Off the top, I think an MLA following up a planning undergrad is a great choice. And, since you've already got some work experience under your belt, the usual admonition to "work first" prior to grad school may be waived here :-) Do, however, keep up the interning/summer job during the master's, if you can.

Berkeley's planning program is perfectly respectable, and I know firsthand the best-kept-secret of a UC education for CA residents. I also know the weight of student loans, so I think UCB should be high on your list.

Sorry... Berkeley's MLA, too.

a portfolio needs to show your creativity and how you think by illustration the development of a project. as an UP student, did you create any plans, made sketches of a site/neighborhood, created sections through streets or anything visual? or did you just write essays and analyze places?

If you you only have writing samples, its time to buy some paints/pencils/charcoal/pastels,crayons and go out into the world and put some marks on paper for your portfolio. choose landscape subjects, people, places and things.

there are many threads about portfolios for arch & landscape admissions- they all have useful advice.

citizen: I fully believe that Berkeley is phenominal and I did not mean to knock the program itself in anyway. Correct me if I'm wrong, but i've heard that Berkeley has a slight horticolture slant to it (I am more interested in design). Also, I would like to live on the east coast, so i am looking at schools in that generall direction mainly. However, the cost factor is big, and i think i could probably move out east ofter school, so I am not too oposed to schools out west.

Treekiller: So far i have taken two urban design studios, so yes I have some experiense creating plans and sketching. I was really wondering more if they are looking for more diversity within the portfolio other than just that.

I have no attachment to Berkeley, Freemee, so don't worry about offending. I was touting the excellent and (relatively) inexpensive aspect of it. Also, I don't know about it's particular emphases.

I'm sorry to bring this post back from the dead like this, but i just thaught of something and I didn't want to explain my scenario again.

My major does not require that I take calculus. The only two math classes I have taken are Pre-Calculus (mostly algebra with some derivitives) and Stats. I am not bad at math but I did particularly enjoy it, so I saw no need to take extra math classes if I didn't have to. I don't think most MLA programs have calculus as a prerequisite, but would it be helpful for me to take it anyway?

u can fore go the calculus freemee..the most complicated math in MLA is some very basic trigonometry..

it's all algebra when calculating rainwater runoff and a little geometry for calculating cut and fill volumes.

Thank you, thats a relief.