Stuzzie:

I'm also waiting on UW. They finally replied to an email I sent them about a week ago. It sounded like they hadn't reached a decision on all of the applicants. I don't know if that's a good thing or not but it sure is frustrating the hell out of me!

ceh

I heard from USC yesterday as well with the same offer.

MABARCH - i have to same reservations about the GSD as you do, except I'm choosing between that and Yale. I found it difficult to gauge student satisfaction/happiness in one short duration of an open house visit.

But I too have heard of the legacy of students being unhappy at the GSD. I found this thread on archinect googling gsd vs ysoa: http://www.archinect.com/forum/threads.php?id=73903_0_42_0_C

It's very Yale centric, but the Yalies seem very happy. I just thought I'd throw it into the conversation.

i have a friend
who is about to finish his first year
at the GSD and
so far he loves it.

and i know another girl
who spent her first year
at MIT hating it.

this may be a naive or idealistic point of view, but i think that a student's happiness at a school, depends largely on said student's perspective and personality.

i had an awful instructor and although i hated him, i didn't hate the school or projects. it was one of those things... but then again, every experience is unique, and i had enough studio buddies to get me through the madness.

in the argument of harvard vs. mit for architecture, i would choose mit. but again, this is just my personal opinion.

for those deciding between 2-3 schools, i would suggest attending the open house and really trying to get a feel of the professors, students and overall vibe.

seek an you shall find...

babybokchoy,

It helps a little to know other people have heard this. Like Daubentonia, I have friends at the GSD, one is super happy, but I think it has a lot to do with his generally happy and laid back personality, the second likes the program but hates the faculty politics and the third absolutely hates it. I'm wondering if the time is coming when people are really beginning to see this and perhaps shape their decisions based on how happy they would really be?
Also, I think I'm trying to get a better feel so I can make a choice even before I hear back from GSD, if not to not have too much of a hard time choosing between them then at least to lessen the blow if I don't get in. I prepared for over a year to apply to MAUD, so although I'm slowly changing my mind on the school I probably will still be upset and somewhat disappointed.

btw i've only seen 3 people accepted into the MAUD there. What's the deal with this. And did anyone apply to Berkeley Urban Design?? For Eh Verrrr

word2bird,

Why MIT? I am really interested in people's opinions on this, in order to get a few perspectives on it. I definitely agree that a lot has to do with individual personalities. Where have you chosen to go? I've been to open houses and everything at open houses is pretty impressive, I almost feel like dropping by on a regular day because I felt like nothing was going to go wrong on the day of the open house. They of course don't present the unhappy students or the bad projects.

MArch4April-
You mentioned asking for out-of-state tuition waivers. Do you know people who've gotten that and what schools consider it?

I don't know anyone who has received one (but then again, I don't know anyone else applying to grad school besides the people on this thread!)

I saw it on the UT Austin financial aid site and the UW financial aid site. I'm not sure how common they are (or if state economies have negatively impacted their usage but it's worth a shot!) Perhaps you could poke around the websites of the schools you're considering. Or maybe call their financial aid offices and ask about it.

UC Berkeley Graduate Division

Dear Applicant,

We regret to inform you that you were not recommended for admission to graduate study at the University of California at Berkeley. If you have questions about this decision, please contact the department to which you applied.
Thank you for considering UC Berkeley for your education.

With best wishes for your future,

Graduate Admissions




...burn... Not even from the CED...

NLW2,

got the same message. and I never even completed my application. hmmm

wtf austin!

I guess there's no way I'm in b/c the open house is this weekend and how is one supposed to book a trip on this short notice. Its really lame that they have been stringing a few of us along for this long.

The time to let us know is now.

Something fishy this way comes... I'll be calling the grad office next week.

anyone have problems with berkeley not receiving recommendations?

i just read my no letter but see that they only received 1 of 4... this was not a problem for other schools, only berkeley.
am i alone? if not, then wanna team up?

seriously, any advice?

berkeley had the best system for checking whether they received the recommendations imho because it was all online. i had the least difficulty making sure it was all there ahead of time out of the five schools i applied to.
maybe you had a different system than me..

so what's the consensus on people who haven't heard from UW? time to throw in the bucket?
i also haven't gotten anything from british columbia and they've sent out rejections, acceptances, AND wait lists :(

throw in the bucket ? is that a combination of kicked the bucket and throw in the towel? weirdd..

So, here I am, finally making a post. I've been stalking this site for the past week, and I've been driving my husband crazy giving him the play-by-play of what everyone's finding out! I too am waiting to find out about UW, and I've completely lost my mind in the process (checking email constantly and having my husband call me when the mail comes every day, etc.). Has anybody heard anything new today? I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be expecting a phone call, a letter, or a packet...

@kestrel - did you go to whitman? I'm from Walla Walla, and grew up on University street, so if I actually get accepted, we may have to share stories!

@keopi it was not an entirely online process for me. my recommenders preferred to send a hard copy. they were received everywhere but berkeley. you live you learn i suppose.

i guess i'm lucky i didn't put all. my. buckets. in. one. basket. ;)

@maryagnes - Yes I did! Hope you get in soon and make it to the UW open house.

I am also waiting on UW. It's a little ridiculous. I've called them and emailed them. I never got a straight answer about my admission and they made it seem as if they had not completely made a decision. I don't really understand it. They did, however, assure me that everything will be sent out by April 2nd. Not that that really makes me feel better.

U of Cincinnati - IN (mid march)
Oregon (portland studies) - IN (mid march)
Northeastern - IN (mid march)

MIT - no (mid march via email)
Berkeley - no (mid late march)

Harvard - still waiting (probably not)
UT - still waiting (thats BS if they have open house this weekend)

Best of luck to all!
it's not where you go (to school)... it's where you end up (in life!)

"I have always accepted and respected all other schools of architecture, from the chill and elemental structures of Mies van der Rohe to the imagination and delirium of Gaudi. I must design what pleases me in a way that is naturally linked to my roots and the country of my origin."
- Oscar Niemeyer

touche, damonk.



My results:

Berkeley - rejected



word2bird, keep a flippin' close eye on the [IN]ARCH fellowship, because I am putting my balls to the wall in pursuit if it for 2011. \

Not sure if that's the correct usage for that phrase. Would I be going balls to the wall? Who cares. Just picture my hair perpetually blowing backwards, since I'm going to be gung-ho-ing it like nobody's business.

I too feel this wait is ridiculous. I also called and emailed, and neither time have I gotten a straight, "non-vague" answer. Don't they know that most other schools are almost done? Not only that, but if they were going to start the notification process by calling people, and then flaking out and switching to postal mail all at once on April 2, maybe they should have just done everyone at once to begin with. It just seems as though they started notifying people without a very good plan of action. I don't want to wait until April 2nd! I feel like a two-year-old who has every right to throw a tantrum! :)

@kestrel - I certainly hope I get in as well, and if I do, I will do my best to make it to the open house. When is it?

jk3hl,

Like others I am tempted to be bitter...I think Berkeley is a fine school to attend. I have visitied the school and have very talented friends who have graduated from there. In the end its what the individual produces, not the school they attend...

(this all being said after rejection from UC Berk)...

raj

PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTION-

Is it important to be excited about where you're going?

I ask because, in my life experience, there have been some experiences I've looked forward to and was psyched about, which turned out to be horrible and traumatic.

And others, where my expectations were very low, in which I was taken completely by surprise and had the time of my life!

****

I ask because if it comes down to going to a school you're not completely thrilled with... does it matter? Because at the end of the day, you never know what the experience will be like.

For me, I am still pining over GSAPP, despite dismal rejection. I might get off the waitlist into Rice. I'm not excited about Rice, but does that mean- if I were to get in- that I shouldn't go, because I was still dreaming about GSAPP? First impressions are illusions, after all. If I had ended up at GSAPP, it could have been a miserable, competitive experience. I might go to Rice, not be excited, and then be completely astounded. But, unfortunately, I fear that my lack of enthusiasm might permanently damper my feelings towards the school, and "What if"s could plague me forever! (yes, I'm dramatic.)

I suppose this is also a question of spirituality, if you have faith that you end up where you end up for a reason, that you don't always know why some things are better for you than others.

THOUGHTS?

How did people hear from Berkeley? I'm an MLA applicant (doesn't know if that makes a difference vs. arch) and am wondering if they email decisions? Snail mail?

Frankly, that school and their application process left me completely underwhelmed. Compared to UPenn and GSD, Berkeley's online app was cumbersome and needlessly confusing. And God forbid you need to actually speak to a human on the phone.

Things are only going to get worse now that california has no money.

so i guess sometime soon we'll all start talking about where we've decided to go...i've narrowed my decision down to GSD and GSAPP...going to both the open houses... anyone else narrowed down their decisions yet? so excited to finally be done with this waiting game...

although i am sorry to all those who aren't done yet :\ i wish you all the best of luck

Sbeth:

do you want to build? If so, perhaps pining after GSAPP is unnecessary. My impression is that it's much more theoretical than practical. I bet Rice would be GREAT! Have you visited both? Talked to students at Rice? Grad school is what you make of it, especially at top schools like Rice.

I agree with ncro54.. you're really splitting hairs when you start comparing programs like Rice and gsapp. it's going to come down to what you make of it. the biggest thing is when you're done with grad school, no employer is going to care which one of the two you went to, just the work you produced while there. Now that might not be your be all end all goal, and probably shouldn't be, but no matter what your pursuit, going to gsapp isn't magically going to make it any easier.

case in point: my office receives many portfolios full of ill-conceived, downright bad, work from programs like harvard and yale.. while at the same time many portfolios of beautiful, intelligent work from schools not once mentioned on this 42-page long thread.. guess which ones get thrown away and which get kept. (disclaimer: not saying this is always the case)

@thevillain... i get your point, but really... (between you and me) which ones get thrown out and which ones get kept?

shitty ones, regardless of where they're from, get tossed.

yo villian,

have you posted your portfolio? (if so, what page) i'd love to see it.

There seems to be a lot of blind love for the ivies on this thread. But ivy =/= good work. It is almost guaranteed that ivy = lots of debt, though.

no I havent yet.. AD: if you email me I can send it to you

probably depends on the office you work for as well.

To assume that someone from any school is good because of the reputation of that school is silly...and to assume that someone is bad because of a reputation or lack there of - is equally silly. Our office is like yours, seriously doesn't matter where someone went to school if the work is good. It may help, to have one of the boss' friends at Yale or GSD call up to get an interview (just because of the quantity of portfolio's sent, and increasing because of the economic conditions, but after that you are on your own with nothing but your work to back you up.

The only difference between 'top' schools...and the schools that are 'not once mentioned' here is resources and opportunities.

villain i would like to see your port as well. why haven't you posted it on here yet?

Are there any 3 year admits to Clemson Arc + Health program on here (or is anyone friends with one)?

I'm on the waitlist (I was told this morning that I'm next in line) and am trying to get a pre-April 15th idea of if anyone is planning not to take their spot. I've been told that there are separate waitlists for 2yr and 3yr applicants.

regarding my port: I just haven't gone through the steps to put it up on issuu yet. I'll work on doing that. in the meantime, if you want to see it just shoot me an email and i'll send a small one for you to check out.

oh im a 2 year admit to clemson a+h so... i guess that doesn't help you if they have separate waitlists.

sbeth...
good post..
you know, we had the recession and i ended up doing a lot of non profit stuff instead of continuing to work for offices.... it totally changed my perspective.. and i'm happy for that...
bad news is that at application time i only got into UO (rejected from berkeley and UT austin, waiting on UBC + UW, not holding my breath)

i had worked at starchitect firms but i think i lost my edge when i went in the nonprofit world because i started to find other things more pressing than really awesome renderings!

so i didn't get into a great school, but i love portland and maybe i'll be happier in that less stress, good vibe environment anyway.

who knows....
it's pretty weird... (and i'm only 23).

li dandan, it doesn't help me with figuring out my chances of getting off the waitlist, but I am curious if you've decided to go with Clemson or the funding you got at..... I forget where. I've been offered some funding at Syracuse (enough to make me feel like they think I'd be a good fit, but not enough to make the decision obvious) and am having trouble deciding between the two. Especially if I don't get into A + H.

Anyone else really like a program but having a hang up with it's location? I don't know that it's a rational concern, but, as a lesbian, I'm nervous about moving to the south. Can any one speak to how gay-friendly Clemson is? I visited and I'm not concerned within the program, but with the surrounding community.

keopi,

i wouldnt be so down with yourself:

Oregon is a fantastic school.

Sorry to go back to rankings but:

#1 in sustainability (i think this says so much in itself)
#5 in analysis and planning
#16 overall grad school

And you get to study in a city that is perhaps the best case-study of contemporary urban planning in America with its policy that fights sprawl with urban growth limits.

Plus, it will benefit you much more to be a leader at a school like this, rather than just another name in the hyper-stressful ivy league.

Keep your head up. I know a lot of people who would love to have a spot at UO.

sbeth_ i'm going to have to echo everyone on this. if you can, mayb a visit to rice will clarify. though i understand the dilemma since people want to be pumped about the school they want to attend. spiritually, i do believe that everything happens for a reason and we end up where we choose because of some guiding energies. just my take though, doesn't necessarily mean go to rice or reapply. there's also the more practicial/ tangible sources like visiting and doing your research. seriously though, rice is a great school!!! you could never pay me to live in texas, but yeah.


those asking the villain for his portfolio, don't trip. he emailed it over to me a while back and it's saucesome! i usually have a really hard time with m. arch ll folks, but I really enjoyed his. congrats again on the much deserved addmissions results to really great schools with good offers. tried to cancel my trip to the tcaup open house, but too late, so my sis and i will be there. though i plan to ditch saturday's tour thing. the more i search inside, it's always been berkeley for me. it's where everybody knows my name :)

sbeth,

I agree with keopi... There are sometimes more important things that you end up learning when life takes you where you're supposed to go and not where you originally planned. The sole fact that the school did not recommend you for admission should not make you feel so disappointed but rather make you realize that the school didn't think you were a good 'fit.' Sometimes its not so much about the achievements that have gotten you there, but the kinds of things you're interested in, which might be totally different than the direction in which the school is going. Keep in mind they pick the people they want to define them and perhaps in a couple of years that definitely won't be you, simply because of a divergence in interests. Rice is a great school... and you can get excited by going to their open houses and visiting their website and checking out the faculty one by one.... you'll be pretty flattered to find out what kinds of things those people have accomplished, which you might not be aware of until you look them up. Good Luck and be excited, its an accomplishment regardless of what your top choice was.

I haven't decided anything yet, unfortunately. I'll let you know on April 15th! and i got funding at UNC Charlotte. it's officially a tution waiver for 2 years + stipend (i got the letter yesterday).

The gay-friendly thing... Clemson is in Appalachia, and is a really small town, but I think the campus itself would be fairly open. They have a Gay-Straight Alliance chapter for one thing. The surrounding towns may not be as much but there are also some towns in the area that are definitely gay friendly (Asheville, NC I think) and "hippie" for lack of a better word. I don't know for sure because I frankly haven't thought much about it. I am from Florida after all so my knowledge of the "south" is limited.


And about the Portland being an urban planning example.... my planning law professor pointed out last night that it's so successful because there isn't as many huge cities or places for things to "grow" unlike, say, Florida which is littered with huge cities and is small and weirdly shaped to boot. Just sayin'

thanks bird! I didn't try to cancel my michigan trip, but I'm having a REALLY hard time imagining myself in, well, Michigan. full ride at berkeley.. I like you bird, but you'd be a fool to pass that up for UofM..so I think we all know where you're going ;).

Hey everyone first time posting here.

Applied to Princeton, GSAPP, Penn, Michigan, and The Bartlett.

Results so far:

Princeton-OUT
GSAPP-IN
Penn-IN
Michigan-WL

So I'll be going to both GSAPP's and Penn's open houses so see some of you guys there! Will probably be deciding between Penn and GSAPP but GSAPP was originally my dream school so I am leaning towards it..

Did anyone else apply to the Bartlett? Their graphic/theoretical output intrigues me but I'm not sure I want to go to a foreign country for three years and deal with culture shock and everything.. Does anyone have any qualitative judgments concerning The Bartlett vs. Penn or GSAPP?


I'm so excited to meet some of you soon!! Good Luck w/ decisions!