Working on the portfolio as we speak. I might post it later - the annoying thing about design sometimes is that so much work goes into making something look simple.

man, my job is really getting in the way of finishing my statements...

kungapa post it!!! Yeah I know what you mean...all that work and then it's an image and whole lot of white space with itty bitty text...

Trying to learn InDesign for the first time as I slap this thing together...so glad that I decided to go this route rather than stick with my comfortable photoshop. Thank god for the 30 day trial

I'm running on very little sleep and have lost track of what day it is. Layouts taking a lot longer than expected! Does anyone else feel they're loosing the discerning eye (and judgement) after having stared at the same images for too long?

I too am considering posting after I'm finally done. can't wait can't wait can't wait...

I had to print my portfolio last week for a job interview in its 80% done state and seeing in on paper really helped me see what was wrong with it. I also sent it to a friend just to get a fresh eye. I recommend doing both if you have time. My portfolio has changed quiet a bit since then.

I just need an essay now...

musiknouveau27 - it still has places to go before it is fit for internet consumption.

Seeing something on paper versus on a screen are two very, very different things. Simply put, you have to print it to make it look good. If nothing else to calibrate the colors correctly to what the printer spits out.

I am still editing but thought I would post it to see what people think. I am trying to keep it short and simple so I am planning on losing some of the photography.

I agree with kungapa, I had the print shop do 3 proofs before the final print. Glad I did, because I went back and fixed a lot of things. Image saturation, bleeding, etc.

LCPask- Well done. A few very minor details about the aesthetics...

1) Green line at the bottom somehow is breaking up the space too literally. I see how you want to create variations in color, but something about the line makes the overall layout rigid

2) Page 4 misspelling for Charcoal

3) This is my personal opinion, but the photography would work better without the black border

Overall, I think it's great! I love page 7's conture drawing.

fyi, Berkeley just changed their due dates. Application is due on the 16th, access to arch candidate registration page is now the 17th and the portfolio is due 22.

http://arch.ced.berkeley.edu/admissions/march

yes! one more day to agonize over the font choices for my personal history and statement

Has anyone been able to get any answers out of the GSD about application materials?

I need to know if my GRE scores have arrived and nobody will answer my emails.

LCPask... Lovin' the simple layout. Its very elegant (something that is often very hard to achieve).

Couple things I noticed:
Where it says MArch, it looks like its saying MArch1, or even MArchi. OSU does not have a 1 year program - only MArch2 and 3 (You'd be in the 3 year program w/o any arch experience). Just a minor issue.

Fix the formatting/alignment of the items on the later pages. It's probably more apparent in the scrolling pdf than in a printed portfolio, but little details like that can make or break any design.

Thanks for sharing!

i'll try to post my portfolio sometime on friday. i'm in a non-degree program called NY/Paris at gsapp, and everyone in my studio is working hard on their portfolios + cranking out papers/cramming for finals. crazy past couple of weeks!

we've decided to go DIY and will be printing our own portfolios over the weekend then getting them bound somewhere in NYC. two questions:

1. is it a graphic faux pas to bleed an image over a spread with spiral binding? i will avoid text being cut off by the binding holes.

2. i am printing my portfolio and proofing as i go along every so often. i have my bleed extending beyong the workspace in indesign. i print out the indesign file as a .pdf (images extend to the edge of the document, so far so good it seems). but when i print the .pdf on a printer that has the ability to print without margins, for some reason i keep getting uneven strips of white on edges of my paper... is this an issue in workflow somewhere or a setting i have to fix when printing out the pdf?

thanks!

Hey Ballyhoo,

1. I think as long as its a non-crucial part of the image this should be fine. It happened with mine and it turned out okay.

2. Not to sure about your second question, besides making sure your document size is right. The print shop I had mind printed at did this the first proof, and then it was fixed. But I had my images in my layout not going to the edges (silly me).

Ballyhoo, maybe this is what you mean by a printer that can print without margins, but I was working on a project once and was going crazy trying to figure out why I couldn't get the border to go away. Printing edge to edge is called "full-bleed printing," and after hours of trying to fix it, a little research revealed only special printers can do it. If you're not printing on one of those, you're probably SOL unless you can get it to a professional. Even the fancy workstation printer in my office can't do it. They need those little margins for paper handling.

more here:
http://www.worldstart.com/tips/tips.php/2502

ballyhoo, I solved the issue by sizing my pages to 8*10, and then trimming before having it bound.

Thanks everyone. Very helpful answers.

I printed on a friend's epson 1400, which is advertised online as having full-bleed output.

A couple of us are going to be chipping in on a canon 9900 so i just want to make sure full-bleed, as advertised by canon, really means full-bleed without those pesky margins. seems like we'll have to determine that when we're at the store.

if it comes down to it, i may have to trim the page to 8x10 like you say, which i'm scared s**tless about. i wonder if i should do this by hand with a paper cutter (considering human error), or it's something best left to the pros at a place where they will bind the portfolio.

Thank you musiknouveau and Puckman. Your advice and insight is well appreciated.

Puckman, as for the MArch1 I am applying to several programs, and OSU is the only one that calls it MArch3, so it was a minor copy and paste issue that will be corrected. Are you familiar with the program? I am from Ohio and OSU is the only in-state school I am applying to (primarily because of the lowered tuition of I go there), and I would love to here your thoughts about the program.

I trim by hand. Works like a charm. No need to be afraid. In the end, the people looking at your portfolio are not going to study it in that extreme detail.

ballyhoo - Not sure if this is your problem but in order to get a borderless print on the Epson 1400 you have to select a paper size which includes "(Sheet Feeder - borderless)" in the Page Setup. Also, you should set the expansion settings to Min so that the image isn't enlarged and cropped. Good luck!

hmmmm is the economic meltdown going to affect admissions? i wonder because uni's have lost billions in the market and in real estate and have for the most part initiated hiring freezes and cutbacks. of course, i;m sure they still want your money. also, what do you think about having to get a masters in a field that doesn't really require it and doesn't compensate monetarily to justify the added debt load...

aren't you old?

juan moment, that's a brilliant tip. thank you. i will try it out tomorrow.

I don't like using the borderless print features of desktop printers. it wastes ink (ink that goes over the edge of the page), it scales things slightly ("expansion settings") which is occasionally noticeable, and some of them have alignment issues when printing full bleed (lines wind up not exactly parallel to the edge of the page). it's a mode that's designed for photographs where slight inaccuracies aren't noticeable.

I just setup a page size that allows for trimming. commercial print shops can trim them all at once prior to binding.

also: I have the canon i9900. it'll print borderless when the print driver is told to, but wastes alot of ink in doing so.

haha cwh1,

that is a very good response!..LOL


However, Vado deservses more respect than teh avewrage troll. If he, of all people questions your choices and discussions..then it is out of love..., note he didn't even link to a classic rock video, so he must be serious...:-)

Good Luck commiserators!!!!!!!!!..and uh yeah..the economy may not serve you super well in 2-3 yrs, but follow your dreams anyway

Well since there's not much commiserating going on, I just want to say that I'm about to finish my portfolio after 5 months of work. Don't know if this is enough time or not but again I've been out of school for a while and had to learn all the new software from scratch and restore my old hand-drawn projects.

I'll be applying to M.ARCH II at:

GaTech
Yale
Penn
GSD
Princeton
Columbia

Good luck to everybody.

Wow it's quiet in here.

Any thoughts about the order of the work in the portfolio?

Chronological, reverse chronological?

A

Andreas--
I've always thought it should be in order of project strength. Put your strongest project first to lure readers in...

I am looking for a bit of help....
Does anyone have a good way of "reminding" recs that the letters are due in a few days and it's just a friendly reminder...blah blah blah.
Whatever I try to write sounds whiny I think. How do I sound less annoying?

Andreas... make sure you double check the requirements for the programs you're applying to! I was pondering this the other night, and after re-reading the req's, one of the schools wants the order in reversed chronological, whereas the others don't have a preference.

entasis, when i first sent a follow up, one my recs told me he'll take care of it soon and to "feel free to nudge." i did that twice over already, and it's been all good. you don't have to feel guilty about it, imo.

just remind them of the dates and that if they have any questions about submissions to email you.


andreas, i've received all sorts of advice, but you also may want to keep in mind that the last work in your portfolio could leave the reader with a good impression of you. maybe you want to include a strong project last?

i've also been told: think of establishing a rhythm in your portfolio (dense pages, white space, bleeds) and let it breath. establish graphic hierarchies - that is, communicate visually like you're writing a paper: thesis (main image), topic sentences/paragraphs (supporting images), evidence (tertiary images, backup, etc.).

good luck! i've slept about 4 hours average a night this week, and have to stay up all night. i'm miserably tired.

I'm also in the situation where I need my recommenders to submit their letters in the next couple of days. They know they are due, I've been in contact with them for the whole process. Does it spell Doom if they submit them a few days late?

I agree with whats been said about the portfolios. Strongest in front, strong to close.

Good luck everyone with looming deadlines!

A couple of schools ask for a resume or CV. Do you try and keep it strictly one-page, or would you allow it to be two pages?

FYI, Express Mail [overnight] through USPS is a fairly reasonable deal if you need to cut it last minute like I did today. $16.50 for a flat rate envelope.

Just mailed the portfolio for Columbia... :)

This post stesses me out....it seems that we're all applying to the same schools.........

good luck to everyone!

*stresses

and i meant thread..

post it gs11 :-D

Doesn't it feel good to get it out of the way?

Thanks guys - portfolio is now done.
Berkeley's two statements next on my to-do list.

Good luck with the last preperations to all of you

kungpa, I think mine is going to be two pages. I don't think it really matters, does it?

From what I understand it, it is a big faux pas to have more than one page resume in the US.

Nick- Everyone applies to the same schools every year. Its why they exist and are respected. No need to stress out over things out of your control...

i'd definitely keep the CV to one page

oooooh, ok then. thanks guys.

My CV was two pages long...I got into every school last year... the difference between one page or two won't kill you as long as it's dense, and not fluff information.

Abstraktura - can I ask you what your background is then? As well as what level programs you applied to?

I had a background in architecture...work and undergrad. I applied for M.Arch programs and I'm currently studying at Columbia. I think for grad school, the CV is meant to list out all the experiences you have had, that you couldn't show in your portfolio. I included travel experience and other creative experiences that weren't necessarily related to architecture.

thanks gs11-

like you said it is out of my control..so i wont take it personally if i dont get accepted :)

do people find out if they're accepted in april...or march??does anyone know??

ballyhoo,
i ended up printing my full-bleed pages on a larger-format 11x17 printer and then cut them down to 8.5x11. just a thought.

this is sort of a silly question...but do you guys know what to put down when a school asks for GRE perceniles? the percentile above or below your score? o_O?