how the application process in UK is different from US? Protfolios and stuff like that?
what are the top ARCH schools in UK?
How hard to get into them compared to US top notch schools?
as i recall there is an interview to enter AA school. for which reason my friends all went to bartlett...travel across the atlantic just for an interview was too much...
Most UK schools love foreign students because foreign students = cash...
London schools have the advantage of attracting big names as visiting tutors / professors / critics since the town is an international epicentre.
The AA in particular used to be a front runner owing to its independence and unit system but plenty of other schools operate the latter system now.
Cambridge has intellectual kudos, I suppose. I think the recent threat of departmental closure is now no more.
You'll obviously want to research who's the current professor / visiting professor at the various schools: bear in mind that in the U.K. 'professor' is the person who's supposed to lead the academic direction of a faculty and they usually have considerable experience in a particular area and / or reputation beyond the purely pedagogic, be it in practice and / or publishing. These people are distinct from lecturers, who head up individual year groups who, I understand, are also called 'professors' in the U.S.
I applied to both AA and bartlett...ended up going to bartlett...only needed to submit portfolio and essays for each, as well as letters of recommendation. Oh, and an application fee....
No interviews for either. No GRE requirements. Portfolios have size limits, which are spelled out in the application.
AA and Bartlett attract mostly international students to the Graduate Programs...and, while selective, I think solidred is right...as a US student, you will pay full tuition, whereas an EU student pays a reduced fee...so you are much more attractive to them when applying, because, well, your fees are more than happily accepted.
To add and enhance what solidred & dyee said:
I attended the Bartlett myself (fortunate enough to also have P Cook as the head of our grad programme). The one thing that is intriguing about both the Bartlett and the AA is that there is healthy competition between the 2 that is not disclosed. Furthermore, you don't have necessarily "classes" or class structure as you would in an typical american programme. I understand that the AA as well as the Bartlett (whilst I was there) run the programmes in a 'true' graduate way; that being you are on your own with tutors meeting with you at least once per week, but the rest of the time is yours to research and work.
Cambridge is a brilliant school, but lacks the (what I like to call) fever pitch of inventive design you might absorb (or be absorbed into) whilst at the Bartlett or the AA. It's a fantastic brewing of ideas and minds.
squirrelly...I am kinda jealous...Peter had already left by the time I got there....
As for "classes", you are right...at Bartlett, for first term, we had two lectures per week, and one meeting for our studio...the next two semester, it was just studio once a week....so if you are thinking of grad school being a number of courses, like American grad schools, you would be incorrect...
AA has more seminars, with actually classwork to do outside your studio...at least during Phase I. Phase II becomes mostly just studio work...
As for competition...indeed, AA and Bartlett like to knock each other whenever they can. Bartlett considers AA work souless, AA considers Bartlett work fluffy eye-candy...pros and cons to each. That being said, I went to alot of AA lectures, because they have an awesome roster of people visiting all the time....and because I had friends attending the "rival" programme....
ah yes dyee.....I must say, looking back I was very, quite fortunate to have had Peter, not to mention that because we seemed to be his "last real" group (the following year he was still heading the programme but I heard he was never really there since he was sorting all his affairs before leaving); we felt a sort of kinship to him.
(for his b-day we bought a huge amount of 'funny' socks and presented it as an actual arch. project, & he was fascinated).
Indeed the seminars that the Bartlett has aren't necessarily for the grad programme, nevertheless I found myself partaking in regular seminars with other units, and sitting in on working sessions of other student units (and in some cases they looked up to us since we were supposedly the more mature professional student). Nevertheless, it was quite fun.
Agreed with dyee as well in that I found myself at the AA regularly, and they don't shun you because you aren't at the AA or b/c you are from the Bartlett, rather it's sort of bolstering to their egos if they think you are there for their work.
Alas, I must add that you can see lectures just about anywhere (the AA, the Bartlett, Royal Acadamy, East London Uni, etc.) You might even head up to Cambridge and see lectures there if you wish. There's loads to do and see so any school you choose is a brilliant choice.
Also heard that there was quite a good bit of work being done at East London Uni?
we all know it comes down to what you want to study or write and who you can work with. one real plus to the aa is that you apply to a specific grad school program so you know who to work with. in the bartlett there is more amiguity in the lines of ideology / research reflected in the website but there are clear lines in the school. but that said for most it may not be about agenda that interest you. great profs at both.
having been at both places huge intelectual differences.[when i presented the same project in the same way one school insisted i was a philospher and the other school insisted i was a technocrat focusing on science and process -- you figure it out!!] i know there is a big line running down the center of the atlantic and a remote island into bedford square. AA aligns itself with US east cost pedagogy. bartlett is eu all the way.
if you like to pursue other ideologies within your practice beyond 'architecture' the bartlett is part of a vast university system with geography, ethonolgy, art, etc. etc. o-- all which are part of ones practice. the AA is architecture and allows those bits to perculate in and out of the door. if you like to read[or considering a phd] - its the bartlett hands down - part of 21 u of london institutions -- great lib's and connected to a network of any school within the circum. of the m25. if you dont have access to great book resources the phd wont happen [and i presently have 28 books checked out from UCL, UL, AA] a phd by design is not only about design. the technical bits[computers, print, cad/cam, fab] is better at bartlett and bartlett is 27/7[sorry aa your facilities and little laser/cam needs a few viagra, space and folks who let you do it -- only 2 mil card at the aa cuz they comp folks dont like the stink!]
any yank considering comming across, first:
1] no republicans allowed.
2] spend the bucks up front and visit the school and WHO you are going to be with for a year. its like a blind date if you dont. and we all know, most are disapointed in the end if your date doesnt meet those dreams
3]must agree if they come across during election season they will vote absentee in a marginal democratic state [like ohio]
4]both schools agree: george w. suchs.
5] no republicans allows [just wanted to make certain you heard me the first time]
other schools worth a look:
oxford brooks + liverpool[da beatles you know]
aa is not part of the system and most faculty [all] do not publish in pier review journals**** although there are always 2-5 books published anually by various faculty.
UK public funding of various faculties is DIRECTLY tied to these numbers[hint hint: funding = program] -- up for review again in 2008.[7]. so stay away from University of Teesside. the bartlett is university college london.
in london, london met and univers of westminster are very good schools - many aa / bartlet faculty float between schools.
****this is because the aa faculty arent good at footnoting. enough said if you get my drift.
US student attending a UK garduate school?
how the application process in UK is different from US? Protfolios and stuff like that?
what are the top ARCH schools in UK?
How hard to get into them compared to US top notch schools?
Any input is appreciated! Thanks...
AA all the way
no GRE :)
as i recall there is an interview to enter AA school. for which reason my friends all went to bartlett...travel across the atlantic just for an interview was too much...
but could be wrong.
Most UK schools love foreign students because foreign students = cash...
London schools have the advantage of attracting big names as visiting tutors / professors / critics since the town is an international epicentre.
The AA in particular used to be a front runner owing to its independence and unit system but plenty of other schools operate the latter system now.
Cambridge has intellectual kudos, I suppose. I think the recent threat of departmental closure is now no more.
You'll obviously want to research who's the current professor / visiting professor at the various schools: bear in mind that in the U.K. 'professor' is the person who's supposed to lead the academic direction of a faculty and they usually have considerable experience in a particular area and / or reputation beyond the purely pedagogic, be it in practice and / or publishing. These people are distinct from lecturers, who head up individual year groups who, I understand, are also called 'professors' in the U.S.
I applied to both AA and bartlett...ended up going to bartlett...only needed to submit portfolio and essays for each, as well as letters of recommendation. Oh, and an application fee....
No interviews for either. No GRE requirements. Portfolios have size limits, which are spelled out in the application.
AA and Bartlett attract mostly international students to the Graduate Programs...and, while selective, I think solidred is right...as a US student, you will pay full tuition, whereas an EU student pays a reduced fee...so you are much more attractive to them when applying, because, well, your fees are more than happily accepted.
To add and enhance what solidred & dyee said:
I attended the Bartlett myself (fortunate enough to also have P Cook as the head of our grad programme). The one thing that is intriguing about both the Bartlett and the AA is that there is healthy competition between the 2 that is not disclosed. Furthermore, you don't have necessarily "classes" or class structure as you would in an typical american programme. I understand that the AA as well as the Bartlett (whilst I was there) run the programmes in a 'true' graduate way; that being you are on your own with tutors meeting with you at least once per week, but the rest of the time is yours to research and work.
Cambridge is a brilliant school, but lacks the (what I like to call) fever pitch of inventive design you might absorb (or be absorbed into) whilst at the Bartlett or the AA. It's a fantastic brewing of ideas and minds.
best wishes.
squirrelly...I am kinda jealous...Peter had already left by the time I got there....
As for "classes", you are right...at Bartlett, for first term, we had two lectures per week, and one meeting for our studio...the next two semester, it was just studio once a week....so if you are thinking of grad school being a number of courses, like American grad schools, you would be incorrect...
AA has more seminars, with actually classwork to do outside your studio...at least during Phase I. Phase II becomes mostly just studio work...
As for competition...indeed, AA and Bartlett like to knock each other whenever they can. Bartlett considers AA work souless, AA considers Bartlett work fluffy eye-candy...pros and cons to each. That being said, I went to alot of AA lectures, because they have an awesome roster of people visiting all the time....and because I had friends attending the "rival" programme....
ah yes dyee.....I must say, looking back I was very, quite fortunate to have had Peter, not to mention that because we seemed to be his "last real" group (the following year he was still heading the programme but I heard he was never really there since he was sorting all his affairs before leaving); we felt a sort of kinship to him.
(for his b-day we bought a huge amount of 'funny' socks and presented it as an actual arch. project, & he was fascinated).
Indeed the seminars that the Bartlett has aren't necessarily for the grad programme, nevertheless I found myself partaking in regular seminars with other units, and sitting in on working sessions of other student units (and in some cases they looked up to us since we were supposedly the more mature professional student). Nevertheless, it was quite fun.
Agreed with dyee as well in that I found myself at the AA regularly, and they don't shun you because you aren't at the AA or b/c you are from the Bartlett, rather it's sort of bolstering to their egos if they think you are there for their work.
Alas, I must add that you can see lectures just about anywhere (the AA, the Bartlett, Royal Acadamy, East London Uni, etc.) You might even head up to Cambridge and see lectures there if you wish. There's loads to do and see so any school you choose is a brilliant choice.
Also heard that there was quite a good bit of work being done at East London Uni?
have a look!
hehehe...the didn't even advertise the other seminars to us when I was there...I would have gone if I had known!
pick 'um as they say.
we all know it comes down to what you want to study or write and who you can work with. one real plus to the aa is that you apply to a specific grad school program so you know who to work with. in the bartlett there is more amiguity in the lines of ideology / research reflected in the website but there are clear lines in the school. but that said for most it may not be about agenda that interest you. great profs at both.
having been at both places huge intelectual differences.[when i presented the same project in the same way one school insisted i was a philospher and the other school insisted i was a technocrat focusing on science and process -- you figure it out!!] i know there is a big line running down the center of the atlantic and a remote island into bedford square. AA aligns itself with US east cost pedagogy. bartlett is eu all the way.
if you like to pursue other ideologies within your practice beyond 'architecture' the bartlett is part of a vast university system with geography, ethonolgy, art, etc. etc. o-- all which are part of ones practice. the AA is architecture and allows those bits to perculate in and out of the door. if you like to read[or considering a phd] - its the bartlett hands down - part of 21 u of london institutions -- great lib's and connected to a network of any school within the circum. of the m25. if you dont have access to great book resources the phd wont happen [and i presently have 28 books checked out from UCL, UL, AA] a phd by design is not only about design. the technical bits[computers, print, cad/cam, fab] is better at bartlett and bartlett is 27/7[sorry aa your facilities and little laser/cam needs a few viagra, space and folks who let you do it -- only 2 mil card at the aa cuz they comp folks dont like the stink!]
any yank considering comming across, first:
1] no republicans allowed.
2] spend the bucks up front and visit the school and WHO you are going to be with for a year. its like a blind date if you dont. and we all know, most are disapointed in the end if your date doesnt meet those dreams
3]must agree if they come across during election season they will vote absentee in a marginal democratic state [like ohio]
4]both schools agree: george w. suchs.
5] no republicans allows [just wanted to make certain you heard me the first time]
other schools worth a look:
oxford brooks + liverpool[da beatles you know]
nationally, university are ranked by qualitative criteria of scholarship of the faculty. for the uk, built enviroment is shown http://www.hero.ac.uk/rae/rae_dynamic.cfm?myURL=http://195.194.167.103/Results/byuoa/uoa33.htm
aa is not part of the system and most faculty [all] do not publish in pier review journals**** although there are always 2-5 books published anually by various faculty.
UK public funding of various faculties is DIRECTLY tied to these numbers[hint hint: funding = program] -- up for review again in 2008.[7]. so stay away from University of Teesside. the bartlett is university college london.
in london, london met and univers of westminster are very good schools - many aa / bartlet faculty float between schools.
****this is because the aa faculty arent good at footnoting. enough said if you get my drift.
Well done TED.
BTW are you doing the Phd by design? Did I ever 'run' into whilst running about central london?
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