hey guys,
i am applying to MIT smarchs.
can someone clarify about the financial aid given to international students ?
i need to classify my choices out of research assistantship, teaching assistantship and fellowship. which includes scholarship of the tuition? which sequence is better?
i have checked out the related link , but still not satisfied.

and waive the right to see the rec letts , or not again? in my country you wont see them .

and last question , they are asking for 3 rec. i 'm asking them from my instructors ( not professor), i am confused to ask rec from my office that i was intern for 2 months.i am thinking not to ask from them , bec it is a big office and probably they will send a generic letter.
any recommendations?

by the way this medium has been super instructive for me ,
thanks in advance!

okay since others have been so gracious as to share their portfolios and I said a few times that I'd share mine so... here it is. still have to add page #s and it's pretty simple graphic design wise. Just let the artwork do the work I guess, plus I don't really know the programs that well.

http://issuu.com/passerby1ce/docs/portfolio

hey all..
just a quick question regarding GRE.
its been a hectic semester and ive left it late, taking it later this week though.
it will be late to arrive, past 2 schools deadlines gsd and MIT.
however, will they give me some leeway for the scores to arrive there? mit state that they will give time to replace missing component, and this is the only one.
everything else will be on time.
thanks for any comments

I just realized that the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) requires an interview. Has anyone else seen this and to those applying there, what have you done thus far?

This seems like an unusual thing and I def did not plan on interviewing with any of the schools I'm looking at...

I STILL haven't started on my portfolio or essays!!! Total procrastination metal-block!!! I'm drinking some white wine to calm down......

So does anyone have any good recommendations on any good last minute online binding. I'm in the boonies with a 1 kinkos 20 miles away as my only option.

I truly dont understand how some people have not started portfolios or essays... or taken the GREs for that matter... Im going on six weeks of working on this stuff and feel like I should have started even earlier...

The thread listed online pub options a couple pages ago so check those out. I am actually going the blurb route but my first draft hasnt been delivered yet when it was supposed to get to arrive last week so I am not going to recommend them at this point though I have yet to see what the quality will be... fingers crossed

ya, my ive been working on my portfolio for 5-6 months and i only got it to a point worth sending yesterday. better get moving....

i honestly dont trust the online guys anymore....the quality of the printing itself was pretty poor when i used lulu...not to mention that the pages fell out :)

i've used blurb before, and if you get all the right options (ie. hardcover, express shipping, etc.) it's comes in to be pretty reliable.

I don't like the paper options, so I'm going old school and printing from home so i can be more selective of the paper that I'm using, quality of the print and the portfolio size.

I hate how UCLA is hybrid submission, and they need things to be sent via postal mail... makes deadlines that much more difficult.

Jiveonmyness - Am with you... after a critical hard drive failure, then having to start from scratch on my portfolio, 5-6 months worth of portfolio work, and i still dont quite feel that it's super. A portfolio is a well developed visual essay of your work. Unless you have a team work on it its hard to believe that with only a few weeks left you can develop a through analysis of your own work.

GRE's is hard to believe that you'll get your scores in time to send. (PENN suggest taken the GRE 6 weeks prior to the deadline)

don't mean to be "that guy" but im just trying to be realistic.

my suggestion on deadlines: (although they might be to late now)

minimum
GRE: 6 weeks prior
TRANSCRIPTS: 3 weeks prior
LOR: month to 1.5 months prior
PORTFOLIO: 5 months

I know there are excepts, but for the average applicant, i think this is a good gage

On the side note of personal statements I saw that a few people needed inspiration or examples?

the suggestion earlier about
PREPARATION
RESEARCH INTEREST
FUTURE goals

really helped to made the essay easier.

My Advisor told me this "write about what you believe in...this is why grad school is important...they will provide you with the opportunity to achieve these goals of positive change."

Also some examples and guides:

architecture personal statements
do not copy, and only use as examples (there pretty bad examples, but if you have nothing... well it can help)

guides to help write a personal graduate statement
Do's and Don'ts
Questions to ask yourself
Checklist

even though deadlines are quickly approaching if you work hard, and pull some all nighters anything is possible. ( the way of a designer i guess)

this thread help me a lot so i just wanted to return the favor


good luck to everyone!
To those who put there life into this for the past few months i hope you get into your school of choice. At minimum feels a sense of accomplishment

wow Vu, thank you for those links! I'm currently crafting my statements.

this is my last component (other than recs which I cant control!), and I've just about finished Columbia's and will use the structure of that one and tailor the details to each remaining 10 schools im applying to.

totally agree on not enough time to start a portfolio at this point. i started in earnest 6-8 months ago, and in reality most of it dates back as far as 4 years. I just had to stop at a certain point and call it what it is. then again I have to work really hard at design, unlike some people who just seem to have a natural ability to create beautiful things quickly, so if thats you...god speed.

those personal statements are....hmm....*sigh*

Vu, it's looking more and more like i wont be going the online route as well. blurb is taking twice as long as they told me they would. it might be a kinkos weekend + fedex overnight for me...

also with you about UCLA. funny application process for a school that prides itself on digital innovation...

any ideas on ucla's concentration field in the application? is everyone just putting "design"? what a weird thing to ask of a m.arch applicant.."would you like to concentrate in design, theory, or technology?"...um, how about all 3?

i got mine from blurb a week after i ordered. i ordered sunday/monday morning, and it got to me the following monday. i did express shipping though
(for $21.00 almost as much as the book) but i needed it sooner rather than later.

printing is decent, especially my paintings. the only thing they're not that good at are photographs with darks on them (black/white or dark brown). doesn't show the variations within those darker shades as well as you see on screen. but all in all i'm happy with it and am ordering the final prints this week.

that brings up a good point. what is the average price people are spending on each print? at first i was hoping to do 15 since that was about what lulu was charging for about 40 pages bound. but i wasnt happy with that, then realized that it is going to be closer to 30. i finally found a great printer that im happy with, and for the price i know it cant be beat. each one is about 30, but when i order 5 or more itll be 25. is that about average for people?

anyone who is in LA i highly recommend DSj Printing in santa monica, super nice, super professional, ridiculous quality.

ive been working on the portfolio and other elements
for a while now, its all looking good actually,
but like an idiot left the formality till the end -

so should i apply anyway and hope they take a late score?
or focus on making deadlines for UT UC sci arc,
not bother with an incomplete app for mit and gsd.

i hear they only start reviewing in jan so maybe the actual application
part is crucial

from mit's site:
"You will receive an email by the third week of December to let you know if your application is complete or if there are any pieces still missing. If so, you will have time to resubmit any missing materials. "

sorry to project my carelessness here, and it is unfair for those who took it on time. if someone, anyone has had experience with a late score please advise.

good luck to all of you! these are sleepless nights but getting used to it fast!

p.s. anyone really like SCI ARC and the things they are doing?


ciao!

i don't really understand why you're taking 6 months to work on your portfolio UNLESS you've
a) never done a portfolio before (don't have any work finished up and ready to present)
b) are re doing every single thing and including stuff you just did on your own and not part of school or work
c) aren't an architecture student
d) are working minimally every day.

i think everyone on this forum needs to take a nap or a chill pill and just realize that you still have a month for most apps and everything will be OK...

thanks keopi i think you just hit the spot..
gotta stay cool and do whats in hand and not forget the big picture

yes and no i think, for me

a) check. never done a portfolio
b) check. yes. including finishing up projects and building and entering at the same time.
c) check. music major working my ass off in an arch program.
d) half-check. ive always treated this seriously but have not been working with my current urgency until a month ago, but before it was just as important and i was constantly editing.

that said, i think the last month is crunch time. the fact that i have two portfolios due next week means all my portfolios are in essence due next week, even though some deadlines are in january. and i think that it does in fact pay off when you put in a certain amount of work. i dont think it should be masochistic, but always thinking about how to make it better never hurts. it can never be too good. and i dont think that applying to these programs is something to treat lightly.

keo-
a)made three academic portfolios thusfar in my career, and countless professional ones for my firm
b)including many things, yes.
c)WAS an arch student, trying to become one again
d)working on the portfolio + 60 hours/week professionally.

and its taken me waaaay more than 6 months... just the way it is as a perfectionist

ditto to villan, and on all four points. i just shipped the first one earlier today and because of the time i've spent (treating it like an evening/weekend job since january...and then tinkering several months prior to that), i'm really pleased with what i'm sending.

i'm also happy that this near-year of work towards these deadlines is wrapping up. can't wait to have a completely blank canvas of free time...!

Sleepy,

I plan to apply SAIC. Originally, I went to open house in New York. They encourage me to visit the school. So I set up a date to visit. I am going to the school next Wednesday. Then, It becomes interview as well. I was asked to bring portfolio, transcript...etc.

Thought I'd post my portfolio here, in a humble attempt for some last-minute feedback.

megaupload.com/?d=H5NHABGO

Thanks everyone.

where you applying to again NLW2?

Just Berkeley. I've got time to do one application, and one application only, well enough for me to be satisfied with it. They've got the 12-page and digital restriction going on, hence the brevity (not to mention I've got very few finished projects).

i think all of it looks really nice. your sections and plans are super nice (to me: no background), you dont have an arch background? the only thing i dont understand is the purpose of the boots on the table of contents. it would make sense if you actually explained them later, but you dont so it kind of seems like it is a filler project. the poem, while nice, seems out of place. if it is worth it, maybe you can replace it with a description of the boots and their process?

You got me, the boots are totally filler, from back when I had only three projects. I ended up tossing the poem on as a fourth since I'm an English major. I should probably put that in there somewhere, huh? I've got another potential sculpture project, but no good way to photograph it... As for the boots, they're not really strong candidates for final inclusion.

Oh yea, no arch background, just arch obsession.

Dangit, one last thing: English minor. My apologies.

i seeeee. well, i would say that the house is the project worth ending on, so you could make the poem right before that if you feel like you cant replace it with your sculpture. but then you have to ask yourself if that ruins the continuity of the portfolio. you could actually start with the poem...

and i call that a successful arch obsession...wow

Thanks jive. I really like your idea of starting with the poem and ending with the house. I'll put that into effect post-haste.

Passerby- I am totally stunned by your portfolio. It's so... luxurious, rich. Your paintings are ludicrously amazing!

NLW- I really enjoyed your portfolio. Its simplicity speaks very strongly to me, like you are self-confident in your work, not trying to cram in too many images. I agree with the earlier poster that the boots are random, even though I encouraged you to include them earlier :) Cool font, I like that you included the poem, though whether or not they will have the time to read it, who knows? Amazing computer graphics!

Update on myself-

I just got my portfolios printed today, I turned them into a local print shop last night. I didn't do a test one, I had all 4 printed out, around 25$ each. All the colors came out washed-out, the pictures are squished together, my tour-de-force photo came out wonky... but I can't redo anything at this point.
I can only hope that they look closely at the pictures I have presented and appreciate the creative process diagrams I included,

Right now I am hammering out my Statement of Intent. Yes, I spilled out my guts about my past, but I hope I come across as competent. I have been staring at this thing for weeks and so am hyper-focused, making this thing hard to edit objectively. I am trying to shave off words to get it under the 500 word max.

Ok the "Dos and Don't" website says DON'T WRITE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY.

Well, that's what I've been doing!!!! AAAAHHH! I mention how I came to this decision to pursue architecture and yes, that's my life story... though concisely told... whadoido?

NLW2 - great portfolio ! i am amazed by your self confidence and courage to just apply to Berkeley. Good luck.

BTW, I think the page nos are missing...or is it intentional?

Thanks to everyone for the great links and portfolio examples. A great inspiration!

My role in this thread is to be the-guy-everyone-is-glad-not-to-be.
I have inDesign open and finally going to start my portfolio. I have 2 days to slam out this thing. Maybe I should disconnect my internet cable....

fACCKKK!

.....

RARARARARA

I'm waiting on my portfolios from Lulu and I'm so fucking anxious about print quality. What if I get them and they're shit? My only other option is Kinko's, which isn't awful, but how do I do a nice binding, then?

Anyone have ideas if I have to bind the portfolio myself?

shoulda ordered a test print to see how your stuff comes out my man. i did that a month ago and wasnt that happy with my material, but ive heard a lot of people say theyre happy with it. plus ucla recommended it. what kinda binding you order?

Vuong- could you post the do's and don'ts and other suggestions links for the personal statements again? I'm in the process of writing mine, and could use some pointers. Thanks.

Saddle stitch - I wanted the perfect binding but I didn't have a 60+ page portfolio. this quarter I just had an insanely intense studio and I had like no time to get my portfolio together for a test print. arrrghh.

if it helps alleviate any stress, i received my test print from blurb after anxiously waiting and the quality of both the print and binding was good enough for me. not lulu, i know, but similar gig.

i am ordering a few extra final copies just in case things are out of whack so i can pick the best of the group to send out.

i sent out for final prints at the end of last week. it is weird to be constantly pushing for 8 weeks straight and then to be done with the producting/editing aspect. my head feels empty. cue tumbleweed...

UCLA peeps-

The Junior/Senior average... how do I calculate this if I was only in school for 1 of those semesters? 2 of 'em I took off, 1 of 'em was in an official abroad program (but my home university doesn't calculate that into its GPA), and the last semester i was on-campus.

So, do I just take my GPA from my 1 semester on campus?
Do I take that along with my study abroad GPA?
Do I go back and calculate which were the 60 last credits I took, even if they were during my sophomore years?

sbeth85-

junior/senior doesn't actually mean your 3rd/4th year of college. it just refers to your last 60 semester or 90 quarter units. i would calculate the those last units that only affect the gpa on your undergraduate transcript.

FML!!!!

Lulu arrived today it was AWFUL! I just spent the past 6 hours re-formatting my shit so I can take it to kinko's and have it bound myself.

RAWRRRHGH.

I'm worried now because my lulu order arrives tomorrow and this has not been a good trend thus far...

conspiracy theory: ucla tells everyone to use lulu because the quality sucks and they can therefore reject all those who use it.....lower acceptance rate.

jerks.

ha! glad I didnt use lulu then.. I'll make a good bruin.

but seriously, I feel for you guys. I had a similar experience when I applied last time. but i've learned. it may be much more expensive, but its worth it to not use mass-produced printers.

my transcripts and one letter of rec will be late to ucla by a few days. have been working obsessively on personal statement and portfolio and forgot how much lead time transcripts require, so that part is my fault. the slow letter of rec is due to my professor dropping the ball.

hope this doesn't hurt my admission chances.

oh and agreed that ucla's application process sucks. poor/unclear/conflicting info and multiple redundant hard copy forms. berkeley is painless by comparison.

Cew and others-

don't worry, I emailed UCLA and they said that while the portfolio MUST be in on time, the transcripts and letters of rec can come in over the next 3 weeks.

m2p- thanks for clarifying! i still don't get what "60 semester units" means, but i guess i will go back and add up academic hours (which are like 3-4 per class, right?) until I hit 60. this'll be weird. I am sad I can't include my abroad GPA, made straight A's!