1) gpa doesn't matter much for arch grad schools. your gpa seems fine. it is almost impossible to find gpa/gre stats for arch grad schools so don't waste your time trying to find them.

2) i think they expect to see hand drawings from most march i applicants. in fact, for march i, they would usually expect more non-arch work than arch work if i'm not mistaken.

3) you don't have a chance in any of them so just forget about it, take a chainsaw to your neck and sleep in peace

Your gpa will be just fine, no worries there because your portfolio will be the key at any school you apply to.

As a recent UIC alum, I also do not have any hand drawings in my portfolio and I feel okay about it, so you can too. As long as your architectural work is beautiful that will speak more than any great sketching abilities.

There are plenty of resources (archinect being one) where you can find out as much information as you can about the schools you are applying too. I recommend visiting as many as you can but don't sweat not being able to visit them all. Just get as much of a feel for the program and the people as you can because the most important thing is that you like the work the school is producing, not just that you sure do think the campus is pretty.

Also, lots of your questions and more would be answered by the "commiserate" thread. I highly recommend checking out this year's and passed ones as well. They are full of great insight.

Any input on Cornell's MArch 2 (ADR) program, UPenn (MArch), Yale (MArch) and/or CalB (March)?

@ staryee

hankd's first point is a pretty standard, and IMO correct, opinion. GPA/GRE is really usually used as a tie breaker. I forget who wrote this, but an archinecter who had insight into the GSD's admission process stated in an earlier thread that the people sorting through applications look at the portfolio first, will then sort the ENTIRE application based on their original take on the portfolio, putting it in one of three piles: obvious admit, obvious reject, and "look again later". Your GRE/GPA will most likely only be a factor if your portfolio falls into the latter category.

Concerning your other inquiries. I'm in @ Columbia and Harvard with a 3.5 GPA, 580 V, 770 Q. AND 4.5 Analytical. I also didn't have any hand drawings in my portfolio. That being said, I didn't have any buildings in my portfolio either. My thoughts were that in applying to these schools your work can be ridiculously good, or notably different; i thought I would have a better chance falling into the latter category, so i went the "non-traditional, stand-out, work route. Which got me in, but also didn't allow me advanced placement. So you have to pick your battles.

You'll be fine. Over the next year, since you have your GRE out of the way, spend 89% of the time your devoting to your application, to your portfolio. 0.5% of your time calling in letters of rec (and following up on them), 0.5% on the actual application, and 10% on your statement. This last one may vary a little bit, I'm terrible at writing about myself, so the statement was much more time-consuming than it should have been.

Also, if you want hand-drawings in there, you don't necessarily have to shell out for classes. Work on some self-motivated projects, or bolster your portfolio with Bustler competition entries.