GSD rejection just came in with the mail, I had my roommate open it. There might be something waiting for y'all tonight.

psheldahl

I'm sorry if it seemed like I was making myself feel better. If you take a look at earlier posts I expressed my thoughts toward the GSD program and how much I respect the place, to the point where a lot of my thesis research and my last year of undergraduate was very much based on the teachings on the GSD. I was floored when people I respected a lot, including some of my thesis mentors (both MIT and GSD graduates as well as other academics from respected institutions) began to mention MIT as a better place for me, especially because they knew about my focus and my personality. I posted earlier about how some schools are simply a better fit than others, not necessarily better all around or more prestigious or anything like that.

I also have friends attending GSD, about to graduate from there and just accepted. Some are happy, some are ok, some are miserable, like at any other place. Some people thrive on dealing with situations where there are many other factors (like politics), while others prefer a more academically based environment. The first part you quoted me on is out of context, if you look carefully on my post it simply expresses that the wait between the first and second notification prompted me to look more into why the academics I trust were saying that MIT was better for me. That time yielded those observations as I compared the different opinions I was hearing from people that know very much what they are talking about.

At no point did I speculate anything about the worth of GSD, again if you read carefully, I simply state that for all the cost of tuition, for me, I'd rather not go to a place where I know people that have had issues with politics. Again, some people are ok with this and that's why that school is better for them than for me.

Throughout the whole process I was very heartbroken, not only to realize that people I had been following and teachings that I was shaping my ideas around were no longer at the place I had dreamed of going to after undergraduate school. This was what made this forum a good place to "commiserate," where different opinions about schools and thoughts about funding and the anxiety that comes with the life change that graduate school can bring for most people were shared.

Again I apologize if I offended you, although I feel my opinions and thoughts about my graduate school experience so far were merely that and sharing them with people in similar situations was simply to deal with the heartbreak and move on to celebrate the achievements.
Cheers to all those who celebrate and to the ones that can disagree amicably.

the question is never about which school is better than others. any and every school has its strengths and weaknesses.

the question should be: which school is better for YOU.

determining the "goodness" of a school based on the level of depression on misery of the students probably isn't the way to decide anything. it simply means those people did not pick the school that was right for them. this in no way means that school shouldn't be the place for you.

@MABARCH - you leaning on MIT for fall 2010?

hardkorean

I am leaning towards MIT for this fall, based on the people teaching there, their academic philosophy and the people teaching there. The majority of my friends are at GSD. At one point I talked to one of my mentors a few months ago, before any decisions were out and I expressed my intention to wait it out another year if I didn't get into the GSD. At that moment, he began to explain why MIT would be better for me and anyway, that is how it all played out in terms of admissions decisions. MIT gave me an offer that was hard to refuse and GSD put me on their waitlist, it was a no brainer and almost a feeling like that is what is truly meant to be.

almost identical situation for me.

Dear Mr. XOXO

We regret to inform you that after careful consideration of your application, the Admissions Committee is unable to offer you admission to the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. We would like to underscore that the Committee is keenly aware that there are many strong candidates whom we are unable to admit.

Please note that an official letter has also been sent via regular mail.

We very much appreciate your interest in the Graduate School of Design and wish you the best in your career pursuits.

Sincerely,


Gail Gustafson and Geri Nederhoff
Directors of Admission



final recap, and now i'm done with this forum.

Yale - IN, $$
Columbia - IN
Princeton - IN, AP, $$ (this is probably my next home)
GSD - REJECTED (kindly)

see you all out there in the jungle.

cheers

razvan

MAMARCH..

Well...we probably have friends in common :) I apologize if I quoted you out of context, it wasn't my intent. My only point...was


...you got into MIT!!...fantastic school..and by the sound of your postings you will take full advantage of all that is waiting for you..

I am sure we will bump into each other at some point...maybe unknowingly.

All the best and good luck

Paxton

MABARCH,

I know you've already given up your spot on GSD's waitlist, but for what its worth, the MAUD program at the GSD and the SMarchS in Architecture and Urbanism at MIT are quite different programs; I hope that you've made most of your decision based upon curricular differences and not on departmental politics. I'll second psheldal's remarks on that topic.

While design is central at both schools, MIT requires a thesis, thesis prep work, and two required theory courses. It is an inquiry-oriented program. The GSD does not require a thesis. At the GSD, you can take an option studio (inter/intradepartmental) in your third and/or fourth semester, or even substitute elective courses in place of a studio. However, Harvard does require courses in history/theory of urbanism, law and implementation, economics and development finance, and public/private development. It is intended for architects who plan on practicing as urbanists, who want an introduction to the larger pressures at play in urban settings.

Obviously you may or may not be interested in the GSD's complimentary study areas in law, finance, etc. all of which limit how many electives you can take. You might prefer research and bit more freedom in developing your own course of study.

If you're aware of all of this, I apologize. But I think it would help others in the future to compare the programs in light of their objective merits...

Razvan -

did you get an email from GSD? I still have not heard back from them...
I will call tomorrow if I still have not received word.

looks like I was late in the game... you've made up your mind and you'll love MIT. Just trying to help!

E-mailed them to ask for the decision and now I got "We regret to..." letter.
Ok, so I've made up my mind upon Princeton! getting really excited to go to Princeton!


So, my final result is like this

Princeton MArchI 2yr - IN (with half tuition and $)
MIT MArch 2.5yr - IN (witn half tuition and $$$)
UCLA MArchI 3yr - IN
GSAPP - OUT
UPenn - OUT
GSD - OUT

And I hope this would be helpful for next applicants.

GPA - 2.96
TOEFL - Reading 28 Listening 29 Speaking 23 Writing 25 Total105
GRE - Verbal 330 Quantitative 790 Analytical 3.0
Portfolio - http://issuu.com/artitec/docs/portfolio-hirano

Good luck everyone!

ADavin

E-mail them, and you will receive your result by e-mail.

Hirano:

Thanks for sharing. Your portfolio is absolutely stunning. Congratulations on Princeton !

while we're on this topic, i didn't realize that some programs have discontinued the thesis... i believe harvard and columbia have done this, not sure of any others. this really is an important component prospective applicants should look into as some may really prefer an individual thesis and others might not. berkeley requires the thesis, and that's my preference, so it works out.

on a side note, it makes me nervous that people are considering over $100k is student loans to pursue an m. arch... to each his/her own, but wow. anyway, there’s lots of great advice amidst the crap, but this is an interesting thread http://www.archinect.com/forum/threads.php?id=97217_0_42_0_C
thanks for re-starting the dialog, sixtrain. most people are sick of throwing in their two cents on this controversial and ever present topic, but somehow you really got the discussion going. very cool!

i'm relieved to be considering only $40-60K max in student loans after 3-4 years in graduate school, which is still way too much for me. i'm going to have to do my best to make sure it's closer to 40k, maybe i should have someone manage my money or something.

since it is open house time, i was thinking it would be great if we all brainstormed questions together and reported back to everyone with our findings. i’m sure there’s a ton of info to be asked. so far, i was going to ask about (1) financial aid and when that’s disbursed. i was hoping to quit my job a month before the program starts since i’d be relocating from los angeles to the bay area. wouldn’t be able to do that without funding though. i have a macbook that’s about 4-5 years old and doesn’t have the system requirements to run bootcamp (rhino, autocad, etc.) even the cs4 programs crash and run like a turtle so question (2) was a recommendation for computers. (3) i’m going to ask about any recommended summer courses to prepare for the 1st semester- possibly hand drawing/sketching, rhino, 3d max, etc.

the questions might be different depending on m. arch 1 or 2, but hey, there’s no such thing as a stupid question, right? Well, except really stupid questions =/

going for Columbia's MSAAD. any classmates around here?

byline,

Good post. I think what happened was that one aspect of what I mentioned as to why I chose MIT was give more attention than other things. One of the changes I was referring to was definitely the thesis. I chose to do a thesis for undergraduate when it was not required, so it is obviously something I am interested in. The SMarchS program gives you a year of core studios and theory, but then you can take an option studio while you do thesis prep and then your thesis takes the place of the final studio. I am definitely more interested in the research and design aspect of urban design rather than the policy side (I also have a policy background in undergraduate and I know I don't want to continue studying that). I feel like the MIT requirements are more academically rigorous (thesis etc.) and that is why the people that know me have suggested it is more for me. This brings me back to the suggestion to those asking about the schools to check out their websites, which provide some information and even sample work.


psheldahl,

Thank you, I am really excited about MIT!... and now that you say it, we really might have friends in common...

Received an email this afternoon from NC State letting me know that I was wait listed and should get a final decision "within the next couple of weeks. "

Not good news, but could be worse. Back to my waiting game.

NC State - wait list
GA Tech
UNC Charlotte - in
Clemson
Houston

MIT it is for me. officially a nerd.

Accepted via website today at Houston, hoping to receive a fellowship or in-state waiver

Only two schools to go and they happen to my top 2 choices

Embry-Riddle - In (MS Aerospace)
Kansas - No
Clemson - Rejected
Houston - In $$??
Florida - ???
Va Tech - ??? (Out to department)

Big money, Big money, No whammies! I can't wait til this waiting game is over! Gradcafe should give me a kickback for the google adsense revenue I've given them

Well, I still haven't heard from ye ol GSD yet. I'm an overseas international applicant.

I did see a UPS truck leaving my house today as I was walking back to my place. Turned out I just missed them and whatever they were sending, so they'll try resending tomorrow.

I don't recall buying anything that would be sent by UPS, and it's nowhere near my birthday.

I checked the weight of the UPS package online and it supposedly weighs in at ~0.1kg.

I sincerely doubt I have been accepted or even waitlisted by Harvard. Do the rejection letters come by UPS postage to overseas international applicants? Any overseas applicants know?

It's probably something else entirely and my rejection letter in the thin envelope will finally stumble its way through my mailbox just in time for Christmas.

Well, I still haven't heard from ye ol GSD yet. I'm an overseas international applicant.

I did see a UPS truck leaving my house today as I was walking back to my place. Turned out I just missed them and whatever they were sending, so they'll try resending tomorrow.

I don't recall buying anything that would be sent by UPS, and it's nowhere near my birthday.

I checked the weight of the UPS package online and it supposedly weighs in at ~0.1kg.

I sincerely doubt I have been accepted or even waitlisted by Harvard. Do the rejection letters come by UPS postage to overseas international applicants? Any overseas applicants know?

It's probably something else entirely and my rejection letter in the thin envelope will finally stumble its way through my mailbox just in time for Christmas.

It was either 0.1kg or 1kg ... don't remember which.

for those with a background in architecture…

when applying did you have to signify whether you were applying to the 2yr or advanced placement position?

if so, did anyone who applied for an advanced placement position receive admission but instead to the extended length program?

or

did you apply and let them decide?

if this was the case, did anyone receive admission with AP status who didn’t specifically apply for it?

Is anyone going to the sci-arc open house? I'm all the way on the east coast right now...it's going to be expensive to go, and i'll have to skip school for two days, but I'm waitlisted and I *really* really* really* want to go there.

also - for those who got in to sci-arc - by what date do you have to accept/refuse an offer of admission?

p.s. has anyone heard from U Miami? they are mysteriously silent.

What's the word on UW Seattle?

Cal Berkeley

vs.

Wash U. St. Louis ?

I guess no one here has gone to school, so maybe not the best group to ask, but what the hell...

i just sent sci-arc my thanks, but no thanks. i also sent the same notes to cca and risd a few days ago. hopefully this helps some of the folks on wait lists...

i'm not sure if schools wait till the respond by date (around 4/15 for many) or start admitting folks off the waiting list as they receive no thanks updates from others.

theVillain,



You said you're going to Rice's open house from NYC right?
I think i'll be at GSAPP's on the 7th
and fly to Houston on the 8th early morning.
But haven't booked my plane ticket yet.
I'm curious how much you paid for your ticket?

word2bird : Thanks for giving a spot to a sci-arc waitlister :)

I just procrastinated for three hours looking at downtown LA apartments. wishful thinking? maybe...

Got waitlisted at Sci-arc!

Does anyone know when they usually admit/reject from waitlist?
I'm international aaplicant so I have to take care about my amercan visa in time to coma to Making+meaning, which they want me to do in case they take me.
Do you think there is any chance to be accepted from waitlis?

Stll waiting for GSD, MIT and USC ( rejections most likely, but I want to recieve them at least!)

experim: I'm based in DC, and I bought a chinatown bus to and from NY for the 7th, way back when I heard I got in. When I got the all clear from Rice, I booked a flight for the morning of the 8th in DC because it's cheaper (200ish). it's a brutal itinerary, but its down to those two programs for me at this point (leaning Rice). I booked my h-town ticket about 10 days ago, so yours will be significantly more.

Thank you for your thoughtful responses, hardkorean and MABARCH. I've heard so many wonderful things about MIT, and I'm glad you guys are gonna take advantage of the opportunities there! It's good that our GSD rejections weren't the end of the world for us... things happen for a reason, and anyway it'd be unreasonable to expect to win them all. :)

I'm still thinking pretty hard, and I probably have to be honest about which school would be a better fit for me and my goals. Thing is, I can see myself benefiting from both Princeton and MIT, so I'm hoping the open houses would tip the balance somehow.

Gonna jump on the SOP discussion, and echo the advice about being honest. Writing it was a (cliche ahead) soul-searching experience for me... you really have to figure out who you are and what exactly you want to do. I customized two last paragraphs to each school, regarding specific professors and programs I wanted to benefit from. The grad admissions office at Cal say that the essay(s) should be a verbal manifesto of your portfolio narrative... the whole package should be one big story about you. That probably holds true for other schools? Goodness knows, I took that advice and was rejected from that same office, i.e. my own alma mater. :)

guyforget, Berkeley has an excellent graduate program - I'm not the only person on this forum who's shared studio space with the grads and can attest to the exciting quality of work being produced. However I felt even as an undergrad that you have to be very internally driven to fully benefit from the teachers and the somewhat horrible/scant resources Wurster possesses. The library and workshop are alright, but the fabrication and computer labs are a joke. Funding and budgeting is, of course, legendarily Californian. I'm not even going to go into the political infighting among the faculty... this is all going to sound overwhelmingly negative when I don't intend it to be. This is just stuff that noone seems to have pointed out in this thread.

Ultimately you'll have to choose what's best for your working style and goals... I have a friend at WashU (no arch background) and his work is stunning.

to: okra
re: AP / 2-year programs

It depending on the school.

Some did not even have the option of applying to a specific program, advanced placement or other, but when they sent my letters they specified which one I had been admitted to (2-year in all those cases)

Other schools had an option of applying directly to the advanced placement, but would evaluate in the 3+ program pool if necessary as very few students get AP.
Minnesota is one I can think of.

And then others still had applications and portfolio requirements specifically for the 2 year track and different apps and requirements for the 3 or more year track.


So, basically, it depends. lol that didn't answer your question at all.

Just talked to SCI-Arc... If you have been WLed for the March 2 ( as I have ) then here is what I know.

As people decline their seat SCI relooks at aplicants from the WL and chooses by the 30 of April. That is a really long time to wait esp since most schools want to know by the 15 of April... not looking to good for us WL people!

nicholas-
did they say anything of the post professional program? scifi or mediascapes? i havent heard anything from them? only m.arch applicants have received word.

no sorry I didn't ask about those, but give shelby a call at 213.356.5320 in about an hour. She is super nice and helpful.

has anyone decided for or against SCI-Arc March 2? for what reason either way.

Aguacate: where did you do your undergrad?

thanks for your thoughts. I want to live in the bay, and thought that if admitted to Berkeley that I would not even have a doubt in my mind that I would go there, but WUSTL is really intriguing me, I like their classes, studios, faculty to student ratio, and incredible study abroad opportunities. I have attended public institutions my whole life and have had incredible experiences, but eventually the arduousness of navigating bureaucracies becomes old. I am worried about Wurster's technological resources, etc. A little wore out and over used. But on the other hand, I think that I would definitely like to teach some day, so I have to take that into consideration. If it comes down to cost and location then Berkeley will probably win out, excited to visit WUSTL next week....

What's the word on U DUB SEATTLE? Who's heard, who's going? Who's not going?


What do people here think about Oregon?

guyforget - I have a friend at WUSTL in the M.Arch program you could chat with if you want when you're there...she's really helpful! Let me know if you want her contact info.

tzara, thanks for the offer. If I have the time. I get into St. Louis at 11PM Thursday, the happenings start happening 9AM Friday and pretty much go all the way until I leave on Sat afternoon. But maybe she will be involved with an open house Q and A anyways? My e-mail is available through my name link if you want to share her name etc...

bucku

We will hear from SCI-Arc in regard to Post-Professional Programs by the end of this week. I already called Shelby earlier this week. So... by today or Friday we should know. I have been waiting impatiently.... Did you apply for MediaSCAPES or SCI-FI?

Emailed GSD yesterday afternoon. Still no response. I am going to go home to check mail at lunch and I will call if I still haven't heard. Oh well I am over it.

Guyforget -

Right now I am torn between U Oregon and WUSTL...

Still waiting on financial package from WUSTL but it looks like UO is going to be A LOT cheaper (I got AP there so only 2 years opposed to 3.5 in St Louis.

Overall I like WUSTL better, and the semester abroad options/ ability to study in Scandinavia and Latin America made it one of my very top choices from the start.

In my dealings with UO admissions, they seem really overwhelmed and understaffed. I do however, love the location (both campuses), and the sustainability/community/urban regeneration focus.

I am visiting WUSTL for the open house a week from now, then flying direct to UO to visit both of their campuses. I want to see student work, talk to professors, and soak it all in. I will share my thoughts afterward.

I would love to hear others' thoughts...

Guyforget, I guess I will see you at the open house!

wait- i applied to SCIFI.

initially, i planned to apply to both. i changed my mind last minute as mediascapes may be too outside the realm of my knowledge. also, keller taught at gsapp this past year and i have been accepted there so i may be able to have him after all should i choose.

what did you apply for? what other schools have you applied to?

guyforget - Aguacate and I both went to Berkeley for the undergrad B.A Arch program.

Having said that, I actually took quite a few grad classes during my last year there and many of them were really stimulating and I think they definitely helped me with my M.Arch applications this year.

I would say during my time there, (2003-2007) they have acquired some really amazing faculty making the school fairly well rounded: if you're into sustainability and building technology, you should definitely look into Cris Benton and Gail Brager's work, if its parametric or cutting edge design you should talk to Lisa Iwamoto or Ravee Choksombatchai, if its more theory and academic discourse or arch history then Nicholas de Monchaux and Andrew Shanken would be the people to talk to. That's of course not to say that these professors do not excel in other areas, but they are particularly known for these areas of study.

I am just naming a few of the many excellent professors off the top of my head that I've had the privilege of knowing - there are of course many others. From the other departments in the school, (planning and landscape arch.) there are also a lot of amazing people - that's also one of the advantages of a big school - you have if chance to do cross-disciplinary work if that's what interests you.

In terms of infighting among the faculty, I think its safe to say that happens with any big school that has a lot of students and faculty - GSD included. Its hard to generalize a school into one single identity, therefore its normal for politics to exist in terms of where funding is allocated, etc.

Needless to say, I really enjoyed my time there - although I wasn't a M.Arch student - I've met many who share my feelings. In addition, its hard not to like living in the Bay Area - good luck on your decisions!

Has anyone received financial aid package from GSAPP?

bucku

I applied to the MediaSCAPES Program and MIT - SMArchS Program. I did not apply anywhere else as I already have my MArch and wanted to do something very specific.

MIT rejected me... kind of relieved because I would not be able to afford it. Now... just waiting to hear from SCI-Arc. A little closer to my price range, and I should be able to do everything I want. Only downfall is it will have to be done in 3 semesters instead of four. Good thing I enjoy working my ass off.

Regardless, I will have to wait and see...

nope. but a friend did. it was need based. i am planning on ta/ra/ga position.

also, they will reevaluate money after they have all acceptances- per financial aid.

people that got into UW... are you guys accepting or not?

I received an aid based scholly from gsapp of 9k/year. I find it funny that they base it on my earned income from last year.. which will obviously be 0 next year.

@bucku- what is this you speak of regarding reevaluating $ @ gsapp?

has anyone tried to contact that admissions office @ gsapp? they are rather unpleasant and unwilling to help. even admitted students. not giving the right vibe off with that one.

I received an aid based scholly from gsapp of 9k/year. I find it funny that they base it on my earned income from last year.. which will obviously be 0 next year.

@bucku- what is this you speak of regarding reevaluating $ @ gsapp?

has anyone tried to contact the admissions office @ gsapp? they are rather unpleasant and unwilling to help. even admitted students. not giving the right vibe off with that one.

If I get into UW, then, yes, I'm accepting.

@ guyforget and anyone else wondering - Just found out that all UW notices are being sent out today, so if you haven't heard yet, you probably won't be hearing before the open house. So much for waiting for the mailman today...

I applied to SCIFI