flew by these recently. tough call, here is my superficial impression.

1. UCLA - they make stuff
2. sci-arc - they have robots
3. princeton - always in the middle
4. Columbia, end of year show wasn't as good this time around, but i like the faculty their better than Princeton.
5. Rice

Sci-Arch over Princeton and Columbia? Really? Good to know the little school is coming up. 

No love for Rice? 

Is this ranking based on what people in the industry think? Sci Arc seems to be where I am leaning but I sure would love to go to Princeton or Columbia. 

rankings dont really matter, your individual situation is much more important.
These days I would shoot for Princeton or Rice for an M.Arch. they have the big scholarships. 

I think the best university is still Harvard University..

There are many famous architect around the world are alumni or teach at this university

rank indeed!

dunno what p-town is like currently.

expect to read a lot of books and get drunk with smarty pantsses and figure out everything else on your own

So the question is really, what are the rankings of these school's networks/reputation? And not necessarily their programs.

1. Rice - It's free, no brainer

2.UCLA - They make stuff and it's a great way to learn Mandarin

3. Sci-Arc - They have brick laying robots, Elena is a total badass btw

4. Princeton - Better faculty than Columbia (IMO)

5. Columbia - Enjoy paying off student loans for a very long time. 

My personal preference based on location, faculty, academic rigor and overall experience:

Princeton

Columbia

UCLA

Rice

SCI-Arc

But hey, that's just me. I also find the prospect of spending two years in LA or Houston very depressing.

I'll amend my previous post and actually rank from my pov.

1. Rice

2. Princeton

3. UCLA

4. Sci-Arc

5. Columbia
 

so Rice is known for giving lots of financial aid?  cause that would be freakin awesome

This discussion is going well so far.

I know rankings do not matter as much but at the same time I am looking for a great M.Arch program that offers great scholarships/financial aid package, excellent networking opportunities and is basically a feeder to some of the best firms out there.

I am pretty old (28) and am just starting my basics for grad school at the local CC, so I am trying to make sure I choose the best school for the best deal.

Rice has good aid if you can get it, and does anyone know if Cooper Union officially did take away tuition wavers for graduate students, or was that just the engineering graduate program?

Look at Princeton's curriculum... I think their studio instruction is really exceptional--they have great faculty and practitioners every year, but so many of the courses you'll be taking are focused on history... I also think they neglect cutting-edge digital/tech skills to a fault.

It is a really prestigious school, but I wouldn't go there unless you had a pre-professional degree in arch, and already knew developed your skillset how to draw/model/render etc.

^ agree.

some notes:
*Princeton can be brainy, but with people like Liz Diller recycling landscape urbanism and corny art projects to a superficial fault, no thanks.
*Don't even get me started on Stan Allen and "field theory"
*Jesse Reiser is great if you like headaches and sedation.
*Alejandro as new dean...GSD part2?

The work at UCLA has been getting really good and Rice is always exceptional.

What do employers think of UCLA and Sci-Arc? If I cannot get the money to relocate to Princeton or Rice, I am thinking about staying in LA.

Also, I would finish my M.Arch at 31. Is that too old to practice for most firms?

Also, I would finish my M.Arch at 31. Is that too old to practice for most firms?

I graduated in 07' then was hired by SOM at age 54 - but that was in 07' - things are far more draconian now - I would never have been hired now - let alone by SOM

Your ok, you are under 40 - no worries

Well then the question becomes, are you still working at SOM?

So a 31-32 year old shouldn't have too much trouble landing a gig (given that the recession clears up)?

Also, back to the original question; how is Sci-Arc ranked among professionals?

Well then the question becomes, are you still working at SOM? 

Oh no - when the bottom fell out in 11/08, I was dumped and it took 15 months to get started all over again at a smaller firm with less pay,no benefits - still there - 6 built projects so -far

So a 31-32 year old shouldn't have too much trouble landing a gig (given that the recession clears up)?

 Forget about the recession - it may never clear fully up and with Romney Ryan, things will get even more unfair -- get out there and campaign for a job - you need to happen to reality and not let reality happen to you.

I figured the recession was here to stay but I've heard that architects who cannot find work in the field and have design experience work elsewhere. Is this true?

sure is - many are getting into UX design

Age does not matter in Architecture if you can do the work asked of you with out complaint, learn, pick things up quickly and work the hours

"Forget about the recession - it may never clear fully up and with Romney Ryan, things will get even more unfair -- get out there and campaign for a job - you need to happen to reality and not let reality happen to you."

So now we're blaming presidential candidates for the pathetic state of our profession? 

Seriously though, go to the school that aligns with your professional desires and that won't  leave you with a massive amount of debt. 

University of Cincinnati if you want a job...

Sci-Arc if you want a job working at Sci-Arc

What's bad about Sci-Arc? Are they only respected in LA?

you can search this discussion in the forum, since it comes up on a monthly basis.

in summary, sci-arc is good if you can afford it. The undergrad program is great, the grad program is good too but pretty experimental. If you are just looking for a job, it won't be for you.

If I were you, I would study something else.

I thought Sci Arc was a "starchitect" school. 

Rice- Very reputable.  A good balance of theory, design, and practice.  Great financial aid.  (many half and some full scholarships).  Houston is cheap and the neighborhood around rice is really nice.  The faculty is great and the program is lean.  alumni are around the country.

Princeton- Probably a little more prestige than rice, but prestige dont come cheap.  Super small program.  The smallest one i know actually.  Renowned faculty.  heavy on history and theory.  everyone i've met from princeton arch is exceptionally smart and talented, but definitely more weighted in academia. close to nyc, which is probably where a lot of alum are. 

Columbia- larger program, lots of different courses/ concentrations, even real estate.  NYC is super expensive.  I'm not sure about tuition/scholarship there.  Most columbia people stay in nyc, from what i gather.  I honestly dont know much about the program.  Obviously, opportunities in nyc are unparalleled. Great faculty.  

UCLA-  Great program from what i hear, especially for urban studies.  def a lot of weight in LA, which is a very important architectural community.  no clue about scholarship.  great faculty at all these schools, really.  

Sci arc- why is this on the list?

UCLA is it then. I am really interested in urban design, studies and planning.

watch out for people with pretentious usernames.

If this is more for urban design, UPenn/Columbia/USC/UCLA and GSD are worth checking out. sci-arc wouldn't be a good fit for urban design, they're better at architecture.

M.Arch programs will touch upon some urban design but if that's all your looking for than your options change.

Is my name pretentious? I thought it was more bashful....I stole it from a lil jon song. Anyways. Topics right. First of all are you admitted to these schools or what? Urban planning is an entirely different school at ucla. The arch school is part of the art school which has proved not favorable in other institutions. (washu). I'd still apply to those schools and maybe more. Go to openhouses, speak with alum candidly etc. As far as march programs touching on ud, that varies drastically by program.

I am in LA and plan on staying in LA. I would only venture off if I got into Yale, Princeton or an Ivy or MIT.

Other than that it's down to UCLA or SCI-Arc. No interest in USC but will give it a look.

I want to know what professionals and peers in the LA area think of these schools.