Natty,

i was in your position a couple of years ago applying to schools without a developed portfolio, and unfortunately BAC was really my only option at the time. the AOP program was great in that is like a more traditional architectural education experience (intensive studio and the like) but after the first year the transition to working at a firm full time and taking classes at night changes everything.

the collaborative environment is completely lost from that point on. by the time class starts its already 7:15pm, you have your weekly studio critique and then class is over and its 10:30 and its time to start your work for the next day, all before getting up to start work at 7 or 8 the next morning.

i don't want to sound too critical or negative of the program, but I was not satisfied with the program to the point that I am transferring this fall now that I have a decent portfolio. Really you need to weigh whats important to you: BAC is great if you want to have your IDP hours all done by graduation, granted it takes 5.5 years to get your masters if you speed through it and 7.5 for bachelors. But with that in mind you are compromising a lot! The quality of your work is greatly impacted and suffers by having a full time job. Second there is no studio/academic environment. Third, in this current economic environment, it is going to be very hard to find a job, which will really defeat the purposes of going to a school centered around practice. Finally, you will seriously have no LIFE. Everyone says that about going to any school, but it is a whole different level at the BAC.

My advice is wait a year, seriously! Go to some rendering workshops/ computer or freehand/ take some art/arch history courses, develop your portfolio and reapply for fall of 2010. I know waiting another year sounds like forever but consider it.

All that said...if you have your heart set at this point at the BAC as far as neighborhoods:

Back Bay: Real close, Green Line, expensive,
Cambridge: Red line, tons of options, Central Sq., Harvard Sq., Porter Sq., Davis Sq. all good spots, good food, all affordable.

sad but true, I'd have to agree with ronco. Wait a year and build up your portfolio and take up drawing classes or brush up your computer skills, ie. CAD or any one of those 3D programs, then reapply.

Where are you looking at tranfering from.....I did the BAC thing like a million Moons ago and from what people are posting it sounds like it is still more or less the same place just some new faces. Well that said new faces is what all the early year programs are about.

I was fortunate that I landed my bum in an office right away by pure luck I might add. I was the golfer...who transitioned into the model builder, and draftman by the time the oil crisis hit New England in the 70's. Then it was 4 day weeks and yup I was out of New England in an heart beat.

I did live in the Back Bay, in the Fens (a stones throw from Fenway Park) and in Sommerville. I likes Sommerville the best as we were within walking distance to Harvard Square. It did have a nice synergy about the place.

I had alot of friends in the Boston area when I was at BAC who were all unassociated with Architecture. So I never felt isolated. I did alot of my project work in the office before the start of the day, and the partners were cool with it. People in the office were very supportive and more than helpful.

BAC however is hell on one to one relationships....young ladies demand more time than you will be able to find. So if your a monk....you might make it. Otherwise....well otherwise don't plan on having one of those lives....unless your taking sometime off from school every now and then.

The director was part of good article in the latest Architecture Boston
Magazine. I was glad to see that.

Oh, ya if you do end up there, try to crash as many guest lecturer's
at MIT and Harvard as you can.

Thank you all for the information.

On the idea of waiting a year and whatnot, do you think that going there for the first year, then transferring away after I have a bit of a portfolio would be a good idea?

Well here is my thinking about going for a year. If your plan is to transfer anyway after the first I would advise against going. It's just $18,000 for a year in the AOP program and yes you will get a lot out of it (two studios, two arch history courses, 2D and 3D computer and freehand rendering courses, plus other electives, and you will be able to compile a decent portfolio come the end of the year). That said if your only intention is to develop a portfolio so as to transfer, I would seek alternate methods for gaining those foundation skills, such as workshops and even community college courses. Not only will such alternatives cost you a damn side less money, chances are the courses which you have taken at the BAC will not transfer. Maybe if you take a Structures course, or depending on where you transfer maybe your history courses could transfer, but studios almost never transfer.

Im sure you have already placed a deposit but seriously consider if the BAC is what you want. When I went there I was so excited about starting school that I really did not consider the life I was going to have to lead. You good say i could not see the forest through the trees, or however that saying goes. I truly believe the BAC experience is not worth it. An M.Arch is a terminating degree and its the only one you will get, why suffer with a full time job and not be able to take full advantage a school has to offer.

Oh yeah and snook_dude is spot on, if you have a girl or you are in any type of relationship or want to be in one, forget about it, seriously. What person wants to be with someone who works 40-50 hrs/week at a job, plus is taking three courses, and working on assignments the second they get home.

Natty, Im not trying to scare you or bring you down just really consider if the BAC is what you want

I meant to say its just over $18,000, not 'just' $18,000

Yeah i agree...

i also had a similiar expierience as ronco. I went to the bac after taking 2 years of drafting classes at community college. i did the first 2.5 years at the BAC and then transferred to a full time (i wanna say real) architecture school. If your serious about completing an architecture degree, i wouldnt recommend getting involved with the BAC. unless you have an incredible network (job, $, time, housing) in boston that isnt worth giving up...

Working 40 hours a week and dealing with all the stress and drama of the architecture school took its toll. Luckily i pulled off good grades but quickly learned that this crazy schedule isnt working.

no matter how hard the school tried to create a studio environment it just didnt exist. everyone did their studio work at home or in the office, showed up to present and then got the hell outta there.... At my full time architecture school there were people working around the clock on design. i really feeded off that energy... i needed that.

I also had to ditch my girlfriend for the BAC, but thats where that cycle began.

One of BACs selling points was that students could finish idp while still in school and take the ARE after graduation. for some reason i thought that was so cool. But now most states are allowing interns to take the ARE before they even complete idp.

In BAC's defense i must admit i did take an amazing architectural theory class, public speaking class and all my design instructors were top notch! Those classes and professors did make a difference in my education.

...but getting a good design professor is the luck of the draw



<end rant

Mouser
just curious what was the theory class you took and who taught it?

Forum and design principles??? i think

Professor Ariel Brain


...it was in 2001

Ariel Brain rocks! That was the best class (design principles) at the BAC, by far......