instead of an in-person, it's all been very, very easy with them. When I called about something, they knew my exact application status, actually went "I remember getting that just the other day, but let me pull up your file to be sure."

I heard back from UCinci with an attachment saying that they had received all of my materials. That was about two weeks ago...

Did anyone else apply to UMich and recently get the "whoops the financial aid forms are due March 15, not Feb. 15" e-mail. That was a nice little oversight. I guess I can't complain about having more time.

So the thread has turned to GRE scores for a bit...a few days ago I recieved a complimentary GRE test prep CD from ETS - several weeks after the test! Not terribly helpful. I do wonder how much weight is given to earlier vs. later tests scores; I did much better the second time around (99th percentile verbal, thank you very much ;p) But, I imagine that's true for most everyone. It probably doesn't matter much in the end, although I'd rather ruminate over this than my portfolio!

I do not post too many responses, but I do read all of them hoping to keep my anxiety repressed. And I'd have to say, I think its made it worse, but atleast I know now I'm not the only one. I also received the GRE test prep CD, a solid 3months after I took the test, timing is everything!

A little birdy told me that letters/phone calls from Stern will be made over the next two weeks notifying accepted applicants for Yale. Only school I applied to, so hoping and praying .

Wow jamez! Good luck. Do you know Travis?

Looks like waiting is all I can do as I did not apply to Yale...looking through last years thread Yale seemed to be reporting weeks ahead of everyone else.

I can't wait for my call. "Hi Baboomba, it's Bob Stern. We really liked your application, especially your 2.04 undergraduate GPA. Welcome to Yale."

I also received the GRE test prep CD, a solid 3months after I took the test, timing is everything!


Same here. I got it and was like, did I get signed up to take the GRE AGAIN???

Why is Yale notifying so early?

Early bird gets the worm.

anyone heard anythign about when UCLA is going to notify this year?

Hey, I have a good one for you guys. I'm going with my wife to the east coast the week of March 12 to check things out near each school (housing, schools for kids, etc.) to ensure we don't screw up. I'm considering just walking into admissions offices and asking if I got in. Maybe they'll just tell me in person.

"Hi, I'm Baboomba. I'm wondering if you can tell me whether I've been admitted to your MArch I program."

I'm also considering showing up in a trenchcoat and mirrored sunglasses.

That seems unusually/abnormally early for Yale.

Maybe they planned on doing that and then someone will read this thread and they'll hold off an extra month just to spite us all.

I am falling guilty to magical thinking!!!

I'm totally guilty of magical thinking! I've been looking at the GA/TA position details at UW, and imagining getting my acceptance letter with one of those attached, and all my worries just melting away... I should have applied to more public universities, because none of the private ones I've applied to have setups like that. But yes, this is definitely magical thinking (which I am interpreting as being a step beyond wishful thinking).

if i dont get in, i think the only thing i have left to do is pack up and move to cali where it's sunny and warm