Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc)
Pratt Institute
University of Southern California (USC)
Tulane University
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Temple University
University of Oregon
Cranbrook Academy of Art
New York Institute of Technology (NYIT)
Kansas State University
Grad program advice/suggestions? narrowing down list. best ones for the money?
This has probably been asked out the a$$ but there are a few other things that I was wondering as well...
First off, I recently graduated from Texas A&M with a pre-professional degree in architecture. And i am taking this year off to get some work experience, research into grad schools more, etc. I am currently working on my portfolio, resume, letters of intent, etc. I am confident that my portfolio will be pretty strong, just my GRE scores are bugging me (154 verbal, 150 QR, 3 essay) and considering retaking.
I have been trying to narrow my choices for grad programs to apply to and it is a little overwhelming. And i know there are a ton of factors that you should consider when choosing a school.
with that said I plan to apply to around 5 - 6 schools.
right now I really like virginia tech, and I have talked to many people about it and none have had anything bad to say. But as far as others to apply, I have NO idea where to start. thus far through my research I am somewhat interested in the schools:
IIT, UPenn, Oregon, Georgia Tech, UMich, Syracuse, U of Wash, Rice, YSOA, and UNC
I know many people look at the top ranked and ivy league school to apply to first, but I dont want to skip over some possible diamonds in the rough.
I am also worried about financial issues. Does anyone know of programs that offer alot of scholarships, assistantships, or are decently priced for the quality of the program?
btw Im generally not interested in living on the west coast, and also important factor is the price of living where the school is located as well.
As far as what area of focus in architecture Im interested in....unfortunately my indecisiveness knows no bounds. I have interests in sustainable design (a trite description, i know) and materials, construction process, etc. Though I really havent developed a specific interest yet. I can say that Im not too interested in Healthcare design, historical preservation, or much of the hardcore digital fabrication stuff.
Any suggestions, comments, advice about anything I've mentioned would be great
1, Pick which regions you wanna live in
2. Scratch off ivy leagues and private universities (unless you have faith in your scholarship hustling abilities)
3. Scratch off which universities don't offer M.arch programs
4. Check out the programs and faculty work until you scream "Hell yes! That's the type of shit I should be doing right now!"
As for your focus... I recommend scouring the internet or bookstores for arch articles until you scream "Hell yes! That's the type of shit I should be doing right now!" If you're lucky, that random project that made you giddy like a preteen was done through a university. Look up that university and/or professor to see what they're up to now. If they're still doing amazing shit then BAM! you got yourself a potential university
When I applied Yale and Penn both offered me money, so I wouldn't necessarily turn them down on the basis of finances before you even apply. It sounds like you need to be more specific about what you want from a school. If you don't know then use that fact as one of your criteria and look at programs with a broader range of different options and ideas available.
Yeah I've narrowed the list down to around fifteen or so. I know better what I dont want in a school than what I do. So I guess that helps in a way. I havent done an incredible amount of research yet on each school, but a lot of them dont have very good resources to look at student work, or good description about the primary focus and speciality (if they have one) of the faculty, graduate studies, research, etc.
as far as financial aid from the ivy leagues I have heard that some of them give decent scholarships. I dont know about Penn, but I have heard that about Yale as well.
I think the best way for me to continue to narrow the list down is to talk to alumni, university representatives, or even visit some of the schools. Otherwise I really cant get a good picture of whether I will like it or not. After all, I've heard a lot about the importance of making sure the school I choose is a place where I would fit personally, and not just going by the strict facts, rankings, prestige, etc.
and another thing, do any of you know whether any of the places I listed has decent facilities. That was one of the things that they dont give much information about.
anyway, thanks for the input!
Oh and I forgot,
I have heard a lot about the possible effects that the GRE scores have on schools awarding scholarships. Do any of you know anything about that?
thanks
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.