5 recs eh, wonderK? they only want 3 right? is it normal to send in more than 3?

most schools will only accept 3 letter of recs.

I think she meant that she's applying to 5 schools, so each recommender has to write (or copy if they're lazy) 5 reqs.

And DubK, def. remind them. That's how I finally got a response out of the last one. Don't let them forget about you! On IDP.... I think I'd try to work a mention of it into the SOP, but if it just doesn't fit in, then put it on the resume/CV.

sorry, rationalist is right, I meant for 5 schools, 3 recs each (actually only 2 for one school). 3 of the 5 schools mandated that I send in all the recommendations with the rest of my application materials.

This whole thing is tricky. I don't have enough space for all of my piles of application packets and various other materials. Still really annoyed that I have to order more transcripts too.

My other recommender just emailed me to tell me she's done.

Wow. I REALLY need to get to work.

Go team!! =D

Just wanted to add some cheerleading as the deadlines approach... (for anyone who's interested, Berkeley is a postmark deadline; I checked with dept)

I've accomplished:

--contacted recommendation writers (sending out reminder email or phonecall December 1st)

--devised the look, feel, and layout of my portfolio, and have purchased paper, ink, and binding mechanism with which to manufacture it, though have not fully input all projects yet nor produced printouts

--possess agglomerated journal entries, IM conversations, notes sketched on envelopes, etc. which contain potential nuggets to include in essay, yet have not woven said disparate elements into a single, coherent, concise, efficient, 1000-word, 1-page composition

--taken GRE and attained sufficient scores

I'm applying, among other schools, to UCLA and MIT... so my first portfolio and EVERYTHING are due December 15. Essays and apps for a couple of others are due that day, too. eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee :( :( please give me ehugs, people!

OH my goodness. December 15 will creep up on you. In addition to ehugs, I will also send coffee.

I just got bent over by the GRE people. Took it a couple of years ago so I needed additional score reports sent....but seriously, $15 a report? Really?

Plus $10 or something to make the phone call. Add $25 each application for overnight shipping, $30 per portfolio (if you add up all my ink cartridges i've been wasting) and $70 application fee...we're talking big money here.

ack! New hurdle - INTERVIEWS! Is anybody else doing interviews for their programs? What do they usually ask about? I'm good at job interviews, but I'm nervous about this, esp. because the person I'll be interviewing with is someone I respect immensely. I can't believe she even does interviews herself, but that just shows how awesome she is.

are any of the schools even offering interviews? i haven't heard a single thing about any

no interviews for me...although, I do almost have my portfolio done for the dec 15th deadline, working on letters for those 3 programs, and, I have received almost all of my recommendations...progress is being made.

robust- the one I'm speaking of is MICA, but now that I look at the list, there's nothing about interviews for Architecture. Is this some sort of fresh hell only art students go through? I still do since I'm applying for graphic design, so I'll be interviewing the illustrious Ellen Lupton, whose books I was reading before I even looked at who was chairing the MFA program there.

Two of my recommenders are done, the third I am picking stuff up from on the 15th. The first essay is half there, then I have to adapt it for the rest of the schools. Will be working on my portfolio a little more this weekend for a review with SCAD tomorrow evening, but the big push will come after the 15th I believe. I want to get all my paper materials done to send in by then, and then the portfolio after to send in by the individual deadlines.

Panic time.

Yes panic time!

So does anyone have any thoughts on portfolio size? Most of the schools I'm applying to stipulate "no bigger than ____." Some say no bigger than 11x17, some no bigger than 9x12, some no bigger than 8.5x11, one says that 8.5x11 "has worked best in the past" but is not required. So that puts my max portfolio size at 8.5x11 because obviously I don't want to design and print out five differently scaled portfolios.

But what of making it a bit smaller? Not obnoxiously little, but around the size of your average paperback novel. It could save a lot of $ as far as ink and paper if I can fit two spreads per print, which is my main motivation for making it that size. I don't think my work would suffer from being shown in a slightly smaller format, nor would it benefit from being shown large. I am not coming from an architecture background but more of a fine arts one, so it's not like I need to cram 10 complex architecture projects with multiple views and lengthy descriptions into 20 pages or something.

well, smaller is totally cool if you can make it work. i would just be sure to think hard about it because some pictures just look better bigger. also, if your pages are smaller that may mean you need more of them, which may mean it would be easier for someone of the admissions committee to get tired of flipping through pages, not to mention you would have a harder time running up against the schools that have page limits (Penn = 20 side limit, Berkeley = 24 side limit)

Nmby- don't panic, be happy!

my grad app folio 5 years ago was 8x8 so I could have full bleed on regular letter size. I found a great old school bookbinder in brooklyn (near bed-sty) that trimed my books with his gilloteen and bound them with a nice spiral bind (to lay flat) all for $20. Don't recall the shops name, but just yellowpage bookbinders (and avoid copy shops).

Yeah, I have thought of those issues Robust. The schools I'm applying to have only maximum dimsensions, but haven't made page limits (I think some say 15-25 projects or something along those lines is typical, but not a page limit). Since my portfolio is almost totally image based (drawings and photos), I don't think that flipping through pages would be a huge problem or time consuming. They could look big, but they are also fine small. All the text will be at the beginning of each project and it's very short. My portfolio isn't going to have a ton of projects. There will be about 15 projects total unless you count "drawings" as individual projects since they aren't really related to each other.

treekiller, I'm binding it myself, in a very simple way. Have you been to Center for Book Arts on 27th? They have night/weekend classes in bookmaking/binding and there's even a workstudy program if you have time (ha ha ha) so you can apply to volunteer at the center instead of paying tuition.

np- never made it to the CfBA during my short official residency in the big apple (back in 2001)- but I've heard of them. Almost as good a resource as the art student's league.

I miss normaility.
listening to Postal Service with friends
3rd bottle of champange after GRE's
Portfolio 80% done (that I'm actually very happy with)
Rec's on the way?
Apps 1/2 way filled
Did schmatic plans for a 1000 sqft addition. new kitchen, master bath and bedroom today.
just tired.

just needed to vent. :(

Just got back from an info day with SCAD. They say that those are for both undergrad and grad students, but about half of my questions were not answered. = ( However, the portfolio review went well, I got some constructive advice. I'd say that portfolio is at about 65%, owing to the need to reformat for those schools requesting slides.

My portfolio is going to be 7.5 x 9.5 and will have just a few pictures/graphics per page. Big and simple is my motto. Of course, I really don't have a clue what I'm talking about.

I have 3 projects, plus drawings and some info related to my environmental engineering work experience. Total # of pages around 50 (25 sheets). I'm having mine perfect bound.

We'll see what happens.

yeah, big and simple for me too. my initial draft was 8x8, but i was having such a hard time finding a grid structure that accommodated my photos and drawings that i finally capitulated to the tried and true 8.5x11 format.

it allows me to have some good size shots while maintaining a fair amount of whitespace (no more than 3 images per page). i'm showing 5 sections: 2 projects from an intro architectural design class, a section of hand drawings, some graphic design work, and a set of modular bookcases i designed and built. two spreads per section, so 23 pages total with cover page and toc.

wow. good thing you ditched the square.

Good luck. I have a ways to go on mine.

hey if you guys want any feedback on portfolios post em here! we could start a crit club.

Good suggestion. I might post it when I'm a little farther along. If you saw it now you'd probably laugh.

When my digital format gets to 100%, I may just do that.

what are people's thoughts or approaches on closing out the portfolio? right now mine just finishes with a blank lefthand page following the last spread.

i had initially put my resume on the last page, but that seemed to be a bit of a non-sequitur, at least as far as layout consistency goes.

any suggestions?

Haven't gotten there yet. Not sure. I also was going to end with my resume, but on right side of the last spread. I'll probably just leave the last left page blank.

I was told to leave the resume, cv, out...as it will be sent in on its own with the total package.

Previous versions of my portfolio have included my resume on the last page, but at this point I'm not sure what I would do, probably some contact information and that's it. For my apps, I don't have to submit a full portfolio, just "samples of work", and a couple of programs don't even require that. So who knows what I will come up with!

So I emailed 2 of my recommenders.....both of them have my stuff in the mail! Exciting.

Still sitting on my personal statement though. I keep going back to it and changing a word here and there and thinking it's going to morph into some magical piece of literature. I keep showing it to people and saying "please be hard on me" and they are all like "it's fine, actually". Argh. No, you're supposed to tell me that it sucks! Don't they understand?

thanks dubK...i'll probably just put contact info on the back page and submit my resume separately. also, consider the possibility that maybe your statement already cooks...perhaps your being too hard on yourself?

got a draft letter from my second of three recommenders today. very nice!

I'm probably am being too hard on myself, but that's what we do! 10 years in architecture and I'm supposed to think that i got something right on the first try? Unprecedented!

Also, I just found a trick question on one of my apps. Observe:

"If you are not offered a financial award, do you plan to enroll if offered admission?"

Gah! What do I do? Pretend like I didn't see it? They are about average tuition, and they are a great program but not my first choice. So, uh...no?

Oh no! It won't let me proceed without answering! Argh. I'm going to have to say no, I guess.

Just lie and say "yes".

maybe hedge an answer. Is 'unsure' an option? Or say that you might defer a year to save more money, or something practical like that?

You're RICH, remember? Nobody likes poor people.

Yes or no were the only options! I'm a terrible liar. I suppose I could assume that if they don't give me financial aid then no one will, in which case the playing field is evened up again. So, yes? Crap.

that's a complete trap! maybe that's the only part of your application they actually evaluate...if you can figure out how to answer it, you're in.

Do they also ask the question, "Are you a loser?"

Don't be stupid. Answer "yes" even if you're broke.

They want people who will do anything to get into their program. Think about it.

Remember, YOUR A WINNER! Everyone wants you!

who the heck is asking that

They're all asking that, indirectly.

broccolijet, you're probably right, lol. It's like Labrynth or something.

Ok, if anybody is asking, I'm rich! Pass it on!

i dont recall seeing that on any of my applications... i haven't filled any financial info out yet though. how does it work? dont we have to not fill out anything until february or something? how does one do a fafsa? what if i want them to consider me for university grants but dont want to apply for govt loans (that's what a fafsa is for right)?

Excellent choice, Wonder K.

I think you're a winner!

oh my sweet dubK...can you toss a few g's my way? <sung>

SCI-Arc asks if you want info about financial aid, UCLA asks if you will be applying for departmental grants or name grants.

I don't know how to avoid cheese on personal statements....

I don't know how to to get ahold of my third recommender...

I don't know if my portfolio is good enough :(

oh the stressss.....