yeah.... my tracking confirmation said that my package got to university of washington on the 14th (due the 15th) and they claimed they got it the 20th.
big difference.......
oh well, what can you do now.

voneckht thanks i'll definitely look into sci-arch. although i'm not so sure about even applying to a 5th, not entirely convinced with the programs left with late deadlines.. anyone here applying to 4 or less? from what i've read here more or less everyone sent their apps to more than 6 schools. plus being an international does not help with the equation i guess! i'm leaning towards rice these days, not sure if it's one of the competitive schools though.. is it?

voneckht,

A lot of people I know went into the program not being too sure what it was all about, and found that it was a bit different from their expectations. I don't know that many people who did the AUD but I think one of the major differences (other than the UD aspect) is that everyone did studio work in groups of 6 or so. Many found that a bit difficult as they couldn't focus much on their own aesthetic and had to fit in with other's schedules. But if UD interests you, then I guess that's part of practice.

S

zoon - i applied to five. also i think being an international helps a lot! schools love diversity... some state schools might prefer people from their own state but i think most would look at your background favorably.
unless you meant cost... :(

I am an international student and I applied to five schools as well: the GSD, MIT, Yale, Princeton and Columbia. But really it's just four becuase Columbia won't give aid to international students. I almost applied to Rice because Sarah and Ron will be there this year. I expect it has already become considerably more sought-after.

waqas post your portfolio!

I am a college senior majoring in Architecture at a liberal arts school. From the list of schools I applied to, you're either expecting to see a really amazing portfolio or I must be very naive. It's neither.

I know there's a big chance I won't get in anywhere but if that happens I'll just try to find some kind of internship and then apply again later on.

I have a question for people who have significant work experience. Do you have any advice about applying for internships? I had a Skype intrerview with OMA Rotterdam. I think it went well but they said they are out of work permits for the summer. They said they *may* want me starting August..

Portfolio: www.princeton.edu/~wjawaid/arcportfolio. Once you've clicked the Play button, you can use arrow keys to move through it. The dimensions are 5.5"x6.88".

Blog entry about OMA interview: link.

Sbeth 85, Cranky Pantz, middleamerica,

I have used Lulu many, many times. I have always made the booklet first, but I think it can do it for you. Lulu does a pretty good job considering it's so cheap. You do have to be careful about getting the size exactly right especially if you do a full bleed. Also, make sure your color settings are right. From memory, I think CMYK comes out a bit duller than RGB but the website should hopefully tell you. They stuffed up once-did a B & W print by accident, but every other time they have done a great job. I recently printed a catalog of my students' work through them.

very nice. projects and portfolio are organized, clear, humane, good.

Does anyone know of a way to track whether University of Oregon has received all of your supporting materials (transcripts and references that you have no control over?)
The only way I know is email..

keopi,

I got an email last week saying that they were missing my transcript. i went to my schools registrar and overnighted a new set, along with a receipt saying showing that they sent one back in December. The admissions coordinator was very helpful about it and said it wouldn't be a problem...

So I am only assuming that if you haven't heard anything by now, you should be fine, and if you are missing something, they will let you know.

ok the only response i got is from cornell, i can still apply, the rest of schools i sent asking about late submissions either did not reply or simply stated that it is too late now. shall i go for it? i heard it has a good program, student work is good, only no one here seems to have applied there which i find weird, it has a good ranking this yr. how does it compare to the rest of schools? i did my homework and researched a bit, but what do i know i'm on the other side of the globe, so would really appreciate any feedback u can give, whether from what u've heard abt the school or if u visited or... , i only have u people to drive crazy with relentless stupid school questions (and i apologize for that).
:)

waqas, I presume you're applying to MArch II?

Zoon - I applied to Cornell M.Arch-Professional. It's a very good program, highly ranked, growing with a new building on the way. The program started in 2004 so its not that old, and it's not NAAB accredited. I believe they should get their accreditation this year.

Even if you can get an application together, you might want to consider waiting until next year. It took me at least 200hr + just to get my portfolio in order, plus all the headaches of printing it, and it took 2 weeks + to get my GRE and transcripts in.

Nice portfolio Waqas.

If I have any advice to give after my quick run-through, may I suggest you alter the drawings on pg 14 and 17. As it stands, they're somewhere between a diagram and a 'proper' drawing. In my eyes at least, the colours aren't helping and they would look infinitely better if you just left it as a b/w line drawing and played with the weights. A minor detail for sure, but as the first project, I think you can make a better opening impression.

Also, I must say that the painting / illustration towards the back is very impressive. I wish some of that was more clearly evident throughout the entire portfolio (incorporated into your studio projects) however. The numerous diagrams (although still nice) combined with the 'precise' style of the renderings are quite rigid in contrast. If the same mood and atmosphere found in your artwork also made their way into the architectural presentations, the portfolio as a whole would be that much more impressive.

Overall though, good luck!

Kim607 thanks for ur reply, i actually had everything ready to send, submitted the online app. late yesterday and the portfolio and rest of material a while a ago, thank god i had an extra copy of the portfolio, that definitely would've been a headache. the only thing i found troubling in the application is the writing sample recommended for M.Arch ll applicants, of approximately 10 pages!! i did not submit anything.. i dont think my writing samples, essays and shit, are strong enough, not sure how much recommended that part is, it's not required so i hope they wont hold that against me. they should take into account international students of non-english native languages.
Waqas very nice portfolio! looking at a good portfolio is like reading a good book, no struggle to get to the end! good luck

zoon, I am international as well, just out of curiousity, which school did you get your BA from?

Had my interview at SAIC today and I think I rocked it, but who knows. Back to the waiting game...

Do all schools do interviews (for those that make the "first cuts")? Has anyone had interviews with a school besides SAIC?

I think interviews, for m.arch 1, are rare. it's too bad too. I think they would really help an admissions committee get a sense of who you are.

is it march yet?

Thanks - now I won't worry as much when I don't get asked to interview. And I agree, it's a shame they don't do them more...

As for March, it really does feel like forever away (I hate to admit this, but I have a countdown calendar on my phone...)

paperdesign i'm from jordan (middle east!) and graduated in 2006 from U. of jordan. not exactly a competitive school, to say the least, but it did help get me where i am today (in desparate need of a proper academic experience). had a solid 3.5 yrs work experience afterwards which i think were important in preparing for grad school. now im ready to go back.

SAIC interviews everyone and I agree it would be fantastic if more schools did interviews. I am a much better representation of myself than my "stats", portfolio not withstanding.

I'm very surprised some people actually want interviews ... but whatever floats your boat.

yeah... the last thing i need is to fly across country five times while being unemployed...

I am going to go to architecture school if they let me in; otherwise, I think I'll just get a job, but it's a very competitive field. You can become pretty wealthy as an architect (if you own a firm).

anybody looking to apply to Sci-Arch's Sci Fi program?? it has a late app. deadline

btw yea all I can afford right now is a cozy little Skype interview.

I wish schools did interviews as well. I feel a large part of architecture and architecture school is being able to "sell" your project and yourself. It seems reasonable that this would be something a candidate would be evaluated on for admission.

That being said, I would not want to pay my own way to travel around the country for just this purpose.

You mean you want to complicate the admission process even more?

That's more work for both the committee and the applicant, you do realize.

Gray, that is some really great advice. Thank you. Till now, art and architecture have been separate, even opposite fields for me. But I am beginning to see more and more how they compliment one other, and that sometimes they are the same thing.

I agree that professional schools should have (Skype) interviews. When I started off with Architecture, I was appalled by the idea that you had to stand up and "present" your work. I believed that one's work should speak for itself, that everything should be visual, clear, full of impact.

After being indoctrinated, however, I know that that presentation and the discourse that results from it is invaluable. It allows an active engagement with specific projects as well as the larger questions in the field of Architecture. And since it's such a key feature of education in the United States, there's no reason why it should not be a part of the admissions process.

another*

mambo, why not just let everyone in based on gpa then. that's the simplest solution. but I do hear what you're saying, the increase in applicant pools probably makes he interview portion of the app impossible. but it really is a missed opportunity. imagine getting a job without an interview, it's absurd. I know old-boys I talk to find it hilarious that schools dont interview anymore, even undergrad arch programs interviewed back in the day.

"After being indoctrinated, however, I know that that presentation and the discourse that results from it is invaluable. It allows an active engagement with specific projects as well as the larger questions in the field of Architecture. And since it's such a key feature of education in the United States, there's no reason why it should not be a part of the admissions process."

maybe i shouldn't be going to get my master's, who knows, but in my experience... people can take an awful project, give a wonderful, cogent speech, and get an A. i don't mind getting up there and talking, especially when i've got a strong case, but this is actually my least favorite part of the architecture process. why not just create good work?

too much b.s. in architecture school as it is.

Don't you have to learn some sales skills? I think relentless presentation practice makes a great deal of sense.

yeah as someone who's actually been in the profession for a few years, presentation and "selling" your ideas is key. as much as you'd love the romantic idea of being a hermit creating beautiful works of art that are just inherently beautiful that people instantly "get" because they're just dripping with genius, is not going to happen.

can't disagree with you there.
presentation practice is super important.
but i often see - professionally and within the university - a bad to mediocre project get talked up to the stars with some fancy footwork presentation wise.
there's a lot of emphasis on creating sharp renderings and selling your project (trust me, i love doing renderings, i know it's the fun part..), but a lot of unlivable/unworkable spaces being designed these days.
this should probably be resigned to a different thread, really. a bit off topic.
sorry!

those people you speak of, selling garbage with fancy-pants renderings and whatnot, will be exposed at some point. just because they use presentation as a tool to wow professors doesn't mean they're making "good architecture", that shouldn't instantly discredit it as a tool for other applications.

what i've learned is that often times the most provocative, memorable ideas require a bit of explanation and defense. one could then argue that the defense or explanation of the project is actually more important than the project itself. depending how good of an 'arguer' you are, this could either make architecture a nightmare (because you cannot defend your brilliant/insane ideas) or an absolute thrill.

Now, now, let's not put words in my mouth. I realize that presentation skills are important in this profession, as they are in almost any profession, but design skills have (and should have) much higher precedence when it comes to admissions, especially since presentation skills can be acquired much more easily down the road when the need arises, compared to design skills which tend to be more inherent. I never said we should go back to accepting people just based on their GPA. I am simply suggesting that in the MArch admissions process, presentation skills are subservient to design skills due to the aforementioned reason, and they do not justify the huge amount of resources necessary to measure (via interviews, etc.) especially since they are so learnable anyway.

Anyway, yes, back on topic would be fine and dandy. Anyone know when most schools start reviewing apps?

saw box of cornell march 1 and march2 apps being reviewed and scored today on a scale of 1-5 ;)

Thanks for the tip anvi! Here's to hoping my app is in the "5" pile :)

In school/academia your ability to present an argument for an idea is fostered. It is not that design/practicality/functionality is not important. It's just one important thing of many.

But in practice design often plays second fiddle to functionality/practicality. So I think finding an aesthetic and a voice for yourself is in someways just as important. Without this people fade into imitation and convention.

SAIC does phone interviews for anyone who cannot/does not want to interview in person. It was very informal, mostly just a feeling out done by the school to make sure I am a "fit" for their program. It adds another step to the process, but I think it could simplify the decision making process for both school and applicant when the time comes.

I imagine most schools will have atleast begun reviewing in the next two weeks so they can start making decisions in march. Once again, good luck to everyone!

So true imsleepy... one of my friends had her phone interview with SAIC last week... very informal. They asked her questions about her undergrad arch program (we're seniors at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), what she wants from SAIC during her m.arch, and what she enjoys doing in her free time (free time... really?).

She did have the opportunity to ask them how many m.arch students are in their first year there, and they answered with a mind-blowing low of 14 STUDENTS.

From what I heard, SAIC should start reviewing next week and decisions will be made available by the end of march. Bonne chance!

has anyone gotten an application completeness confirmation from upenn? i think that they are the only school who has not indicated that they have actually processed everything....

I don't think I received anything either but it says on the online application that all of my materials have been received. I wouldn't worry about it.

gtechture >> ditto

heard from my studio prof that they will begin reviewing portfolios this friday (UT-Austin). good luck to all!

ah no!!! really?? ut austin please please !