do construction......

I concur with cryz...you must do some construction. It will set you apart. all those "comiseraters" have amazing laser beams coming out of their portfolios but they all have flabby arms . Get out there and be different, while you have the chance.

take a few business/arch classes.... talk to pops on running the business...have him talk to a few of his people...get you into being a PM or a construction manager....then just get your builders license and build some houses or do a design/build firm.......

It would be cool if you did some construction during the summer or took a year off after you graduate to apply to schools, why wouldn't you go to any of the schools you mentioned before that you were excited about?

I will definitely think about doing construction over the summer, but I don't have the contacts with any contractors anymore (long sad story), I do have construction history though, but mostly in set design and construction.

I'm definitely considering Syracuse and U of Oregon, but northeastern does not offer a MArch 1.

Mostly, I'm coming at grad school from a very different place than I was originally, and am not really sure what I should be looking at out there.

What has helped other people get into grad schools, is a summer architecture program something that can help get me in the door of the more picky schools?

Also, with a computer science degree, and my only work experience in IT, I feel like I'm almost coming out of left field here applying to architecture school. Although I'm sure there have been weirder things.

Make sure it is COOL construction. Hanging drywall or carpentry on tract housing is worthless experience (although it would pay two, three or four times better than an architectural internship). Shop work can be cool and detailed with some field experience for the installation. If you plan on construction in the field then get a chip on your shoulder - its done with attitude.

catastrophe, I just visited University of Illinois - Chicago's architecture department and here's what I got out of it... Go and talk to someone at the schools you plan to attend. I had a million and a half questions about my particular situation and how the admissions committee would view my file. Same questions that I posted on this forum and no one was able to help me. Also, you can see sample portfolio's and get a better understanding of how you would compare. If you feel deficient than do something amazing that would make you stand out from the crowd. You would be surprised, I saw a portfolio of someone who majored in Biology and still got in.

that computer programming will come in handy now that scripting and generative components are hot.

true story. im in my first year m.arch studio at upenn and some of our studio professors are already pushing scripting, to a warm reception i might add... kids with a background in that are definitely at an advantage if you get to the right school.

construction yay? from what you said you come from a famiy with a constructin background.... it poses no great interest to you, other than to further your interest in architecture... work construction if you want? i did for a summer, then worked at a firm the following summer... the firm liked it, im not so sure it has any impact on any admissions commitee.

ive got a fairly similar background, family construction business etc... but my undergrad was in architecture... if you think you could be interested in the generative/ algorithmic id suggest mit, sci arc, columbia, and if i might, penn... if you're determined to stay away from the more high profile schools, id probably suggest pratt, ucla and out of left field to some of you, kentucky (new grad program, but the people running it are top notch)

Have you looked into MArch program in Cal yet?
I believe Cal accepts many non majors too. Since you attend Santa Cruz, you should come and visit arch dept in Cal.

Id say go with UCLA as a stretch school, and then maybe columbia or MIT as backups. perhaps consider applying to Penn as a last resort in case none of those other places pan out...


Nah, just kidding, theyre all good schools, apply everywhere. Im just bristling a little at overunder's classification of certain places as not "high profile," though im sure it wasnt meant as an insult.

Also, I would highly suggest doing a summer program for architecture like the ones they have at ucla, sciarc, Columbia, or GSD. I did the one at ucla before starting grad school there and it was incredibly helpful, plus it gives you some great portfolio material.

not meant as an insult at all... it was a tossup between ucla and penn for me actually.. i very well could have been going there this year!

All of those schools are solid. You should just consider your financial outlook though. If you go to one of the ivies or a private school and can't pay for it (requiring you to get federal or private loans), you will be heavily indebt after school. And you can be guaranteed that you will not make great money when you get into the profession.

So consider that. If you need to borrow money for your m-arch education, I would just go to one of the more affordable but still extraordinarily reputable public institutions. Just because some of these schools are ivies, it doesn't make them better than all other programs. Some ivies have had their fair share of problems.

archmed, i have a question for you. lets say as far as grades, test scores and portfolio, there are two candidates that are equally qualified in every way precisely the same. generally speaking, as a percentage of acceptance, would someone be more likely to hire the kid from UT or Harvard? i know a lot of things go into the situation such as location and things, but there has to be an ultimate answer if the two applied to every single firm in the u.s., which of the two would ultimately receive more offers?? also, would it seem to open up more possibilities worldwide, since harvard is more recognized than ut?

anyone can answer.

A short preface: I have a Bachelor's degree in Information Systems and have worked in the IT field for 4 years. The last two years was spent preparing for my application. Now in my first year at Virginia Tech.

First thing you need to do is ask yourself what you want out of Architecture school. Then you can research the schools that interest you and are in-line with what you want.

One thing I've learned from the humbling application process is that even though M.Arch 3 programs are catered for those without an architectural background they are NOT created equal in what they expect from you and who they cater for. I also believe the strongest, uncontrollable factor is your competition within that application year, which is why don't make any excuses for not making every aspect of your application strong, with the portfolio being the strongest.

Why don't you have anyone to write your letter's of recommendation? You need to work on that since that seems to be the only thing you lack. That and the GRE.

FYI: Assuming you're a CA resident, UCLA is not expensive.

It seems to be the consensus that grades and test scores will have little to no factor when looking for a job. Portfolio, portfolio, portfolio. Someone from Harvard might have a better chance of getting a job at a high-profile firm, but it could be because of the connections the school and alumni have with the firm.

Let's face it, like the other 99% of people in architecture school, you arn't going so you can become a construction orchestrator. Although construction experience is a plus, you want to design and engulf yourself with architecture poetics. Right? You will be looking into 4 year "bridge" programs for your masters. You need to build a strong portfolio with emphasis on art and design. At this point, I think all you can do is show that you are creative, and you have a good ability to "put your ideas down on paper"