- 23/f/asian
- visual studies/ brown/ 2008
- 3.9 major/ 3.3 overall
- 780 m/ 690 v/ 5.0

- 4 LOR/ from career discovery instructor, department head, employer, engineering prof

- GSD's Career discovery. Loved it. bulk of portfolio was fine art mixed with projects from cdisco that i remade/ reshot. the program gave me an excellent inside look into the gsd, as well as changed the way i approached architectural thinking

- IN
cornell +nearly full ride
upenn +34K
berkeley +12K
sci-arc +full ride
yale +27K
columbia +20K
gsd +24K

-OUT
princeton + portfolio back

- very incredibly excited to be attending the GSD this fall despite some debt

- 23/f/asian
- ba from utoronto, specialist in arch
- 3.68
- 700 ver 780 quant 4.5 writ
- 3 letters, 2 from utoronto profs, 1 from intro prof at gsapp
- gsapp's summer intro program, previously 3 years of studio prep at utoronto.
- portfolio is not online but showcased 7 projects from studios at utoronto + summer intro. in hindsight, a lot of my included work is landscape-esque because that was my strongest stuff and was told that strong>arch-related. not the greatest at graphic design so the lack of sleekness may have been a factor.
- visited gsd and yale open houses. really liked the student motivated attitude at gsd as well as their socially-integrated arch projects. thus became 1st choice.
- IN:
upenn joint MLA/MArchI, only got into MLA w/ 4000
gsapp marchI, in, no $
utoronto marchI, in probably with $

OUT:
yale marchI
gsd marchI

- final: though financially killer for intnl stdnts, gsapp it is.

anyone know the chances to getting into one program at upenn and then applying to do a joint thereafter? after reading above, i'm thinking i shouldve done the career discovery for gsd though intro was really good as well.

27/male/white

B.S.-Business and Design Graphics, Abilene Christian University
MArch- The University of Houston
Wolf D. Prix Studio, die Angewandte (no degree)

GRE not required
GPA is probably about a 3.6-3.7, but I didn't look at the transcripts
portfolio:portfolio

Letters of Rec: two from UH professors and one from the Prix Studio

Applied to one school-maybe crazy, but I did. I thought about the AADRL, Columbia, and a couple other programs, but I decided on SCI-Arc's SCIFI program. I'm intrigued by their goals, and am also interested in the concept of LA as a laboratory. Additionally, I wanted a warmer climate near the ocean with access to outdoor activities and I am considering relocating to this part of the country.

oh, and I got in.

-28/white/m
-b.arch from RPI, working for 4 yrs now in NYC
-3.87 gpa
-780v, 750q, 4.5w
-letters from 2 profs, and my project manager at the time
-portfolio's not online at the moment, but it had about 8 projects, an even mix of personal/academic work and professional work to which I'd contributed significantly.

Applying for post-pro degrees, by the way.

GSAPP- in w/ $
Penn- in w/ less $
Princeton, GSD- out

GSAPP/ AAD it is... the more I learn about the program, the more excited I get, so I'm happy with my results in the end.

However, in retrospect, I spent too much time studying for the GRE, and didn't leave enough time for assembling my portfolio... a bit useless actually, because Columbia, my final choice, doesn't required the GRE. Word of advice, give yourselves enough time to compile a portfolio, but also sufficient time to step away for a day or two, then come back and edit it and add/remove/ change work as appropriate. Show it to a few trusted critics to get some fresh eyes on it.

Good luck all!

-23/female/Iranian
-B.Arch, 2 yrs of work experience in Tehran
-3.8 GPA
-300 V, 730 Q, 3.5 W
-2 letters from professors, 1 from employer
-portfolio not available online (5 academic projects+2 work experience projects+art works)

admitted to:
SCI-arc
USC $
U Washington
CCA $
Cal Poly Pomona

Waitlist:
Cornell

Rejected from:
GSD
Columbia
MIT
U Penn
UCLA
UC Berkeley

sci arc, usc, or UW??????? where should I go?

-23/male
- B.S. in Architecture
- 3.5 GPA
- 510 V, 600 Q, 4.0W
- letters all came from former studio professors

IN:

Syracuse AP
Maryland
Virginia Tech
Cincinnati + $$
Michigan + $$

OUT:

Rice
UT Austin


University of Michigan TCAUP it is!!!!. I am really excited about their program and it interests me the most and I felt provided the most opportunities for me in the long run. I really like their focus on technology and fabrication. I think being close to detroit will also provide some interesting project opportunities as it is pretty much a blank slate to work with. I talked to some alum where I live now who had nothing but positive things to say about the program. I could go on and on but I have too much energy at the moment to sit and type.

Hope to see some other archinecters there in the fall!!!!

lol i love the three young asian chick gangbang above (cl24, babybokchoy, yxs). plz post your portfolios girls

- 23/male/undisclosed
- B.A., double major in econ and math from a top school in NYC
- 3.7 GPA
- 1450 GRE (800Q, 650V)
- 4 letters of rec, two from profs, one from an employer and one from a student
- my portfolio is too awesome to post here, sorry, and apparently it was also too awesome for the schools i applied to because they all rejected me :P
- no design programs/studios, not like i need any with my natural talent
- applied to harvard, yale, princeton, columbia, mit, uva and cornell. rejected from all because they knew i was too amazing to become an architect
- didn't attend any open houses
- final decision: blow up the schools and the rest of the earth with hydrogen bombs and watch everyone drown in an ocean of blood from my spaceship as i wank off. j/k i guess i'll do something productive with my life that also pays the bills and not waste time studying architecture. good luck to everyone else tho

btw my portfolio was mainly artwork, not much architecture at all, i guess that may be the reason i was rejected. beautiful and ingenious artwork is not enough - u also need to show u can churn out amazing 3d structures obviously. thus, having realized that before even applying, i wasn't expecting to get in at all, so i'm not bummed. i don't like architecture anyway, it's boring

peace

oh i forgot to say i had a 5.5 on GRE writing. as you can see, i and a few others have refuted the argument that a good gre will get you into good schools.

hellraiser: not that I take your post seriously at all, but for anyone else out there, my portfolio was entirely artwork and I got accepted everywhere I applied. Your work probably just sucks...

I think the problem can be when people got the numbers, but they aint got the heart, just like my friend Little Wayne says.

24/M
B.E.Sc. Mechanical Engineering/ UWO/ 2009
Final Year: 3.9, Total (4years): 3.5
3 Recommendations from Profs.

UVa: Out
UBC: In
UofT: In
UofCalgary: In

Going to UBC!

nice josimar, I'm headed to UBC too. I'm tempted to start a UBC thread to try and meet people before we get out there/see if anyone needs a roommate...?

Hi all,

Thanks alot for this post - its really helpful. Can I ask, having successfully gained admission into various schools, which of the following elements do you believe was most/least important part of your application form -

GRE score
GPA score
Portfolio
Undergrad School
Letters of Recommendation
Personal Statement
Any other determining factors (age etc)

I am currently preparing applications for Sept 2011, and it would be great to know what bit of the process is the most important.

Thanks alot.

Link.

Depends on the school and the program, of course.

My opinion is ...

1 Portfolio..
2 Portfolio...
3 Portfolio...

4 Demographic (female is good, minority is good, etc. schools want a balance across the board, rightfully so) I know you can't change this, but it does matter.

4 Letters of Recommendation

5 Personal Statement

i think it depends not only on the school but the person as well.

1. portfolio - personal statement tie.

i say this because i surprised the fuck out of myself this year, and with my background being in something other than arch/design, i really believe the statement is what helped me the most. my portfolio was fine and rooted in my background, but my statement was a direct response to my portfolio, explaining why my architecture was the logical next step for me and the ways in which i got to this point in my life. i think the reason for my success this year was because of how my statement and portfolio complemented each other. therefore, i would not write off the statement AT ALL!

2. letters of rec.

3. all the other bullshit that doesnt matter enough.

psheldahl, jiveonmyness

Thanks alot for your responses.

The schools im thinking of applying to are GSD, Yale, GSAPP, MIT, Princeton, Cornell and maybe PennDesign.

From what ive seen throughout forums like this one, the Portfolio seems to be the single most decisive factor in determining applications.

Anyone disagree with this? Other opinions would be helpful.

Thanks

linkone, if you're applying to Yale or other Ivy schools, try to have good overall package - portfolio, statement, GRE, & GPA. I requested explanation on my rejection this year and the advisor mentioned of my low GRE and GPA. Current and upcoming years will be pretty competitive and you wouldn't want to give them any negatives. Well, if your portfolio's exceptionally good, then it might nullify other lacking areas, but how can anyone be so confident about his or her portfolio?

23/male
BA in Art & Art History, Georgia State University
3.6 GPA
590 V, 710 Q GRE"s
Letters of Recommendation from former professors
Portfolio: pepto.carbonmade.com/projects/2608344


NC State: Waitlisted, yet to get an update
GA Tech: In
UNC Charlotte - In
Clemson - Out
Univ of Houston - In

Headed to Georgia Tech

I am trying to decide between PennDesign and Cornell.

When you accept a school, is this a binding agreement?

Can you accept more than one school if things are just too tough difficult to decide at the moment?

I accepted a school that I fear I may not be able to attend...

please help!

Nothing is binding -- admitted students often will "deposit" or accept admission offers from more than institution to keep options open. Programs fully expect and know that some students who have accepted the offers of admission may not actually enroll.

This is why some programs require a monetary deposit.

Obviously, once you know your final decision, inform those program you will not attend so they can plan accordingly.

Best!

Dr. Architecture.
http://archcareers.blogspot.com/

all of you IVY accepted applicants have a fairly high gpa.

I have a 3.2 GPA - B.A architectural studies + Urban Planning and Regional Studies Minor + Environmental Systems and Society Minor

am I hopeless for GSD, Yale, MIT?

About the question above regarding canceling admission decision, is it still acceptable to cancel it when I was awarded scholarship?
I heard it is very not good to cancel an admission offer with funding.

-23/male/Filipino
- B.S. in Architecture, UTArlington, Studied Civil Engineering UT Austin
- 3.73GPA
- 540, 640 GRE scores
- 2 letters from undergrad profs, 1 from director at architecture non-profit internship
- http://issuu.com/aa.sun/docs/portfolio?mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Fdark%2Flayout.xml&showFlipBtn=true

IN:

Columbia, 12k
Pratt, 6k
Cornell


OUT:
Princeton
Yale

Submitted to GSAPP!!!

dincer: Have you made your decision yet? I have decided to attend PennDesign for MArch I and if you have decided to attend there as well, we would be classmates!

Hayelle: I still haven't made my decision. I am trying to. :) Why did you choose Upenn? What was your other choices?

- 27/m/hispanic
- B.Arch, University of Miami
- 3.7 gpa
-working in NYC for 2 years
-GRE: 750 verbal, 700 quant, 5.0 writing
-4 letters of recommendations, 2 employers, 2 professors
-LEED AP

IN:
AA DRL $$
Bartlett-M.Arch Avatar –turned it down, so I never found out about $$
Columbia GSAPP $

I got into all the schools I was interested in. Im happy to be starting at the AADRL this fall, really want to go to London. I thought it was most important for the portfolio, letters of rec, and essay to jive.

26/f/whitie
-BA Environmental Design
-M.Arch
-3.78 GPA
-2+ years working
-I asked way more people than actually needed to write letters of rec. I had 2 employers, 4 professors.

IN:
AA H+U
Glasgow School of Art
Edinburgh College of Art

No Idea:
University of Edinburgh - not waiting for an answer, just withdrawing my app.
SCAD - never fully finished the app.

I'm getting a post pro degree, focusing on Urban Design. I (obviously) went for schools in UK. I really want to go overseas, and this has proved to be the best opportunity. Absolutely no idea how I'll afford this, but I'm going to try!

I'm torn between AA and GSA. I already sent a deposit to GSA, is it really frowned upon if I tell them no now? I know that I'll lose my depsit, but I might be ok with it.

discordantsystem, the programs you applied to were not nearly as competitive as the programs I applied to. Moreover, you haven't even seen my work yet so I don't think you're justified in making any accusation about it.

In any case, considering the fact that my artwork has won awards and even brought me a little fame, I think it seems unlikely that my artwork would "suck" to most people, no?

Just a little more info: my work comprised a multitude of mediums, including primarily (but certainly not limited to) 2D traditional work (e.g. drawings, paintings). However, there wasn't really any 3D work to speak of (besides 3D drawings on a 2D medium), and I think that this is probably a hindrance regardless of how good the other stuff is. After all, one's capability at 3D is probably one of the best indicators, portfolio-wise, at one's capability in architecture.

... Then again, I think one's capability at architecture can also be reasonably inferred from non-3D work. If someone seems to be a polymath and is good at many things, including 3D on a 2D medium, then I think it would be unfair to toss them out just for not having any 3D stuff. I hope that the committees at least had a tiny bit of hesitation on deciding on mine.

Anyone know if it's too late to get feedback on my portfolio from schools like GSD, Yale, Princeton, Columbia or Cornell? Whether or not I apply again, it might still be nice to hear the reasoning behind their decision.

Hellraiser: Any way you can post some images? You have me curious now.

Hellraiser, maybe your attitude threw off admissions committees. I mean I suppose I'd be pissed too if I'd gotten multiple, but you seem a little arrogant despite that.

True.

Anyone know if it's too late to get feedback on my portfolio?

k, so every time I come one here this thing keeps eating at me: Hellraiser, where the hell is your portfolio? You're so arrogant and sure of yourself, but won't show any work to back that up? I know maybe 10 people who got into good M.Arch programs with fine art portfolios. No, not GSD, but UBC is quite competitive, certainly top 3 in Canada. You can't just tell people to give up on submitting art portfolios based on your one bad experience.

If you can't just show people this fantastic work you keep talking about I think we should all just write you off as a troll....A really fucking annoying one.

^ hey you two- stop fucking up the forum. no one cares about your competitiveness.


bs arch
3.7 gpa with multiple awards
gre 1200~
3 years in design firm
lets of rec from firm partner, old profs

in- Umich +$, UCLA
out- yale, gsd


Umich was my first choice as Im in the 2G program and it'll save me a ridiculous amount of money and there's plenty of interesting opportunities provided. UCLA was way too expensive for out of state. I don't think i'd attend (if given the chance) yale or hgsd without a large amount of funding.

yamster, post your portfolio!

sorry had it online last year but it has since been deleted

reposting this for 2011 admission

do you think a masters degree in an unrelated field + a summer intro program would compensate for a weak under gpa and poor gre score?

in regards to apply to M.Arch I (3 years)

thoughts?

The criteria architecture programs use for admission include any and/or of the following:

portfolio
academic credentials/transcript
personal statement
letter of recommendations
GRE (if required)
previous institution
date of graduation

Certainly, an additional degree at the graduate level demonstrates you can pursue a graduate degree despite your weak UG gpa and low GRE score.

In my opinion, a summer program generates materials for your portfolio or helps you decide it you wish to pursue architecture. It can provide you with a letter of recommendation as well.

I would suggest you contact the program directly and share your background.

Dr. Architecture