My spirit is also on the point of breaking. Maybe already broken. I've got so much to do that I don't even think I can make it for any school that has a deadline before the end of December. God bless UCLA for making a mistake in my favor. I took the GRE in October, they still haven't sent me my scores. I now need to call and bitch them out. Only one of my recs has confirmed to write for me. If the other two don't get back to me by tomorrow morning I'm writing emergency pleas to my alternates. My portfolio needs tons of work as well...but thankfully that's going quite a bit faster than I thought it would. I also still have to write my personal statement. I'm so overwhelmed right now I feel like just calling the whole thing off and starting again next year. But I push on...for now. I work everyday from 8:30-5, then go home and work on applications from 7-midnight. I definitely won't be having any weekends for a while. It is a sad, sad state of affairs.

On the plus side, I hope this post makes you feel better.

Relax. Breathe. And remember:

People will be applying to grad school next year too.

You need internship hours more than you really need a Masters anyway.

Work at pace, and allow yourself to re-think things; if you're not ready to FedEx by December 15th, then plan a trip or two over the next year where you can sketch and photograph and work on your graphic skills some.

But do not rush to cram it all in. The lack of sleep and agony of second-guessing oneself is not worth it. Especially if you get rejection letters before an acceptance letter.

Grad school is nothing but a chance for you to think about your work and gain (occasionally) good criticism.

That's jsut me, but then I also shun clothing with labels and think the current architecture peerage is mostly bullsh*t.

well stated tecton. yah we're coming down to the final hours of this charrette they call the application process. As for me, i got the "this is never going to happen, i'm not going to make it" phase out of the way about a month ago. apps are made out, recs are confirmed, gres are taken and sent. yep the port still needs a massive overhaulling. the two forums ive set up here have help me so so much. so thats still to do and to figure out its printing. my mission statement/letter of intent is present, tho honestly kitchy i think and also is going through several deconstructions. while feel complacent now i think my situation would be vastly different if any of my schools had the dec deadline.
the past month i've watch my girlfriend go threw insane amounts of stress by applyin to law schools. i keep saying to her, why push yourself to this level of stress, it'll only put you in an school that requires you to function constantly at the level of stress, which will inturn put you into a job.... i don't beleive in giving it 110%, cuz once you've set that precident you're then continually expected to maintain that output. i've give 80%, it'll lead to an education where i'm confident and not overwhelmed and a career that doesn't involve nervous breakdowns. plus think of all the cumulative interest you earn on the saved 20%!
anyways hang in there everyone. and i hope everyone gets through this process, comes out of it with options, and maybe a year from now we'll be sharing studio space.

my god... your spirit is broken already? wait until you actually GET to architecture school...

that said, good luck. the next four months are a great time to go and actually visit schools: face time with professors and administrators is your best bet now.

tzaar

i'm feeling the stress too. this is a lot to get done. i guess the toughest thing is that every time i think i'm done with some element of my application packet i decide to work on it a little more, or get just one more opinion. i'm resigned to the fact that no matter what i send, it will always feel unfinished.

so.


i'm using the stress to keep ablaze the fire under my ass. a month from now (maybe a little more) this will all be over, and our productive months of agonizing will be behind us, and we'll have 3 months of anticipatory agony to steep in. but won't it feel good to be able to worry without having to DO?

Right on, Ripomatic.

I too am trying to use the stress as a way to drive me through the process. That's something I've learned though, at some point you have to limit the amounts of opinions to seek- it gets too overwhelming and everyone has their own varying opinions on the best way to go about something. But i agree in that it will always feel unfinished, I think that's just the nature of being a perfectionist to a certain extent.


It will be a relief to wait on responses, at least I can keep my time and mind occupied with hobbies and revitalizing my social life!

my body and mind are definately feeling it.