Good luck in going from a Rock to a Hard Place

I always said I would go back to my love of painting once I became and Architect. Still cranking out the working drawings....and close to retiring...Maybe just maybe then.

Your story sounds very similar to my own, only I chose architecture over painting and never considered applying to the AA.  Architecture is tough, but its a flat out amazing education, and I don’t regret a moment of it. Enjoy the ride!

As for portfolio advice I can only speak in general terms.

To begin, understand your portfolio is a dual weapon. Obviously, the point of the portfolio is to show off your best work. The pieces you include should be creative, inspiring, and/ or spatial in nature. Second, you are showing off your ability to organize and present your work via the portfolio itself. The ability to present your work is a critical part of architecture, and worth taking some time with.

Everything you include should have a reason for being there, just like in one of your paintings. Consider every word, every image, every line. Consider the size of the paper you are using. Is the standard size the best size for your? Consider your template. Do you need one? Captions and descriptive text can be very useful, but try to avoid becoming long winded. What font are you using? What size? Color and highlighting can make a portfolio pop, but no matter what you do, remember you want people leaving inspired by your work, not lost in a jumble of images and colorful paragraphs plastered randomly across your page.

If you are still stuck, search online for architectural portfolios until you are sick of them, and bookmark your favourites as you browse. What do you like about these select few? What do you dislike about the others? How are they organized? Why do these stand out? etc.

Each school usually has its own requirements for what you need to send (pdf, book, essay), so definitely check out their website and figure out what they are looking for if you haven’t already. And don’t sweat it too much, you are already at a great school. Good luck!

Many people transitioned from an undergrad visual arts major to architecture.  You would be very surprised.  I did it myself, and it's pretty straighforward.  You will find you have a decent advantage too in that you already possses an inherent appreciate for visualization and the technique to do so.

would i need to include "traditional" architectural portfolio elements to mine? example: small models made out of balsa wood or etc.. 

does anyone have any good examples of a aspiring architect major's portfolio for undergrad? I'm just worried about sending drawings/paintings/and sculptural pieces because it would seem like it would be for fine arts.. 

and thanks adrift for your advice! and others as well!