I printed a test portfolio using Lulu. The paper is pretty glossy and the colors are a bit saturated. The digital work looks great but the hand drawing look terrible. Over all the portfolio feels cheap and the print quality will not suffice for my purposes. I have decided to print locally and I will bind the books my self.

If you are pressed for time i think lulu is a great option. You should order a test print even if your portfolio is not finished just to get an idea of how it will look and feel.

I wanted to use lulu just because its cheap. maybe send lulu ports to schools im less "excited" about. but from what im hearing, its so bad I dont think I can use it for any apps. which means i might be stuck with 60-80/per port x 10-12 schools im applying to using the boutique printer my firm uses. ouch.

from what I gather blurb's even worse, correct?

my time to weigh in...been reading for a while, haven yet posted. ill be applying for the march 1 all too soon...

i just ordered a test print from lulu as well and was really disappointed as well. it was about 35 pages perfect bound, and the binding was basically not even there. the glue had leaked and half the pages werent even touching the spine, so after one pass through the portfolio, pages were falling out...not what i want to happen when i receive my final portfolios a week before i send them out.

on top of that, my blacks were suuuuuuper cloudy and just looked like shit. i have been printing out tons of test prints from a local guy (im in LA) and i've spent a lot of time balancing my blacks, and ive been happy with the way they looked at my local printer, but from lulu it was just dirty. the only thing i really liked was the paper quality, and the glossy cover was pretty nice. i should say that i complained about the binding a few days ago and have yet to hear anything back.....

im really disappointed because at UCLAs open house, they had a portfolio workshop where they recommended lulu, so im just confused, and now i gotta spend more money...that said, i looked at ucla's portfolios and was really unimpressed with the quality of about 90% percent of them. *sigh*

jiveonmyness- what print shop did you use in los angeles? i ordered a test print from lulu that hasn't arrived yet, but i'd like to have a local back up in case the test is similarly disappointing.

i go to arnolds copy and printing in studio city, 11742 ventura blvd. arnolds a good guy and his quality is good as well, and he will definitely not try to rip you off. only thing is, he doesn't do perfect binding...

out of curiosity, how many of you are applying to go back to school because the job market sucks/layoffs? I myself am looking to go back to grad school because i have become brain dead in a big office really want to be back. I really think this is the right time for me, not just because the market sucks.

I was at the gsd last week and they said that 2 years ago 12 people showed up to the open house for MArch II and this year there must have been 50 or 60!

There are always applicants from everywhere with all different stories and its obvious that applicant rates jump up in a recession. Am i the only one thinking that it is pointless to apply this year because acceptance rates will be lower than ever?

pigeon, I feel the same way....I have a good job and am going back because I know I need to at some point, and might as well do it now before I become too old and embittered with the profession.

yeah it does feel like i'm putting myself at a HUGE disadvantage by deciding to apply at a time where the applicant pool might be double the normal size. is it really wise to potentially end up at a "lesser" school just because I decided to apply now?

pigeon, i can totally understand how u feel ! cos I am having the same struggle!!! LOL. Anyway, yeah, understandably, recession, being a lull period with low opportunity costs, does drive people back to their books. But i am not sure if it's really worth the time & effort for someone who doesnt have the passion to apply to grad school just cos he/she's been laid off. Personally, i think if you are just following the crowd to go to grad sch, it's pathetic. But of course, if you want to apply to grad sch cos you want to acquire new knowledge and feel mentally satisfied, then yes, by all means, go for it !

honestly, no one can be that clairvoyant to say that next year's application will be less/more than the preceding year's. It depends on a hell lot of factors, and the state of economy is just one of the many. Personally, I am of the view that if you think you are ready, just go for it...and see how it turns out. Don't hesitate any longer. For all you know, it might just be the BEST decision you have ever made. I am definitely being optimistic, but hey, look, if you are gonna be so fearful of failure, then you can never get things done.

i have a good job but i think I need to build up my knowledge. So, i'll be applying to grad sch, never mind the competition.

pigeon- i'm only going because this was my earliest opportunity to apply... i didn't know that i wanted to be an architect until last year, and i'd already missed the cut-off. so, my personal honing-in on this profession and applying to grad schools has nothing to do with the recession.

Marranara -

Just to weigh in on your portfolio question, I did more or less exactly what you're describing last year, and was successful in gaining admission to Berkeley, where I'm currently in the MArch III program.

My undergraduate background and work experience were with writing and photography, so that's what I included in my portfolio - I actually didn't even do any real diagrammatic drawing on the photos - just slaved over the layout and the content.

That said, as far as I know I'm the only person in my class who went this route. I'm not sure if that means that it doesn't work very often, or just that not many people who are applying to architecture school don't have any drawing experience.

Either way, thought I'd let you know that it can work. Also, the general consensus is that Berkeley pays somewhat more attention to the essays than most schools (as evidenced by the fact that they ask for two); you will probably want to make sure that yours are very articulate about your desire to go to design school, especially if your portfolio is light (or bereft) of actual design.

njohn (about UC BERKELEY)

i appreciate your response. i recall reading about someone admitted at UCBerk with a photo-heavy portfolio--perhaps that was you?

that post inspired me to re-think my decision to shelve my m.arch application this year, since i have nothing but photo essays to show.

first, i'm worried about $$$$
- my gut says that i'd have a shot at getting in programs like UCB, but the money wouldn't be there. especially in such a competitive year, even if they're willing to take a chance on me, they'll be able to see that i lack design experience and that will show in financial aid offers (if not be rejection letters)

second, i lack design experience, straight up.
- i still haven't had a chance to try things out and get my hands dirty. i haven't shadowed anyone in the field, i haven't taken part in any design-heavy projects, and i am honestly a bit repelled about what little i know of the work-flow and other processes of traditional arch firms.

that said,
my interests in how the theory+practice of DESIGN impacts discourses of international/community development, cultural studies, and more concrete, the 'developing world' milieu, these interests might be better served in other departments of academia.

my resolution: move to CA
despite my all my doubts and hesitations, i know i'm going to back to school eventually, i'll more than likely go public ($), and California isn't a bad place to live in the mean time.

re: California living

Okay fine, CA's state economy is COMPLETELY TANKED, but the sun still shines, the surf is big, and don't get me started on Thai food in SF.

Thanks crew. i am sure hundreds of us are thinking the same thing, but good to actually hear it from a few. By all means i am still planning to apply. here's to hoping our port's and applications will show that we really want to be there not just out of the job.

ok, what the shit. has anyone submitted an app to yale? the submit button does not exist in my online application -nor does 'payment'. seriously failing here...
anyone???

pppshhh. ok after deleting a GRE score, replacing it, and refreshing the magical button appeared.

Can anyone rec a printer in NYC? i'm leery of sending anything off to the ether to get printed and would prefer an actual place. even if if is more expensive.

thanks

^^^didn't they just go over this on pg 3? with links and everything.

gonna jump on the bandwagon.... any UT students or prospectives that can recommend a printer in austin?
or St. Louis area?

Passerby1, They seem to only cover online printing shops on page three. I am interested in a brick and mortar actual place. Somewhere I can see the test prints.

crunch-time...one month until first deadlines (for me at least)...this board is eerily quite.

I've sent all my rec forms out. applications are "yeah whatever, can do those in a day", and the portfolio is 70% complete...L.O.T. + other misc stuff will happen in the time I wait for portfolio to come back from printer...

yeah, I'm starting to freak out, but I'm sure i'm not the only one.

pigeon and villan--
I am in your same boat as well in terms of reasons for applying. I don't know if it is bad or good that there are a bunch of us with this thinking. Also, you are not the only one's freaking out. There is a lot to be done in the next month!!

Finally, GREs are done, pretty happy with my score. On to bigger and better things...Personal Statement and Portfolio!

//keopi- Good print shops in Austin; Alphagraphics, Burk Reprographics, Miller Blueprint, Jenns Copies

I have a transcript dilemma, I'm hoping someone on here has answer. It is a little convoluted, but my situation is this,

I started my undergrad in architecture at 4-year university, stayed for a semester and then left, due to personal reasons.

I then essentially took a semester off, worked and took a few basic courses at a local community college.

I then enrolled in another community college and got my associates degree in architecture.

Then I transferred to another 4-year university to finish up and receive my b.s. in architecture.

I was planning on sending my transcripts from where I received my associates and bachelors degrees, but I was wondering if I needed to send transcripts from the others. I took a total of 7 classes between those 2, and did just fine. Also, the classes I took at those 2 show up on my other university transcripts because I transferred them in to get credit. Just more of a convenience issue with getting them sent then anything else? is it needed?

any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

thanks everyone

You're not the only one, villian. I'm in the same position, and starting to feel the stress coming on.

I have a similar academic history (even more convoluted, actually, so don't feel bad)... I've always erred on the side of caution and sent transcripts from every college I've attended, even if for just one or evening classes a decade ago. It's a major hassle, but I'd rather do that than later be accused of withholding information from the admissions committee.

agreed with living in gin. i sent in a bunch of stupid transcripts.

also...... just took a practice test for the gre, had been getting around 1360. i got an 1180.... last practice test i took before this one was yesterday.
should i be worried?

LIG

thanks, thats what I was thinking. Better to do it then it come back and bite you in the ass. Its good to hear im not the only one with an anything but normal undergrad career.

thanks again

thanks keopi

and I wouldn't be too worried my scores fluctuated quite a bit as well when I was taking the practice tests. Then when I took the real one I did the best I had done on verbal and around the average of the quantitative.

good luck

I've heard that admissions committees will only spend five minutes looking at the portfolio, and put them in 'yes' 'no' and 'maybe' piles.

How long total do you guys think they spend for the second look actually reading through? I'm trying to gauge how much text I should be putting in for each project, and how long I expect them to spend on each project (it's 20 pgs, 4 projects). Just text explaining analysis, concept, and solution? Should I go into the experiential considerations as well, or should the images serve to convey that information?

Also, I have the body text at size 9 right now, and I personally like how it feels and reads. Is 9 pt too small for other readers?

zga

I wouldn't expect them to read to everything you have written but its hard to say how long they will actually spend reading it. At first it will be a quick once over, but once they go through it a second or third time they might spend much more time.

Personally I have a small paragraph, very concise to the point explanation for each of my projects. If they read it they read if not at least they know its there and I have the ability to give that explanation. It also just fits into my layout which is another reason why I have it.

Mine is also at 9, which seems to look good. I have actually used 8 before and it was still legible. I personally think anything over 10 or 11 is way to big except for titles.

i'm very light on my text...but thats just because its the last thing I think about (kind of like the "roof" of my portfolio)...and also I tend towards letting images speak for themselves. but it probably depends wildly on the school thats looking at it.

i'm using 10pt font for the bodies...and now I feel like that's monstrous compared to 8 and 9...but im also using kozuka lite typeface which is super light

keopi,

first year m. archer at UT here. don't know where you're applying but I saw that you are here in Austin.

Anyways, I got an 1140 on the gre and I don't think it hurt my admission results at all.

Well, I just sent a draft of my portfolio to Blurb.com for printing. Guess I'll find out in a few days how well it printed. [fingers crossed]

Roarkschach,

UT Austin is on my long list of schools. Can you elaborate on how your first semester is going and what you think of the program? Also how are the scholarship and financial aid opportunities for an out-of-state applicant? Thanks.

I second that. UT's on my list...but I probably know the least about it.

mugged and LIG- i also have an odd academic history... including some classes at my local art school which I shan't be sending in, since I took them pass/fail anyways.

I'm gonna send everything in and plan on addressing in my Statement of Intent why I moved around so much.

At this point, I feel STUCK...

The Statement of Intent is weighing heavily on me... I have written 2 different drafts... I keep spilling my guts out...

Are y'all writing emotional statements of intent or more level-headed, intellectual ones?

I've gone with the level headed approach. I'm treating it as an objective portrait, "This is the deal:..." type of thing. I'm just being blunt, but positive, stating my problems and mistakes, but also my solutions. I went through 2 gushy, artsy drafts before taking a step back and providing a simple picture of my past, present and desired future. The professor who is editing my drafts has said this most recent one will get me into any school I want.

Sentimentality often seems immature, in my view. Anyone can get all mushy about their life story, but it takes discipline (and plenty of rewrites) to tell it like it is. I've included that I failed out of college and that I grew up a spoiled brat, but I've then shown the upsides and lessons learned, which are further evidenced in my transcript and my resume.

...I wouldn't call it intellectual though. Hell, the topic asked for my preparation, research interests, and future goals, so I started the good draft by simply typing in:

Preparation

Research Interests

Future Goals

and filled in the blanks to write my statement. Wow 'em with the portfolio, but inform with the statements.

Hey Living in Gin,
Did you use the POS Blurb Smartbook or did you use the PDF to book option?

I downloaded the templates and used the PDF to book option.

bartender and TheVillan,
I'd be glad to elaborate, the first semester has been intense, but the atmosphere at the school is great. The curriculum is rigorous especially if you aren't coming from an architecture bkgd. Studio is competitive, but we are very open in discussing our projects with each other. Though we are working on individual projects, everyone seems genuinely concerned about the studio's production as a whole. We have become a rather close-knit group, and I really like the feedback and help we exchange amongst each other. I have heard horror stories about ridiculous studio cultures of hiding projects at all costs from one another, do not expect that here. Do, however, expect to be pulling all-nighters here and there.

As for the program, I have grown increasingly impressed with the caliber of faculty we have here. Most have educational backgrounds and have worked for the top international designers. Additionally, they all seem to really enjoy teaching. The program is very diverse and the professors teach to their expertise (which is all over the boards from parametric design to sustainability). The resources are vast and unique such as the Materials Lab, Visual Resources Lab, Career Discovery Office, and a top-notch woodshop, digi-fab we have: cnc mill, vacuum former, 3-d printer, and 3 laser cutters. The facilities are awesome, designed by Cass Gilbert in the early 1900s, we have massive 10 ft tall operable windows on either side of the long studio rooms as well as balconies, and a beautiful courtyard.

The students are all very intelligent, dedicated, and talented...a lethal combination. As I stated before, we are a close knit group and the grad students choose a different bar each friday to attend happy hour after studio. On the whole, I think UT has one of the best programs in the nation, and am very happy that I made the decision to come here...oh and if you're wondering how living in Austin is, i am convinced it is one of the best cities in the world.

I was accepted to the Catholic University 3-Year program tonight, via mail. I'm very excited, as I chose the two schools I applied to by location. Now I know I'm at least into one of them.

I completed both my apps (minus portfolio) on October 8th, and have been using all my time since then to put my portfolio together. CUA has a January 15 deadline, so I was going to submit my portfolio closer to that date. On CUA's website, they state rolling admissions for all programs except architecture, which has the deadline. I guess that means no applications after Jan 15 for Architecture, but they'll still review apps as they get them. The 3-year program does not require a portfolio, so they didn't wait for one. According to the website, turnaround is 4-6 weeks. Tomorrow will be the end of 6 weeks.

Moral of the story...if you're legitimately interested in Catholic, or looking for a safety school, get your apps in sooner rather than later. Maybe you can save yourself some anguish come March.

Stats:
GPA: <3.0
GRE: 670v/710q/4a
Background: Sociology undergrad, active-duty Navy Officer for the last six years. Leaving the service in March and making a complete career change.

I think my GRE and background got me in. I also think my SOP/LORs were strong. Had to be, cause what else is there?

Will provide my SOP via PM if anyone is interested. You can't use it to make fun of me though, and you can't copy it to apply to CUA!

smile of fury

congrats on the admissions to CUA. I went there for my undergrad b.s. arch degree. I loved living and going out in DC.

Let me know if you need any insight on the grad program.

smile of fury

congrats on the admissions to CUA. I went there for my undergrad b.s. arch degree. I loved living and going out in DC.

Let me know if you need any insight on the grad program.

roarkschach
thanks for UT info!
i just took my gre's, got a crappy score (had been getting avg. 1350 with highest being 1370)..... got a 560v and 690 quant. OOPS! but i don't really care anymore. pretty sure the rest of my package will be strong.

one thing though... if i'm pretty sure it will be strong, and most of the people on this site seem to be getting the same if not higher gre and think their packages will be strong..... who's application is actually strong :)
are archinecters above average and more interested or are we just full of ourselves :)

...are archinecters above average and more interested or are we just full of ourselves...

-Both

Archinecters are self-concious and cannot think much for themselves.

percentiles-

hey y'all... remember we were conjecturing about my scores and percentiles. well, just got em in, and here they are... Keopi- ours are very close.

V 570 = 80%
Q 690 = 69%
W 5.0 = 81%

NLW2- I like your approach. I'm going to try to be blunt as well. "Here's the deal, schools, you gotta let me in, ya just GOTTA!!!" or "If you don't let me in, you'll regret it the rest of your sorry Admissions Committee life!"

so I noticed Rice has a 70th percentile requirement for the GRE...whatsup with that? is that for real? I got in the 69th percentile back when I took it 2 years ago and didnt study much because, honestly, how much does that have to do with how good of an architecture student you'll be...and I thought schools were of the same mindset. I would hate to have my top school not even look at my portfolio because of that.

TheVillan-

From Rice's website:

"The minimum acceptable GRE is the 70th percentile in two of the three categories."

That means, if you made 70th or over in the other 2, then you're safe. Like me- I only made 69th in math, but in the other 2 I got 80th, so I should meet their minimum.