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Yale Open House- What's your background?

rush3943

I hope this isn't a duplicate post, but for all those thinking of attending Yale next year for MArch... are you going straight through, or did you take a year or two (or 5 or 10) off first? Same for other schools as well. Just out of curiosity

 
Apr 3, 07 1:09 pm
Chase Dammtor

one year out of arch undergrad... you?

Apr 3, 07 1:10 pm  · 
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flyoverstate

also here, one year out of undergrad! going straight through sounds like a massively bad idea.

Apr 3, 07 1:23 pm  · 
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therpeuticlotion

i didn't do my undergrad in arch so i took 6 yrs off in between school.

do you think yale is better about giving money or gsd?

Apr 3, 07 5:58 pm  · 
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Jbond

I'm going straight outta undergrad and I don't think that'll be a bad decision at all.

But we'll see when I have a mental breakdown after my second year.

Apr 3, 07 11:55 pm  · 
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Jbond

Yale was very nice to me in giving me money. I was rejected at GSD so I don't have an offer from them to compare by though.

Apr 3, 07 11:57 pm  · 
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flyoverstate

Really, they gave you cash? All I got was loans... worthless worthless loans!

Apr 4, 07 1:00 am  · 
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Elijah Porter

I graduated with a BA in 2000. Going straight through from undergrad to grad sounds fine but I'm a slow and steady type and so I've taken some time.

I'd say the major advantage of delaying grad school is that it may help you determine what you what to focus on when you get there. Of course, it might not. The advantage of going straight from Bachelors to Masters is that you're young when you get out. JBond, a good friend of mine went straight through BA to MArchI at Yale and I don't think she regretted it for a minute.

If you're contemplating Yale vs GSD: I know quite a few recent GSD grads. They are all great designers (great people too) but not all of them are fond of the school. It's safe to say that if you're a star type it's a super place to be, but the bottom half of the students don't get much attention. It's also not a particularly friendly environment. Every time I've visited friends no one seems to know anyone outside their own studios and when I actually find who I'm looking for they are panicked or completely zoned out thinking about their work. That said, the faculty are obviously world class and so will your peers be.

My two friends currently at the YSOA are enthusiastic about the place. The grads I know loved it too. If you ask around for someone there people are generally helpful and they'll probably even smile at you. Again, world class faculty and peers.

(Full disclosure: rejected from GSD, sent check to Yale yesterday, will be at open house)

Apr 4, 07 1:47 am  · 
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rush3943

I am also planning on going straight through. But I heared if you get some work experience first, you're a "more desirable" canidate, and more likely to get money from schools. Any thoughts?

Apr 4, 07 7:03 am  · 
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Elijah Porter

I have to imagine that a person with work experience is desirable because, hopefully, they'll share their work experience with their classmates. They're also probably harder to entice because if they've been doing anything interesting they could just keep on working. But I have no idea if that's true, rush3943.

Apr 4, 07 8:06 am  · 
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flyoverstate

Wells, I mean, regardless of whether it makes you "more desirable" to some committee... it's not a bad idea to seriously try architect-ing out before dropping 150k+ on an M.Arch. It really adjusts your perspective on design, for better or worse.

Apr 4, 07 9:55 am  · 
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ksArcher

*bump*

to contribute- I also plan on going straight through. Seems like most advocate whichever option they chose/are choosing to do. Any exceptions to this?

Apr 5, 07 10:32 am  · 
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nambypambics

I'll be at the open house so come say hi :)

As for working leading to more money, I'm not sure that necessarily has to do with "desirability." The way I've understood it is that if you are over 25 and have been supporting yourself for the (typically 3) years after undergrad, you are more likely to be considered fully independent from your parents financially. They are going to take your parents' income and savings less into account and you will qualify for more need-based aid, since you, as your own primary breadwinner, will not be earning a significant income during college.

Apr 5, 07 10:50 am  · 
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Jbond

What's funny about need-based aid is it's the only kind of scholarship you can negotiate. I did. They made me an initial offer- I told them why I needed more and told them how much. They offered that amount on the condition I accept on the spot. So I did that too.

So in some sense merit- or "desirability" does play into it a bit- but I gave good realistic reasons why I needed that additional money... though I'm sure being highly desirable or a 'top ranked applicant' lets them justify doing that a lot easier.

(note: My parents are divorced and broke- my EFC this year was 0.)

So... besides how long we've been out of undergrad, where is everyone from?

I'm originally from Maine and am finishing out my undergrad at Texas A&M.

Thing I'm looking forward to most about the open house:meeting the other A&M alumni @ Yale and getting to know many of you, my future classmates.

Apr 5, 07 11:30 am  · 
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nambypambics

Hey jbond, I sent you an email to the account in your archinect profile...

Apr 5, 07 1:49 pm  · 
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Jbond

I didn't get your email :(

just send anything to [email protected]

Apr 5, 07 5:39 pm  · 
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Balagan

Anybody going to the open house got an email from them scheduling appointments for you with Joel Sanders and Peter Eisenman?

Apr 5, 07 10:03 pm  · 
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Jbond

Yeah, I start with Joel at 2:40.

Being able to tell people you have an appointment with Peter Eisenman is quite a thrill.

Apr 5, 07 10:43 pm  · 
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vhsu

My BF has an appointment with Peter Eisenman too. Do you suppose they only schedule the special students that they are trying hard to recruit? Or do they offer this sort of thing to everyone?

Apr 5, 07 11:19 pm  · 
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Balagan

Hmm seems like 1 on 1 talks, I'm scheduled with Joel at 10:50, Peter at 2:20.

Apr 5, 07 11:55 pm  · 
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nambypambics

I am also part of the meeting club!

Apr 6, 07 12:08 am  · 
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Jbond

I would imagine that to the extent of their abilities they'd see all the students deciding on admission or attending in the fall...

Though if even a modest 30 people showed up for the open house there's no way they could get through them all. At 10 minutes each that'd be a killer 5 hour marathon.

I've spoken with Joel over the phone and it was great- he's easy to talk to. When it comes to Eisenman I have this fantasy that we spend the entire time talking about baseball.

Apr 6, 07 1:08 am  · 
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tempdrive

Actually it's not hard to get Eisenman to talk about sports, especially football.

Apr 6, 07 12:36 pm  · 
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vapor

v- your bf's beyond everyone's league. haha.

Apr 7, 07 2:15 am  · 
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ellement

JBond 04/05/07: "They made me an initial offer- I told them why I needed more and told them how much. They offered that amount on the condition I accept on the spot. So I did that too."
You did? That's nuts - they can't "condition" that before April 15th can they?

Apr 10, 07 7:10 am  · 
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Jbond

It's wasn't a legal contract- it was just them accepting my word on it.

--

I'll be staying at the luxurious Hotel Duncan while in New Haven- see y'all soon.

Apr 10, 07 1:18 pm  · 
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I'm a believer that you get the best impression of the school by just visiting and talking to students/professors that are around on a normal day at the school. That way nobody's making a song and dance.

Enjoy the open house, and good luck with your decisions.

Apr 10, 07 3:33 pm  · 
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Jbond

*bump*

Holla!

Thoughts?

Apr 14, 07 3:53 am  · 
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Jbond

Apparently there was a James Bond running around at the Open House but I never managed a sighting... all I know is he must've registered up front after I did because the staff doling out folders insisted on pulling the "007 eh? Bet you get a lot of that, huh?" I told her I had never seen any of the movies. It would've been funny except she thought I was serious and I had to akwardly explain minutes later that I was joking.

James Bond, I know you're out there... falling asleep in your twin bed wondering where your brother is...

I had already sent in my acceptance prior to attending so I was there to exploit the free food and meet people. From that perspective it was a total success. How'd people fare who were actually there to make a decision?

Apr 14, 07 4:08 am  · 
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nambypambics

I fared well in finding a friend to help host karaoke/guitar hero night...

Apr 14, 07 3:55 pm  · 
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Smokety Mc Smoke Smoke

And DDR as well! My apartment is about to become a hotbed of procrastination.

Apr 14, 07 4:06 pm  · 
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nambypambics

Is there pin the tail on the donkey?

Apr 14, 07 4:55 pm  · 
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Jbond

Pin the tail on the donkey? Who does that?

DDR is choice too- unless you have one of those crappy pads that doesn't register... ugh!

Did I mention I also like to drop the dank down flip it and reverse it?

Vweeeep Beeooooo Vweeeep Beoooooo

Apr 14, 07 6:58 pm  · 
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