Thanks for replies, everyone.
Yeah, I'm applying for Advanced Placement. We don't have any 5 years B.Arch course in Japan so can't apply for MArchII.

Same as zoon, I'm having a big trouble with portfolio for Penn. I think I should cut some projects to make mine shorter than 20 pages...

I just got my portfolios back from Blurb.com, and I'm pretty satisfied with them. No obvious printing or binding errors that I could find, and the order was shipped a few days earlier than expected.

The only real problem I had with of my own making, when I noticed a minor text formatting error on one page about an hour after I submitted the job. I looked on their website for a phone number I could call to see if I could cancel the job and resubmit a corrected version, but they don't offer phone support, and their website is very explicit that once you submit a job, it can't be changed or canceled.

Based on my experience, I'd highly recommend Blurb.com, but make sure you proofread your portfolio about a million times before you submit it for printing.

As for my text formatting error (I had to change the margins based on my test print, and neglected to adjust a couple of line break locations on my CV page accordingly), it's pretty minor, and I figure if that's the worst fault any admissions committee can find with my portfolio, then I should be in decent shape.

Now it's just a matter of customizing my statement of intent for each school, and getting all this stuff shipped out next week.

The designer tends to be a neurotic being, obsessing over the smallest glitch that others will never notice - not even subconsciously - unless notified. But a designer wouldn't be a good designer unless they were neurotic. So, Living in Gin, I think you should be fine. :)

ugh... I got my portfolios back from a local print shop.

Beautiful printing, beautiful binding, beautiful paper.... everything they did was perfect. I ran my fingers over the front cover and smiled. "At last," I whispered.

Suddenly, I saw it. In the middle of my portfolio, in a small image description caption. Two words are missing!!!

At the last minute I went through my entire portfolio in InDesign and de-selected hyphenation on text. This, of course, makes the text block a little larger - but all of the text still fit in the frames. Except - for - one.

Cue doomsday chorus music.

What would you guys do?

A) Nothing, and hope that nobody notices. (It is small, insignificant-ish text, after all)

B) Cut out a tiny strip of paper with the missing two words and carefully glue it in to each portfolio.

C) Re-print, and give up food for the next two weeks.

mA, not fun. speaking from a completely objective point of view, i would go with option A since it is a caption which almost no one will read. heck, i made my captions so light in tone that you almost can't read them. you should be OK though... but i understand the perfectionist in us all would lose sleep over it, so only you can make the decision...

i echo LiG's recommendation with blurb. as much as i almost flipped out two weeks ago regarding a deadline they missed, the product quality and turnaround time is certainly worth the pricepoint. i did have a hard time with the website-only contact form where there is no 'person' to talk to when i ran into trouble... but their support normally gets to you through email eventually and is very willing to help. overall, two thumbs up.

though i will point out i ordered a couple more portfolios than needed to pick the best and it was a good idea since one portfolio came back crimped and dented... my two cents...

middle America-

I agree with subliminal.

If the Admissions Committee has to read your captions at all, it means you're in the 'maybe' pile... I've heard that they can quickly leaf through the guaranteed 'yes'es and 'no's, and then the 'maybe's are where they start delving in.

Anyways- what I am saying is that let's say that 2/3 chance it won't matter at all! You'll be completely IN or completely OUT, no fault to the typo. And if they DO decide to start reading, the chances of them reading THAT caption... and then the chances of them saying NO because of a little itty bitty caption... I mean, the rest of your work will speak strongly for itself.

A WARNING TO ALL-

Please please please do at least ONE print copy, THEN go over it, and GET YOUR FRIENDS TO, because I for one couldn't 'see' errors after all the staring I'd been doing at it... it looked so purdy... And if your loved ones are already sick of it, get a BRAND NEW set of eyes...

I ordered all 4 copies WITHOUT doing this (25$ each), THEN found tons of little things I wanted to fix- the COLOR was completely different in print than on the screen, the contrast was off, some things shoulda been BIGGER or SMALLER, some stuff wasn't linked correctly on InDesign, etc etc. So don't blow 100$, only to have to re-do it all again... You will probably NOT get it right on the first shot!!

If it doesn't come out right on your first shot, it's probably mainly your fault.

So you fix everything up that you can, upon noticing the mistakes from your first shot.

Then you try again.

And, what do you know - other mistakes occur. Colors are again way off, there is too much of a yellow tint over the whole thing, contrast is terrible. This time, it's mostly the printer's fault. At least they got the layout right this time, unlike the first printer who decided my portfolio should look like a calendar when I explicitly suggested landscape format.

Life is never perfect. That is why the Perfectionist dies an unhappy being unless He can learn to let Himself live with the flaws that naturally flourish in life.

hirano ,

respect++

I also received my books from Blurb a day early and am beyond satisfied with the results. The printing I did myself before was horrendous, but Blurb managed to print CMYK properly. So, the applications are mailed and I'm off for an extended vacation from anything and everything intellectual and stressful.

Best of luck!

ok another two questions about UPenn's application! i apologize for this but i sent the admissions contact person an e-mail last week and didn't get a reply, must have sent it too late i guess the admissions office was already closed. i am applying for the m.arch. ll program and they require two "samples of writing" about my areas of interest. does that mean two fully developed essays, one page each say, where i discuss specifics in architecture? or just a paragraph or so each describing my areas of interest and how they relate to architecutre? i am not a native speaker of english and finding it already hard to write one clear statement of purpose, this just makes things more complicated!
the other q is regarding the undergrad school transcripts. i hve already sent them scanned copies but they require sealed envelopes sent from the school, i am struggling with my university because they tend to send things late via regular postal mail service, and i have been informed that they are still "processing" my request, which will take ages. should i worry if this does not arrive in time, given that they already have the scanned copies? thanks in advance!

zoon i have similar problems with princeton, as well. as far as i realized when you contact them and ask for their consideration on mailing issues, they give tolerance to the secondary materials (official transcript..)

for the writing samples , they are asking for your previous writings on relevant topic of your areas of interest.
if you don't have any,basicly you can read a popular essay related with your interest, and have a 1 or 2 page review on it.
it works and gives you reference on what to write.
by the way try to have fun, it is nice to arrange and edit all you have and prepare them for being reviewed by a number of professionals.

hey jaded, you said you were applying to Princeton...

I've sent them a few e-mails regarding the writing samples, and they never responded, but somebody I know that recently graduated from their grad program said she didn't remember having to do that and she didn't think it was a requirement. However, they never got back to me. Did you call them and ask if it was necessary?

If you look at the application, everything on that document page says required or optional after it EXCEPT for the writing sample, so you can't tell whether it is optional or required. When I visited Angela in the office asked me if I had everything else on that page ready to go but she didn't mention a writing sample either, so I'm guessing its requirement goes by school or department and the architecture school doesn't require it... any idea?

birdiek,

i am an overseas applicant and i have no constant contact or any concrete idea what they are really asking for about the writing samples.
but for me the writing samples give an fast idea to capture the applicants academic writing abilities , especially for international applicants, since we are going to write a thesis, if possible:))
i don't have any writing samples related with my areas of interests,though.
anyway i have 974395743 things to complete ,i even don't have a SOP yet..
i want to ask something maybe you know.Can December 31th be a shipping date , or the materials should arrive by that day.

jaded,

The materials have to arrive by that day. Because they are so selective, they are pretty strict about the cutoff date. They only have one person that does admissions for the arch. school, and she told me that people call in on the day things are due all the time and say "My GRE scores will be there tomorrow" and things like that and she said they have to turn them away... I'm not sure if this was just to scare me into getting things in on time, so you might want to call ahead of time and ask if you don't think you'll hit the deadline...

I've only spoken to people a few times and I know other schools like MIT are more laidback with getting secondary materials in on time so you might want to just call or ask other people.

M.ArchI portfolio. Rip it up folks

Everyone's portfolios intimidate me, mostly because mine just looks so different. I'm trying not to dwell on it though. Yunez, I really like the projects in yours- they're all 3-d, which is great.

So anyway, I was wondering what you all think about the effectiveness of going in for interviews/visits with programs when they aren't required? There's one school in particular that is only about 30 minutes away from where I live, and I've been there a million times, spoken to people I know who went to school there, etc. Basically, I don't feel like I really need to go there for a formal visit to know that I like the program. However, they say that although they don't require a visit and won't hold it against you not to go for one, they do encourage it. I wasn't going to visit, but then I was talking to another person I know who is applying there a few days ago, and she was saying she'd visited them (like formally) twice, so now I'm paranoid. Other than the fact that visits can help you (the prospective student) to understand the program, do you think they're helpful in getting you admitted?

banannie,

I think formal visits can definitely be beneficial beyond just getting to know the program. The more people hear your name, the better.

I say this because a couple of my admissions last year came with personalized congratulations inked in on the official letters by the advisors with whom I dealt on the school visit. Whether it played a role in my admission - I can't say - but it does show that these individuals remembered me and my enthusiasm toward the programs.

If you needed a plane ticket to get there I would understand the hesitance. Since you're so close, however, I'd recommend scheduling a formal visit, even if it's for no other reason than to get your name out there.

Banannie,

I think you should definitely go for a visit. The adcom might see a couple hundred apps, but only a percentage of the applicants will actually have a chance to visit. You have the opportunity to let the administrators meet you, and that might lead them to remember your face and personality when they're reviewing your SoP, LoRs, portfolio, etc. Gotta be better for you than just being another name on a file.

Yeah, what Roarkschach said.

jaded, you don't have to send in official transcripts until you are enrolled

birdiek, if the writing sample is not labelled as either "required" or "optional", and there is no message suggesting that it is preferred that you include one, then treat it as purely "optional". there's no point in reducing your chances with a bad writing sample when you don't have to

now - apps are over. relax, chill out, enjoy your holidays and stop obsessing over this trivial matter. ;)

yunez, i think your portfolio is one of the best m.arch i portfolio i've seen so far this year. strong images and a clean layout. perhaps a little too much text/info on some of the pages for an initial + quick viewing, but overall, very nice. what is your background and what schools are you applying to?

Hey all,

So my portfolio page dimensions are 7.75x11.5... I am now seeing that both UVa and U Oregon state that portfolios shall not exceed the 8.5x11 format... do you think that I will be OK or should I kill myself over the next few nights to reformat and print anew. I originally designed the portfolio in regards to other schools that had 9x12 limitations....

I feel that when they say "portfolios exceeding this size will not be reviewed" they are doing so to keep people from sending 11x14's, 11x17's etc, but do you think they will strictly enforce it if it is 1/2" longer?

Please give me your thoughts.

if i were you, i wouldn't edit for 0.5 inches.

Thanks for the feedback. Im a biochemistry major who decided to take a stab at design last year. I'm applying mostly to ivies plus ucla and risd

does anyone know how to delete a .pdf loaded to your Berkeley M.Arch Candidate page? I uploaded an old cover as a test, and now I cant seem to get it off.

just upload a new one and it should replace it

ok. but I have multiple portfolio files. If I upload one, then try another, will that just override the original one?

well it seems adding more files to your 'portfolio' section of Berkeley's M.arch candidate page does not wipe out previous files. bad news is it doesnt wipe them out, so if you put files up there you're not sure about, they're there for now...unless someone knows of a way to delete them

I really need to commiserate...

Last week I realized that my GRE scores were sent to the wrong graduate school at Columbia, hence they weren't there by the application deadline. I know it's my responsibility but it really was ETS that messed up :(

I paid to have the scores sent but I think it's probably a no go.. how forgiving do you think schools are to this? I had everything else submitted on time.

dont quote me, but I think you'll be fine. I believe most schools dont actually look at the materials for a month or so, at which point they just notify you of missing components. I have no idea how columbia deals with this though, so you might want to email someone there.

i agree with villain. i had a similar situation with ucla and they said to not worry about it and it didn't need to be there by the date. i know columbia is a different university but they seem to have a similar point of view. if i were in your position i would send new gre and email them and call until you get a response. if nothing else for peace of mind

Definitely call and/or email and let them know what happened and what you're doing to resolve it.

I deal with deadlines and accepting applications in a different context as a regular part of my (non-academic) job, and I can tell you from my point of view, it's a lot more impressive when someone is in touch and upfront. When things just show up late, it leaves a bad impression and the vague feeling like maybe they're trying to get over on you and maybe they don't even notice or care if the materials are in past the deadline.

Yeah the first thing I did was call the admissions office and they said submit them as soon as possible. I'm hoping that I would get a "incomplete application" letter or email before they just rule me out. They have my scores too, just not the official report.
Thanks everyone... I think I feel a little better about this one :)

Hi all,

This is my first time posting to the discussion and I'm new to archinect. Yunez, your portfolio is great!

Sorry if I'm asking something already in the thread but I'm also a non-architecture major and I was wondering if anyone had a decent sense about the weight of a portfolio for a non-arch background. In other words, will my transcripts, essays and recommendation be given more importance than they would be for an arch major?

I was an '07 art history major at an ivy league, 3.6 average, 700v, 790q on GRE, LEED AP, and have been working at an architecture firm in NYC for the past two years. My recommendations are from the partner at my firm, my thesis adviser, an art history professor, and my Harvard career disco studio critic.

Are there a million "me"s applying? What are the chances for a liberal arts major?

Bluezz

Blurb users,

Just ordered my portfolio and in the Preview Book! feature on the website my cover has an indentation on the left side, (above the binding?) which my text falls into. This indentation was not present in the preview book function in the BookSmart software, and I had placed all text boxes more than 1/4 inch from the edges like they said.

I ordered my book softcover. Did any of you? Were your books perfectly flat or did they have this indentation? Seems like a softcover book should be flat, but I really don't know anything about the different binding methods.

Thanks.

Smile of Fury, how did the print quality turn out?

Smile of Fury, my book is softcover and there is a small indentation on the left side of the front cover where the perfect binding meets the cover. It is not a strong line, but noticeable enough where you definitely will not want text in that area. I would avoid it all together if I were you.

hankd,

Estimated delivery date is Jan 7th or so. I'll let you know then.

subliminal,

Thanks!

Well, I know its a bit early to start thinking about 2011, but I just completed my final undergrad semester about two weeks ago, so I thought trying for Fall 2011 made more sense than trying to rush things. I figured I would get some advice here.

Anyways, I took the GRE last May and got a V: 570 Q: 660, which in general I'm ok with, I'm not planning on applying to Ivy League schools.

As far as my GPA goes, its much lower than I would have liked, I should finish with a 2.92.

I'm somewhat a non traditional student now, I first studied Computer Science and didn't do so well, and decided to transfer to Architecture. My first two years in the BS Architectural Studies program I had a 3.3 GPA. And then the trouble began, I had decided to run for secretary of my school's AIAS chapter, but unfortunately two of the other officers decided to do a study abroad and left me in charge, of a 100+ member student organization, when I already had a part time job. Anyway I did the best that I could, but my grades really suffered, my GPA quickly dropped from a 3.3 to a 2.6. I was so exhausted and fed up that I left without graduating and simply worked a minimum wage job for 7 years before returning in the Fall of 2009.

So this semester I managed to get a 3.42 which got my GPA back up from a 2.6 to a 2.9, but I'm still worried it won't look well on an M. Arch application. If I explain what happened in my statement, will an admissions committee understand?

I'm planning on meeting with my school's department chair, who I know fairly well, just to talk to him about stuff, see if he'll write a rec letter for me, etc.

But for now I'm just concentrating on going back and redoing some old projects so I can rock out a portfolio.

I'm wondering if there are any reviews of M. Arch programs out there. Just to get an idea of what each school tends to focus on. I'm primarily looking into state schools, UW-Milwaukee, ASU, maybe UC Berkley or Oregon... The school blogs section of Archinect is helpful, I just wish there were more postings there....

Thanks for listening to my drama! Heh.

I dropped off my last two portfolios at FedEx today. Being the neurotic sort that I am, I fixed that minor formatting error and ordered one corrected portfolio from Blurb for my top choice school (Cincinnati), which happens to have a somewhat later deadline. The other portfolios had to be sent out in their imperfect state in order to meet deadlines and not bust my budget.

With that, all my materials have now been sent, and this whole grad school admissions thing is now out of my hands. Wish me luck...

Good luck LiG!! I know it's been a long road for you so all the best!! what made you want to stick it out with architecture for so long? has it always been your dream to be one?

I wasn't sure what indentation in blurb you guys were talking about but i think I know now. Yes i do have it, but when i click the option where you can see the trim line it shows a purple highlighted portion where things are fair game in terms of being cut so i stay away at least a few cm from that shaded area as well.

The two dream jobs I had as a kid were to either become an architect or a long-haul truck driver. Sometimes I'm not always sure that I've made the right choice. At least truck driving school only lasts four weeks and only costs a few grand. (Yes, I've looked into it.)

Does anyone know if Yale allows self reported GRE scores or do they need to be sent in as an actual score report from ETS. ???

I thought all schools require GRE scores to be sent directly from ETS...maybe the Ivy League doesn't, donno.

Hi,


Does anyone who applies Yale send in portfolio before you submit your online application?
I read from webpage. They require the applicant to write down Online ID in the package. But ID is only given after submit the application.

What do you do with the situation? I was hoping I can have an extra day to work on last paragraph of my SOP.
I tried to email Yale admission. But, I haven't gotten any answer yet.

oh shoot skyoceanwalker, i am in the same situation too...
i didn't even know that until you mentioned it now....

zoon, did you try to email UPENN admission? I asked them about pre-request courses yesterday. I still get email back. So maybe you can try to send the email again.

Stasis,

I tried to call them this morning. The voice mail said the office closed for the whole week. Will open next Monday. I was thinking to drop it off by myself. I am in New York. But, now I don't know what to do.

well skyoceanwalker, you might be just fine.
I'm reapplying to grad school this year, and I did the exactly same thing to Yale last year, not mentioning app #. Nonetheless, the online status webpage indicated that they received my portfolio.

skyoceanwalker and Stasis,

I had the same question regarding putting an online ID number on my portfolio for Yale. I called them about it a week or two ago, and they said we don't need to put the online ID on our portfolios.

Happy New Year, commiserators!