yeah that does make me feel better.

It seems like everyone is turing down Pratt!

Laurilan, I know it is probably a very hard decision to turn down Pratt (maybe not), but it seems like maybe a good option.
Good luck with the waitlists!

I am in the same boat, but it is Pratt I am on the waitlist for. I am really starting to think I should not even be considering it anymore.

I am sure we will all find our way somehow. Good luck.

I also have a 4 year degree in architecture and I am project manager in an architecture firm, and did not get advanced placement on Pratt I dont understand but if I dont get a response that they give me advance placement I will also turn Pratt down.

It was a little hard to turn them down without even giving them a visit before that last piece of mail.... but when I recieved acceptance package #2 with a different credit requirement, it got easy pretty quick.

i asked pratt about advanced placement. basically there are only a certain number of advanced placement spots available. if you did not get advanced placement in your acceptance package, you did not get advanced placement.

that helped make my decision as well. 2 years at 30k - possibly. 3 years - absolutely not.

i'm about 80-90% sure that i will be going to pratt.....i'll make my final decision when they email me my financial aid this week. i don't think i could stomach applying again. btw, has anyone seen their new architecture building, Higgins Hall? It's gorgeous....

Just a warning, "financial aid" = loans. Any free money goes through your department.

laurilan I'm teetering as well. I was also trying to look into advanced placement but surprise surprise I've had none of my calls returned. Does anyone know any students at pratt? Are they happy with the program? Cause if the program is as dissappointing as the admininistration my decision will be easier to make.
On the positive side I have a pretty sweet portfolio for my NYC job hunt. Just trying to stay positive.

i know, i'll be contacting the arch dept. on wed. as well.

I just received an email from Pratt saying that no advanced placement. They would waive all the classes I took already but instead I have to take an elective for each class waived. Meaning pay for a whole year of electives that I dont need.

Kalyani, I'd start calling them now. I'm learning quickly that getting pratt off your todo lists is harder than I thought. But good luck!

Okay besides Kalyani is anyone else on this board still considering pratt?

XICA that email is good and bad news. Bad news is that you do have to pay for whole year but good news is you do get to take other classes. I'd be really pissed if I had to take classes I've already taken. I hope you can take classes in other departments. pratt does have some GREAT programs and I think it would be nice to take a class or two in another program....just to take a break from all our archy classes.

thanks alfrejas, i actually already called them last week and my financial aid counselor said he would be emailing me this week. i was planning on calling on wednesday if i didn't receive it by then. maybe i'll call the arch dept today though if i have time. are you going to be going to pratt?

Alfre, as I have stated, I am on the waitinglist, but I guess that means I am still considering it.

Higgins Hall is beautiful! I got a tour several months ago from a student there. He was about to graduate. He seemed to enjoy the program. I am really thinking that all this nonsense will vanish once the program starts (I HOPE!).

I'm 100% moving to NY. The question is do I work or do I goto school. I don't want to work and I do want to goto school. But pratt is scaring me. Like you I'm 80%-90% on pratt and will be making my decision either this week or next.

the building is great - and what xica heard is exactly what they told me too. i have talked to someone who is in the program there. he likes it, but does feel it's expensive. and he got advanced placement - so he'll only be there 2 years.

the thought of reapplying makes me feel a little sick too, but i think i'd rather find a program that fits me both academically and doesn't require me paying for for the rest of my existence.

kalyani - i'm kind of surprised that it's taken so long for them. i called up the fin. aid counselor and he told me over the phone what was included in my package (all loans, of course).

good luck to you guys that are going to pratt! i'm sure it will be better once you get there and classes start.

Taking classes in other departments would be very interesting and I love Industrial design, but it comes down to money, the tuition is expensive and the school doesn't give much help. Ben Morales (financial aid advisor) told me I would receive my financial aid package last week and have not received it yet. I know the max. in loans a year is $18,500 so the rest has to be either PLUS graduate loans or saving money.
I do love the architecture studios and the opportunities in NY are really good, but it's such a hard decision to take..

xica - are you looking at any other places right now? or are you just trying to decide on pratt?

IM TRYING TO DECIDE ON PRATT, I KNOW THAT I CAN HANDLE THE DEBT OF THE TWO YEARS BUT 3 YEARS MIGHT BE TOO MUCH. TWO OF MY FRIENDS ARE IN PRATT RIGHT NOW, WE TOOK THE SAME CLASSES GRADUATED TOGETHER BUT SOMEHOW I HAVE TO DO AN EXTRA YEAR MORE THAN THEY HAVE TO??? I DONT UNDERSTAND???

yeah - that's pretty messed up.; i kind of thought the same thing about my situation. the guy i know there has the same degree as me - not the same school, though. from the way they made it sound, it was limited space for ap.

Just got my financial package. woohoo taking lots and lots of loans.

Today, UT granted my request to defer for one year. I will be an old man by the time I get there, but I will get there nonetheless.

While not as exciting as going this year, now I will definitely be going to architecture school and that is great news.

congrats baboomba and goodluck next year.

Congrats! It seems that is the most feasible solution - I am glad it worked out.

Congrats, baboomba!

I mentioned it elsewhere already, but I got the acceptance packet for Columbia's summer program this weekend, and just sent in the deposit today. Issues regarding housing and money are still keeping me awake at night, but I'm psyched as hell about the summer program.

Thanks for the support everyone. It's going to be a LONG damn year, but I am glad I'm going. Can't wait.

Jason, looks like I'll be in Houston for another year so let me know if you want to get together sometime. We will definitely have things to talk about. I'd be very interested to hear about your studies/experience at Rice.

LIG, I'm glad you're moving forward. I know you're going to end up in the right place, especially with the extra year to learn and plan. Maybe you should apply to UT next year. We could be classmates.

I feel like I can finally relax now that I know what I'm doing.

I've heard good things about UT, but I'm looking to stay within the NYC region (which I'll stretch to include Cornell and GSD), since NYC is where I see myself planting roots for my long-term career goals.

congrats baboomba, you and jason will be causing trouble for a year in Houston, no doubt.

congrats to LIG too, of course, you are an able Captain for the 2008 grad school thread!

LIG, awesome!!!

baboomba, awesome!!!

Glad to see two long term commiserators finally get some resolution.

congrats to bamboomba and LIG!

i knew i recognized jasoncross's name from somewhere.

I received the e-mail from the Pratt advisor, no advanced placement, no scholarships only loans for 3 years. Yeah I think i will take another year and look into other schools, for the ones still on the waiting list one spot has just opened up. Good luck to all of you!!

To sum up my trip to Penn, Wash U and U Michigan:

I going to Michigan.

In my mind, it was the best school and had the most upside for me. I can elaborate further about my view of these schools, ecspecially if your still undecided at this point.

Congratulations! See, visiting makes it all clear.

Thank you, where are you going

rationalist?

UW

b.d.f., i'm no longer undecided at this point, but i'm still curious about your thoughts on michigan and penn. also, what part of the u.s. are you from?

9

I've been working in LA for the last year and a half. I moved out here after my undergrad at Ball State.

I choose Michigan for several reasons, one being that it will cost me about 15k's less a year and I can get a dual masters in architecture and something else in the same time as it would take me to just get a masters in architecture at Penn.

Michigan has invested a lot more into digital fabrication- including their 3d model printer, which Penn doesn't have. They also have professors running these machines as opposed to woodshop people.

Michigan's building and studio space is a lot more stimulating, airy and spacious. They share the building with undergrads, planners and art majors.

I've heard a lot of good things about their faculty, including their chair, Tom Buresch, from former sciArc grads I work with.

I also like Ann Arbor a lot and think it will be a good place to study for 3 years.


> where are you going?

thanks, b.d.f.

i've also heard great things about buresh. and if my sources were correct, there are a number of other faculty members originally from sciarc that are also now at michigan. great things are happening there.

knowing that, i still decided to accept a spot at penn. it ultimately came down to pedagogy. my background is in the biological sciences and even though it's not my passion, it definitely affects the way i observe and analyze the world. this seems to be more in line with penn. there are other factors also, like having a network of family and friends in philly (albeit a very, very, very small one) as opposed to absolutely no one in ann arbor. either school would be a huge transition for me though because i've spent practically all of my life in LA and its suburbs. in the end, i decided the east coast will be better for me. as a side note, i didn't apply to any schools on the west coast.

indeed, i am bummed that penn doesn't have a 3d printer but with the direction that the school has been going, i think they will get one soon. in any case, i will definitely be lobbying for one as soon as i get there :). oh and the cost of going to either school would be pretty much the same for me.

well, congrats, b.d.f., and to everyone else for making it through this process. the last six months or so have really been hell, haven't they??

9 and b.d.f.

could you tell me more about Penn's program. someone say you won't be making a lot of models at Penn, a lot of the scientific stuff, writing and totally different story in comparison to Wash.U. etc...

any information would be appreciated. Thanks.

9

Thanks a lot, congrats to you also- it sounds like you made a good decision. I really liked Penn when I visited over open house..

Cecil Balmond will be a good faculty member for you to follow at Penn, considering you interest in science/calculus + architecture. I am actually really drawn to that concept also and want to study it at Michigan.

This has been an interesting, exhausting half year- I can't wait to thaw out in SoCal before going back to the Midwest for school.

-Good luck

dddlll, i didn't apply to wu and don't know much about the program. as for penn, yes, there seems to be an emphasis on biological systems. but i take it as merely a tool to analyze and understand. as for models, if you really want to do it, you can do it. no one's going to stop you from making models. i guess the difference may be that penn doesn't push you to produce models? or maybe they don't teach model making? i don't know, just speculating. penn does have a fabrication lab and if you don't know how to make models then you'll meet nice people like me who will share what little expertise they have and show you how. good luck!

dddlll


Wash U is more concerned with 'making architecture today and I think Penn's student work represents their philosophy. I think 9 perception of Penn was accurate and his reasons for going strong.

Check out Penn's student work found online (it shows work from all of their courses/years). Also, look at the profiles of the faculty there.

Wash U didn't apeal to me becuase of their theories and digital fabrication emphasis.

her

:)

:)

thank you guys. 9 and b.d.f.

anyone else here have knowledge regarding this madness?

Poor dying commiserate thread...

Question: has anyone who will be starting their M.Arch at Cincinnati in the summer received their financial aid information yet? I'm getting impatient and concerned. The deadline to accept was a week and a half ago, so they should have financial aid info ready, right? I'll probably call tomorrow or Thursday, but I'd like to know what kind of mental state I should be in.

And when is Cincinnati's orientation?

I thought it was funny how EVERYONE accepted was on the "short list" for a scholarship.

Though I wonder if I should even bother calling DAAP up, considering what the waitlisted people upthread are dealing with right now.

OD86, if I remember correctly, UC's minimums mean that almost everyone accepted is in line for a scholarship.

And by all means, if you haven't gotten your financial aid info yet, call their asses up! They need to get their act together....

Outside Dream:

Have you received anything from UTSA yet? I am still waiting on acceptance/decline and am getting anxious...