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Taking this course now or later regarding to rec letters ?????
Hi,
As a potential M.Arch applicant from non-arch background, I am wavering between taking an Urban Planning course this semester or in my final year of Civil Engineering degree.
The course is a complementary elective in Civil Engineering supposedly to be taken in 3rd or final year. I am in a strange position between second and third year because of a switch of program. (around 30% of students in the class are Civil another 60% in Arch and the rest 10% in Geography, groups are organized so that ppl from different background can work together which i think it's extremely helpful)
My engineering schedule is so tight that I'd have minimum flexibility in terms of taking classes outside engineering such as Arch History in the future.
If I take the course in my final year, it might be easier to ask for recommendation letters since most schools now require electronic recommendation.
If I do take it this term, I will have to ask for a written recommendation letter first and ask the prof to fill out an electronic rec through email at a much later date ( which is 2011, expected date of graduation, he may forget me all over)
I am also going to participate in one of the summer programs this year. But I don't think I can get recommendation letters in those programs?
In fact, I plan to take Arch History in 2010 instead of final year when everything gets pretty busy.
So what is your opinion on getting recommendation letters this early or at the time of application and advice on general strategy of filling pre-requisites for M.Arch ??
Thanks a lot.
The problem with getting rec letters this early is that my portfolio / resume / personal statement are not well developed at this stage. There are very limited works I can show to the prof despite the fact that I will try to work hard in this class.
I think the only option left with taking the course now is to make some kick-ass projects so I can have sth to show to the prof at the end of semester
I'd advise waiting to get rec letters until much closer to the application deadlines (summer before you apply, at the earliest.)
These letters should directly address your candidacy for the particular school(s) to which you're applying. So unless you have this all figured out now I don't think it's a great idea to ask for the letters now.
It's typical to jog your letter writers' memory, and update them on what you've been doing since their class, by giving them a few pages of examples of your work.
You can get rec letters from people in those summer programs - though the faculty in those summer programs tend to be mainly current or very recent grad students and consequently their recs don't always carry as much weight with admissions committees as those of more established profs.
The summer programs are also a bit short to really get to know you and your work.
Ideally professors who have known you for some years are your best bet.
As someone without an architecture background it's not expected that your recs will be from architecture professors or from related fields. You'd be fine with recs from your civil engineering profs, who may be in a better position to write in-depth about your abilities and interests than somebody with whom you've only taken one class.
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