*First Post

I'm planning to use Archinect more in the future and figured I should start contributing, so here you go.

- 23/Male/USA

- B.E.D. Texas A&M University

- 4.0 GPA

- GRE scores: 167 (V) 155 (Q) 4.0 (W)

- PORTFOLIO : http://issuu.com/wildesinthailand/docs/ben_wilde-_portfolio_issuu

- 3 Letters of Rec... 2 from studio profs and 1 from the director of a design/build program that I attended

- UTSOA (in) 

Waiting on financial offer and advanced placement packet

- Kansas University (no news yet - pretty confident)

- Final decision - Probably UTSOA (Kansas was a backup school that I liked for their design-build track)  The financial aid offer will be a big factor. 

I took a year off after school and moved to Thailand to teach English and work with orphaned kids.  My time away from school has given me tremendous clarity.   I decided that I wanted to go back to grad school, but wanted it to be on my terms.  I applied only to schools I would be really happy to go to, that were affordable for a Texas resident, and located in a place that we liked and where my wife could easily find a teaching job.  I was fully prepared to be rejected and go to work if needed, and I'm pleased that things worked out the way they did.

- 23/Male/Chinese

- B.Arch/ Syracuse University, Spring 2014

- GPA 3.92

- GRE scores 164V+169Q+3.5/ TOEFL scores 118

- 3 of letter of recommendations/ from professors

- Harvard GSD: M.Arch II (accepted)

   MIT: SMArchS Urbanism (accepted)

            MCP (still waiting)

   Cornell: M.Arch II (accepted)

- Final decision should be GSD
 

Tips: the personal statement should be given more attention, because it is a great tool to organize one's own thought, and, when working well with the ideas expressed in the portfolio, will be a great platform to express one's personality.

Another tip: personally I would recommend that one should only apply to schools that he/she really wants to go, so narrow down the schools to 3 or 4. In this way one can be more focused on the application process as well.

-29/Male/Hispanic

-B.A. in Architecture / Clemson University, Spring 2008 with +5 years of office experience 

-GPA 2.9

-GRE Scores 146V 148Q  W3.0 - I know its weak....never been any good at taking tests

- letter from principle, letter from senior manager & letter from alumni of each program

-UCLA: Accepted

-Michigan: Accepted

-Virginia Tech: Still waiting on decision

-USC: Still waiting on decision

-Final decision should be UCLA (instate tuition).....Michigan is tempting...still need time to think this through. 

Notes: I agree 110% with Juxian....put in the time to compose a concise and distinguished personal statement, one that will separate you from the rest. It should align and flow in perfect unison with your portfolio and the program you are applying to. If you have experienced harsh barriers in your life, be explicit and give vivid examples when explaining your story....schools love to read these. Do not be afraid to brake the rules, my letter went way over the word limit (but only if you have a good reason). Like I said, try to stand out from the rest.

Do not let low GPA or low test scores discourage you from applying, I honestly did not think I had a shot at any of the programs listed above. Life is full of surprises!

Good luck to everyone!

- 28/Male/Chinese/Singapore Citizen

- B.A (International Relations) Brown University, Fall 2010

- Former analyst at an investment firm

- GPA 3.84

- GRE V168, Q166, W 5.5 (Converted from older format)

- 4x letter of recommendations: Career Discovery instructor, NY/P instructor (2, but one submitted in March), and CEO of the investment firm I worked for.

- GSD M.Arch I - Admitted ; Yale SOA M.Arch I - Admitted

This is my second try. I had rashly applied back in 2010, with some work from Brown (Paintings, sculptures) and my Career Discovery projects. Was rejected by all schools that I'd applied to back then. I then took a three year detour through finance before attending NY/P in Fall 2013 and applying last December.

I agree with the above re: the personal statement. I hadn't thought too much about it initially, with all my worries on the portfolio, but I re-worked the essay substantially after NY/P ended to better connect my life experiences, lessons learned from my finance work, and my design work. It was a fine line between pontificating (Given how little I knew about design) and establishing my thoughts on good design, but thankfully it worked.

I took a punt on my career by applying to only 2 schools, reasoning that I only wanted schools that were the best fit pedagogically. The downside is that I would have been screwed if neither accepted me. That said,  I agree with juxian on focusing on narrowing down one's choices.

Good luck to all!

23/Male/Venezuelan

Vassar College, BA in Urban Studies, 2014

3.49

GRE: V158, Q154, W 4 - TOEFL 118

http://issuu.com/carlosignaciohernandez/docs/carloshernandezportfoliovers4

4-5 letters of recommendation from: architecture history professor, major adviser, studio critic, and two internship supervisors

Applied to: Harvard GSD, Yale SOA, Columbia GSAPP

IN:
Harvard GSD ($$)
Yale SOA (no $)

PENDING:
Columbia GSAPP

Waiting until the admitted student days, but I think it will be the GSD for me!

Howdy all. I trolled these threads of years past in order to motivate me/ground me in reality for when I applied so I figure that the least I can do is give back.

25/Male/Black American

B.S. - Program II (custom major in Civil EGR, Mech. EGR, Art History, Visual Arts), Duke University, 2011, but took architecture courses at nearby NC State in Raleigh

Took three years off to work at a general contractor in the Washington, DC metro area.

3.01 (BAD freshman year brought me down), 3.7 major GPA

162V, 166Q, 5W

If you'd like to see my portfolio just inbox me.

3 LoR's, one from Duke professor I TA'd architectural engineering courses for (NCSU alum, VP of an east coast firm), one from a Duke mathematics professor, and one from a Project Manager/direct supervisor at the GC. I was going to get a 4th from a professor of architecture at NCSU (fellow blue devil, got PhD in physics from UNC Chapel Hill and a M.Arch from NCSU) for whom I did research during the summer of 2011 but he came down with an illness and didn't have the time. Thankfully he's better now.

I applied to M.Arch I programs for all schools unless otherwise noted.

IN:

Georgia Tech (+Civil Engineering)

Clemson

UNC Charlotte

NC State (+Civil Engineering)

Cornell 

Harvard

OUT:

MIT 

Yale

AWAITING DECISION:

Columbia

Princeton

UPenn

UC Berkeley (+Civil Engineering)

Final Decision: It's certainly going to be hard to beat Harvard GSD, but I'm waiting I hear back from all schools before I make a final decision. That said, unless Columbia or Princeton offers up some big $$$ then it's GSD for me.

In the way of tips...sheesh, where do I begin? First, I agree with everyone above in their assessments. You may think it weird that I say that given that I did the exact opposite of what Juxian suggested in regards to number of schools, but even though I went another way with it I do think that his reasoning is sound and that his approach can work for many.

I think that I was able to get away with applying to so many was because I gave myself a LOT of time to prepare. Applying to grad school, especially one that requires a portfolio, is a huge time commitment that shouldn't be underestimated, especially if you're working a full-time job (to the gentleman above who was an investment analyst...holy smokes, do you ever have my admiration, and maybe I'll see you in Cambridge!). When I wasn't working, I was cranking out application material. That's not to say that if you only apply to 3-4 that you would be spending proportionately less time on your apps - I'd wager that I didn't spend much more time on my stuff than anyone above, as it gets repetitive after a while - so make sure to give yourself a few months. Audit your time wisely.

Another thing that truly helped me from a personal standpoint was taking these last threes years away from school. After almost 20 years of essentially having one form of validation (good grades) I think it's necessary to experience the working world and see how it stacks up against what you've done before in your life. You'll learn a lot about yourself that way and grow as a person, which will pay dividends when you're living the graduate school life. When I first came up to DC from NC to work I was worried, in a sense, that I wouldn't want to pursue architecture and would settle into construction. Instead, my passion for the field only grew in my time away from school. I realize that not everyone has the choice to do this but if you can I would certainly consider it. You probably deserve a break. 

In terms of the GRE, I would say that you should strive for the best score you know that you're capable of. I ended up taking it twice, as the first time I just didn't feel comfortable with it afterwards. Took it again, got the score I got above, and called it a day. From my understanding (and after hours on the phone with all my schools asking about multiple GRE policies and how much weight is given), unless it's an abnormally low score, it won't preclude you from getting accepted.

Sorry for the essay. I wish you all the best of luck in applying, and I want to congratulate everyone on all their acceptances. 

Full Disclosure: I'm an MLA Student applying for a concurrent degree in Architecture

23 / M / United States

Bachelors of Environmental Design / University of Minnesota / Graduated May 2013

Currently in MLA Program / University of Oregon

Last 60 credit hours GPA: 3.4

155q / 156v / 4.5w

3 letters from Undergrad capstone professor, Grad Professor, Grad Chair of Landscape Arch.

APPLIED:

Harvard GSD (Rejected)
UPenn (M.Arch/MLA - Waiting)
University of Oregon (M.Arch - Waiting)
Washington University in St. Louis (M.Arch/MLA - Accepted, waiting on financial aid info)

Final Decision:
WashU / Penn are my top choices, if either of them offers me financial aid that makes them competitive with Oregon, that's where I'll be heading.
 

Tips:
Express serious interest in the schools you're applying to. Do your research. DO NOT send a generic letter. I know for a fact that WashU wants applicants that want to be there, not the ones that are applying because of some ranking.
 

Ok I'll do this now that all of the decisions are out.

27/M/United States

Bachelors of Architecture / Southern California Institute of Architecture / Graduated 2012

3.75 GPA

http://issuu.com/joshuasmith96/docs/joshua_smith_portfolio_issue

GRE Scores: 158q/164v/3.5w

Recommendations - 3 : Undergraduate Director, Thesis Director, Thesis Advisor who is  a former school Director.

APPLIED (M.arch II):

Harvard GSD (In with $$$)

Columbia GSAPP (In with $$}

UCLA Suprastudio Hodgetts (In with no aid)

FINAL DECISION:
GSD. I am super excited to get off the west coast finally!

Tips:
Spend more time than you think you need to on your portfolio.

Before the application process begins try and get your work out there and get involved in gallery shows/exhibitions/publications. 

Try and show your personality/enthusiasm in your statement of purpose.

25/F/International Student

B.Arch / Graduated 2011

3.5 GPA

GRE Scores : 158q/148v/ 3.5w

Recommendations - 4 : Senior Vice President of Arch Firm, Vice President (Bartlett graduate), 2 Professors ( MIT and AA graduate)

APPLIED (M.Arch II)
IN: Harvard GSD, Cornell, Columbia GSAPP
OUT: Yale
AWAITING: Penn, Berkeley, Princeton, Cooper Union, MIT SMArchS

FINAL DECISION:
Most likely GSD

Tips:

Order of importance - Portfolio, Statement of Purpose, Work Experience, GPA, Recommendations, GRE

@Hershey @juxian looks like we will be In the same m.arch II class. Are you all planning on going to the open house?

@insomniarch as much as I would like to attend the open house. I dont think I will be able to attend...14 hours away from me! what about u?

23 / F / International Student / French

M.Arch / Graduated 2014

2 years of experience at various firms

3.96 GPA

GRE Scores : 149q/146v/ 3.0w

TOEFL : 98

For MLA, MCP and MSAUD programs

Recommendations - 5 : 2 " starchitect ",  1 Senior associate big US firm (GSD alumni), 2 Professors ( MIT,GSD,YSOA alumni)

APPLIED : GSD, UPenn, GSAPP, Berkeley, Cornell, MIT

IN: Harvard GSD MLA 1AP, Columbia GSAPP MSAUD, UPenn MLA 2, Berkeley MLA 2, MIT for a MCP CDD with a concentration in Landscape + Urbanism

OUT: Cornell MLA 2

FINAL DECISION:
Most likely GSD but MIT is also very tempting, waiting on scholarships !

Tips:

Forget test scores !!! If you have a great portfolio / statement of purpose / recommendations letter it will be fine ! And get experience at firms where people have a relationship with the school you are applying to. The admission committee wants to know who is recommending you.

Hey @insomniarch, I just shoot you an email :)

24 / F / American

Masters in International Relations

3.7 GPA

147 Quantitative / 162 Verbal / 4.5 Written 

Recs from a former professor, former employer, architects I briefly interned with, plus informal Career Discovery instructor letter 

Rejected: GSD, Yale, Berkeley

Waitlisted: Cornell 

Admitted: GSAPP and MIT

MIT is my dream school and I'm almost certainly going there, but I will attend Columbia's open house as well. 

TIPS: I got excellent advice from someone on Archinect while I was applying to ensure that your portfolio and statement of objectives complement each other. I worked really hard on my essay and then went back to redesign my portfolio based around it. I honestly believed I stood no chance with any of these schools because of my shitty GRE score, but it turns out they really don't matter! Just show them that you are interesting and interested. :)

sorry forgot to specify I applied for MArch I. 

@Tabeguache

I think 162 verbal and 4.5 writing is not shitty GRE score lol

@decoracao

A lot of M.Arch programs require calculus and if one is getting abnormally low scores on the quantitative GRE which is just into the basics of trigonometry, then I would start to question the rigor of such advanced mathematics courses taken to fulfill prereqs. Math skills build up and it's a strange anomaly even if there's no direct or indirect correlation. Verbal is a cultural thing--the more familiar you are with English, the better chances you have to guess the tricky stuff that is all context and implicit.

Not a big deal seeing how little value the exam holds in this field's admissions process at least but it helps to understand how such things can be perceived. 

- 25/F/American

- Political Science/ Emory/ 2011 (Currently working on a masters in planning.)

- Undergrad 3.3

- 3 recs. All 3 from designers. Of the 3, two came from professors who taught a course at my current planning program (one of which was my advisor who happened to be faculty at one point at the GSD).

- Schools for MLA

IN: GSD w $$$, Cornell

OUT: Penn

- Final decision: GSD (Really easy decision b/c Cornell didn't offer any $.)

-TIPS: Honestly, I think visiting really helped me. I only visited the GSD, but I made sure to get face time with the faculty and the director of the program. I think coming in with a masters in planning helped to mitigate my undergraduate GPA & GRE a little. My GREs were not amazing as I didn't really take time to prepare for the test. I only took it once 2 years ago. I didn't think it was necessary for me to retake that test especially since I'm in a regarded planning program. I think as long as you don't bomb the GRE, they don't care that much.  I had some really fantastic recommendations. My professor/advisor who previously taught at the GSD was probably very instrumental. I did my application kind of last minute. I literally finished right before midnight. However, I had a body work that I could easily use and an unique cover page that my designer recommenders really loved. I think seeing successful GSD portfolios from when I visited really really helped.

Is it just me or do these kinds of threads only ever include about half a dozen schools?

I'm not complaining, I just think it would be interesting and informative to many of the people who are coming here for information if there was a broader section of students and schools represented.

I understand Natematt, I applied to the Ivy leagues because, well, you never know if you may get in with a great scholarship! I also applied to a lot of other schools that I am really excited about (UIC, USC, Pratt, UCLA).  I attended the University of Kentucky for Undergrad, which is a wonderful program (Lexington is a smaller city, but it's easy to fall in love with). We have alumni that are now working at Morphosis, Shop, UN Studio, and other top notch offices.  

The way I see it, if you get into Yale, or Harvard, or any other highly valued school with an amazing scholarship, then yes, go!  But if you are paying full tuition or almost full tuition, then don't do it.  I have too many professors that are in their 40's telling me that they are still paying off their grad school loans.  In the end it is not about the school, it is about you.  Every school has connections! 

If you have 100K-200K worth of student loans, you may have to make job sacrifices base on your financial situations. Example: You pay full tuition at Harvard.  After graduation you want to work for a smaller up and coming firm, or you want to start an office of your own.  But you can't, because you won't make enough money to pay your loans...so then you have to work in a larger corporate office (which isn't necessarily a bad thing, it just depends on what YOU want to do).   My mentor explained this to me when I was applying.  To be blunt: if they aren't giving you a large scholarship, they don't really want you.  They need you to pay for the students that they did give hefty scholarships to. 

^ I think a lot of people are self-conscious about posting in these threads if they aren't going one of the top rated or ivy schools. A lot of these threads come off as people just trying to boast about their accomplishments rather than being genuinely helpful, but at the same time I think a lot of people are just trying to be helpful or want to talk about the process. I certainly think this thread was made with the best intentions as Sagar didn't even say his choice.

Sagar applied before--I remember seeing his work and his questions on international scholarships. Don't recall what he did in the end but the post history is there.

Arch grad school is just like any other place: prestige matters and you don't want to be looked down upon. We have a general idea of how high or low schools are ranked and that sometimes unfairly correlates a program of many to the potential of one. These threads don't serve much of a purpose because decisions are out of anyone's control. It's mysterious, not consistent, and thus no clear widely applicable mode of action. A lot of conjecture we can't say for sure was the key factor. A good portfolio is what exactly? A bad one? What about purpose?

people hope to find some golden process in here but it ain't that easy nor straightforward-- they likely consider the applicant, their drive, and ability to grow in relations to first impressions. Different cities nurture at their own pace, different skills/backgrounds expand in their own way in the right environment. Doubt any two people here think alike and have the exact same goals so there isn't a simple plan of action to extract from.

A new format to the question prompt would be better. Less results-oriented, more why's but that might be too open and public for some.

I completely agree with you, Natematt. I think most people who post here are the ones who are all like 'I got into Harvard AND Yale AND Columbia with $$$'. While that is fantastic and I'm sure well deserved, it also paints an incomplete picture in terms of admit rates and university range. Notice that almost everybody who has posted in these threads have gotten into the handful of top elite schools, most with acceptance rates ranging between 6-12%. Going by this site, you'd almost think it's too easy to get into these schools. 

I'm also a little sick of these 'Dont go to an Ivy, it's not worth it and you'll make the same connections at XYZ state schools'. I applied to a range of schools which I chose based on a number of factors including fit, location, and yes, prestige. It was important to me and I am very aware of the fact that the brand and the connections play a huge part in opening doors, which is particularly useful in this fragile economy. These schools give you a massive headstart by opening up some amazing opportunities, beyond which it's all you. This is only my opinion, for someone else the factors may be entirely different - money, logistics, location etc. So I don't think we should be on either of the two bandwagons, neither the Ivy-bashing one or the Ivys are everything one. I think this thread should move beyond the endless GSD/YSOA/GSAPP/MIT lists into a slightly more holistic discussion as to why people chose to apply where, what (speculatively) they believe got them through the door, and what could they have done better in terms of their rejections, in addition to fantastic stats which I'm sure most of us have. Lets take it a notch up, guys! :)

- 22/F/American

- Architecture/ University of Illinois/ 2014

- 3.7

- 155/160/4

- http://issuu.com/davidso9/docs/issuu_version1 

- 3 letters,  1 French architect/professors, 2 professors

In:
Pratt-$$$

Out:
MIT
GSD


All of them were for MArch.I. Unsure if I am going to go to Pratt or spend some time out of school. I was split whether to go straight into masters to be begin with but I thought it was at least worth a try.  Wanted to try something different with regards to the portfolio. I know its out there a bit, but I figured for this first time around it was better to stand out. 

My personal preference with regards to portfolio is to really really really make sure it emanates who you are. I see too many portfolios that just turn into people placing their boards into them without any consideration to what the project could begin to start implying or questioning.  

Does anyone have any information on Pratt? I have worked with a professor there who I think is amazing, but any more feedback on it would be great. GSD is my dream school and I am not sure if I want to give up on it yet. 

Hi Natematt,

I'm still in the process of deciding between colleges that I got accepted, since the financial aid hasn't been delivered.

But I don't see a point where I have to update my every acceptance letter by WOOOHH and rejection by DAMMM to the forum and flood it.

There's no self-consciousness, when I'm showing my identity guys.

Let's keep those stats rolling.
 

I think there is some truth to criticisms that have been shared in this forum. I got on the ball late when it came to applying. I wish I had applied to a greater variety of schools. I missed every school with a December deadline. When I missed them, I figured I'd just take a shot and apply to the ones where my recommenders had some pull and where I would really go if I was accepted. Also, I did not want to spend so much money on application fees. I'm a graduate student already, and I thought 3 or 4 schools with a very tailored personal statement would be okay. 

For anyone applying, my recs told me it is a bit of a crap shoot at times. I think GREs and GPAs can be mitigated with intriguing portfolios, personal statements and strong LoRs. It never hurts to apply if you think you have a shot. I didn't think I had a real shot until I had a serious conversation about the GSD w my advisor. Lastly, when I met some GSD faculty and told them my background at the fall Open House, it really made me feel a bit more confident. 

Best of luck everyone with their decisions. 

hi @davidso9  let me know if you get any information on pratt, got accepted for fall 2014 and im still undecided as to where I want to go. 

@ Sagar

I'm not being critical of you at all, and I wasn't suggesting you were being self-concious. If anything I think this is about the most obviously well intentioned thread about decisions that I have seen. I was mostly just speaking about others, who are probably not posting anything in this thread, who feel to self-conscious about their options/choices to share.

I do remember you asking for thoughts and feedback on stuff a while back so I would be interested in your final decision when you make it.

22/M/Canadian

BA&Sc (Molecular biology + Sociology), McGill University, 2013

GPA 3.11

GRE: V154/Q152/W4.5

3 Rec Letters: Independent research project (in breast cancer) supervisor/professor, neurology lab employer/principle investigator, and Intro to Arch studio critic

Intro to Architecture, Summer 2013

No related architecture work experience 

IN (MArch I):

Columbia GSAPP

UC Berkeley ($$)

University of British Columbia SALA 

Decision: leaning towards GSAPP because of their program but will visit schools for open houses to make sure I don't regret my final decision

Tips:

Spend as much time as you can on your portfolio - it can help compensate with your "lower" stats (like mine are nothing outstanding). Although not saying the other parts of your application don't matter, your portfolio should just be the most representative of who you are as an applicant. I wish I had given myself more time to apply as I didn't start my applications until late November when my studio critic said it couldn't hurt to throw my name in the pile for this year's cycle - hence why I only applied to three schools. Write your statement at the end to avoid repeating things you've already introduced about yourself in your portfolio. Don't say you've always to be an architect. Have someone proofread your portfolio every once in a while (I had my first name spelled wrong on the cover up until the day before I had it final printed). Be sure to print a test copy - doesn't have to be close to being finished - and see what it looks like as a physical portfolio (colours, layout, binding, etc). Sleep and eat properly.

I didn't expect to get into any schools this year! Excited for Fall 2014!

Hello!

M/28/USA

Undergrad: BBA (2008) Belmont University, Nashville

GPA: 3.4

GRE: 153V/157Q

Portfolio

Letters of Rec: 2 GSAPP professors (New York / Paris) and 1 former employer (Marketing VP of a streaming music service)

Yes (all w $-$$):

Columbia

U of Texas

U of Michigan

Berkeley

No:

MIT

Rice

Princeton

21/M/Australian

B.Arch University of South Australia

GPA 3.5

GRE: V146/Q148/W2.5

TOEFL : Didn't sit it as I'm Australian - not wasting money to prove I can speak English. 

4 Rec Letters: Professor of final B.Arch Design Studio, Tutor of that studio, Work Experience Firm, Professional Employer Letter

Portfolio

3 Architectural related work experiences.

IN:

U of Oregon Track II in Portland

U of Illinois @ Chicago

Georgia Tech

Kansas State 

No Financial aid offered at the moment - extremely hard as an international. Applying for everything possible. 

Out:

U of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Decision: Oregon all the way, Portland sounds amazing to study at given their sustainability and urban design focus. That's where my passion lies. 

Tips:

Organise yourself as an international. Deadlines are at stupid times and can conflict with your schooling year. Email EVERYONE and make sure you have self confidence. 

I didn't expect to get into any schools, even mid tier ones and now here I am with 4/5 acceptances. As such I really regret not applying to Ivy Leauges + higher standing east coast ones. 

- 24/International

- B.A.Architecture in 2013

- V165,Q166,W4.5/T112

- 3 RECS from professors

- M.Arch I

- YES: Yale($15,000), MIT($0), Princeton(1/4 tuition)

- NO: GSD AP

- DECISION: maybe not going.

- TIPS: posting this just to let you guys know that it's not always full ride or a lot of money from MIT and Princeton(, which I never knew). Not sure if it's only this year tho.

@dailyarch, I believe you can keep applying for scholarships each year (or so I've been told for GSAPP).  Can anyone else speak to this?

@Edwin99 and @dailyarch Scholarships are usually reassessed yearly. At least from my research. 

24/F/International

Bachelor of Arts - Geography and Poli Sci

GPA is hard to calculate because my school didn't use it. Somewhere between a 3.3 and 3.6 I would guess.

160V, 155M, 5.5A

IN: UCLA ($$), UW (Unknown)

OUT: GSD, GSAPP, UC Berkeley

Waiting: U of T

Decision: Probably UCLA. They way they've engaged with their prospective students has really bumped them up my list. They were probably my 2nd choice after Berkeley, so since I didn't get in there, I'm quite happy with UCLA!

GSAPP: YES, YOU CAN REAPPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS EVERY YEAR. IF YOU DIDN'T GET ANY SCHOLARSHIPS THIS YEAR, THERES A CHANCE YOU WILL GET SOME THE FOLLOWING YEAR. I TALKED TO SOME SECOND YEARS WHO DIDN'T GET ANY DURING THEIR FIRST YEAR GOT AT LEAST 12-18K IN THEIR 2ND YEAR.

@dailyarch

Why aren't you going? Are you going to reapply next year? Is it the money?

@lataco I probably shouldn't be talking about it in this thread.

Yes, it's mainly about the money. With a combined family yearly income (parents and me) less than $45,000, and family saving also around $40,000,even half tuition would be a huge burden for me and my family. Thinking about coming back to Asia after graduation, don't think I could pay back the loan either (don't want to live with the loan as well).

I got a satisfactory job in Asia after getting my B.A. last year, earning little but learning much. Was just appointed to lead two real projects right after I submitted my application for schools. I guess I still have time and don't have to go to school now. So maybe I'll reapply and see in several years.

Plus, having only heard people talking about full-rides or half or 3/4 at MIT and Princeton, being asked to pay 3/4 or 4/4 is a huge bummer after the excitement of admission. It's like "we want you here but we want to have you pay for your classmates' tuition!"

I know it's only because I'm not good enough. So I'm not confident to go either.

@batman The second year scholarship thing in GSAPP does not apply to internationals right?

RIGHT. INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS DO NOT GET ANY SCHOLARSHIPS AT GSAPP. IT SUCKS TO GET INTO ALL THESE SCHOOLS AND NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND BECAUSE OF FINANCIAL REASONS. 

GO WHERE IT IS CHEAP. AND THEN WORK YOUR ASS OFF TO APPLY TO BIG NAME FIRMS BECAUSE YOU JUST SMURF ALL THEM FOOLS. 

@dailyarch

I admire your self-esteem. BTW, are you from China? I know several Chinese candidates for Princeton this year who are being offered 1/4 tuition fellowship, so I don't think it is that you are not good enough. Maybe the policies are changing for international candidates this year.

@lataco I'm from China. I feel better with your words. Maybe it's those rich Chinese families eager to pay to send their children to the States these years that are making them count on tuition from China, lol. Mine is not one of them. I wouldn't even have been able to finish my B.A. in the States without the financial aid I got then.

- 24/Male

- B.S.Architecture 2014

- 2 years of professional experiences in international offices

- V720,Q740,W4.5 (old GRE)

- 2 letters from professors, 2 from employers

- M.Arch I

- YES: Rice(full ride + fellowship)

- WL: Yale, Princeton

- NO: GSD AP, MIT

Please let me know if you decide to drop your offer from either Yale or Princeton. Many thanks!

- 25/female/ citizen (latina)

- BA Studio Art/ CSULA/ 2014

-3.8

- verbal 152. qua 150

- portfolio w/ out cover page. i also bound it myself and made it look like a legit boot with textured cover. http://issuu.com/beabea88/docs/portfoliototal

- 4 letters of rec : sculpture professor, painting professor, ceramics professor and architecture  professor from community college

- only applied to cal poly pomona.... first choice. accepted 3/24 via email. Definitely going there for the M Arch 1 (3 yr ) 

So excited that i got accepted :)

I knew including my hitler piece was a little risky

 

25/ Female

BS Interior Design/ May 2013

GPA: 3.4

-Verbal 148 Math 148 (was never a great test taker)

3 letters of rec: upper studio prof, lower studio prof, and intern employer

-applied to UT Austin, U of Houston, & Sci-Arc 

SCI-ARC- Accepted by phone

UT Austin- waitlist

U of Houston- pending

if not accepted into Texas schools, Sci-Arc here I come!  

@lescape Have you heard anything from your waitlists? It's pretty painful!

I got into cca and sci arc my undergraduate GPa was 2.5 I spent money to take night classes and get portfolio together also included some drawings and paintings that I did for fun with friends . My GRE was 1010 in the old format .. Got letters from teachers .. This post is mostly for those who have doubts because they have low GPa or whatever .. Keep in mind if there's a will therea a way research options and go for it .. 

Although its not all gravy I got offered a little scholarship money at cca haven't got the package from sci arc but doubt I will get any scholarship from there so its gonna cost 100k + for me to go .. But I am pretty sure I'm gonna do it 

i also applied to ucla berkely Columbia and USC didnt get into any of those haven't heard from USC actually but I have lost interest in their m arch program .. I went 2/6 and there's like 120 accredited programs so I think anyone has good odds if they really go for it 

23/ F/ International

Bachelor of Architectural Science/ Class of 2012

GPA 3.2

GRE 158/158/4.0

3 letters of recommendations from professors (alumni of Yale, SCI-Arc & Harvard) + 1 letter from principal of a boutique office 

Was gunning for "cheaper" (compared to ivies) schools with emphasis on digital design, rapid prototyping and theory:
- UCLA  M.Arch I + 23k
- SCI-Arc  M.Arch II + 20k
- Pratt  M.Arch + 45k

Final decision
- Seriously deciding between UCLA & SCI-Arc. The tuition for all 3 schools turn out to be approx. the same.
 

21/M/International

Bachelor of Management/July 2014

GPA 2.7

GRE 138/161/3.0

2 letters of recommendations: 1 from prof. (Cambridge alumni); 1 from teaching follow in Cambridge (Cambridge, Harvard alumni).

- YES: SCI-Arc M.Arch I +20k; UCL, Bartlett MA Architectural History

- WAIT: GSAPP M.Arch I (lets see whether they would break their rules)

- NO: GSD, YSOA, PSOA

Final decision: SCI-Arc or GSAPP

23 / F / United States

B.A. Architecture / University of California, Berkeley / 2012

GPA: 3.54; GRE: 165V, 162Q, 4.5W

WORK in architecture: 2.5 years, some while I was still in school. This is including time between now and September when M.Arch starts

PORTFOLIO: Unfortunately I am restricted from posting here due to work projects included. (sorry!). If you would like to see it, just message me.

Letters of rec: 1 from professor (GSD alum), 1 from professor/former employer (Bay Area), 1 from current principal (Bay Area)

APPLIED (M.Arch 1):
IN: GSAPP (no $), PennDesign ($)
OUT: GSD, YSOA, MIT

Final decision: GSAPP

TIPS: Not sure how qualified I am to be giving tips but here's my two cents.. (1) As others here have said already, only apply to schools that you are really interested in going to. I had one other school that I had been thinking about applying to and actually decided the day before the app was due (I had finished, just hadn't submitted) that I wasn't going to do it. Gut feeling just told me that I wasn't going to be happy there... I haven't regretted it for a second. (2) If you have the time, make specialized portfolios for each program you apply to. I had 3 portfolios: one for GSAPP, one for UPenn, and one for GSD/YSOA/MIT. I think it shows in my results.