I have an interview with the Rice School of Architecture (undergraduate) tomorrow. Seeing how most of you probably went through this process long ago, do you have any ideas as to what a school is looking for when they ask vague questions like ‘why do you want to study architecture?’
Also, I am hoping to schedule an interview or meeting with UTSOA sometime before the end of the month. I’m unsure as to whether this is a discouraged practice, as no one has responded to my emails. I was told by the secretary that it is simply that everyone is too busy and to try to arrange an appointment next week. Is this over-reaching? I really want to make my interest in the school known to the faculty, but I do not want to come across as overbearing.
just say "cool" a lot. Like when they ask you why you want to study architecture, you say "Cause architecture is so cool, who wouldn't want to study it?" When you show them your portfolio, say stuff like, "I thought this would be really cool..."
i assume (and perhaps i am wrong) that you are still in high school and are wanting to enter either rice or UT as a freshman (since you are applying as an undergraduate). i entered UTSOA 11 years ago.
UTSOA does not conduct formal interviews for freshman admissions, so that may explain the lack of a response. since they don't ask for it, they won't consider it. i would polish the items that are required instead:
quote:
"[UTSOA] admission decisions are based on SAT I or ACT scores, class rank, essays, extracurricular activities, strength of academic background, including course difficulty, and accomplishments both in and out of school."
but unlike the u.mich vs ut thread, i DID interview at rice, too. i would not worry too much about what you think they may be looking for. i remember my interviews well: one for general admission to rice, the other for admission to the architecture school.
the interview for general admission was conducted by an upperclassman and was very informal, just a get-to-know-you kind of session.
the interview at the architecture school was with john casbarian. i was asked to show a portfolio (i had three projects that i had done at the UT summer academy) and basically presented them to him. i was asked why i did not have any materials from any high school art classes, and responded that i did not take any. then i was asked why.
i mentioned that i had chosen to use all of my high school elective credits on band rather than take art class, and that i had taught myself to draft when i was in elementary school (which is true, my grandfather was a navigator in the air force and he had taken a drafting course...he gave me the textbook when i was 10).
i don't know if the interview went well. i did not complete my application on time and was not accepted. i had already chosen UT anyway, so it was no big deal to me. it was to my father, i got yelled at for two days.
future architects should be apprenticed by their parents at the age of twelve. just as the renaissance artisan, whether he be a saddlemaker or a painter was apprenticed. to learn all their is to know about the craft. to interview a high school student about why he/she wants to be an architect is ridiculous.
vado hit it - it is ridiculous to think that a high school senior should be able to articulate why architecture - or anything - is the right life-long goal to have.
So invisiblecanook, you can't be expected to say what anyone might expect you to say, which means you have to fall back on honesty. Tell them honestly what appeals to you about architecture - it doesn't have to be epic, just truthful. They will be able to tell if you are blowing smoke in hopes of impressing them with what you *think* they want to hear. So just be honest. You don't have to have it all figured out, you just have to be honest about what makes you curious.
What does the interviewer want to hear?
I have an interview with the Rice School of Architecture (undergraduate) tomorrow. Seeing how most of you probably went through this process long ago, do you have any ideas as to what a school is looking for when they ask vague questions like ‘why do you want to study architecture?’
Also, I am hoping to schedule an interview or meeting with UTSOA sometime before the end of the month. I’m unsure as to whether this is a discouraged practice, as no one has responded to my emails. I was told by the secretary that it is simply that everyone is too busy and to try to arrange an appointment next week. Is this over-reaching? I really want to make my interest in the school known to the faculty, but I do not want to come across as overbearing.
They want to make sure you can bullshit your way through questions such as 'why do you want to study architecture'
Actually, they want to see that you can think for yourself...
just say "cool" a lot. Like when they ask you why you want to study architecture, you say "Cause architecture is so cool, who wouldn't want to study it?" When you show them your portfolio, say stuff like, "I thought this would be really cool..."
i assume (and perhaps i am wrong) that you are still in high school and are wanting to enter either rice or UT as a freshman (since you are applying as an undergraduate). i entered UTSOA 11 years ago.
UTSOA does not conduct formal interviews for freshman admissions, so that may explain the lack of a response. since they don't ask for it, they won't consider it. i would polish the items that are required instead:
quote:
"[UTSOA] admission decisions are based on SAT I or ACT scores, class rank, essays, extracurricular activities, strength of academic background, including course difficulty, and accomplishments both in and out of school."
but unlike the u.mich vs ut thread, i DID interview at rice, too. i would not worry too much about what you think they may be looking for. i remember my interviews well: one for general admission to rice, the other for admission to the architecture school.
the interview for general admission was conducted by an upperclassman and was very informal, just a get-to-know-you kind of session.
the interview at the architecture school was with john casbarian. i was asked to show a portfolio (i had three projects that i had done at the UT summer academy) and basically presented them to him. i was asked why i did not have any materials from any high school art classes, and responded that i did not take any. then i was asked why.
i mentioned that i had chosen to use all of my high school elective credits on band rather than take art class, and that i had taught myself to draft when i was in elementary school (which is true, my grandfather was a navigator in the air force and he had taken a drafting course...he gave me the textbook when i was 10).
i don't know if the interview went well. i did not complete my application on time and was not accepted. i had already chosen UT anyway, so it was no big deal to me. it was to my father, i got yelled at for two days.
future architects should be apprenticed by their parents at the age of twelve. just as the renaissance artisan, whether he be a saddlemaker or a painter was apprenticed. to learn all their is to know about the craft. to interview a high school student about why he/she wants to be an architect is ridiculous.
vado hit it - it is ridiculous to think that a high school senior should be able to articulate why architecture - or anything - is the right life-long goal to have.
So invisiblecanook, you can't be expected to say what anyone might expect you to say, which means you have to fall back on honesty. Tell them honestly what appeals to you about architecture - it doesn't have to be epic, just truthful. They will be able to tell if you are blowing smoke in hopes of impressing them with what you *think* they want to hear. So just be honest. You don't have to have it all figured out, you just have to be honest about what makes you curious.
right on...be honest. then tell them architects are fucking up the world and your the man to change it~.lol
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