I haven't used Lulu yet, but I plan to print a test portfolio in the next week or so. I'll let you know how it turns out.

jk3hl: True that !
middleAmerica: I'm looking forward to hearing how the print turns out!

I'll be using Blurb, since they seem to give you the most creative control as well as the best prices. I've also read that Lulu can sometimes have quality control issues.

I've never used either service before, so I plan to order one copy of my portfolio as a test print, and if I like what they send back to me, I'll order the rest.

In other news, I've got my recommenders lined up, my GRE scores ordered, most of the online applications filled out, and most of my transcripts ordered. The big push over the next couple months will be the remaining 2-3 pages of my portfolio that I still need to put together, as well as my statement of intent.

i have a friend that has used blurb (although for an entirely different purpose) and liked the outcome. i have my test print from lulu (one of what will be many, but i'll get to that) right in front of me. there are things i like, things i don't, and many other surprises (aspects i love and never expected to, and vice versa). the downside of using an online printer (there are many if you begin looking for them) is that you absolutely cannot expect to send in your stuff, get it back, and...voila! your book is perfect and complete. it's a back and forth process and i think that to take advantage of an online printer's lower cost, you really have to have your ducks in a row (leaving enough time for several test print rounds). if you're a procrastinator type, i'd start talking to local printers and find out what they can do for you when it gets near that eleventh hour.

just my opinion...and now, back to work!

living in gin: damn man it sounds like you are in pretty good shape. I take the gre's in 2 weeks and have only asked one prof. for a rec. at this point. My portfolio is non existent (at least one that I'm happy with). I haven't even started my apps.

I'm def. jealous and wish I was as far as you. Good luck

I plan on printing a test copy at lulu and maybe blurb although im not really happy with the size choices or lack of choices for paper quality so I might end up printing it myself. The only issue with that is getting a good quality bind from a local shop

ess,
How far have you looked into Blurb's service?
I signed up for it and they make you DL their BOOKSMART program and I'm assuming they only take orders of books made in that program. I'm expecting to just drop in JPEGs of pages I've made from photoshop/indesign , I'm hoping that will be legitimate.

jk3hl- I'll look forward to hearing your Lulu reviews... I am probably gonna have to ask Lulu to mail them directly to my schools, i won't have time to proof check... arrggg....

imsleepy- when you used lulu, did you use their Photobook Wizard, or what? What options do we have for page sizes and binding? from what i could tell, it was very limited...

On BINDING- I suppose you lose the inner margins, unless you do spiral-bound, right? And how does it work if you want to make a spread?

Anyone have any suggestions on sizes of the portfolio? Im not a big fan of 8.5x11, it tends to look a little clunky to me. I am thinking smaller, maybe something in landscape. Just wanted to know what others thoughts we and any thoughts on if admissions committees take this into account a lot.

If I'm using lulu to print then it would be around the 9x7 although I was even thinking something an inch or two smaller then that.

Thanks.

I also like the smaller portfolio. My previous dimensions were 6.5" x 9" landscape. But this time around my choices are limited using Blurb. I noticed that Lulu has more choices than Blurb.

Mmm. Careful on deviating from the 8.5x11, guys. I agree that European sizes are more elegant, but many schools specifically stipulate that your portfolio be sized at 8.5x11 (Harvard, Columbia).

cranky pantz & jk3hl: Thanks for the input.

Most schools that I've looked at (including columbia,yale,etc...) actually require that the portfolio not exceed the 8.5x11 format. So I'm assuming as long as it isn't larger then I'm good. I originally was thinking roughly a 5x8 but it did a few test prints and I was concerned it was a little small. I may have to increase that size slightly.

Thanks again

about how long does it take for GRE scores to reach schools? Am I taking it too late if my date is in early november and school deadline is early january?

knock out:

If you are taking the computer based test you should have plenty of time. ETS (the testing people) say that the scores arrive at the schools within 10-15 days of taking the test. That is if you give them the schools to send the scores to the day you take the test. I think they'll send scores to 4 or 5 schools without charge.

If you are requesting scores to be sent after that I would give yourself a little more time. Just make sure you get them sent asap after you take it.

Im taking my test nov. 5th and I'm not too concerned about timing.

mugged,

thanks for the response, I was hoping the computer test would be a bit more speedy than the paper test.

KO

Hi all! never posted here before but have to say this is prob the best forums ive found for its purpose!

ill get to the point then

-how is IIT, university of cincinatti, UT austin in terms of quality, experience, and admissions criteria?

-portfolio!
Ive taken one formal architecture studio, from which I completed 2 major projects (3 dimensional, from drawings to models) . The rest of my works are ink and paper etc., paintings, drawings, related media and 1 - 2 sculptures that are worthy of a portfolio.
the real question - i have a lot of drawings and paintings to choose from / choose to draw in the next 2 months!
how do they view artists, i think im more artist than designer. and with that in mind subject matter? i like my landscapes more..but theres more geometrical and line work, and studies of shapes and forms aswell..(a graphite drawing of john lennon that im quite fond of!) so what to scan?!?!

my guess is to balance it out as evenly as possible and throw a bit of everything in...but anyone think better to stick to architectural/line/design themes?? personal work vs formal work?


+ anyone including writing samples (written thesis, etc.) other than P.S. in their appliation? does it matter ??

arch apprentice:

It terms of your portfolio I think you should include whichever drawings are your best works that also describe your motivation and work ethics the best, and design mentality the best. That doesn't necessarily have to be architecturally related although having diversity in your work is a benefit. I would include some work that shows design ideas (on anything, not solely architecture) if you have them. Include as much as possible without overdoing it.

Also if you have a well written thesis I would include that in your portfolio, knowing they may not read all of it, but it allows them to see you are able to generate a opinion and conclusion based on the given subject matter.

Good luck

how're all the bs arch applicants doing? specifically the portfolio

villian: I'm a bsarch. I decided to redesign all of my 4 projects I'm putting in the portfolio, so I'm definitely feeling the stress. The layout is coming together though, and the projects are strong, I think. It's all digital at this point, with concept collages and study models. I'm not sure if I should be building physical models for the projects, but I feel like I should have at least one final one, to show that I can build models. What do you guys think? I'm also going to be putting in some art and material studies that I've done. I'll be posting it here if anyone wants to critique in a couple of weeks or so...

zga, im pretty much in the same boat. i have 4 "money" school projects, all of which I "redesigned" in rhino and whatnot...one of them is completely in my portfolio...another 1/2way in and almost there (maybe the end of the week?)...and the other two I havent even started rendering!...grr.

are you throwing any work projects in there? I was thinking about two professional projects for myself, but im lucky to work at a "studio-ish" firm.

I was also thinking about the physical models...I might even build a study model of a work project and take some cool shots of it to throw in there. Alot of schools mention showing freehand as well?...I have a few crappy school projects that are drafted by hand...and of course a plethora of shitty sketches...thoughts on this?

zga + villan

im also a bs arch. I had a decent portfolio put together for job applications but ive been redoing a lot of my projects, or at least redoing the images. I am going to redo my portfolio from scratch, have some layout stuff done.

Mine is mostly digital work, some physical models, but hardly any hand drawings. I might have some process sketches I can include, that is if I can even find them anymore, but it will mainly be digital/ photoshop

Im not including any professional works, although I only have the stuff I worked on as an intern, which in my mind isn't worth including. I was thinking about having 8-9 projects although really only 3-4 main projects.

I feel the stress, but i'll do as much as possible. The hard part I'm having is deciding which projects are more important.

I'm not going to put any intern stuff in there - I don't have much and most schools limit it to 20-25 pages? It doesn't seem like enough, even for only 4 projects.

I would definitely include at least one or two nice drawings, and better if they relate to one of the projects. I have a painting and some charcoal drawings that I might put in.

Some of the stuff I've been redesigning is pretty out there... They are definitely bulldable and based on concepts/site data, but could be considered 'expressive' (not flashy / form for form's sake though). I've been focusing on showing tectonics, structure, and materiality in the renderings, but I haven't had any real legitimate critiques. What are your takes on showing creative possibility with complexity / dangerous territory? I guess it would be better if I just posted it when I get to a stopping point...

zga, depends on what type of program you're applying to. I wouldnt consider anything in my portfolio "buildable", with the exception of my professional work. dont worry too much about it, just design what makes sense to you and the admissions committees i think will get that and be much more impressed then with something practical for practicality's sake.

look forward to seeing your port. maybe in a few weeks I can throw something up too, although by the time ill be ready for that I'll have only time to print and any crits will be salt on the wound.

also, who has this 20-25 page limit you speak of?

upenn 20 p. limit
berkeley 12 p. limit

those are the only two I know of that have page limits and they also must be submitted digitally.

I think your fine having stuff in the portfolio that is or isn't actually "buildable" For people with architecture background I would think they are more interested in process and over design mentality rather then more detailing.

Anyone go to the UMich open house yesterday? Thoughts? Reactions?

I am also in the bs arch group. My portfolio is a complete mess. I am currently in the process of re-creating site analysis, process models and sketches along with a few details worked out therefore, my portfolio layout is nonexistent. I’m beginning to feel overwhelmed. Would like to get this complete soon so I can get some feedback but we will see how that goes... Did anyone visit University of Maryland's open house last week?

cvett...i'm might be applying to Maryland too. anyone have any thoughts on this program?

With BLURB, just talked to a guy (a photographer) who used it. He wasn't happy with it at all. He thought the photographs could've been printed better. He showed me the book and I didn't think it was too bad. But he said it doesn't compare with the way he sees it when he prints it out on his own and through looking at the photos on his computer. The close up portraits probably could've turned out better in way of contrast and sharpness, but without comparison i thought it looked alright.

He also said the price for what you get isn't worth it. he ordered the 7 x 7 one and it ended up costing him $32. that's canadian through, but the dollars are pretty close right now. He had to pay for the paper. He didn't like the layout options as well. Said something to the effect of "meant for people who scrapbook". The cover laminate started peeling too, when he started showing it to friends.

So take that with a grain of salt. Those problems may be alright for a portfolio though. He wanted a good quality professional photography book and according to him he didn't get it.

I'm in...

BFA Arch student (UMass Amherst)

3.351 GPA
3.7 Major GPA

510 Verbal
720 Quant

Applying to :

Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, UCLA, Cornell... (tentative).

Have (great) recommenders.

Working on statement

Have portfolio (90% complete) reworked most projects... Posting tonight for review.

Printing and binding at home (unless there turns out to be a great online print shop)

Good luck to all!!!

Anybody know of any decent print shops in NYC in case Blurb doesn't work out?

yeah I was looking at the umd program as well. Mainly because Im a md resident so the cost would be nice and cheap. The program outline they have online seems to be a little too classical based and not very progressive. Thats also what I heard from some buddies who went there, although that was a few years back.

I have a friend who graduated from their undergrad this past may, but I haven't talked to him yet to see what his opinion was. Although the last I heard he wasn't even going to apply there cause he didn't like the program.

I could be way off on this, just what i've heard. I'll will probably go take a tour and check stuff in early november so I'll let you know what I think

Anyone looking into the ETH or TU Delft? other euro-schools?

Arrr I thought I would only need 2 weeks to brush up on Math for the GRE's but I need more tiiiiimmmmeeeee!!

I take the GREs on Monday... gotta cram... aaah I hate work-rate problems! and geometry!

I've asked 3 ppl for LoRs, 1 more to go.
Statement of intent is a mush in my brain
Will start portfolio soon as I take the GREs.

Letters of recommendation- should the professors we ask be of a similar theoretical mindset (if they will be viewing the portfolio), or is it more based on studio "performance"? Ideally both, but I was thinking about asking someone who I never had studio with. What do you guys think?

villian, I was thinking about making a short version for berkeley and upenn, then an expanded version for the other schools.

Anyone know anyone going to sci - arc?

zga, I asked a "big name" guy for some recs last go around...and he claimed it didnt matter how much weight he threw around, they cared more about recs from people that could speak to your studio experience. and considering I went o-fer, he was prob right.

yeah berkeley/u[enn's port requirements are really throwing me off...I mean less portfolio seems easier on paper, but I know when it comes down to it its going to be a pain in the arse to essentially re-design the layout.

so I've been reading that the gre's dont matter too much but does anyone know how true that actually is?

I dont take mine till next week but i've taken a few practice tests and consistently scored around 450v and 610q.

I know they aren't the best scores and I would like to improve but since my scores have been pretty consistent i'm thinking they wont improve too much.

My portfolio and work should be pretty kick ass, I have a b.s. in arch. as well as a lot of other positive academics achievements and involvements.

any thoughts?

thanks everyone

Hello everyone! I'm new here. I'm a recent Fine Arts graduate (major: painting) and want to apply go to Grad school for Architecture!! Does anyone have any suggestions in terms of portfolio, since mine would consist mostly of semi-abstract paintings? (some photographs and digital collages, as well)

Also, I don't have any experience whatsoever with architecture; meaning, I've never worked in a place related to construction or architecture. So I would be going in to this without any experience.

Should I wait until next year (2010) to apply? Maybe try to get an internship in an architecture firm to see if I will like it? I want to apply for this year, I'm taking my GREs soon, and my math skills are still really good. (I've always loved math, I took a Calculus AP class in high school, had an A!)

Any suggestions would help! Btw, I've read all of the posts, but I cannot find anyone in a similar situation (someone with a undergraduate Fine Arts degree).

Thank you!

malagitana
not having any arch professional work experience is not a big deal when applying to MArch. there are tons of people in the same boat as you. what you do need to have a clear sense of your strong interest in architecture and design (because you don't have an undergrad background).
regarding your portfolio you may want to consider showing reason or rational for some of the art pieces you have. a good way to show this is to show process, pre painting intuitive sketches, etc.
most colleges love their MArch program to have diversity and different backgrounds working together. let your work speak for itself blah blah blah blah..........................

Thank you Cranky Pantz (nice name!). That's a very good suggestion about including the sketches! This means that I could probably apply for Fall 2010....GREs are coming up in 3 weeks.....

has anyone looked at cornell's portfolio requrements? link

this seems more setup for people without architecture backgrounds, who have many smaller artworks to show. not sure what to do with this since I have just a handful of architectural projects, many of which dont have an "original size", and the medium of which is usually maya + photoshop...hm, thoughts on this bsarchs?

For those interested in Maryland:

Having worked as the Associate Dean, I can honestly tell you that Maryland is a well kept secret. It is small (75 GR) in an amazing location - 7 miles to the nation's capital.

Their comprehensive design studio (ARCH600) is an award winning studio and a model for other programs throughout the country. One of the greatest strengths is Urban Design. Students have one awards from CNU as they offer a certificate in UD. The school was tops in the U.S. for the 2007 Solar Decathlon.

The faculty are extremely dedicated and adjuncts are from the local firms. Cost is minimal as many graduate students are awarded graduate assistantships that waive out-of-state tuition.

Dollar for dollar, Maryland is an excellent choice.

villan:

if i'm looking at everything right that link actually goes to their portfolio requirements for undergraduate admissions. If you click on graduate admissions on the left side and scroll down it has graduate portfolio requirements, which is the same as most other grad schools.

What do you think about their program? I've been considering applying but I've have mixed feelings.

They are in the process of building a new facility, which would be nice but until then is it going to be cramped or anything?

That and the fact that the degree isn't accredited yet. I know it is supposed to be in the spring but still I wouldn't want to commit and then it turns out their accreditation get yanked, which I know was a concern the last time the review board visited.

I do really like the program though.

thoughts?

dr. arch,
thanks for the input on maryland. I live in the area, but have never really considered it until this year.

mugged,
phew, I feel dumb for freaking out about that last night (just clicked on a link labled "port requirements"). I'm also on the edge about Cornell, right now its on my "maybe" list. I spoke with someone there about accreditation, and she wrote this: "To answer your question regarding the NAAB accreditation, as far as I know, the accreditation team is expected to be here in April and I assume everything will go as planned, hopefully our status will change to NAAB accredited, but one never knows. Things up to this point have been going well, so we are not expecting any major obstacles.".

and per their current status, "pending", they're expected to get it in the next year or so...and once they're accredited degrees starting two years before accreditation and onward are valid. soooo we shoooould be fine if we were to go there, but still makes one nervous. I wonder why they lost it in the first place, I'm curious to hear the back story.

As a former staff of NAAB, may I suggest the following:

Programs wishing to begin an accredited program apply for candidacy. A team visits and if appropriate, the program is granted candidacy. Programs are not granted candidacy unless the NAAB feels that they will progress towards accreditation.

At which time the program graduates its first cohort of students, they may apply for initial accreditation. Again, a team visits and completes a report and recommends a term of accreditation to the NAAB.

Cornell has been a candidate program (MArch) and will have their initial accreditation this coming spring. I would expect the visit will go well and Cornell will receive its initial accreditation, but they may have some deficiencies.

To my knowledge, the MArch program never "lost" accreditation because it never had it.

If you have questions, contact NAAB - www.naab.org

thanks for the info Dr. Arch, you seem to know/been through alot.

I just assumed they lost it because if you look at the Di rankings for years past they were consistently #1 for years and years, up until about a decade-ish ago when they dropped off the map. I assumed that was due to a sudden loss of accreditation (something the design professionals ranking in the DI would be very interested in).

I just did my GREs today and got a really low score. 440 A and 530 Q
I even lost track of time on the quantitative component and didn't answer a number of questions.
I haven't started putting my portfolio together yet, and now I'm debating whether r not it's worth it to put it together this year, or if I should wait and re-do the GRE and prepare it for applications next year.
I know a lot of people have been asking how significant the GREs are, but it seems that everyone was in a different situation, so I'm gonna go ahead and ask the same thing.
How significant are they?
I'm not coming from an architecture background.
My dream schools are: Harvard, Columbia, Parsons, SciArch, MIT
Are the chances of me getting in with these scores too low?

I know Berkeley, which is ranked slightly lower than those 5, has average scores in the 60th percentile, which I think is near 580 Verbal and 690 Quant...

The quant section doesn't even have a 99th percentile. It only goes to 95th. That is, about 1 in 5 get a perfect score on it. How many of those perfect 800s go to Arch school, I've no idea. Probably at least a few, which means there is likely a large standard deviation for that test among MArch students...

fusbug:

I tend to think that gre scores aren't all that important but I could be wrong. I imagine for the ivy's they have some significance but less so for other schools.

I think it will vary from school to school and also from an admissions standpoint. If they have so many people applying they might need other criteria such as the gre's to eliminate prospective students.

I know that rice, which is an excellent program I would say comparable to harvard and columbia (just my opinion) say that the minimum acceptable gre score is in the 70th percentile, which is probably more like 560-600v and 650-700q, although it is relative to the test.

If you have a strong background, undergrad and or work exp. and are capable of putting a strong portfolio together I would say go for it.

Maybe even try to sign up for the gre's again in late november or early december.

Dr. Architeture, your synposis of Maryland is quite refreshing! Even though my interest in the program is due to intergration of architecture and urban design, I was beginning to doubt whether to apply, I also have heard that the program is traditional in pedagogy. How would you respond to comments of the program being too traditional or classical?