Any update on the results? India/F/26 and applied to UCB and UTAustin. Haven't heard from either.
ahp111
Feb 18, 20 10:00 am
No updates yet! Waiting and waiting. Will definitely post whenever I hear from anywhere! Btw, you've applied for the same programs?
ahp111
Mar 2, 20 11:29 pm
Update: Out at Berkeley and GaTech. Berkeley was a long shot, but don't know what went wrong with GaTech.
ahp111
Mar 2, 20 11:30 pm
In at UMich, no
information on $ yet.
ahp111
Mar 3, 20 10:38 am
Just received an email notification. 19k scholarship at UMich!!
ethanhunt
Mar 3, 20 3:37 pm
Congratulations! UMich is a good one. Do consider Michigan's climate. Coming from hot and humid climatic conditions, I'm not used to cold weather as it makes me lethargic so I didn't go for extreme cold cities. You know how hectic is architecture!
Thanks ethan! I am yet to hear from other schools, so will be deciding accordingly. And yes, I haved lived in Michigan for a few months. The weather is harsh!
ahp111
Mar 3, 20 11:27 pm
Thanks Joey! That article was definitely insightful.
ahp111
Mar 4, 20 2:55 pm
I received a departmental decision letter from UCLA MSAUD that I have been recommended for admission and should receive an official admit within a few weeks. Are there any chances of a reject from the Admissions
Office?
JoeyTheGiant
Mar 4, 20 3:01 pm
I don’t think so. I know technically it allows them some tiny wiggle room, I think you’re fine. I got the same last Friday 2/28 but then got the official letter from the admissions office late last night 3/3. Only bummer, no $. Anytime a school doesn’t offer $, it means they don’t really want you.
ahp111
Mar 4, 20 3:10 pm
Oh okay. So, I should be expecting the official letter in a few days! And also, there's nothing mentioned about $
JoeyTheGiant
Mar 4, 20 3:28 pm
Yes you should and if the department (AUD) recommended you for merit based scholarship then you’ll hear about it in that email from Admissions. Also, the Financial Aid department emailed me this morning with my full aid package. It was ALL loans, ($45k-worth) not even university Grants which I received when I
did my undergrad at UCLA. I plan of appeal though, both to the department (AUD) and to graduate Admissions.
ahp111
Mar 6, 20 2:13 pm
Okay, I am waiting from the Admissions. I hope your appeal goes well!
archi_gram
Mar 9, 20 9:04 pm
Congrats on U Michigan Taubman! I don't think they give out that much money any more according to grad cafe this year. I didn't get any this year. It is sad because I really like Ann Arbor. I stayed there for two weeks, love the lake weather, love the sunshine, and love the lively street at night (streets still filled with people at midnight), truly a safe and energetic city to study in
ahp111
Mar 10, 20 1:39 pm
Thanks @archi_gram ! I ha
ve been to Ann Arbor and I liked it too. It's really a lively college town.
Bachelor of Arts Architecture / Portland State University / 2016
GPA - GRE - TOEFL
Sub 3.0 - 155/152/4.0 - Not needed
Letter of recommendations
3 professors (Ivy alumni, not that it will matter, see tips below), 1 Associate Principal (current employer)
Personal Essay/Statement
Completed - Talked about my background in arts, how it influences my process, what I learned since undergraduate studies, how I will use my background/education/work experience to push a specific process forward alongside current works at the schools, and how I see my past experience blending with the schools pedagogy to reach my career goals.
*I will post the actual statement after/close to the application deadlines.
Portfolio
Completed - Two academic projects, one personal residential project, and two artistic explorations.
*I will post my final portfolio after/close to the application deadlines.
Schools
Pratt, UMich, Penn, Yale, PSU, Woodbury, SCI-Arc
Open house impressions
Yale was phenomenal. The architecture building is the best that I've seen. The city is kind of lame. The studios were very roomy and clean. The work was more attainable than I anticipated. Work was 90/10 (good/okay). The students and faculty were very nice and intelligent. One of the students admitted that most students there don't utilize the digital labs to their full potential and there wasn't much push to do so.
Penn was great. The work was 70/30 (really good/good) hit and miss, but the good work was phenomenal. The studios were a little tight. The campus and city is a really nice place to be. The students and faculty were very nice and intelligent. Also got to hang out around Thom Mayne which was pretty cool.
Pratt was okay. The building is pretty cool, but not many really open spaces. The studios were more roomy than Penn though. The work was 30/70 (really good/okay). The faculty was pretty serious, also intelligent, and the students were not the most rigorous or focused. The city is well, NYC, so amazing and unfathomable. The campus was just okay though. David Erdman (the chair?) was super awesome and helpful, but definitely has a strong point of view about discourse. They did seem slightly unorganized.
SCI-Arc was great. The building is good. The surroundings are hit and miss. It is in the arts district area which is up and coming and great, but there is skid row right there too. I didn't get to interact with students and faculty much while I was there (two years ago?) but the contact that I've had recently with current faculty and students has been positive. They were both very nice and intelligent. Work 80/20 (really good/okay)
Portland State is my alma matter - the building is okay. The undergrad studio spaces are way better than the grad studios. The campus is amazing, and it's right in the city. The faculty is sometimes pre-occupied, but very knowledgeable (many Ivy, MIT, etc.. grads) Digital fabrication and design is not currently a focus of the school, but you will focus on craft and analog manifestations. You will definitely need to be self-motivated at this school. Not as much energy currently as these other schools, but they just got a new dean this year that is full of design oriented energy. Work is 20/80 (good/not good). Opportunity to be a big fish in a small pond.
Results
TBD, will update in March/April.
Tips
VISIT THE SCHOOLS. I cannot stress this enough, especially if you don't come from an academic household. I work full-time, but used my vacation hours to take trips to these places for a couple of days. I learned a ton about the programs that I visited that helped in my applications process. I'm a first generation student, so many things that weren't passed down to me, I learned from asking questions at these visits. I got to meet some of the admissions committee and made good impressions. Also - you will be surprised how much your school priorities change once you actually go and visit them.
Work on your portfolio way more than anything else, this is the most important factor of your application.
Some schools don't care about your professional work, and most all schools prefer to see your individual projects over group projects. Through research, you can find out which schools find professional work important or not. Most of the schools I am applying to have been transparent about how the review portfolios/what is important to see as far as projects/explorations go.
Grades definitely matter, but don't let that stop you from trying. Try to make up for bad grades with a solid portfolio and essay.
Unless you have a really famous person writing your letter of rec, then don't really worry about who they are coming from, just worry about if they will write you a strong rec and they know your work. Also - most schools prefer professors over employers. Even if you've been out of school for a few years like I have, the schools said one letter from an employer was plenty.
Start your essays really early. I spent months on my essays, and I still feel like they aren't as good as I wanted them to be.
Use Issuu to your advantage.
Contact current students at these schools (via social media in my case) and ask questions about their application process, school pedagogy, best faculty to research or get in contact with.
Most questions that you have for current faculty will be answered at the open houses. But if you feel the need to contact faculty, some are very open to answering questions. Sometimes you won't get an email back at all, but they're very busy.
Research, research, research.
Haters gonna hate.
Good luck everyone.
juju1992
Dec 19, 19 9:41 pm
Very informative read, thanks for your input. I am applying to Yale, UPenn, Sci-Arc, and Pratt as well so it was very nice to see some comments on them from a prospective student especially since I wasn't able to visit any of them (except for Penn). Are you applying to M.Arch II? Best of luck to you :)
Archlandia
Dec 19, 19 10:03 pm
Glad it helped! I’m applying to the professional program for all the schools. At Penn it’s the M.Arch 1. Thanks, you too!
Archlandia
Dec 23, 19 3:37 pm
Here is an example of a portfolio I submitted, it doesn't look exactly like this and it will be read as single pages. I've submitted all of my applications as of yesterday. All Done!
https://issuu.com/reedportland/docs/blank_portfolio_2020
chuckluck
Dec 23, 19 10:05 pm
Congrats buddy! Portfolio looks great.
Archlandia
Jan 2, 20 7:07 pm
As promised, here is an example of my personal statement for future applicant reference.
Just for some basic info: the maximum word count was 500 words with no true prompt. Basically, the school just asked that you state 'why architecture?' 'why this school?' etc.. aka the standard prompt.
**Not that anyone would or should copy this, but it would be very unwise of you considering I've already turned in all of my applications.
Out at Yale. I had a good run though! Super happy, Penn has been my top choice!
Michael.Willhoit
Mar 6, 20 7:12 pm
Are you going to be attending the open house for Penn or Pratt?
Archlandia
Mar 6, 20 7:31 pm
I don’t think so.. I’m in Oregon so it’s kind of a hassle. Especially with work and everything going on right now. If I change my mind though I’ll let you know!
Archlandia
Mar 6, 20 7:34 pm
I sent you a message with my contact
chuckluck
Mar 6, 20 11:02 pm
Maybe I'll see you at Penn
:)
Michael.Willhoit
Dec 19, 19 9:23 pm
Undergraduate Degree/ School/ Year graduated
BS Arch / Temple University / Spring 2019
GPA - GRE - TOEFL
3.76 - 161V/154Q/4.0AWA - N/A
Letter of recommendations
4 studio profs from undergrad
Personal Essay/Statement
Because each school had slightly different prompts to expand upon, I did variations on a theme. Mostly talked about how my passion for architecture is shaped by a strong tie to rural America and how my undergrad education has prepared me to take on a lifelong project of creating a better future for the under-served.
Probably not going to post those unless someone asks me.
Portfolio
4-5 academic works depending on the school I applied to. Took a reserved approach to showing my work, explaining the work concisely on the intro page and using one or two images per page to elaborate.
Might post after the deadlines.
Schools
MArch for all 6 schools
UPenn
Yale
Harvard
Pratt
Temple (alma mater)
Penn State
Open house impressions
Penn: Really love Penn for a few reasons. First, I've gotten to know a lot of the faculty as there is some crossover in Philadelphia between schools (lots of profs teach at Temple, Penn, Drexel, and Jefferson), so I've had a lot of conversations with them about Penn's curriculum and my own interests for graduate school. Second, I live in Philadelphia and I would love dearly not to move because of money and because this is The Best City. Third, I really like the curriculum and their optional thesis track in the third year, and a lot of the projects done in their studios deals directly with issues I find myself passionate about (rust belt revitalization, energy infrastructure, etc.). Also lots of travel options, which I missed out on in undergrad. That being said, their studios feel a bit cramped and they have a reputation for being a little too focused on parametric design, not to mention their marked reliance on student tuition for funding (lost the link to the article on this but I'll try to find lol.)
Yale: Fell in love with it when I visited in November. The building is beautiful, the students are very interesting people of all different academic backgrounds, and the curriculum and pedagogy is right up my alley. What really sold me on applying was their first year student building project. Definitely expensive though, even if their financial aid department offers up to $35k in need-based aid. They also seem to have a strange cult regarding the color of their carpet also.
Harvard: Visited once for an AIAS even in Boston, really impressive space. At first their pedagogy seemed a bit arcane to me but now I get it. Still feel like it's a long shot for me to be accepted but after seeing how diverse and interesting the research is coming from their MArch program, it's worth a shot. Why not?
Pratt: Visit occasionally because I have friends that go there. Surprisingly a lot of overlap between Philadelphia faculty and Pratt faculty so that's pretty neat, it actually really comes through in the student's work that their professors also teach at Penn, some serious blobby stuff sometimes lmao. That being said I also like the location, and the fact that should I go I have a support network.
Temple: My alma mater and all around a pretty good school in my experience. It's a fairly small program but there's good faculty at the class-level even if the school lacks a bit in overall direction. Heavily tied to the fine arts programs at Temple as well, and a lot of grad students end up participating in thesis work between departments; notably, there's a huge resin and fiber column in the lobby made as part of someone's project, I think it's been there since the year I started (2014).
Penn State: Admittedly I've only ever walked through their studios, but I respect the school and have also gotten to talk a lot with the faculty there, even if briefly. I also work with a lot of Penn State alumni who are very fond of their time there so that's neat. Also close to my parent's house so I could easily just mooch off them for a bit.
Results:
Penn:
Yale:
Harvard:
Pratt:
Temple:
Penn State:
Tips
Grad school is incredibly demanding and expensive, and can take you away from people you need or people who need you. If you feel as though finances and family will be a factor in where you apply, seriously consider looking into schools close to where you live, or try to look for places where you have family or friends to be with. You don't want to end up broke and lonely.
Spend a few months making a portfolio, then start over and make another portfolio, and then repeat. You will not get it right on the first try. I had a seriously rude awakening a few months back when I thought I had a real banger, and then showed it to my former profs and a few ivy league alumni who promptly ripped it to shreds. Of course, take this with a grain of salt too. I've known plenty of people who completely ignore advice from people they ask for help who end up being admitted to their dream schools because it says something interesting about them. Just try to have confidence and humility at the same time.
DON'T PAY SOMEONE TO DO YOUR WORK FOR YOU. It's kind of an open secret that there are consultancy firms that will either "assist" or fully complete your applications for you, and it is never worth it. You may get into your dream school, but you'll be several thousand dollars lighter and with nothing to show for once you end up matriculating. In fact, in Yale's online application it makes you click Y/N to the statement "I certify that this portfolio was completed without the help of a paid professional consultancy firm." It's lazy, underhanded, and unfair to students who don't have mommy and daddy's money to take but have more drive than you.
Also there's always next year.
pootchikins
Jan 14, 20 11:45 am
big lol to broke and lonely
Michael.Willhoit
Feb 13, 20 6:36 pm
In at Temple, no info on financial aid. Expected to get in but had no idea they'd send so early.
pootchikins
Feb 20, 20 12:38 pm
Congrats on Temple! Philly is awesome
Michael.Willhoit
Mar 3, 20 4:05 pm
Updates: in at Pratt for M.Arch I with $60,000 scholarship. No AP tho.
Michael.Willhoit
Mar 3, 20 4:06 pm
Posted too early oops, also out sd GSD
Michael.Willhoit
Mar 5, 20 2:21 pm
In at UPenn!! Holy shit!! Sent me an early notification, says financial aid info and stuff will be available on March 12th. Walking on air rn, huge weight off my chest.
JoeyTheGiant
Mar 5, 20 3:33 pm
Friggin awesome bro! You’re killin the game out here!! Well done!
Michael.Willhoit
Mar 6, 20 5:41 pm
Out at Yale. It's ok tho I got penn
Michael.Willhoit
Mar 12, 20 2:10 pm
Just looked at the official accepted letter from Penn. They're giving me $35k per year assuming good academic standing! But they also need me to
send them a course syllabus for my physics requirement lol.
chuckluck
Dec 19, 19 10:21 pm
Time to hop on the train.
Undergraduate Degree/ School/ Year graduated
B.Arts in Urban Studies / Haverford College / 2018
Any other non-arch buddies?
GPA - GRE - TOEFL
3.51/4 - 165V/162Q/4.5AW - TOEFL waived
Letter of recommendations
Two from profs (department chair/architect) one from employer
Personal Essay/Statement
Almost done, with the amount of schools I am applying to I have to spend a lot of time on writing and rewriting but I am glad it's coming to an end. Don't imagine I would submit the app until maybe the day before the deadline.
Portfolio
Super exhausting process but finally got it done yesterday. have a longer and a shorter version for different schools. Coming from a non-arch background with limited projects to show off I only have one portfolio for all the schools, but they are very much architecture oriented.
Didn't get to go to any since I live abroad now, but have done extensive research on each school.
Yale and Penn are my dream schools, if I am admitted into either one I probably won't even consider other programs. Yale's international studios are big hits for me, and needlessly to say Penn's versatility and broad curriculum which really speaks to someone like me from a multidisciplinary background. Also have a strong personal tie with Philadelphia having lived there for years.
Harvard of course is a great school, one of the best, though I have yet to fully grapple with the ethos of the program. Yesterday on the webinar one of the GSD persons said (paraphrasing) that a lot of schools teach architecture in a broad and all-inclusive manner (pertaining to many different subject matters), but GSD teaches architecture as architecture, while still have that versatility. Really confuses me lol to be honest...
Cornell and Columbia are both incredible schools too and I will not say too much about them. Both Ithaca and Manhattan are great (yet contradicting) places to live in... I am sure it has all the tools and connections to shape us into great future professionals
Then the three art schools, to be honest I would love to hear more about it. They just have a bit more mystical vibes to them. RISD has supposedly one of the best arch programs in the states (according to the ranking though I am not a big ranking person myself), is that really true? I found very scarce info on their website, though connection with Brown is a good thing. Pratt is interesting, I have heard the undergrad program is stronger than the grad, again not sure the validity of that claim, but living in NY is a big plus. Sci-arc is the only school out of east coast, very avant-garde and prestigious as an architecture school, heard they are very super detail-oriented which ughs me a little bit. I really like the student projects though.
Results
Yet to come.
Tips
The mistake I made - and I want to let future applicants know that - was that I started with too many schools, basically aimlessly. Though I did refine them down to 8, when I am researching and writing personal statements, I realized that I should've applied to less. Though there is no right or wrong amount, I would say keep the numbers manageable, 8 is a bit too much for me but since I already started there is no going back. Ditch the idea of safety school, unless you really need to go to a school (??), there is no point of compromising yourself and go to a school that does not fit you especially when you know you could do better.
Time is limited and goes by fast. I started making my portfolio from scratch in July, 2018 on and off and I just finished it right before the deadline (yes i am inexperienced and not an architecture student but just to show you the time and effort that goes in making a portfolio, not to mention everything else, GRE, SoPs, etc).
Anyways, I am glad I got the test done early so I had months to fully focus on my portfolio. Fingers crossed and hope everything goes well. Good luck to all the fellow 2020 applicants as well!
chuckluck
Jan 8, 20 9:07 am
Uploaded my portfolio for anybody who is interested (meant to be read as single page not spread):
Props to them for sending out notifications so early
juju1992
Feb 6, 20 12:18 am
big w! congratulations!
Archlandia
Feb 6, 20 1:56 am
Nice work Chuck!
peijunfei
Feb 6, 20 6:06 pm
Big Cong!
bessie2b
Feb 7, 20 2:53 pm
Many congratulations Chuckluck! I didn't know they send out notifications so early. When did you hear from them?
juju1992
Feb 7, 20 9:58 pm
^
chuckluck
Feb 7, 20 9:59 pm
Thanks all! Bessie2b, I got an update on the 6th, I think many others got it on the same day as well.
Hachiko
Feb 18, 20 1:10 pm
Loved your portfolio.
juju1992
Mar 5, 20 7:40 pm
Have you heard back from Cornell?
chuckluck
Mar 5, 20 8:55 pm
Nah boss I have not, not the best sign but fingers crossed and hoping for the best.
Also a quick update: Out at GSD, In at Pratt and UPenn. So happy about Penn, my top two choice!
Archlandia
Mar 5, 20 9:16 pm
Good job Chuck!
chuckluck
Mar 5, 20 11:23 pm
Thanks Archlandia! To you too
chuckluck
Mar 13, 20 1:51 pm
Latest: In at Columbia and Sci-Arc, Out at Yale. Only waiting on Cornell now, not sure what the deal is
chuckluck
Mar 28, 20 12:19 am
Out at Cornell, so got into 5/8 schools, not bad but wish I could have done better. Penn ended up giving me some money ($) but I might go to GSAPP
kmbarnes003
Dec 28, 19 3:18 pm
33/Female -- changing careers, I started doing a certificate program in Interior Design + Architecture in 2018 while working full-time just to gauge my interest in the field. And then I decided to apply to M.Arch programs for 2020 to see what happens. I've been out of school for a long time and I'm not coming from an Architecture background so I know my chances are lower. My back up plan is to do a M.Int.Arch. if I don't get in to any of these programs.
Undergraduate Degree/ School/ Year graduated
BA Business Administration & Fashion Merchandising
GPA - GRE - TOEFL
3.5 -- 157/V161/AWA 4.5
Letter of recommendations
1 professor, 2 employer
Personal Essay/Statement
Varied by school
Portfolio
I used hand drawn and rendered plans from class projects and some additional room and object sketches - I'm a little concerned this isn't enough but it's all I had! I haven't done too much with software yet and I didn't feel the work was strong enough to be included.
Schools
UC Berkeley, UCLA, USC, University of Oregon
Open house impressions
Did not have time to attend
Results
Waiting with bated breath.
Berkeley -
UCLA -
USC -
Uni. of Oregon -
Tips
Start early. I waited too long to take the GRE so I was working, taking classes, studying, and writing essays all during the same time period. I got it done but it was stressful. I could've eliminated some of the burden by taking the GRE earlier in the year. It also would have freed up time to attend Open Houses.
kmbarnes003
Feb 13, 20 1:18 am
Update:
kmbarnes003
Feb 13, 20 1:19 am
In at Oregon!
Waiting to hear about $$. Out at Berkeley, not too surprised about that.
chuckluck
Feb 13, 20 3:14 am
congratz!
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 15, 20 8:36 pm
Congratulations!! Good to have a win
skrab011
Feb 21, 20 1:54 pm
Congrats! I'm in at Oregon as well. Did you hear about your $$ yet?
kmbarnes003
Mar 3, 20 9:56 pm
I still haven’t heard about $ yet from Oregon, also haven’t received anything in the mail at all. Hopefully in the next couple weeks. Have you heard anything?
clevelandcynic
Dec 30, 19 6:02 pm
Hi all :)
Undergraduate Degree/ School/ Year graduated
GPA - GRE - TOEFL
Letter of recommendations
Personal Essay/Statement
Portfolio
Schools
Open house impressions
Results
Tips
clevelandcynic
Dec 30, 19 6:48 pm
Haha ok trying again since I messed up the first time :p
Undergraduate Degree/ School/ Year graduated
B.S. Architecture / MIT / graduated December 2019
I have minors in Computer Science and Materials Science/Engineering
I just finished my degree (a semester early), so I'm working full time at a lighting company, designing colored LED displays for bridges, skyscrapers, casinos, etc.
GPA - GRE - TOEFL
3.6 GPA cumulative
3.9 GPA architecture (B's and C's in my minor coursework drag down my cumulative)
163 V / 167 M / 5.0 AW
Letter of recommendations
One studio professor, one structures professor with whom I also did a research project, and one non-academic school administrator (I am the rooming chair of my residence hall, which means I work with university admin to write housing policy. This is actually a significant leadership position and a lot of work, but it's hard to explain concisely in an application, so I'm hoping this rec letter will help convey that info).
Personal Essay/Statement
Completed. Can post link if folks are interested. I wrote about why i'm minoring in CS and Materials and how I want to use those skills with architecture. I explained some of my research in material conservation of art/architecture and computational tools for structural performance. MIT has a very weird undergraduate curriculum so I also explained some of that context.
Portfolio
Completed. Again, can post a link if anyone is interested, though I don't think my portfolio is super strong.
4 studio projects (including one from a graduate level options studio). I also included 2 pages with a bit about some of my research. Most of my studio work has been group work (groups of 2-4), so I only included one individual project. We'll see whether that's an asset or a curse.
Schools
UT Austin, Tulane, Rice, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech
I want to be in the south. The cold weather and snow gives me serious seasonal depression (I'm from Cleveland, so I've lived with this my entire life and I do not want to do it one second longer). Even Virginia Tech is a bit too far north lol. Though I definitely want to be at a solid program, I've prioritized location and quality of life factors. All of these schools are good, and all the extra sun will certainly make my work better. I want to live in Texas long term and will be happy to network a little closer to the region I want to settle down in.
Open house impressions
I can speak the most about UT and Tulane, so feel free to ask about them. Tulane has some of the friendliest folks I've ever met, particularly in the architecture department. I almost went there for undergrad instead of MIT. UT is my top choice, provided I get in with a nice financial aid package.
Results
We shall see!
Tips
Figure out what makes you weird or unique and lean into that, rather than copying whatever seems to be standard application practice. Some schools may be turned off, but some will be excited, and it will certainly make you stand out.
When choosing where to apply, decide what's really the most important to you and hold yourself to that. It will help you narrow down programs really quickly and you can be more confident about where you're applying and why.
ahp111
Jan 2, 20 12:16 am
Which program have you applied for at these universities?
clevelandcynic
Jan 3, 20 9:48 am
ahp111, I'm applying to professional M. Arch programs at all these schools, hopefully with advanced standing.
clevelandcynic
Jan 3, 20 9:49 am
lmnoc1, MIT is amazing and I wish you good luck! Yeah, my user name is just a little pun that sounds like Cleveland Clinic
ahp111
Jan 8, 20 12:10 am
Clevelandcynic, great! good luck for your applications.
JoeyTheGiant
Jan 31, 20 2:47 pm
Would love to hear any thoughts on Tulane, what you saw in the studios, what students and professors were like.. etc..
clevelandcynic
Jan 31, 20 4:13 pm
Hi Joey! Tulane is great because they really focus on being connected to New Orleans (which is an awesome place to be). Lots of research about disaster resilience, especially in river deltas. Great community service and design build projects if that's your thing. Students and faculty and incredibly friendly and welcoming. Everyone seemed pretty laid back, which I really appreciate in contrast to the intensity that some other schools seem to project. Not that the work isn't challenging, but no one seemed to be driving themselves crazy. As a senior in high school, the Dean of the School of Architecture had lunch with me and a couple of other prospective students for over an hour. The studio spaces are really bright and cozy and the campus area in general is really nice. No complaints about Tulane from me!
JoeyTheGiant
Jan 31, 20 5:52 pm
Hey CC, I appreciate the quick reply. It's funny, I studied literally dozens of programs and when I got to Tulane it really stood out to me for so many reasons. You can check my little thread post below; should be the last one. But yes, what struck me were the real-world projects and social justice outreach you could do. To me, that's what an architect should be doing, at least, that's the kind of architect I want to be. Plus I love NOLA. One-of-a-kind place. And what you say about the 'lack of projected intensity', I really felt that in my research and in my contact with someone in the department. It lacks that ego-stuffiness of some programs while still remaining super competitive, and well respected. Thanks for the insight. Hoping to get in with $$$. We'll find out by next Friday 2/7. Did you get the email they sent out today?
JoeyTheGiant
Jan 31, 20 5:57 pm
One other thought. You went to MIT, which means you know Boston. Was thinking of applying to The BAC but then read tons of horrible reviews and looked at student work, changed my mind Any thoughts about other programs in the area apart from MIT and GSD?; too late to apply to either anyway
. (But there may be flexibility at U Mass Amherst, which has the IPAL program, and Northeastern). Studying in Mass was a childhood dream of mine.
clevelandcynic
Jan 31, 20 6:47 pm
Yes, the email made me nervous because I thought decisions wouldnt be out for a few more weeks :o I do know Boston as a city pretty well but I don't actually know very much about the architecture programs in the area (aside from a lot about MIT and a little about the GSD). I think the Northeastern program is pretty solid, but I was never crazy about their "campus" and I never met any students from the architecture program. The school is kind of a disembodied collection of buildings in the middle of Boston, although its close to the orchestra and the MFA. Not applying to the BAC is probably a good call, but they have some fun lecture series I appreciated going to while I was in the city.
JoeyTheGiant
Jan 31, 20 7:21 pm
Not gonna lie, I feel you BUT, they may be one of the schools that does decisions earlier. Their website says Graduate decisions will be out by March 1st at the latest, so the 7th of Feb sounds reasonable. We'll see.... Makes sense about the Northeastern campus, that sense of a true home base is preferable. Thanks for all your insight. I'll be sure to DM you next Friday when Tulane decisions come in!
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 5, 20 6:07 pm
Bro, did you hear back today? I just go email, I'm in at Tulane! So so so so happy!
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 6, 20 12:57 am
Bro or sis – I shouldn't assume. ;)
clevelandcynic
Feb 14, 20 7:32 pm
Updates: In at Tulane with good $$. In at UT but won't know about money for another month? They also didn't give me advanced standing which kind of grinds my gears since I have an architecture degree (not the end of the world).
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 15, 20 8:38 pm
Congrats again! Noticing a trend, the public state schools don’t notify about $ in their acceptance emails. .. I just registered for the Tulane graduate open house and booked flights. Pretty pumped!
clevelandcynic
Feb 15, 20 10:17 pm
I'll be at the open house too, so I'm sure I'll see you there :)
clevelandcynic
Mar 3, 20 12:30 am
Updates: In at Clemson (3 year track), Georgia Tech (2 year track), and Rice (3.5 year track, with a very generous financial offer). And a recruitment scholarship from UT.
What a Monday! lol
JoeyTheGiant
Mar 3, 20 12:53 am
Cc, congrats!! you’ve got a ton of options!! I imagine Rice would outpace everyone else on your list, including Tulane?
clevelandcynic
Mar 3, 20 9:07 am
Thanks! Rice is definitely in a league of its own but I'm not sure about the culture fit. It's a very different atmosphere from everywhere else on my list (honestly I didn't expect to get in so I didn't think I'd have to worry about it). I'll definitely be visiting and I've got some tough choices to make.
JoeyTheGiant
Mar 3, 20 9:24 am
You went to MIT and graduated with honors; you were getting in to anywhere you applied — you’re humility is endearing though :) I feel you on Rice completely. I mentioned to another person in this thread, that’s why I didn’t apply. However, I Really wanted to have the city of Houston as an option though as it’s home and quality and affordability of life is incomparable, so I applied of UH and got in. I fly into Houston tonight to meet with assistant dean and some students, tour etc.. anyway, see ya at Tulane Friday. I’m sure you’ll make the best decision for you!
AndieT
Mar 19, 20 1:19 am
What are your thoughts on UT? I was accepted back in February and unfortunately with the whole COVID-19 crisis, I won't be able to make it out to visit before the April 15th deadline. Would love you hear any input you have on the program
/ school!!
clevelandcynic
Mar 26, 20 1:27 am
Hi Andie :) Firstly, the UT campus is gorgeous and everyone is so friendly. The program is larger, broader, and more multidisciplinary than many other schools. It offers quite a few degrees, not just architecture. The profs pitched it as a school where you can choose your focus and carve out your own path of interest, as opposed to other schools that tend to focus on theory, design, technical skills, etc. I do think this breadth-first attitude comes at the expense of a little bit of depth, but they pride themselves on being the "#1 most hired-from" program of their size and that's probably a meaningful criterion. They have a professional placement program where you can be set up at a firm for a semester, though they did say this tends to push back your degree date. I'd probably not do the program and stick to summer internships, but running the program has allowed the school to build a really powerful professional network for its students.
clevelandcynic
Mar 26, 20 1:28 am
The reasons I love UT are pretty me-specific. Austin is an awesome city and absolutely my kind of place. I do think it's a really good place to go to college; it has a good mix of being a "city" and a college town with great food and live music and a neighborhood feel. I latched onto UT early in my school hunt because of the Materials Lab. As a materials science minor, it's pretty cool to have an architecture school with so many resources in my niche. I love the school spirit at UT and I think being a UT alum is really a lifelong identity.
uuuuu
Jan 2, 20 11:46 am
Hello,
I am applying to architecture school for grad programs but not M.Arch. Just want to see if anyone of you will be expecting late recommendation letter from your recommenders? Do schools accept late letters? :\
Yes, I am expecting late letters. Certain schools have different deadlines for the recommenders and for you, and I am really hoping that all schools have grace for this. It is really out of our control! Best of luck
Non Sequitur
Jan 2, 20 1:48 pm
it is within your control if you give enough notice to those writing the letters.
Non Sequitur, I'm not sure why you always feel the need to reply. Your responses are almost always on the brink of being rude if not outright. I sent my recommendation requests in Early November, and had asked all of my recommenders to write for me in person months before that. 5/7 of my recommenders have sent in all of their letters and of the last two, I sent reminders and both have emailed me reassuring that they will submit ASAP and are working on it right now. I am guessing that the original poster is in a similar situation. Profs are busy and often late. We can only do so much. It is out of our control.
Non Sequitur
Jan 2, 20 3:07 pm
Cool story. My replies are typically pretty damn good including the one above. Plenty of students wait until it's too late for recommendation letters. You should have asked in September.
chuckluck
Jan 2, 20 7:37 pm
Some schools can tolerate late LoRs and some don't. Best to check on their websites to see what it states regarding this.
skrab011
Jan 7, 20 2:45 pm
Undergraduate Degree/ School/ Year graduated
B. Design Architecture / University of Minnesota / 2019
GPA - GRE - TOEFL
3.313 GPA 157V / 160M / 4.0AW
Letter of recommendations
2 professors, 1 employer
Personal Essay/Statement
Varied by school.
Portfolio
2 versions of my portfolio, one longer and one shorter. The longer version included 5 studio projects, while the shorter version only included 4 projects.
Schools
Oregon, ASU, Miami, UPenn, and Minnesota
Open house impressions
Didn't attend any because of time. Also, having already attended Minnesota I know what the school and program is like and how the studios are set up.
Results
Waiting impatiently to find out...
Oregon -
ASU -
Miami -
UPenn -
Minnesota -
Tips
Get started early! I took my GRE over the summer, but waited until later in the fall to begin the rest of my applications in earnest and it proved extremely stressful. Also getting on your recommenders early and making sure they get the letters written in time. Two of my recommenders had the letters done well ahead of time, but my other recommender told me she was going to do it over winter break. She emailed me a week before my letters were starting to be due to inform me she would be working on them soon and I still ended up having to remind her day of to finish my letter to get it in.
Archlandia
Jan 7, 20 3:22 pm
Any reason for this strange mix of schools?
skrab011
Jan 7, 20 4:03 pm
I thought I might get some questions about my choices.
Minnesota was pretty straightforward as my undergrad school. I know a large number of the faculty there and am familiar with the school, professors, and the city. I have large number of friends at the school and in the surrounding area so it made sense to apply. However, the biggest issue for me is my familiarity with everything. I enjoy being comfortable and that's how I feel about Minnesota which was why all of my schools are so vastly different and far away.
skrab011
Jan 8, 20 9:21 am
Woah. Accidentally posted my response early and edited it, but apparently the edit didn't post. So I'll rewrite what I had originally answered with.
As I already said Minnesota was pretty straightforward for me. I’m won’t go into detail since I’ve already done so in the other comment.
I’m interested in Oregon and Miami for similar reasons. I’ve always had a passion for housing and through my work experience I’ve come to the conclusion that housing and hospitality are the two things I’m most interested in. Hence, applying to these schools, Miami does a lot of research into both and Oregon has their specialization in housing that really drew me to the program. In addition, I’m from a very small, rural town and the logging industry is the number one economic driver in the area. Naturally I’ve always been interested in logging and timber, and Oregon’s Tallwood Institute for timber research is a resource that I am very interested in leveraging and participating in.
As for Arizona, the thing that drew me to their program was their Indigenous Design Collaborative. The small town I am from borders a Native American reservation and both of my parents worked for the tribe in varying capacities and I had a lot of friends that were tribal members. And it was a pretty poor tribe so I saw how bad conditions could, especially the lack of quality housing. The vast majority were 20-30 year old trailer homes in varying levels of dilapidation. I visited multiple other reservations in my area with friends and most of them had similar housing issues, so looking into that is an interest of mine.
There isn’t a whole lot to say about Penn. It’s one of those schools that I’ve always wanted to attend since I was younger and this seems like as good an opportunity as any to make that dream a reality. It certainly helps that it’s a reputable school. And I have a friend who is attending Penn for grad school in another field so it would be fun to reconnect with him and to have someone in the area that I know.
The overriding theme was to look for places as different from Minnesota as possible geographically as I want to explore something new. I wouldn’t have people around me that I already know and that is something I’m looking for as I’ve gotten comfortable with my current surroundings and need to break away from that. And frankly, I want a change in climate. I don’t mind the snow, but the cold just gets old really quickly in Minnesota and I’ve dealt with it for long enough.
Archlandia
Jan 8, 20 11:58 pm
Wow thanks for sharing! The Indigenous Design Collaborative sounds particularly interesting. Good luck!
skrab011
Feb 17, 20 3:31 pm
Update: In at ASU w/ $$$ 1/7 In at Oregon 2/5 (still waiting on $$)
Archlandia
Feb 17, 20 4:00 pm
nice work!
skrab011
Feb 24, 20 4:07 pm
In at Minnesota 2/24 - no word on $ yet
skrab011
Mar 4, 20 12:32 pm
In at Miami w/ $
skrab011
Mar 12, 20 12:36 pm
Out at UPenn
brookrb
Jan 7, 20 4:07 pm
B.s. Architectural Studies Winter 2017 from US Uni
International: (#1)TU Delft, (#2)Aarhaus School of Architecture, UCL, KADK, possibly other Nordic Schools
Visited TU Delft and KADK last year and loved TU Delft and loved Copenhagen.
Waiting
This is my second year applying. First time for american schools, despite being a US resident. I've put a lot of time into my portfolio, which is a must. I completely redesigned 2 projects and updated 3 other projects graphics, which took 30 hrs per week for 4 months. Give yourself more time to study for GRE, I did not do great on the math portion as I had not taken a math class in 7 years.
chuckluck
Jan 8, 20 1:50 am
what happened last year that made you wanna reapply? if you don't mind sharing
brookrb
Jan 8, 20 10:32 am
Well, I still want my Masters so that's why I'm applying again. I applied to TU Delft, KADK, and Polmi (Milan) last year. I only got into Polmi and I visited all three after I applied, but before I got any decisions. I did not like Polmi, so I decided to wait and work another year. I work at a nice firm that pays well, so it didn't feel like a big set back. I'm applying to a lot more places this year and all that I could see myself at, so fingers crossed.
brookrb
Mar 5, 20 11:41 am
Got into Pratt with a scholarship covering more than a year.
JoeyTheGiant
Mar 8, 20 11:55 am
Amazing ! Congrats!
koala96
Jan 9, 20 6:23 am
Intl/M/23
Undergraduate Degree/ School/ Year graduated
B.Arch / 2019
GPA - GRE - TOEFL
8.8/10 - 152V,166Q,4.0AW - 109/120
Letter of recommendations
3 professors, 1 employer
Personal Essay/Statement
Varied by school.
Portfolio
3 Academic Porjects, 4 Competitions, 2 Professional work and 1 Research project.
Schools
(Applying M.Arch II and MS AAD resp.)
GSD, Yale, MIT and GSAPP
koala96
Feb 28, 20 5:49 pm
Update: In at Cornell MSAAD with $$
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 29, 20 2:57 am
Huge congrats!!
koala96
Feb 29, 20 3:10 am
Thank you JoeyTheGiant
koala96
Mar 3, 20 4:59 pm
Out at GSD
koala96
Mar 5, 20 5:38 pm
Update: In at GSAPP MSAAD (5th March)
jenniepeng
Jan 9, 20 10:07 am
Intl/F/22
Undergraduate Degree/ School/ Year graduated
BFA /RISD/ 2020
GPA - GRE - TOEFL
3.6/4.0- 151V,166Q,3.0AW - 103/120
Letter of recommendations
3 professors, 1 department head (2 GSD alumni, 1 MIT alumni)
Personal Essay/Statement
almost the same... have no time to write them separately...
Portfolio will post it later
Schools MArch at GSD, Yale, MIT
juju1992
Jan 9, 20 10:43 am
Good luck, it would be cool to see your portfolio. My friends from BFA backgrounds all tend to have very intriguing portfolios
.
jenniepeng
Jan 9, 20 12:16 pm
Thanks! Just posted it. I was trying to have an "interesting"
portfolio, instead of intriguing... really out of energy...
Applying to same schools and also haven’t heard back..! getting quite anxious haha
JessaMynn
Mar 4, 20 1:02 pm
I'm pretty sure all GSD admissions results are out, if you haven't received
an email, you should check your application for an update.
haisumbasharat
Jan 9, 20 10:34 pm
Intl/M/23
• UNDERGRAD/SCHOOL/YEAR
BArch/ Beaconhouse National University/ 2019
• GPA -IELTS
2.67 - 7.0
• LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION
3 professors from Beaconhouse National University
•SOP
Strong SOP as i have mentioned particular courses i am interested in plus mentionable professors w/ summary of their contribution to architecture.
•PORTFOLIO
I will try and upload today
• SCHOOLS
Parsons, RISD, UofT, CCA, Woodbury
haisumbasharat
Feb 26, 20 3:29 am
RISD - Accepted with financial aid 18K Woodbury - Accepted with financial aid 9K
Parsons - Waiting
UofT - Waiting
CCA - Got interviewed via skype will receive offer in march
Dokuser
Jan 9, 20 11:48 pm
I don’t apply until next year...but good luck to everyone
This thread gives me second hand anxiety
JoeyTheGiant
Mar 1, 20 1:44 pm
Lol!! Yeah but good for you reading them now and learning from us as much as you can!
Patrick Sardo
Jan 10, 20 4:50 pm
22/M/Ohio
Undergraduate Degree/ School/ Year graduated
Ohio State / BS Arch / Spring 2020
GPA - GRE - TOEFL
GPA: 3.56/4.0 (closer to 3.75 or 3.8 only counting arch classes, had a rough first semester that dragged me down)
GRE: 158 Verbal, 164 Quant, 5.0 Writing
Letter of recommendations
3 letters from professors (1 Rice alum, 1 recent MIT alum, 1 professor previously tenured at MIT)
Personal Essay/Statement
Each of them were different for each school but willing to share if someone is interested.
Portfolio
Will update later with a link to issuu after I get it uploaded.
4 studio projects and 2-3 smaller unique works from seminars, research, and a fashion show.
Schools
MIT, Rice, UCLA, UVA
Open house impressions
I didn't have time to go to any open houses, but have visited all but UCLA. I have friends at Rice and was able to fly down during the summer to check out the school and talk to a couple people about their time there. Stopped into UVA after their finals week on the way to DC, enjoyed the building and work there. Visited MIT while in high school, but not the architecture building.
Results
Will update later!
Tips
Take the GRE early when you can dedicate the time to study. I was able to take a prep class through Kaplan because it was free for me, but I wouldn't recommend it based on the costs. I studied a lot with the hopes that a higher score will allow me to leverage more financial aid possibly. If you want tips or tricks for it in the future feel free to DM me. I started my portfolio too late and it felt somewhat rushed. I was happy with the end result but I would have liked to re-do some drawings for sure. Between work and school I didn't have the time until after final reviews but I would start well in advance and show it to as many people as possible for feedback. The essays were also very challenging since those felt rushed as well. I made my personal statement very personal, in regards to struggles with indecision about my future career and my growth through school. Don't forget the "personal" part, and don't just make it a long resume of your accomplishments, they don't care. For Statements of Purpose I focused on what I was interested in for research in the future, as well as what I want to do after graduating. I want to teach and work in a small research based practice, so I harped on that a lot. Start the essays early and do them over and over again. Don't be afraid to share them with peers, faculty, advisers, etc. Take your time and make sure that they reflect you and your ambitions. Also, really think about what school(s) you want to go to. Don't bother applying to safety schools if you don't really want to go there. If you only see yourself actually going to two schools, apply to those two. If you don't get in, try again next year. Don't settle for something you don't actually want.
Ecologist carpenter trying to go to arch school. Very excited to be turning these applications in. It has been so so much work, everyone here has done great. Bravo.
86/M/USA
Undergraduate Degree/ School/ Year graduated
BA Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior/ Skidmore College/ 2015
GPA - GRE - TOEFL
GPA: 3.25/4, GRE: V- 160, Q- 157, AW- 3.0
Letter of recommendations
1 prof, 2 employers
Personal Essay/Statement
Somewhere in between a personal history and a philosophical rant
All these schools are awesome, I'd be stoked to go to any of them
Open house impressions
Have only visited Clemson and CCNY. I was very impressed with the studio work I saw at both schools. CCNY a little cramped but comfortable and Clemson's building is beautiful. Very Excited to get out to Chicago and Austin. Please let me know if you have visited these schools and what you thought of them.
Results
Pending
Tips
Non-design Non-art
Some of these schools are gonna want to bench their starting lineup to see what the other guy can do. I'm that guy, let me in coach please.
Have fun with it if you can. I got so deflated coming onto this forum and seeing how incredible past applicants' portfolios were and I felt like I would never be able to compete with that level of work. If you're doing what I did and looking at this forum to compare your work to others STOP. It was a bad play for me, I just stopped looking at arch stuff finally and just tried to make stuff that I liked, and that was way more enjoyable.
Best of luck to everyone.
chuckluck
Jan 13, 20 9:32 pm
It's like what they say, you're never too old to do anything!! best of luck ;)
pootchikins
Jan 16, 20 8:25 am
nice, link that! where are you from and where are you going?
pootchikins
Feb 2, 20 3:25 pm
oh very cool! the HV is remarkable. been meaning to get up to Bard to see the vinoly building. GL to you!
pootchikins
Feb 20, 20 12:35 pm
IN: UT SOA, Clemson, IIT
pootchikins
Feb 20, 20 12:36 pm
OUT: UIC
snarky-tect
Feb 27, 20 9:28 am
Just curious, and I mean no offense— are you actually 86 and applying for M Arch programs? If so, extra kudos. If not, kudos just the same
pootchikins
Feb 27, 20 11:42 am
No I’m younger than that. It was supposed to be a 2. Are you going to the UT open house?
pootchikins
Feb 27, 20 11:43 am
The 8 was supposed to be a 2
snarky-tect
Feb 27, 20 8:36 pm
Unfortunately I’m not gonna make the open house. I am visiting the department next week though
csss
Mar 9, 20 6:57 pm
Oh man, I thought you were actually 86 and I was so impressed haha
gotigs
Apr 14, 20 7:43 pm
I went to Clemson for undergrad and I couldn't recommend it more. I went there for the program, fell in love with the campus and especially the football Saturdays, even though I was a basketball fan. There is a ton to do if you like the outdoors, and Greenville is a really cool city, I ended up moving there.
snarky-tect
Jan 15, 20 3:26 pm
Greetings,
21/M/domestic
Undergraduate Degree/ School/ Year graduated
BS Engineering Science-- Sustainable Design
Vanderbilt University, 2020
GPA - GRE - TOEFL
3.43/4 - 165Q, 162V, 4.5W
Letter of recommendations
professor (Columbia alum.), another professor, supervisor at local architecture firm, sculpture professor (professional artist, taught at UT Austin)
Personal Essay/Statement
very straightforward, addressed the points in the prompt-- why grad school, why architecture, academic interests, professional goals
have not attended-- will probably visit after I find out decisions
Results
awaiting
Tips
figure out why you want to be in architecture and explain it vulnerably in your statement. If your reasons are bad, don't apply
peijunfei
Jan 15, 20 4:29 pm
lots of ppl got an interview invite from Cornell, did you got one as well?
Archlandia
Jan 15, 20 7:18 pm
How many students that got interviews were international students?
koala96
Jan 15, 20 11:35 pm
I did not receive, but one of my friend got one.
juju1992
Jan 16, 20 2:36 am
I wonder who receives and who doesn't? like is this an indication of anything? Personally did not get one
koala96
Jan 16, 20 3:26 am
I read somewhere that the ones who receive need ‘augmentation’ to their profile so ‘Maybe’ category get the interview request. If one is in a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ category then your
wouldn’t receive.
koala96
Jan 16, 20 3:27 am
*they wouldn’t receive
snarky-tect
Jan 16, 20 8:46 am
peijunfei, I submitted my application on Monday because of the extended deadline, and I haven't heard anything since
juju1992
Jan 16, 20 9:07 am
Koala, makes sense. fingers crossed I am not in the "no" category then
peijunfei
Jan 16, 20 9:33 am
all, just confirmed via email Cornell extended the deadline to Jan.17. So seems they only issued an interview invite for "part" of applications, which the application is complete. Somehow they figured there are many applicants who did not finish with their process and will review most of them after 1.17 (next week). So no worry about YES/NO for now.
koala96
Jan 16, 20 10:08 am
Great!
snarky-tect
Feb 5, 20 4:30 pm
In at Oregon! Possible funding to come in a couple weeks.
peijunfei
Feb 5, 20 4:40 pm
Congrats man! Go shopping in Portland, low tax rate!!
Archlandia
Feb 6, 20 1:57 am
*no sales tax :)
snarky-tect
Feb 7, 20 12:15 pm
Thanks for the heads up; I'm stoked to check out Portland when I visit!
snarky-tect
Feb 17, 20 12:42 am
In at UT Austin! The best Valentine's gift I could've hoped for
peijunfei
Feb 17, 20 12:41 pm
Big cong again!
snarky-tect
Feb 17, 20 11:54 pm
Thank you!
skrab011
Feb 24, 20 4:08 pm
I'm on at Oregon as well! Are you going to their open house in a couple weeks?
snarky-tect
Feb 24, 20 8:55 pm
I’m not sure yet. I was going to visit over my spring break but I’m visiting Austin now. I’m really going to try to make it though
snarky-tect
Mar 4, 20 10:54 am
Update: rejected from rice. Knew it would be a long shot but the possibility of that sweet funding was worth it
AndieT
Mar 19, 20 1:27 am
Did you ever wind up visiting UT Austin? I got accepted on Valentine's Day as well, and was so excited to attend the Graduate Open House on April 3rd. Now that it's been canceled I am at a loss for when/if I'll get to see the school in person and tour the facilities.
snarky-tect
Mar 19, 20 2:05 pm
I visited over spring break, and I was really impressed! Seemed like a great program with great facilities and also a very laid back atmosphere which is great for me. I think it’s a very unique program and is my top choice as of now.
AndieT
Mar 19, 20 3:25 pm
I'm deciding between there and USC as of right now. Would love to talk more about UT's program if you would like to exchange contact info! Lmk !!
peijunfei
Jan 15, 20 4:27 pm
lots of ppl got interview invite from Cornell, did you got one as well?
davidramisus
Jan 15, 20 10:30 pm
Undergraduate Degree/ School/ Year graduated
bs arch / uic / 2015
GPA - GRE - TOEFL
2.88 (not great) / 170v 170q 3.5aw(also not great)
applied last year, didn't get in, maybe i'll get in this year.
Nonononotme
Jan 15, 20 11:43 pm
I don't know why but I have a strong feeling you'll get in? because of how quirky it is? personally i really like the portfolio
juju1992
Jan 16, 20 2:35 am
I like how you used "quirky" haha...to me the text were placed so oddly into the portfolio i don't know...
muji-pen
Jan 16, 20 8:05 pm
ur approach to representation is pretty refreshing! cool to see larger scale installations as opposed to the painful amount of rhino drawings in other people's portfolios..
peijunfei
Jan 16, 20 10:45 pm
wait, only MIT and Princeton?
davidramisus
Jan 17, 20 9:35 am
this needs a serious edit: 160v 160q. im not that smart. thought for a min it was out of 180
davidramisus
Jan 17, 20 9:46 am
i think the folio will be hit or miss depending on who reviews it. i get annoyed with how sleek looking most are but maybe schools like that. ill apply to more schools next year depending on how this one goes
Nonononotme
Apr 7, 20 9:01 pm
so? how was the results?
woo-hoo
Sep 26, 20 4:54 am
Wow this portfolio is something i've never seen others have done. Amazing! I liked the pictures very much! But I do think it needs heavy editing on the layout. May I ask you how did you make these oil painting-ish graphics for some of your projects like the cottage?
Personal Statement: Varied School to School but mostly talks about future interests- personal and academia related and how the courses offered at the school would help me with the future vision that I have for myself.
01. ( Kind of messed up Essay 02 for Yale where they ask for the research interest in particular. Wonder how much that particular one matters. Is it to get an idea of the inclination of interests or do they want to know a more defined area of interest. I feel mine was too broad. )
02. It'd be great to get some input from you guys about a thought I've had recently. I'm only applying to msd.aad programs where advanced standing is not an option. However, I also heard that the msd.aad program is a bigger program with more intake than the m.arch I but do they require or look out for portfolios that are more parametrically evolved for the advanced design program?
Portfolio- Thesis, 3 other academic projects of different scales, 1 showing professional work experience, personal photographic narratives, furniture drawings and renders ( not built just drawings)
I feel like I HAVE NEVER HAD SUCH BAD ANXIETY IN LIFE BEFORE! Goodluck to everybody!
peijunfei
Jan 20, 20 12:35 pm
Yo, we got lots of overalp, YSO, Cornell, GSAPP,
good luck gal!
Nonononotme
Jan 20, 20 6:17 pm
keen to see the portfolio!
I.M.Pain
Jan 21, 20 10:06 am
Is anyone applying for MIT SmarchS in Computation and Design?
frostfrog
Jan 28, 20 1:05 am
BARCH 3.44/4.00
TOEFL 106
GRE : V158 Q166 W3
UCB MADD
Cornell GSAPP MSADD
YSO Princeton GSD MArch II
MIT SMarchS computation
LOR 1 boss 2 prof
Portfolio, 8 projects (3 academic 2 professional 2 research 1 personal), took 4 months to finish
cant post the works since some images and photos are confidential and bound photocopyright.
Essay, I think I didnt put much effort on it. took 2 weeks to finish.
frostfrog
Feb 24, 20 6:58 pm
In at UBC MAAD, donno any FA yet...
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 28, 20 9:43 am
Congrats FrostFrog!! British Columbia or UC Berkeley? Hehe
hey frostfrog! have u received a result from SMarchS Computation and Design?
frostfrog
Mar 6, 20 6:25 am
They informed me to be on the waiting list, but I doubt I would get into the line...
I.M.Pain
Mar 6, 20 6:31 am
yeah same! seems chances are slim...
monkeyfish
Mar 6, 20 6:54 pm
applied to computation and design and got waitlisted as well and my f
, doubt any of us are gonna get in based on what a professor i know personally told me. the waiting list is huge and the acceptance rate is high :(
monkeyfish
Mar 6, 20 6:55 pm
my friend also got waitlisted for C&Dm
Ashlon Frank
Mar 17, 20 11:51 pm
hey @frostfrog, are you taking up the MAAD course
frostfrog
Mar 20, 20 11:03 am
I just got rejection from MIT MArch (I applied both SMarchS and MArch) Well, seems like my SMarchS would also be rejected soon? :( I haven't decided where to go, but I am preferring to go Cornell at this moment.
Ashlon Frank
Mar 20, 20 5:21 pm
Allright. Congratulations on Cornell. I have been accepted for the MAAD in Berkeley and wanted to know of others going for it.
monkeyfish
Mar 29, 20 11:54 am
I got a email from Smarchs! @frostfrog did you get any email regarding smarchs?
frostfrog
Mar 29, 20 12:25 pm
@monkeyfish Nope, no response yet. But it seems I will be rejected soon....sad... ! Anyway congratulation to you! I think I would try my way on Cornell or GSAPP.
sqqq
Apr 17, 20 7:37 pm
@frostfrog where did you decide to go? If you are going to Cornell, see you in August
frostfrog
Apr 17, 20 9:36 pm
@sqqq Yeah, I am 99% on Cornell unless nothing changes. See you there!
Gksrndls.. it’s not that serious. You’re in at some incredible options. Cornell and Columbia are amazing! I’m at an open house now with students who follow this thread, we been talking a lot. The schools really shouldn’t have this much power over our emotions. It’s all good! You’ll be A-okay!
gksrnrdls
Mar 12, 20 4:18 am
Update: In at TU delft
Ashlon Frank
Apr 10, 20 5:27 pm
Hey what did u decide on? I am deciding between TU Delft(Berlage) and the MAAD Berkeley.
sqqq
Apr 17, 20 7:38 pm
@sbavtnmvrdv where did you decide to go? if you are going to Cornell, see you in August
gksrnrdls
Apr 18, 20 2:00 am
Still dont know where to go but probably g
o to cornell or columbia
peijunfei
Jan 28, 20 12:37 pm
Int./M/3.84/4.0
TOEFL: 107
GRE: V150 Q164 W3 (Brrrrr)
GSD YOSA M.Arch2
PennDessign, GSAPP, CornellAAP MSAAD
(Only new England area. No time for MIT, and europ schools, started preparing my application since mid of Nov.)
Portfolio - 7 projects (5 acadamic, 1 professional competition, 1 personal competition) Took 2 weeks to finish.
Only 1 week working on PS/SOP.
LOR - 2 prof(FAIA), 1 boss
Finger crossed as well! GL all. Do not learn from me, should prepare everthing as early as you can.
peijunfei
Feb 28, 20 4:20 pm
Update: in at Cornell MSAAD w/ $
gksrnrdls
Feb 28, 20 10:48 pm
Same as me
snarky-tect
Feb 29, 20 3:14 am
Congrats!
JoeyTheGiant
Mar 1, 20 1:48 pm
Congrats to you both @gksrnrdls and @peijunfei !!!
peijunfei
Mar 1, 20 2:37 pm
Thank you!
peijunfei
Mar 2, 20 6:21 pm
Update: Rej from GSD
JoeyTheGiant
Jan 31, 20 2:25 pm
Male/USA/Multi-Ethnic
BA French Language and Linguistics/ UCLA/ '14
GPA 3.7 - GRE V:154, Q:147, W:3.5 (NOT great I know, taken in a hurry. Might quickly retake? We'll see. Not sure it's worth it)
Letter of recommendations Architect Mentor, Professor (UCLA), and former Creative Supervisor at a tech firm.
Personal Essay/Statement Obviously varied, but small bit of life experience stuff depending on the program. A bit on academic and professional background, my experience as a former B.Arch major, why I left it (to pursue music) and why I'm back. Professional experiences and volunteer work mentoring urban teens and how all of this truly informed by decision to return to arch.
Portfolio: My creative work in the entertainment and music industries, presented in such a way as to show off my design aesthetic and potential in architecture. Then some personal artwork, and 5 select projects from when I was in a B.Arch program. I should've started building this thing much sooner, MUCH SOONER, but I was blessed to have three week vacation time in December/Jan, and i think, hope and pray, that I nailed it.
Schools ALL M.Arch 1 (or first professional). I applied to 8 programs, each for various reasons. All amazing in their own respects. (USC, UNCC, and Woodbury all offer the IPAL, the fast track toward licensure). I went for a few programs that are more traditional in their pedagogy and others that are 'futurist' in their approach, but ALL are very pragmatic and less esoteric/theoretical, than perhaps the Ivies may have been?? (I could be wrong). With my GRE scores not as great as I thought they'd be, I'm glad I didn't apply to Ivies BUT I know they take all things into consideration.
UCLA (my alma mater)
SCI-Arc
USC
Woodbury University
University of Houston
Tulane
UNC- Charlotte
Pratt
Rensselaer
Open house impressions
UCLA (Going to an Graduate M.Arch open house next week and have also scheduled a separate private tour. I used to wander into the building when I was an undergrad there, and the work was amazing. Small school though. You can feel it. Really wanna go visit their new massive, ultra-high-tech fabrication space down in Culver City next chance I get.) I'll UPDATE this post after my visit(s) next week.
SCI-Arc. ART ART ART!! The staff were so accommodating and informative. They've really taken the time with me through the application process and even gave me a few pointers about my portfolio before I submitted it. I'm sure they won't always do that. It's likely because I dropped by and showed sincere interest. Student work is/was threateningly next-level, super intimidating but exciting and encouraging. My architect mentor stated that firms have hard-lines about hiring Sci-Arc grads; they either love em or hate em. But mostly love. Facilitates are cool. The building is a dramatic space, sure to inspire design. It's very industrial and concrete. The downtown "neighborhood" called The Arts District us super urban, up-and-coming, and inspiring. I live in LA, and I spend nearly every weekend in DTLA. It's expensive but I love the prospect of studying here. I have second architect friend who is really pushing me to go here if I get in! I see why.
Woodbury. This school really impressed and surprised me. the studios were bright and open air. The fabrication facilities were arguable the finest I've seen yet, though shared with other schools of art on campus. (that's a non-issue). The staff were obviously passionate about art and architecture and really eager to see you/me apply. Only drawback, considering it's a private school, they're pretty upfront about the FinAid they can offer. But it may be worth the sacrifice to take on the debt in exchange for the IPAL fast track)
USC: Went on a private tour. Hands down best experience I had. Staff, Professors and M.Arch students all took the time to educate me on a ton of aspects of the program, pros, cons, studio culture, employment prospects, etc etc. Great studio spaces, nice fabrication facilities, a Huge Architecture library and the amazing resources of the unrivaled USC networking culture. That extends into architecture, where firms actively recruit from USC while you're still studying. People hate on the neighborhood coz it's kind of in the "hood" but that's one of my favorite things about it; perfect for an architecture major. If I get in here with $$ I wanna do the historic preservation certification. The area is replete with historic, victorian properties. USC is famous for funding, so I'm hoping for the best.
UH This is where I initially began my undergrad degree toward a B.Arch. The Architecture building at U. Houston is famous in the city. four stories high with all studios overlooking the central gallery space.
For the East Coast schools (Pratt, Rensselaer, and UNCC), I hope to do an east coast tour this Spring. Some of your advice above was super helpful!!!
Tulane, I haven't visited the campus, but I worked on a major music project in New Orleans and lived next to the campus in the garden district for a month, working with tons of Tulane students. The NOLA culture is truly rich, diverse, and incomparable. Both the university and the Arch program are well-ranked and the school has amazing practical experience opportunities doing real-world work in the community while still studying. If I get in here with $$ it'll be a touch decision.
Results (Awaiting)
Tips Visit Visit visit! Stalk the Instagram pages of the schools and the students, watch interviews and lectures with the various faculty on YouTube. If you can't visit, get in contact with admissions and ask relevant questions, make yourself known. Most of these schools have YouTube pages. Based on what I learned from meeting the schools in person, authenticity in the personal statement is super key. Speaking in an "academic register" is important but not as important as explaining/having a real POV as a human being. I don't know if any of this is good advice yet, coz I'm not in yet lol
chuckluck
Jan 31, 20 10:51 pm
Anything you don't like/like less about SCI-Arc?
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 1, 20 3:23 am
Only a couple of things I didn’t like at SCI-Arc but they’re probably super personal to me. 1) being that it’s an art school NOT part of a full fledged university may have it’s drawbacks in terms of culture and community while studying - not having that “university” environment I love so much having gone to UCLA: libraries, gyms, restaurants, making friends and connections with folks from various disciplines etc.. 2) this will sound like a contradiction, but the thing I might dislike a little about it is something that I also love about it: that they are very futures driven, very technologically advanced, implementing technology for art/architecture production is the schools ethos. The design and modeling are all very digital, and fabrication is all very technical with robotics, in 3-D printing, laser cutting, and even animation, it’s insane! In a good way, but may not be for everyone.… Gone are the days of hand drawing, sketching and analog model making. There were some elements of the old school methods still there but not as much as I’d have liked, but then, those things are disappearing everywhere. My only concern really is that the education at SCi-arc may not be as practical in terms of real-world application as it might be at other schools… Having said that, perhaps, like in the fashion world, if you can design extraordinarily avant-garde, futuristic, out-of-this-world, conceptual, next level designs, then you can certainly handle basic “normal“ stuff. Not
sure if that makes sense.
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 5, 20 12:53 am
As promised, here's the update from my UCLA visit. UCLA AUD is certainly focused on its Masters Program which is great for us. (not so much for the undergrads). As I mentioned above, the school feels super small compared to the massive nature of the campus and compared to my visits to other Arch programs. UCLA is a STUNNING campus. Gotta be the most beautiful in the country but Perloff Hall, the Arch building, is completely uninspiring. The Master's studios are beautiful though, with huge windows, allowing in a ton of natural light. I got to peak in on a visiting lecturer, an architect from Iceland. Pretty cool. The tour was given by an M.Arch student who had a lot of info for me. Super excited to be going back again next week to speak with a professor and glean more information about the pedagogy. I was completely bummed to find out that the super high tech, experimental "IdeasLab" they opened down in Culver City is only open to students who apply for special courses taught there, in an extremely competitive application process within the M.Arch program – It is NOT part of the general program. Total bummer!! The fabrication facilities were decent at the main site. Nothing to write home about; all the usual stuff BUT the 3D printers are in disrepair/un-managed, so most students have their own. After the tour, I spoke to a member of faculty who gave me insight into the program. She assured me not to worry about my GRE scores. She said the most important aspect is the portfolio and the statement. I described to her what was in my portfolio, how I laid it out and what I discussed in my statement(s), and she said I should be in good shape. Above all, I was most excited to discover that while working on the M.Arch, students are encouraged to take elective courses from anywhere within the University if we want; any subject at all, though they prefer it to be within the Art school. (In contrast to USC who has a firm policy on Arch courses only.) Overall, UCLA would be an amazing choice, based on in-state cost and massive global prestige of the University and the growing success of the Arch school.
Side Note: found out today I'm in at U. Houston, waiting to hear about $!!
peijunfei
Feb 5, 20 4:39 pm
Thank you for the thorough visit review, man! I heard that ppl got interviewed from UCLA, did you have one as well?
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 5, 20 6:06 pm
Hey Peijunfei! I haven't been invited to a formal interview but I'm thinking that my meeting next week with a professor may constitute one. Not sure if that's how that works - like if the professor would communicate with the admissions committee to give direct feedback about an applicant. It's certainly possible.
ahp111
Feb 5, 20 6:52 pm
Hey Joey, this was really helpful. I have a web interview with a professor from UCLA tomorrow for the Suprastudio. Fingers crossed!
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 5, 20 8:35 pm
Awesome AHP. Godspeed to ya. Just be yourself. The faculty I spoke with at UCLA yesterday told me they value authenticity above all else. Don’t worry about sounding like you know it all, rather, that you are teachable and eager to learn. That’s what was conveyed to me, you got this!!!
ahp111
Feb 6, 20 5:55 pm
Thanks Joey, it went well! She just asked some general questions like - Why UCLA?, My research interest and which other universities I have applied to.
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 6, 20 6:46 pm
Congrats. Keep us posted on results!
ethanhunt
Feb 22, 20 7:23 pm
USC doesn't have a firm policy for arch courses only. I'm in my 1st year of M.Arch program and a couple of my classmates have taken courses from Roski School of art, pottery, furniture design, etc. I'm taking a couple of courses from the Planning school in sustainable cities. The choice of special topics makes it a very interesting program (I'm taking a space architecture course from a Professor who teaches in Aerospace Engineering and is also an Architect & Urban planner. It's really fun)
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 22, 20 7:41 pm
Hey Ethan, thanks for clarifying that. That’s great to know as I really wanna broaden my study and research while I’m there. Feeling hopeful to get in as would really wanna take advantage of the IPAL.. are you gonna do the IPAL ?
ethanhunt
Feb 22, 20 8:37 pm
I'm planning on starting the IPAL procedure but from next year. The 1st year in the 3 year program is a bit intensive and I took up other responsibilities in the AIAS chapter which takes up some time too.
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 23, 20 12:26 am
Yeah I can only imagine, year one is epically intense. But love the idea of getting that license in four years. Will you do your AXP hours as a third year “gap year” and finish the M.Arch in a fourth year, or finish the 3 years and take your AXP “gap year” as your fourth year. Other USC students I spoke with said they’d be doing the latter
ethanhunt
Feb 23, 20 2:39 am
Probably latter. I want to get finished with the program first. I don't mind it getting a year after
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 23, 20 3:28 am
Makes a lot of sense. Also, I’ve heard it’s hard to come back into a program for the final year if you leave to go work for a year. Once you start working you’ll want to stay in that mode and not go back to academia. The biggest advantage of the IPAL is actually not the AXP hours in my opinion, it’s getting to sit for your ARE’s while in school. That’s a game change
r!
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 28, 20 4:30 pm
Update: I’m at UCLA!
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 28, 20 4:32 pm
Update: in at UCLA! Such a relief.
ahp111
Mar 2, 20 11:32 pm
Congratulations Joey!
JoeyTheGiant
Mar 3, 20 1:05 am
Thank you AHp111. I appreciate it...
ethanhunt
Mar 3, 20 1:58 am
Congrats Joey! Which one are you going with?
JoeyTheGiant
Mar 3, 20 1:10 pm
Great kweshton lol I am honestly unsure. Still waiting to here from USC, and a couple east coast schools. Also going to visit my UH and Tulane open house this week, flying out tonight. (And possibly UNC-Charlotte later this month). I think after that I’ll be able to make a more informed, head over heart decision. I’m still confident I may get in at USC. One of my references was written by an architect who is a USC grad. Also, if I do get in, I am confident that I will get pretty well-funded. So lots still up in the air. Praying about it all. Though, moving out of LA might be nice. I’ve been here 13 years.
JoeyTheGiant
Mar 5, 20 10:49 pm
Update: In at Rensselaer (RPI) on 3/5. One of my top two or three choices, So surprised I’m the only one in this forum who seems to have applied to this amazing program!! The faculty is incredible. So honored. Will find out
about $ soon.
Michael.Willhoit
Mar 6, 20 7:16 pm
Nice one!
JoeyTheGiant
Mar 6, 20 11:16 pm
Thanks Michael!! At Tulane Today, pretty blown away by it!
AndieT
Mar 23, 20 3:07 pm
When did you hear back from UCLA? I still haven't heard one way or another.
JoeyTheGiant
Mar 23, 20 6:18 pm
Hey Andie, I heard from the architecture department that I’d been recommended to the graduate Division for admittance on Friday Feb. 28, then got the official letter from the Graduate Division on Tuesday night March 3. Then found out on Monday March 9 that I was recommended to the graduate division
for a full Fellowship. Did u get my email? Sent you a DM last week
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 5, 20 6:06 pm
Update: in at Tulane!!!!
clevelandcynic
Feb 5, 20 6:20 pm
Congrats :) Me too!
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 5, 20 6:48 pm
Congrats CC! I'm going to try
to DM you my contact info!
csss
Feb 6, 20 5:37 pm
Late to the game.
Civil Engineering / Texas A&M / 2015
Structural Engineering MS / MIT/ 2019
3.9/4.0 - V:167 Q:164 W:5.5 - n/a
Letters from professors and one professor who was my internship boss
Portfolio contained medium/low arch experience, but had some material from internship and a few design classes
GSD, MIT, Columbia, UC Berkeley, UT Austin (intentionally didn't finish application to Rice)
Haven't been to any open houses yet, but since I went to MIT at least I know how it is. Facilities are older, but they will move into a new building in 2-3 years?
Results: TBD
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 6, 20 6:50 pm
Hey CSSS, welcome. Same here, I started my Rice app but didn't finish. What were your reasons?
csss
Feb 6, 20 7:19 pm
They were actually very specific. I'm originally from Houston, and my husband didn't want to return to the job market there because it is so oil and gas heavy. It was more of a cultural thing than a Rice thing. My grandma went to Rice so I actually was a bit bummed that I couldn't be kind of a legacy student, but at the same time I didn't want to pay the application fee if I knew there was such small chance of actually attending.
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 6, 20 9:20 pm
Makes sense! That's wisdom. I'm originally from Houston too.. but my reasons were mainly about Rice. The program seems a bit small for my liking. About 15 students in each cohort. Also the essay prompt "What's at stake for architecture today?" As someone who is applying for the m.Arch 1 (three years) without much of a background in architecture, I thought the question was unfair. It expected me to take an uneducated stance about architecture, where I'm hoping to gain such education and guidance from the institution. To me, it communicated that a big wall was up, and that with such a small in-take each year, they are looking for a very specific kind of student. And I'm not sure i'm the one. Generally I would be okay to go back to Houston which is why I applied to UH (and was accepted) and I love the Rice Village. Gorgeous part of town. I'm sure Rice is amazing in its own ways, just not for me!
csss
Feb 7, 20 12:38 pm
Good point, I know some alumni from the program but didn't realize how small the program is! Either way, good luck on your other admissions!
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 7, 20 4:59 pm
Best of luck to you as well! Fun times!
csss
Feb 10, 20 3:40 pm
Update: In at UC Berkeley
ahp111
Feb 10, 20 4:21 pm
Amazing! Congratulations. You got the admit on 7th?
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 10, 20 4:51 pm
Amazing!!!Congratulations!! That's huge!!! Is it top choice, or you gonna wait to hear from a few others?
peijunfei
Feb 10, 20 5:00 pm
HUGE CONG! UCB is a hard deal! You made it!
csss
Feb 10, 20 7:42 pm
Thanks guys and girls! Yep, got admit on the 7th. My top choice is GSD for now, but my basic strategy is to see where I get in first, and then visit GSD, Columbia, Berkeley to see whats up with the programs before I make any choices. Unfortunately I wasn't very clued in to the open houses last year so I have to arrange my own visits. UCB is good for me because I'm currently in the Bay Area and my husband works here too. I'll visit soon and add my impressions about the program.
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 10, 20 11:27 pm
Fantastic, some of the schools will invite you to open houses for admitted students. Hopefully none of the dates will class. But at any rate, congrats again!! It’s such a relief to have solid dub under your belt.
csss
Feb 15, 20 4:45 pm
Update: In at UT Austin - no word on financial yet.
csss
Feb 15, 20 4:45 pm
Update: In at UT Austin - no word on financial yet.
csss
Feb 15, 20 4:54 pm
I visited UCB today (just a guided tour and visiting the arch bldg) and I was really disappointed by the architecture facilities. Does anyone have something glowing to say about Berkeley that can negate the abject depression of Wurster Hall? Ive seen other dingy/brutalist architecture campuses, but none as bad as that.
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 16, 20 12:43 am
CSSS, this is precisely how I feel/felt about UCLA's Perloff Hall. Completely uninspiring. One hopes the course content and instructors will bring the material alive and inspire your genius. Coz the building surely ain't gon' do it! Perhaps it's something about the UC system. Highly ranked Arch programs in shitty buildings ;)
constellation
Feb 17, 20 6:53 pm
I got accepted to UC Berkeley’s M.Arch program. I’m super excited about it. I did a summer architecture program there and thought it was great. I really like the brutalist building. It does feel very “public university” which I’m a big fan of, tbh. The view from the studios are pretty amazing. The faculty that taught the summer programs were amazing too, super intelligent. I hear people joke about how the architecture buildings are
always the ugliest.
Sabin Ciocan
Feb 28, 20 9:45 am
Congrats! I'm in at UCB too! Heading to the open house this weekend. Going to manage my expectations about the building
k000
Feb 28, 20 1:40 pm
Congrats! Im
also going to UCB open house. See yall there~
csss
Feb 29, 20 3:16 pm
k000 we have a pretty similar background as both from TX plus both from CVEN background and both already have a masters in engineering topics as well. Looking forward to chat with you at open house!
csss
Mar 2, 20 10:28 pm
Another great update: in at GSD with $ (note not $$$$) got the notification March 2 afternoon. :)
JoeyTheGiant
Mar 3, 20 1:07 am
CSSS, you’ve got amazing options now. Congratulations!! Will it come down to dollars and cents or will you go with GSD no matter what? Inquiring minds wanna know :)
k000
Mar 3, 20 1:16 am
It was good talking to you today! Also congrats!!!
csss
Mar 3, 20 1:00 pm
k000 you too! Best of luck on choosing a school. Joey, I was excited for 3 hours yesterday and then I started thinking about money and no longer excited. Even a 20% grant to GSD will still leave $150k + in student loans, which is insane if I go a traditional arch route with an average salary. I need to figure out if it’s worth it.
haha yeah, certainly something to consider. though since I already have MIT under my belt I'm not sure quite that I wouldn't be closer to the MIT category than the Harvard category.
JoeyTheGiant
Mar 6, 20 11:17 pm
Good call!!
csss
Mar 13, 20 1:40 pm
March 13 Update: In at Columbia GSAPP
JoeyTheGiant
Mar 17, 20 11:58 am
What?!!! Congrats CSSS!! Too cool!
t.s.
Apr 6, 20 9:14 pm
Hi, I am pretty late to join here, sorry about that.
t.s.
Apr 6, 20 9:16 pm
Hey, I am super late to this, sorry about that.
t.s.
Apr 6, 20 9:33 pm
I do not understand why my response won’t get completed here.
Undergrad - B.Arch. 2018
I am admitted to the 2-Year M.Arch
at UC Berkeley too. Though being an international student I could not attend the open house.
It would be helpful for me if you guys could share your experience regarding Berkeley and the open house? @csss, @constellation, @k000 and @Sabin Ciocan.
mdhuang94
Jul 23, 20 12:08 am
I would be cautious about GSD graduates making a lot less than UCB grads post graduation as this article claims https://archinect.com/features/article/150170495/a-deep-dive-into-the-salaries-of-nyc-architects.
GSD grads are very talented and independent which leads them to starchitect firms, niche firms, or openning their own firm. UCB grads end up in the Bay area where architects are paid the most on average in the country due to the many major corporate firms that set up an outpost and are headed by UCB grads.
Izzy.arch
Feb 8, 20 1:14 pm
hi everyone,
What are your thoughts on RISD M.Arch 2 yr program? Is it worth the expensive price tag or is it too conceptual of a program?
Thanks
Izzy
Izzy.arch
Feb 8, 20 1:15 pm
also who all got in?
I was accepted into RISD that’s why I’m asking
chuckluck
Feb 8, 20 11:42 pm
I got into the 3 yr program but I am giving priorities to other options. I got some $ but still a lot of money to be paid. It's a highly ranked program but I haven't been able to find too much information about it, even on their website. The student work seemed nice, the proximity to Brown is also a bonus, but idk, personally I'd still prefer a big university than an art institute. Still very happy to have gotten in though.
Arch1722
Feb 10, 20 1:10 pm
Did not find any Canadian schools on here, so hope that might help some
22 / Male / Canadian-Egyptian
Undergraduate Degree/ School/ Year graduated
Bachelor of Environmental Design / University of Manitoba / Spring 2020
GPA - GRE - TOEFL
3.86 / 4.5 - N/A - N/A
Letter of recommendations
2 Studio Profs and Architecture Employer
Personal Essay/Statement
Mainly talked about my Egyptian background and my experience living in Dubai and how it inspired me to pursue my undergrad in Bachelor of Environmental Design (Landscape + Urbanism). I expanded on talking how my undergrad education and my Co-op work experience has prepared me and directed me towards my grad education and what subject of interest I would like to pursue in my masters which in this case is sustainable built environments.
Portfolio
Would Appreciate any feedback or comments on that specific part/
Length of portfolio varied based on each school requirement but the attached link shows most of my projects that I included
Schools
Mcgill
Carleton
UBC
U of T
Calgary
U of M
Open house impressions
Unfortunately, did not get the chance to visit any beside (U of M obviously) but would like to hear any recommendation if anyone has been to any
Results
Still waiting upon result in Mid-March (top choices UBC, UofT and McGill)
Tips
Go through multiple drafts of your portfolio and statement of intent. Seeks advice and feedback from professors from diverse backgrounds and family or friends. It really helps and open your eyes towards things you might have not noticed.
Feel free to drop some comments, feedback, or adivces
ngocbaolam
Mar 10, 20 10:23 am
Hi. I am applying for Canadian School too. Still waiting for UBC, UoT (thegradcafe shows they started to release the result already), Calgary and Waterloo.
ngocbaolam
Mar 10, 20 10:46 am
Btw congrats for your offer in Manitoba and a nice portfolio. It paid off!
Mimare
Sep 13, 20 6:46 pm
I am applying to same schools for 2021. Any results you can share?
ngocbaolam
Sep 15, 20 7:54 pm
UW rejected
ngocbaolam
Sep 15, 20 7:55 pm
UBC 2-year stream $, UT 3-ye
ar stream $, UCal 3-year stream
k000
Feb 14, 20 12:48 am
M Arch I applicant with no design background
24 / Male / Korean American (문재인 유시민 화이팅)
BS Civil Engineering / UT Austin (Hookem!) / 2018
MSc Structural Analysis of Historical Constructions / UPC / 2019
3.8/4.0 - V:162 Q:170 W:4.5
Rec Letters from undergrad/grad/community college professors where i took a studio art class
Portfolio solely consists of works of Drawing(Charcoal and Pen), Watercolor, and Sculpture (Metal and Wood) of beginner level
GSD, YSOA, UCB, RISD, Rice, Washu
Results:
RISD (In with $ and Assistantship)
UCB (In with financial info yet to come)
Tips: After finishing my master's program in Europe, I came back to Texas to take a year off and figure out what I really wanted to do in life. For couple months I did nothing but learn how to draw, paint, and sculpt - remaining time spent on studying for GRE. It was a big gamble for me (especially making the portfolio), my parents were worried about me giving up a nice engineering career, and it was not easy seeing my peers enjoying that work life and getting engaged/married one by one, but I wanted to give it a shot when I am still young and passionate.
For Non-Arch/Design Background people: My portfolio was mostly drawings and paintings of my family and friends I met in various parts of the world, and places I've lived and visited during my trip in Europe. I was fortunate enough to get hands on experience on 3D printing, bronze/iron casting, sandbox molding, steel welding, laser cutting of plywood from Sculpture class at CC. Since sculptural pieces were my strongest, I placed them first in my portfolio followed by watercolor series and finally sketches and drawings of figures and people. I placed each work on white background with minimum description like an art exhibition pamphlet. I had such difficult time finding examples portfolios by non-design applicants so hope this helps.
chuckluck
Feb 14, 20 1:03 am
Fellow non-design applicant here, would be nice to see your portfolio :) and congrats on your acceptance to RISD and UCB!
k000
Feb 14, 20 8:08 pm
Haha thanks @chuckluck. Portfolio is too personal so im a bit hesitant to share it online
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 16, 20 12:48 am
k000 and @chuckluck, another non-design applicant here (in the strictest sense). Congrats on your admits!!
You've got a solid academic foundation, which I'm sure served you well. I can imagine your portfolio is pretty inventive and unique as well. Seems your application portrays a whole person with some serious emotional and academic depth/breadth. Keep us posted as you here from the rest!!
architekkk
Feb 16, 20 3:46 am
Hi Congrats on your admission! When did you hear the announcement
from UC Berkeley?
k000
Feb 17, 20 12:02 am
Thanks @joeythegiant! And i heard from berkeley on 2/7
k000
Feb 28, 20 1:39 pm
In at WASHU!!
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 28, 20 4:26 pm
Huge congrats k000!! Top university, top program!
k000
Mar 1, 20 1:07 pm
Thanks! Congrats to you too
k000
Mar 6, 20 9:32 pm
Waitlisted at Rice and Rejected from GSD and Yale haha. Whatever. Im just thankful that i am given a chance to study architecture, will attend the openhouse at RISD and WUSTL and decide~
joshalbert
Feb 21, 20 4:42 pm
USA/Male/21 Undergraduate Degree/ School/ Year Graduated B.A. Philosophy with Distinction & Minor in Physics/University of Colorado Boulder/2019 (December) GPA - GRE - TOEFL GPA: 3.777/4.000 GRE 1: 158/80%V, 154/53%Q, 4.0W GRE 2: 157/76%V, 157/64%Q, 4.0W TOEFL: N/A Letter of Recommendations Quantity: 3 From: 1) Instructor/Graduate Student, 2) Professor, and 3) Instructor. Suggested Content for my Essay Writer: 1) Artistic and creative abilities; writing, research; 2) Analytical skills, i.e. I am ready for advanced coursework; 3) Epistemic (knowledge related) diversity and being chill and enjoying books, especially sci-fi. Personal Essay/Statement
Six months of drafting to get good template, each essay catered to institution - including tone. I mentioned certificates and faculty whose work I was interested in. Depending on the school, I included examples of past work I value a lot more than only being an item on my CV.
I continuously changed my essays until they were submitted (and could no longer change them), usually refining the next one from what I learned reading doing the previous one. This could be diction, grammar, or overall concept I was developing about.
I found out a lot about myself with regards to architecture as I wrote my essays. I didn't have it all figured out before hand.
Also, I have a few typos on every essay I submitted, so don't let that stress you out. Typos stressed me out, but I should have proof-read my essays more carefully than I did.
Portfolio 19 page pdf made in PowerPoint consisting of woodworking, drawing, and photography. Black background (except Clemson, which I did in white, because I had to physically mail them my portfolio in a notebook with my CV. I shouldn't have to do this in 2019. Clemson lost a lot of points in my book because of this). White text, Arial font. Title page consisting of my full name, program name, program specification (track 3, etc.), and the university. Page numbers starting second page. No table of contents. 4:3 aspect ratio for slides. Schools North Carolina State University; University of Tennessee Knoxville, Virginia Tech, Clemson, University of Kentucky, Cornell, Rice, University of Oregon, University of Washington Open House Impressions N/A (yet). I have only toured the NCSU program. My thoughts from the NCSU tour as well as my experience taking one class as a non-degree seeking student this spring (2020): NCSU is a very horizontally integrated program within the College of Design and is a practically oriented program with a lot of lecturers working in professional offices, not in academia. The M.Arch program is also very diverse, notably with nationality. NCSU students consistently are consistently internationally recognized and have large scale competition winning work. And, the woodshop is amazing. Results As of Feb. 21 2020: 4/4 Admission: University of Oregon (prompt decision, with Tuition Remission) Clemson NCSU Virginia Tech Tips
Architecture is a holistic profession. Everything counts, and counts together, when it comes to who you are as an applicant and student. I submitted my CV wherever possible because it is, ideally, a more holistic representation of who you are as an applicant than a resume.
Do your research - what does each school feel like? What is/are their main thing/s? Why do you want to go there besides it being a good graduate program?
I'd say the location of the school as a reason for application is not sufficient on it's own. That is, don't just apply somewhere because you want to live in that area.
Have strong opinions. Strong opinions differentiate you from other people.
Spend a lot of time (seriously, a lot of time) critiquing your essays and portfolio. What is each sentence and picture doing for your work? If anything does not work towards your goal of admission, don't include it. For your portfolio, you are not supposed to show them only good pictures. You are supposed to show them who you are, and "good pictures" can be very good at communicating this, but not always. I dropped many of my favorite pictures because they were not contributing the person I was creating for review as a good potential M.Arch student.
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 21, 20 11:10 pm
Amazing rundown, and some solid wisdom considering your age. Well done sir.. what is/are your top choice(s)? V.Tech is arguably the most prestigious
of the four you’ve gotten into thus far.
joshalbert
Apr 7, 20 8:05 am
Update since I can't seem to edit my original post:
joshalbert
Apr 7, 20 8:21 am
Thanks for the complement JoeyTheGiant. I decided to go to NCSU primarily because of place. I was accepted into all schools besires Cornell and Rice, and waitlisted at UW. Clemson ended up offering me a fellowship and thus in-state tuition. But, I'd prefer to live in Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill rather than get funneled into Northern Virginia/DC as I likely would be through VT, and I do not want to live in Clemson, SC (or SC in general), and although UO is in the PNW which is a region of great personal interest, I read Eugene is pretty unexciting and does not have nearly the architectural resources as Raleigh.
frostfrog
Feb 24, 20 6:57 pm
deleted
ozmus
Feb 25, 20 7:07 am
US undergrad applying for the UK schools
Undergraduate Degree/ BS. Architectural Studies
GPA - 3.95/4
GRE - N/A
TOEFL - N/A
Letter of recommendations
2 from professors (have no idea what they have written)
Personal Essay/Statement
Some personal understanding of the relationship between video game and architecture. 2 weeks in total.
*Similar graphic theme throughout the whole portfolio
1 personal project of a video game proposal (#narrative #dystopia #sarcasm)
3 academic projects
sketching+photography
Schools
AA diploma, UCL MArch Part 2
Open house impressions
After a tour in AA I believe the school provides all kinds of facilities for the students, but I cannot tell if the quantities are enough. The school was really compact and I was always surrounded by people no matter where I was, but it was fun to walk around. I won't consider the physical size of the school being problematic for the students since their 'school' isn't just the building but the whole city.
I haven't visited the Bartlett yet. I'll update later if I have a chance to visit.
Results
Got an offer from AA but a year lower. (AA Experimental 3rd year)
Still waiting for the Bartlett.
Tips
***Spend time on figuring out who you are and what you want.
*Show your specific interest in your Essay and Portfolio (a personal project will help a lot).
*You don't have to stick too many projects in your portfolio. Quality is more important than quantity.
*You don't have waste your money to apply for 10+ schools.
chunglohcs
Feb 26, 20 10:29 pm
Hey, congratulations!
chunglohcs
Feb 26, 20 10:29 pm
Was wondering when was your interview and when did you get the offer from AA?
ozmus
Feb 27, 20 3:09 am
Thank you :)
Interviewed on Feb 6th
Offer received on Feb 11th
chunglohcs
Feb 27, 20 3:23 am
I had mine on the 13th, but I haven’t received any email yet regarding the offer. Starting to worry now. I don’t know if I should call the admission office.
ozmus
Feb 27, 20 3:40 am
I think you should call them because many students got their offers after calling the admission office, which gets particularly busy at this period each year.
chunglohcs
Mar 2, 20 7:53 pm
Yea I called them. They told me to wait for another two weeks... I’m getting more and more nervous!
ozmus
May 16, 20 12:30 pm
update: UCL accepted
Whoknow
Jul 15, 20 3:08 am
One of the best portfolio ive seen
ozmus
Jul 15, 20 9:36 pm
Thank you!
vialee
Feb 26, 20 2:27 am
Undergraduate Degree/ School/ Year graduated： BA/ Mount Holyoke College/ 2019 (originally 2020; finished my degree one year earlier)
GPA - GRE - TOEFL: GPA 3.84/4.0; GRE V158+M163+W3.5
Letter of recommendations: 4 professors and 1 former employer
Results: UC Berkeley; WUstl (no rejects, still waiting for the other schools)
Tips
vialee
Feb 27, 20 5:28 pm
Got into UCLA too！
Nonononotme
Feb 27, 20 5:54 pm
wow ! congrats! keen to see your portfolio
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 27, 20 6:21 pm
Congrats Vialee!!! Big dub. What did you do your undergrad in? Do you have an architecture background?
vialee
Feb 27, 20 6:30 pm
Hi arielbintang! I will post it online and let you know soon!
vialee
Feb 27, 20 6:31 pm
Hi JoeyTheGiant! I studies "architectural studies" in school, with a BA degree!
vialee
Feb 27, 20 6:32 pm
Also got into Georgia Tech's Mater of Human Computer Interaction program!
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 28, 20 7:45 pm
Vialee, if you’re going to the UCLA open house for admitted students, I’ll see you there. Just registered.
vialee
Mar 2, 20 5:46 pm
Got into Harvard GAS M.Arch 3.5years！
vialee
Mar 6, 20 8:40 pm
Got into all the schools except Rice. No fundings at all. I guess I will not study architecture anymore.
JoeyTheGiant
Mar 6, 20 11:20 pm
@vialee, choose your top school and appeal. Only pick one, so you can spend the energy appealing and asking if they have any additional funds. Harvard has a ton of money. But be smart, do some research and appeal hard. To the graduate program at the university and to the school or architect. I’m doing it for one of my programs. I’ll keep you posted!
AndieT
Mar 23, 20 3:14 pm
@JoeyTheGiant what is the process for making an appeal? Is that like frowned upon?
indigoing
Feb 26, 20 3:04 pm
Hey all, thought I'd join in!
F/23/Canada
Undergraduate Degree
BA Architectural Studies, U of T 2019, GPA 3.91/4.00
GRE
V165 Q155 (major oops, but wrote it at the absolute last minute) AW5.5
Letter of recommendation
3 profs, one of whom I have a long-standing relationship with over the course of 3 years (recommend doing this)
Personal Essay/Statement
Went kind of wild with this one since writing and architectural theory is a strength of mine. Wrote about a research interest and made sure not to belabour what's already on my CV.
Portfolio
I personally felt like this was my weakness, since my undergraduate programme was (arguably) not that good, and I didn't have the in-depth plans/sections/architectural drawings I see in many of the top-school portfolios. I had a lot of conceptual/analytical work and made sure to include minimal group work and kept it original. I made sure to only include the strongest drawings and went through two versions before I was happy with it.
Also, to supplement my studio projects, I did some independent work which focussed on my research interests to tie it together with my personal statement.
Schools
This is a long one, but I'm applying to both US schools because the pedagogy and reputation appeals to me and EU schools because I'd like to come out of school debt free if possible.
US: MIT MArch I, Princeton, GSD MLA I AP (my work is at the intersection of landscape/architecture so I thought it would be a good fit, also didn't think I was competitive for the MArch I)
Europe: Bartlett, TU Berlin, KADK (Denmark), KTH (Sweden), IKA (Austria), potentially some more German universities but the deadlines are in like June/July...
Open house impressions
Can't attend any as I'm working in Berlin
Results
In: MIT, financial aid TBD
Waiting on everything else. Top choice would probably be the GSD.
Tips
Portfolio: I found the application process to US schools quite challenging, mostly because my work was very different from many of the best portfolios online. I would recommend not looking at other portfolios too much, because the sad reality is that so much of everyone's work is same -- stay true to yourself! Nevertheless, it's important to get feedback from teachers and colleagues. I worked hard on having a narrative in my portfolio, and the projects "talked" to each other. I had 5 projects, included some of my photography work and an exhibition which I ran/curated.
Personal Statement: Despite what everyone says, I do think this is an extremely important part of the application, especially if your portfolio work isn't as strong as everyone else's. I worked on mine intensively for about a month. If you have an original research interest or good writing skills, I believe that this can be the decisive factor in your application to US schools (probably not so much for European schools). I made sure to include specific aspects of each programme that interested me. Also, I didn't write about my background or my "lego moment," I think personal anecdotes are usually not a good idea...
Good luck everyone!
Hachiko
Feb 26, 20 3:14 pm
When did you receive MIT's decision?
indigoing
Feb 26, 20 3:15 pm
This morning :)
Hachiko
Feb 26, 20 3:18 pm
Congratulations
constellation
Feb 26, 20 5:23 pm
oops I commented down below. Congrats! did they call you?
indigoing
Feb 26, 20 5:34 pm
I actually didn't have a phone number at the time when I submitted my application (was in the process of moving) so I'm not sure if they would have. I got an email from a professor.
csss
Feb 26, 20 5:54 pm
I haven't heard back from MIT either, but I'll update when I do hear back. Super nervous now haha
indigoing
Mar 2, 20 4:13 pm
Update - full $$$ + stipend at MIT, full $$$ at GSD
peijunfei
Mar 2, 20 4:41 pm
OMG CONGRATS!
ahp111
Mar 2, 20 11:20 pm
Congratulations!!
Nonononotme
Mar 3, 20 12:34 pm
Wow that is soooo cool! Really shows how writing is as important as portfolio! Keen to see it
indigoing
Mar 3, 20 2:05 pm
Thank you!! Good luck to everyone, nervous to hear back from Princeton now
xxxxX
Sep 13, 20 3:09 pm
Hi, huge congrats!! Did you decide on GSD or Princeton at the end? And I was also wondering, why didn't you consider Yale?
constellation
Feb 26, 20 5:10 pm
did they call you?
ctrl_z
Feb 26, 20 6:58 pm
Hey :)
Undergraduate Degree/ School/ Year graduated： International / BA Architecture / University of Cambridge
GPA - GRE - TOEFL: GPA n/a; GRE V158+Q160+W5 (studied aprox 2 weeks after work); TOEFL 114
Letter of recommendations: 3 professors
Personal Essay/Statement Not great - quite general, but personal; sent in the first drafts, as I wrote them late
Portfolio Around 30 pages of uni work and one page of personal drawings/paintings
Schools: Harvard; Yale; MIT; Princeton (MArch 1)
Open house impressions: -
Results: MIT - accepted (call by Admissions Director; financial aid TBD)
Tips I found comparing my portfolio/essay approach to what I found online to be detrimental (and stressful!), I just did whatever felt representative of me :)
Good luck all! x
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 26, 20 8:03 pm
Ctrl, Congrats on MIT. Curious, what would’ve been your UK/Europe choices had you decided to stay?
ctrl_z
Feb 26, 20 8:16 pm
Joey, Thank you! Uhm, possibly ETH (but I think they require German...), Delft or back to Cambridge (loved it!).
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 26, 20 9:14 pm
Makes sense!
ctrl_z
Feb 27, 20 3:33 pm
Update: Call from Harvard - AP and full ride. Shocking
ap23
Feb 27, 20 3:39 pm
Wow, congrats, that's amazing news to get.
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 27, 20 4:21 pm
Hats off!! Well done.
ctrl_z
Feb 27, 20 5:26 pm
Thank you guys so much! Fingers crossed for everyone.
ctrl_z
Feb 27, 20 5:27 pm
(MIT offered 3/4 tuition and stipend; but no AP)
csss
Feb 27, 20 11:33 pm
Serious congrats!!
ctrl_z
Feb 28, 20 7:53 am
Thank you, csss! Fingers crossed for you as well xx
csss
Mar 4, 20 6:50 pm
Any MIT admits know when open house is scheduled?
fishguy123
Feb 26, 20 7:41 pm
Undergraduate Degree/ School/ Year graduated： Manufacturing and Design Engineering / Northwestern University / 2017
GPA - GRE - TOEFL: GPA 2.9; GRE V164+Q161+W4.5
Letter of recommendations: 2 professor, one colleague
Personal Essay/Statement Like to think that these kicked ass, spent literally hundreds of hours
Portfolio 13 pages. short but it's really slick. furniture design, public sculpture, product design, VR world creation, digital manufacturing research, jewelry design, gallery installation, algorithmic design, data viz, advanced rendering/texture mapping, 1 yrs work experience at premier architecture model studio
Open house impressions: Yale - loved it. made me want to go to architecture school. Michigan - rad, great facilities. lots of space. MIT is rad too. SAIC is great rising program, well-situated in the rich chicago ecosystem
Results: Out at Berkeley
Tips I found comparing my portfolio/essay approach to what I found online to be detrimental (and stressful!), I just did whatever felt representative of me :) << same
larry chip
Feb 29, 20 10:13 am
a
ciocs353
Feb 27, 20 6:38 pm
Undergraduate Degree/ School/ Year graduated
University of Florida / B.A. History, B.A. Political Science, Minor: Public Leadership / 2012
GPA - GRE - TOEFL
3.31 GPA (Undergrad was more about personal growth rather than academic focus)
158 Q | 167 V | 4.5 AWA (August - October studying after work almost exclusively for math, took six full practice tests prior to test day)
Letter of recommendations
3 for most, 4 for some.
2 - employers/managers in architecture/design field (1 previous, 1 current)
1 - previous client (worked with closely on a specific project)
1 - studio instructor
Personal Essay/Statement
I spent a significant amount of time on these and was still writing/editing up to the deadline. I think because I started working on Berkeley’s application first, and their essays were structured as a “Personal History Statement” and a Statement of Purpose, my essays were skewed more towards personal narrative rather than future research / professor-focused. I also felt like my longer-than-usual journey to architecture school needed additional context.
Portfolio
I never studied architecture formally, but have had about 7 years of professional experience in the design/construction field. It was tough to figure out what to include from my professional work, personal design work, and Design Discovery (a studio intensive program) I did last summer. The advice I got from the summer program was to really emphasize the design of portfolio itself--to treat the presentation as a design project in and of itself. The final breakdown was: 5 “academic” projects, 2 personal projects, and 4 (single-page) professional projects.
GSD - I spent 6 weeks there last summer doing Design Discovery, so I got a good feel of the studio/facilities, the culture (to a certain extent), and the school’s approach. The instructors of the program were all recent grads, or students finalizing work on their thesis. They were amazing as instructors but also as a resource to understand what going through an M.Arch is like, what the GSD was like, why they chose it, what they plan to do after. I also attended the open house this past fall and it was helpful to see the school’s “official” presentation about itself rather than the more informal perspective I got this summer. After going to other open houses, I can say that what impressed me most at GSD was the quality of the student work. There wasn’t any work that I wasn’t impressed by. I was taken by the level of rigor, the depth of inquiry, and the final presentation of work. Consistently good through and through.
Yale - This was the open house that surprised me the most. Unjustifiably, my impression of Yale was that it was stuffy and self-centered. During the visit, I found exactly the opposite. I really connected with the first-year housing project. I love the hands-on nature of the approach and its commitment to the local community, and how despite being a competition, seems to bring the cohort together. I was surprised (in a positive way) by the overall tone and focus on social justice issues. In reading the student publications, and seeing the issues that some of the current studios focused on, I really felt like this was constant dialogue that the school was engaged in. I found that all the students that I engaged with (not just the hand-picked tour guides) were friendly and willing to talk about their work and it seemed like studio-culture leaned more towards camaraderie rather than competition. Really awesome open house.
Cornell - This is such a tough school for me to talk about. I love the program, the facilities were outstanding both spatially and the in the availability of resources (brand new fabrication shop, etc.), the research labs were engaged in exciting and meaningful work, and the professors were all very interesting and welcoming. I also really liked Ithaca. It has a small college-town charm, and the access to beautiful hiking and other nature is a huge plus. The biggest downside is how remote the school feels. The M.Arch I program (maybe others too) has a component in which students spend a semester in NYC which is a nice effort towards connectedness, but Ithaca itself honestly feels very isolated. Of course, for some people this may be a bonus, because you can be very focused on your work with few external distractions. All in all, amazing school, but location was a big hurdle for me.
GSAPP - I loved the school’s contextual approach to architecture. It felt very in-tune with all of the different aspects of the built environment rather solely a formal aesthetic approach. I was really impressed with their faculty and I enjoyed the critiques I observed--good conversations and a real sense of collegiality among the students and professors. I was disappointed in the facilities. After spending the summer at GSD, I thought all schools provided as much real estate for each student. I was really shocked at how cramped the studio spaces felt. Then again, it is New York (I currently live in Brooklyn), so I guess I should have known better. Other than the physical space, this was an amazing school that is fully engaged in architectural discourse and contributes original ideas and research to the broader conversation.
Results
GSD -
Yale -
GSAPP -
Berkeley - Accepted! Heading to the admit open house for a first visit. Doesn’t seem like I got any aid. As a public school, I can gain residency after the first year so that should help manage the cost.
MIT -
Cornell -
Princeton -
Rice -
Tips
Give yourself plenty of time to study and write.
If you don’t have a formal architectural background, don’t try to make your portfolio more architecture-y than your previous work/experience actually is.
Don’t wait to apply. I kept waiting to apply until I felt like I had more experience and more projects under my belt before I felt like I was a ‘worthy’ applicant. After sitting down with the Architecture Lead at GSD this summer, she gave really good advice: “You’re applying to grad school so that you can learn about architecture, we don’t expect you to come in as an expert. It’s the biggest misconception I think people have.”
fathermango
Feb 28, 20 9:36 am
A lot of good insights, thank you!
ciocs353
Feb 29, 20 5:42 pm
Update 2/29: In at Cornell with $. Very excited and grateful.
snarky-tect
Feb 29, 20 6:30 pm
Congratulations!
ciocs353
Mar 4, 20 12:21 pm
Update 3/2: Waitlisted at Rice
Update 3/3: Rejected from Harvard
archi_gram
Mar 9, 20 9:23 pm
Congrats on Cornell! Good luck with MIT and GSAPP! I am hesitated here between cornell and upenn also because of the location. Literally in the middle of the mountains, definitely going to miss a lot of opportunities to find summer jobs and then move around.
I wish I got into MIT, I just love Boston
ciocs353
Mar 10, 20 10:46 am
Thanks!
Updates: Out at Yale (3/6) and Princeton (3/9) still
ciocs353
Mar 10, 20 11:09 am
(continued from previous)...still waiting to hear from MIT and GSAPP. Between the two acceptances I have, I'm leaning towards Berkeley over Cornell. Even with the scholarships/stipends that Cornell is offering, the total cost of tuition is about double. It's also a 3.5 year program compared to Berkeley's 3-year track. After going to Berkeley's admit open house, I was most struck by the overall laid-back vibe--it was very refreshing compared to the northeast schools I've visited! All the professors and students were very approachable and willing to share what they were working on even if it was very much in-process. I'd like to talk to more current students and alums to make sure that laid-back doesn't translate to low expectations/low-quality work. It didn't seem like that was the case during my visit, but I want to get more background.
archi_gram
Mar 12, 20 7:57 pm
I am writing a thread with tuition information from all schools. Does UCB only cost $5,000 flat tuition for out of state students? That's insane!
Hey @ciocs353,
I have been accepted to UC Berkeley too for M.Arch
, are you still leaning towards it?
sqqq
Apr 17, 20 7:39 pm
@ciocs353 where did you decide to go? if you are going to Conell, see you in August
Unicornsarereal
Feb 28, 20 9:52 am
do you guys think the GSD and YSOA will post their decisions afternoon of the 28th like every year or will it be the 29th since its leap year? Im so anxious lolll
Also what is up with people saying they got phone call acceptances from MIT and GSD when its clearly stated on the website that there will be no decisions given out through phone calls? Help me understand, is this real and they just call their fav applicants informally?
On a lighter note, how is everyone holding up? Im an anxious mess here cant even get out of bed. Hope we all get the schools we want
Hachiko
Feb 28, 20 9:58 am
Can totally relate. Am super anxious as well. Aaaaaaah...
ctrl_z
Feb 28, 20 11:02 am
Don’t want to say it’s a certain way or another - can only confirm they do call informally. They also confirmed when the official email will be sent out - i got MIT yesterday and GSD said I’ll get theirs on Monday. Hope this helps. It doesn’t matter how we’re notified - good luck!! :)
csss
Feb 28, 20 11:02 am
I imagine today, the 28th, because I imagine they would do it on their workday, not their weekend. Ditto on the super anxious part! I started checking my emails every 30 min yesterday.
chuckluck
Feb 28, 20 11:25 am
Thanks for sharing ctrl_z! Well, looks like it's coming on Monday then, at least I will have another weekend to kill.
JessaMynn
Feb 28, 20 11:41 am
They call the top applicants. It says no decisions given via phone so people don't call in to ask about their status.
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 28, 20 1:13 pm
Can def relate, thankfully I’m not too anxious coz I got into one of my top choices, Tulane, with $$$, and two other great programs (UNC-Charlotte and U Houston) but still a lil nervous as I’m hoping to hear positive news from one of my LA schools ( USC, UCLA or Sci-Arc), so I Would have the option to stay here if I don’t want to leave LA. Tho moving isn’t the worse thing ever... At the end of the day, the schools will help us reach our goal, but career prospects will be on us, to be aggressive and smart about how we take advantage of the time and resources availed, no matter where we end up. I’m also hoping I hear from UCLA by today (yay or nay) so I can decide to keep or drop this pre-rec I’m taking before the refund deadline of March 1 lol (UCLA only one I applied to requiring Survey of Arch history).
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 28, 20 6:47 pm
Lol feeling super grateful, found out I am in at UCLA just minutes after I posted the above comment… (Feb 28, 2020, for anyone reading this in the future). Obviously as it is a public/state school, won’t find out about money right away. The graduate department will inform me about that when they send out the official letters in a few weeks.
csss
Feb 28, 20 7:15 pm
@Joey congrats! awesome news
JoeyTheGiant
Feb 28, 20 7:42 pm
Thanks so much CSSS! What a ride!
vialee
Feb 29, 20 8:20 pm
Haven’t heard from them. I assume they will sent out decisions in Monday.
peijunfei
Feb 28, 20 10:52 am
Phone calls are true stories. Not mine though. Sadly.
bessie2b
Feb 28, 20 11:31 am
Any Landscape Architecture applicants out there?
indigoing
Feb 28, 20 11:46 am
Yes, me, I applied into the MLA at the GSD (MArch everywhere else though)
bessie2b
Feb 28, 20 11:53 am
I also applied to a mix of programs! MLA at the GSD too. Wondering if they are released around the same time as MArch results. All the best!
landarch2217
Feb 28, 20 12:48 pm
I am! I applied to MLA at Harvard, Upenn, Berkeley, RISD, UBC, U of T and U of M. I got my Upenn acceptance last week.
indigoing
Feb 28, 20 2:29 pm
Good luck both of you!
fathermango
Mar 1, 20 3:49 am
Yes, I applied for UPenn for MLA and MArch. The chair sent me an email for the admission!
landarch2217
Mar 2, 20 5:42 pm
Wait listed at GSD for MLA 1 AP
10tharch
Mar 4, 20 12:39 pm
Yes, me too. MLA applicant here.
In at Uni of Mich and WashU St Louis. Out at GSD. Has anyone got an update from Berkeley yet?
landarch2217
Mar 4, 20 12:47 pm
Haven't heard from berkeley yet! But accepted at RISD yesterday.
landarch2217
Mar 9, 20 8:27 pm
Anyone heard from Berkeley yet for MLA decisions?
10tharch
Mar 26, 20 4:41 am
Hi, did anyone hear from Berkeley for MLA? I am thinking its a rejection for me as its already too late.
landarch2217
Mar 26, 20 10:01 am
I emailed them a few weeks ago, and they just replied saying they are very behind on applications due to the COVID situation. They said everyone will be advised by the end of april.
10tharch
Mar 26, 20 10:11 am
@landarch2217 Oh okay, thanks for the information. The other schools want the decision by 15th April. Do you think they might postpone it?
chuckluck
Feb 28, 20 11:31 am
So results should be rolling out starting tomorrow, best of luck to everyone in this thread! Here's to the countless days and nights spent in anxiety
peijunfei
Feb 28, 20 11:46 am
Kudos and much obliged!
hbassal
Feb 28, 20 2:58 pm
umm, the GSD website says the results are due in the first week of March is that not the case?
JessaMynn
Feb 28, 20 3:01 pm
By the first week. Top admits have been getting phone notifications over the past two days, everyone else will be notified by email by the end of next week.
hbassal
Feb 28, 20 3:05 pm
if you don't mind my asking, what are top admits? from the sound of it, it seems -if i'm not mistaken- like those would be the ones they are sure about as opposed to others that they are not sure about yet, correct?
peijunfei
Feb 28, 20 3:10 pm
From my understanding, the calls to admitted students take time, like each 10 min or so. They need to inform one by one, imagine that. The ones not got informed, will be told automa
tically by email to check the portal, which means, most of the cases, rej.
JessaMynn
Feb 28, 20 3:12 pm
It's the one's that have been awarded merit scholarships (as opposed to though maybe in addition to, need-based financial aid), so the top 10%ish, there may be definite yesses that will not be notified by phone. I'm assuming most of the decisions have been made.
OrderinChaos
Feb 28, 20 3:12 pm
I am questioning how healthy it is to speculate on the intentions of schools in their decision release methods, and the meaning of who gets where when. It is likely based on factors we will never know about. What we handed in is in the hands of the admissions teams, and thats it. I am still extremely nervous but speculating on other's standing with respect to the school does not help, and does not reflect any facts of the situation. This rises to the level of speculation
JessaMynn
Feb 28, 20 3:20 pm
That's just GSD, every school is different. I think MIT makes an attempt to contact every admit via phone, but they have a much smaller class.
peijunfei
Feb 28, 20 4:09 pm
You know what? it is indeed unhealthy, it is just reflecting how anxious we are! lol, good luck to everyone here! Fi
nger crossed...
peijunfei
Feb 28, 20 3:09 pm
From my understand, the calls to admited students take times, like each 10 min or so. They need to inform one by one, imagine that. The ones not got informed, will be told automatically by email toi check the portal, which means, most of the cases, rej.
Hey all,
Opening a thread for all of us m.arch applicants this year to share our status of application (and decisions) together.
I guess I can start this off! I am Intl./M/26
B.Arch/UCLA/2018
3.4/4, GRE 160/160, TOEFL waived
Previous Profs and one employer
Working working...
Finalizing as well, hope it turns out ok.
GSD, Princeton, Syracuse, Rice, RISD
Didn't have the chance to go to any yet, was working all year in a local firm
Good luck to everyone!!
any updates?
UCLA has a B.Arch???
nah. they still have BA Arch Studies.
India/F/25
B.Arch / 2017
GRE : 150V 166Q 4.0AWA
IELTS : 8.0
3 from professors
UCB (MCP - Urban Design conc.), UCLA (MSAUD - Urban strategy), Cornell (MSAAD) , UT-Austin (MSUD), UMich (MUD), Notre Dame (MADU), Georgia Tech.(MSUD), Carnegie Mellon(MUD)
Any update on the results? India/F/26 and applied to UCB and UTAustin. Haven't heard from either.
No updates yet! Waiting and waiting. Will definitely post whenever I hear from anywhere! Btw, you've applied for the same programs?
Update: Out at Berkeley and GaTech. Berkeley was a long shot, but don't know what went wrong with GaTech.
In at UMich, no
information on $ yet.
Just received an email notification. 19k scholarship at UMich!!
Congratulations! UMich is a good one. Do consider Michigan's climate. Coming from hot and humid climatic conditions, I'm not used to cold weather as it makes me lethargic so I didn't go for extreme cold cities. You know how hectic is architecture!
Congrats ahp111, UMich Graduates are the 4th highest paid in the industry. You're in great shape: https://archinect.com/features/article/150170495/a-deep-dive-into-the-salaries-of-nyc-architects
Thanks ethan! I am yet to hear from other schools, so will be deciding accordingly. And yes, I haved lived in Michigan for a few months. The weather is harsh!
Thanks Joey! That article was definitely insightful.
I received a departmental decision letter from UCLA MSAUD that I have been recommended for admission and should receive an official admit within a few weeks. Are there any chances of a reject from the Admissions
Office?
I don’t think so. I know technically it allows them some tiny wiggle room, I think you’re fine. I got the same last Friday 2/28 but then got the official letter from the admissions office late last night 3/3. Only bummer, no $. Anytime a school doesn’t offer $, it means they don’t really want you.
Oh okay. So, I should be expecting the official letter in a few days! And also, there's nothing mentioned about $
Yes you should and if the department (AUD) recommended you for merit based scholarship then you’ll hear about it in that email from Admissions. Also, the Financial Aid department emailed me this morning with my full aid package. It was ALL loans, ($45k-worth) not even university Grants which I received when I
did my undergrad at UCLA. I plan of appeal though, both to the department (AUD) and to graduate Admissions.
Okay, I am waiting from the Admissions. I hope your appeal goes well!
Congrats on U Michigan Taubman! I don't think they give out that much money any more according to grad cafe this year. I didn't get any this year. It is sad because I really like Ann Arbor. I stayed there for two weeks, love the lake weather, love the sunshine, and love the lively street at night (streets still filled with people at midnight), truly a safe and energetic city to study in
Thanks @archi_gram ! I ha
ve been to Ann Arbor and I liked it too. It's really a lively college town.
Update : In - Carnegie Mellon (negligible $), Notre Dame ($$$$)
Out - Cornell, UT Austin
Bachelor of Arts Architecture / Portland State University / 2016
Sub 3.0 - 155/152/4.0 - Not needed
3 professors (Ivy alumni, not that it will matter, see tips below), 1 Associate Principal (current employer)
Completed - Talked about my background in arts, how it influences my process, what I learned since undergraduate studies, how I will use my background/education/work experience to push a specific process forward alongside current works at the schools, and how I see my past experience blending with the schools pedagogy to reach my career goals.
*I will post the actual statement after/close to the application deadlines.
Completed - Two academic projects, one personal residential project, and two artistic explorations.
*I will post my final portfolio after/close to the application deadlines.
Pratt, UMich, Penn, Yale, PSU, Woodbury, SCI-Arc
Yale was phenomenal. The architecture building is the best that I've seen. The city is kind of lame. The studios were very roomy and clean. The work was more attainable than I anticipated. Work was 90/10 (good/okay). The students and faculty were very nice and intelligent. One of the students admitted that most students there don't utilize the digital labs to their full potential and there wasn't much push to do so.
Penn was great. The work was 70/30 (really good/good) hit and miss, but the good work was phenomenal. The studios were a little tight. The campus and city is a really nice place to be. The students and faculty were very nice and intelligent. Also got to hang out around Thom Mayne which was pretty cool.
Pratt was okay. The building is pretty cool, but not many really open spaces. The studios were more roomy than Penn though. The work was 30/70 (really good/okay). The faculty was pretty serious, also intelligent, and the students were not the most rigorous or focused. The city is well, NYC, so amazing and unfathomable. The campus was just okay though. David Erdman (the chair?) was super awesome and helpful, but definitely has a strong point of view about discourse. They did seem slightly unorganized.
SCI-Arc was great. The building is good. The surroundings are hit and miss. It is in the arts district area which is up and coming and great, but there is skid row right there too. I didn't get to interact with students and faculty much while I was there (two years ago?) but the contact that I've had recently with current faculty and students has been positive. They were both very nice and intelligent. Work 80/20 (really good/okay)
Portland State is my alma matter - the building is okay. The undergrad studio spaces are way better than the grad studios. The campus is amazing, and it's right in the city. The faculty is sometimes pre-occupied, but very knowledgeable (many Ivy, MIT, etc.. grads) Digital fabrication and design is not currently a focus of the school, but you will focus on craft and analog manifestations. You will definitely need to be self-motivated at this school. Not as much energy currently as these other schools, but they just got a new dean this year that is full of design oriented energy. Work is 20/80 (good/not good). Opportunity to be a big fish in a small pond.
TBD, will update in March/April.
VISIT THE SCHOOLS. I cannot stress this enough, especially if you don't come from an academic household. I work full-time, but used my vacation hours to take trips to these places for a couple of days. I learned a ton about the programs that I visited that helped in my applications process. I'm a first generation student, so many things that weren't passed down to me, I learned from asking questions at these visits. I got to meet some of the admissions committee and made good impressions. Also - you will be surprised how much your school priorities change once you actually go and visit them.
Work on your portfolio way more than anything else, this is the most important factor of your application.
Some schools don't care about your professional work, and most all schools prefer to see your individual projects over group projects. Through research, you can find out which schools find professional work important or not. Most of the schools I am applying to have been transparent about how the review portfolios/what is important to see as far as projects/explorations go.
Grades definitely matter, but don't let that stop you from trying. Try to make up for bad grades with a solid portfolio and essay.
Unless you have a really famous person writing your letter of rec, then don't really worry about who they are coming from, just worry about if they will write you a strong rec and they know your work. Also - most schools prefer professors over employers. Even if you've been out of school for a few years like I have, the schools said one letter from an employer was plenty.
Start your essays really early. I spent months on my essays, and I still feel like they aren't as good as I wanted them to be.
Use Issuu to your advantage.
Contact current students at these schools (via social media in my case) and ask questions about their application process, school pedagogy, best faculty to research or get in contact with.
Most questions that you have for current faculty will be answered at the open houses. But if you feel the need to contact faculty, some are very open to answering questions. Sometimes you won't get an email back at all, but they're very busy.
Research, research, research.
Haters gonna hate.
Good luck everyone.
Very informative read, thanks for your input. I am applying to Yale, UPenn, Sci-Arc, and Pratt as well so it was very nice to see some comments on them from a prospective student especially since I wasn't able to visit any of them (except for Penn). Are you applying to M.Arch II? Best of luck to you :)
Glad it helped! I’m applying to the professional program for all the schools. At Penn it’s the M.Arch 1. Thanks, you too!
Here is an example of a portfolio I submitted, it doesn't look exactly like this and it will be read as single pages. I've submitted all of my applications as of yesterday. All Done! https://issuu.com/reedportland/docs/blank_portfolio_2020
Congrats buddy! Portfolio looks great.
As promised, here is an example of my personal statement for future applicant reference.
Just for some basic info: the maximum word count was 500 words with no true prompt. Basically, the school just asked that you state 'why architecture?' 'why this school?' etc.. aka the standard prompt.
**Not that anyone would or should copy this, but it would be very unwise of you considering I've already turned in all of my applications.
Hope this helps one way or another
https://issuu.com/reedportland/docs/sculpting_edited
In at Woodbury with $
aye first dub under this thread, congrats man!
Thanks Chuck, anxiously awaiting the rest!
Still waiting to hear back from the rest, but updated info from Woodbury in the mail. Advanced 2-year track and TA position.
In at PSU - no further info yet
Congrats!! Love that campus
In at Pratt with $$
Massive congrats @Archlandia!!
Thanks Joey! Hoping to hear from UMich soon...
Out at UMich
@archlandia No worries! Pratt graduates earn about the same as GSD ones, so you're fine. The Harvard names only gets you so far, it's about the quality of the work. https://archinect.com/features/article/150170495/a-deep-dive-into-the-salaries-of-nyc-architects
Ha! Thanks Joey for the words of encouragement!
In at Penn
And there you have it!! Congrats!!
Congrats archlandia!
Thanks Joey! And you too Michael!
In at SCI-Arc. I checked the website just now
Congratulations on your admits Archlandia!
Hey thanks, you too!!
Out at Yale. I had a good run though! Super happy, Penn has been my top choice!
Are you going to be attending the open house for Penn or Pratt?
I don’t think so.. I’m in Oregon so it’s kind of a hassle. Especially with work and everything going on right now. If I change my mind though I’ll let you know!
I sent you a message with my contact
Maybe I'll see you at Penn :)
BS Arch / Temple University / Spring 2019
3.76 - 161V/154Q/4.0AWA - N/A
4 studio profs from undergrad
Because each school had slightly different prompts to expand upon, I did variations on a theme. Mostly talked about how my passion for architecture is shaped by a strong tie to rural America and how my undergrad education has prepared me to take on a lifelong project of creating a better future for the under-served.
Probably not going to post those unless someone asks me.
4-5 academic works depending on the school I applied to. Took a reserved approach to showing my work, explaining the work concisely on the intro page and using one or two images per page to elaborate.
Might post after the deadlines.
MArch for all 6 schools
Penn: Really love Penn for a few reasons. First, I've gotten to know a lot of the faculty as there is some crossover in Philadelphia between schools (lots of profs teach at Temple, Penn, Drexel, and Jefferson), so I've had a lot of conversations with them about Penn's curriculum and my own interests for graduate school. Second, I live in Philadelphia and I would love dearly not to move because of money and because this is The Best City. Third, I really like the curriculum and their optional thesis track in the third year, and a lot of the projects done in their studios deals directly with issues I find myself passionate about (rust belt revitalization, energy infrastructure, etc.). Also lots of travel options, which I missed out on in undergrad. That being said, their studios feel a bit cramped and they have a reputation for being a little too focused on parametric design, not to mention their marked reliance on student tuition for funding (lost the link to the article on this but I'll try to find lol.)
Yale: Fell in love with it when I visited in November. The building is beautiful, the students are very interesting people of all different academic backgrounds, and the curriculum and pedagogy is right up my alley. What really sold me on applying was their first year student building project. Definitely expensive though, even if their financial aid department offers up to $35k in need-based aid. They also seem to have a strange cult regarding the color of their carpet also.
Harvard: Visited once for an AIAS even in Boston, really impressive space. At first their pedagogy seemed a bit arcane to me but now I get it. Still feel like it's a long shot for me to be accepted but after seeing how diverse and interesting the research is coming from their MArch program, it's worth a shot. Why not?
Pratt: Visit occasionally because I have friends that go there. Surprisingly a lot of overlap between Philadelphia faculty and Pratt faculty so that's pretty neat, it actually really comes through in the student's work that their professors also teach at Penn, some serious blobby stuff sometimes lmao. That being said I also like the location, and the fact that should I go I have a support network.
Temple: My alma mater and all around a pretty good school in my experience. It's a fairly small program but there's good faculty at the class-level even if the school lacks a bit in overall direction. Heavily tied to the fine arts programs at Temple as well, and a lot of grad students end up participating in thesis work between departments; notably, there's a huge resin and fiber column in the lobby made as part of someone's project, I think it's been there since the year I started (2014).
Penn State: Admittedly I've only ever walked through their studios, but I respect the school and have also gotten to talk a lot with the faculty there, even if briefly. I also work with a lot of Penn State alumni who are very fond of their time there so that's neat. Also close to my parent's house so I could easily just mooch off them for a bit.
Grad school is incredibly demanding and expensive, and can take you away from people you need or people who need you. If you feel as though finances and family will be a factor in where you apply, seriously consider looking into schools close to where you live, or try to look for places where you have family or friends to be with. You don't want to end up broke and lonely.
Spend a few months making a portfolio, then start over and make another portfolio, and then repeat. You will not get it right on the first try. I had a seriously rude awakening a few months back when I thought I had a real banger, and then showed it to my former profs and a few ivy league alumni who promptly ripped it to shreds. Of course, take this with a grain of salt too. I've known plenty of people who completely ignore advice from people they ask for help who end up being admitted to their dream schools because it says something interesting about them. Just try to have confidence and humility at the same time.
DON'T PAY SOMEONE TO DO YOUR WORK FOR YOU. It's kind of an open secret that there are consultancy firms that will either "assist" or fully complete your applications for you, and it is never worth it. You may get into your dream school, but you'll be several thousand dollars lighter and with nothing to show for once you end up matriculating. In fact, in Yale's online application it makes you click Y/N to the statement "I certify that this portfolio was completed without the help of a paid professional consultancy firm." It's lazy, underhanded, and unfair to students who don't have mommy and daddy's money to take but have more drive than you.
Also there's always next year.
big lol to broke and lonely
In at Temple, no info on financial aid. Expected to get in but had no idea they'd send so early.
Congrats on Temple! Philly is awesome
Updates: in at Pratt for M.Arch I with $60,000 scholarship. No AP tho.
Posted too early oops, also out sd GSD
In at UPenn!! Holy shit!! Sent me an early notification, says financial aid info and stuff will be available on March 12th. Walking on air rn, huge weight off my chest.
Friggin awesome bro! You’re killin the game out here!! Well done!
Out at Yale. It's ok tho I got penn
Just looked at the official accepted letter from Penn. They're giving me $35k per year assuming good academic standing! But they also need me to
send them a course syllabus for my physics requirement lol.
Time to hop on the train.
B.Arts in Urban Studies / Haverford College / 2018
Any other non-arch buddies?
3.51/4 - 165V/162Q/4.5AW - TOEFL waived
Two from profs (department chair/architect) one from employer
Almost done, with the amount of schools I am applying to I have to spend a lot of time on writing and rewriting but I am glad it's coming to an end. Don't imagine I would submit the app until maybe the day before the deadline.
Super exhausting process but finally got it done yesterday. have a longer and a shorter version for different schools. Coming from a non-arch background with limited projects to show off I only have one portfolio for all the schools, but they are very much architecture oriented.
M.Arch I for all, ranked in terms of preference:
Yale, UPenn, Harvard, Cornell, Columbia, RISD, SCI-Arc, Pratt
Didn't get to go to any since I live abroad now, but have done extensive research on each school.
Yale and Penn are my dream schools, if I am admitted into either one I probably won't even consider other programs. Yale's international studios are big hits for me, and needlessly to say Penn's versatility and broad curriculum which really speaks to someone like me from a multidisciplinary background. Also have a strong personal tie with Philadelphia having lived there for years.
Harvard of course is a great school, one of the best, though I have yet to fully grapple with the ethos of the program. Yesterday on the webinar one of the GSD persons said (paraphrasing) that a lot of schools teach architecture in a broad and all-inclusive manner (pertaining to many different subject matters), but GSD teaches architecture as architecture, while still have that versatility. Really confuses me lol to be honest...
Cornell and Columbia are both incredible schools too and I will not say too much about them. Both Ithaca and Manhattan are great (yet contradicting) places to live in... I am sure it has all the tools and connections to shape us into great future professionals
Then the three art schools, to be honest I would love to hear more about it. They just have a bit more mystical vibes to them. RISD has supposedly one of the best arch programs in the states (according to the ranking though I am not a big ranking person myself), is that really true? I found very scarce info on their website, though connection with Brown is a good thing. Pratt is interesting, I have heard the undergrad program is stronger than the grad, again not sure the validity of that claim, but living in NY is a big plus. Sci-arc is the only school out of east coast, very avant-garde and prestigious as an architecture school, heard they are very super detail-oriented which ughs me a little bit. I really like the student projects though.
Yet to come.
The mistake I made - and I want to let future applicants know that - was that I started with too many schools, basically aimlessly. Though I did refine them down to 8, when I am researching and writing personal statements, I realized that I should've applied to less. Though there is no right or wrong amount, I would say keep the numbers manageable, 8 is a bit too much for me but since I already started there is no going back. Ditch the idea of safety school, unless you really need to go to a school (??), there is no point of compromising yourself and go to a school that does not fit you especially when you know you could do better.
Time is limited and goes by fast. I started making my portfolio from scratch in July, 2018 on and off and I just finished it right before the deadline (yes i am inexperienced and not an architecture student but just to show you the time and effort that goes in making a portfolio, not to mention everything else, GRE, SoPs, etc).
Anyways, I am glad I got the test done early so I had months to fully focus on my portfolio. Fingers crossed and hope everything goes well. Good luck to all the fellow 2020 applicants as well!
Uploaded my portfolio for anybody who is interested (meant to be read as single page not spread):
https://issuu.com/charlieliu6070/docs/portfoliogsd
nice work coming from a non-arch student :)
In at RISD w/ $ + assistantship
Props to them for sending out notifications so early
big w! congratulations!
Nice work Chuck!
Big Cong!
Many congratulations Chuckluck! I didn't know they send out notifications so early. When did you hear from them?
^
Thanks all! Bessie2b, I got an update on the 6th, I think many others got it on the same day as well.
Loved your portfolio.
Have you heard back from Cornell?
Nah boss I have not, not the best sign but fingers crossed and hoping for the best.
Also a quick update:
Out at GSD, In at Pratt and UPenn.
So happy about Penn, my top two choice!
Good job Chuck!
Thanks Archlandia! To you too
Latest: In at Columbia and Sci-Arc, Out at Yale. Only waiting on Cornell now, not sure what the deal is
Out at Cornell, so got into 5/8 schools, not bad but wish I could have done better. Penn ended up giving me some money ($) but I might go to GSAPP
33/Female -- changing careers, I started doing a certificate program in Interior Design + Architecture in 2018 while working full-time just to gauge my interest in the field. And then I decided to apply to M.Arch programs for 2020 to see what happens. I've been out of school for a long time and I'm not coming from an Architecture background so I know my chances are lower. My back up plan is to do a M.Int.Arch. if I don't get in to any of these programs.
BA Business Administration & Fashion Merchandising
3.5 -- 157/V161/AWA 4.5
1 professor, 2 employer
Varied by school
I used hand drawn and rendered plans from class projects and some additional room and object sketches - I'm a little concerned this isn't enough but it's all I had! I haven't done too much with software yet and I didn't feel the work was strong enough to be included.
Schools
UC Berkeley, UCLA, USC, University of Oregon
Did not have time to attend
Waiting with bated breath.
Berkeley -
UCLA -
USC -
Uni. of Oregon -
Start early. I waited too long to take the GRE so I was working, taking classes, studying, and writing essays all during the same time period. I got it done but it was stressful. I could've eliminated some of the burden by taking the GRE earlier in the year. It also would have freed up time to attend Open Houses.
Update:
In at Oregon!
Waiting to hear about $$. Out at Berkeley, not too surprised about that.
congratz!
Congratulations!! Good to have a win
Congrats! I'm in at Oregon as well. Did you hear about your $$ yet?
I still haven’t heard about $ yet from Oregon, also haven’t received anything in the mail at all. Hopefully in the next couple weeks. Have you heard anything?
Hi all :)
Haha ok trying again since I messed up the first time :p
- Undergraduate Degree/ School/ Year graduated
B.S. Architecture / MIT / graduated December 2019I have minors in Computer Science and Materials Science/Engineering
I just finished my degree (a semester early), so I'm working full time at a lighting company, designing colored LED displays for bridges, skyscrapers, casinos, etc.
- GPA - GRE - TOEFL
3.6 GPA cumulative 3.9 GPA architecture (B's and C's in my minor coursework drag down my cumulative)163 V / 167 M / 5.0 AW
- Letter of recommendations
One studio professor, one structures professor with whom I also did a research project, and one non-academic school administrator (I am the rooming chair of my residence hall, which means I work with university admin to write housing policy. This is actually a significant leadership position and a lot of work, but it's hard to explain concisely in an application, so I'm hoping this rec letter will help convey that info).- Personal Essay/Statement
Completed. Can post link if folks are interested. I wrote about why i'm minoring in CS and Materials and how I want to use those skills with architecture. I explained some of my research in material conservation of art/architecture and computational tools for structural performance. MIT has a very weird undergraduate curriculum so I also explained some of that context.- Portfolio
Completed. Again, can post a link if anyone is interested, though I don't think my portfolio is super strong.4 studio projects (including one from a graduate level options studio). I also included 2 pages with a bit about some of my research. Most of my studio work has been group work (groups of 2-4), so I only included one individual project. We'll see whether that's an asset or a curse.
- Schools
UT Austin, Tulane, Rice, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Virginia TechI want to be in the south. The cold weather and snow gives me serious seasonal depression (I'm from Cleveland, so I've lived with this my entire life and I do not want to do it one second longer). Even Virginia Tech is a bit too far north lol. Though I definitely want to be at a solid program, I've prioritized location and quality of life factors. All of these schools are good, and all the extra sun will certainly make my work better. I want to live in Texas long term and will be happy to network a little closer to the region I want to settle down in.
- Open house impressions
I can speak the most about UT and Tulane, so feel free to ask about them. Tulane has some of the friendliest folks I've ever met, particularly in the architecture department. I almost went there for undergrad instead of MIT. UT is my top choice, provided I get in with a nice financial aid package.- Results
We shall see!- Tips
Figure out what makes you weird or unique and lean into that, rather than copying whatever seems to be standard application practice. Some schools may be turned off, but some will be excited, and it will certainly make you stand out.When choosing where to apply, decide what's really the most important to you and hold yourself to that. It will help you narrow down programs really quickly and you can be more confident about where you're applying and why.
Which program have you applied for at these universities?
ahp111, I'm applying to professional M. Arch programs at all these schools, hopefully with advanced standing.
lmnoc1, MIT is amazing and I wish you good luck! Yeah, my user name is just a little pun that sounds like Cleveland Clinic
Clevelandcynic, great! good luck for your applications.
Would love to hear any thoughts on Tulane, what you saw in the studios, what students and professors were like.. etc..
Hi Joey! Tulane is great because they really focus on being connected to New Orleans (which is an awesome place to be). Lots of research about disaster resilience, especially in river deltas. Great community service and design build projects if that's your thing. Students and faculty and incredibly friendly and welcoming. Everyone seemed pretty laid back, which I really appreciate in contrast to the intensity that some other schools seem to project. Not that the work isn't challenging, but no one seemed to be driving themselves crazy. As a senior in high school, the Dean of the School of Architecture had lunch with me and a couple of other prospective students for over an hour. The studio spaces are really bright and cozy and the campus area in general is really nice. No complaints about Tulane from me!
Hey CC, I appreciate the quick reply. It's funny, I studied literally dozens of programs and when I got to Tulane it really stood out to me for so many reasons. You can check my little thread post below; should be the last one. But yes, what struck me were the real-world projects and social justice outreach you could do. To me, that's what an architect should be doing, at least, that's the kind of architect I want to be. Plus I love NOLA. One-of-a-kind place. And what you say about the 'lack of projected intensity', I really felt that in my research and in my contact with someone in the department. It lacks that ego-stuffiness of some programs while still remaining super competitive, and well respected. Thanks for the insight. Hoping to get in with $$$. We'll find out by next Friday 2/7. Did you get the email they sent out today?
One other thought. You went to MIT, which means you know Boston. Was thinking of applying to The BAC but then read tons of horrible reviews and looked at student work, changed my mind Any thoughts about other programs in the area apart from MIT and GSD?; too late to apply to either anyway . (But there may be flexibility at U Mass Amherst, which has the IPAL program, and Northeastern). Studying in Mass was a childhood dream of mine.
Yes, the email made me nervous because I thought decisions wouldnt be out for a few more weeks :o I do know Boston as a city pretty well but I don't actually know very much about the architecture programs in the area (aside from a lot about MIT and a little about the GSD). I think the Northeastern program is pretty solid, but I was never crazy about their "campus" and I never met any students from the architecture program. The school is kind of a disembodied collection of buildings in the middle of Boston, although its close to the orchestra and the MFA. Not applying to the BAC is probably a good call, but they have some fun lecture series I appreciated going to while I was in the city.
Not gonna lie, I feel you BUT, they may be one of the schools that does decisions earlier. Their website says Graduate decisions will be out by March 1st at the latest, so the 7th of Feb sounds reasonable. We'll see.... Makes sense about the Northeastern campus, that sense of a true home base is preferable. Thanks for all your insight. I'll be sure to DM you next Friday when Tulane decisions come in!
Bro, did you hear back today? I just go email, I'm in at Tulane! So so so so happy!
Bro or sis – I shouldn't assume. ;)
Updates: In at Tulane with good $$. In at UT but won't know about money for another month? They also didn't give me advanced standing which kind of grinds my gears since I have an architecture degree (not the end of the world).
Congrats again! Noticing a trend, the public state schools don’t notify about $ in their acceptance emails. .. I just registered for the Tulane graduate open house and booked flights. Pretty pumped!
I'll be at the open house too, so I'm sure I'll see you there :)
Updates: In at Clemson (3 year track), Georgia Tech (2 year track), and Rice (3.5 year track, with a very generous financial offer). And a recruitment scholarship from UT. What a Monday! lol
Cc, congrats!! you’ve got a ton of options!! I imagine Rice would outpace everyone else on your list, including Tulane?
Thanks! Rice is definitely in a league of its own but I'm not sure about the culture fit. It's a very different atmosphere from everywhere else on my list (honestly I didn't expect to get in so I didn't think I'd have to worry about it). I'll definitely be visiting and I've got some tough choices to make.
You went to MIT and graduated with honors; you were getting in to anywhere you applied — you’re humility is endearing though :) I feel you on Rice completely. I mentioned to another person in this thread, that’s why I didn’t apply. However, I Really wanted to have the city of Houston as an option though as it’s home and quality and affordability of life is incomparable, so I applied of UH and got in. I fly into Houston tonight to meet with assistant dean and some students, tour etc.. anyway, see ya at Tulane Friday. I’m sure you’ll make the best decision for you!
What are your thoughts on UT? I was accepted back in February and unfortunately with the whole COVID-19 crisis, I won't be able to make it out to visit before the April 15th deadline. Would love you hear any input you have on the program / school!!
Hi Andie :) Firstly, the UT campus is gorgeous and everyone is so friendly. The program is larger, broader, and more multidisciplinary than many other schools. It offers quite a few degrees, not just architecture. The profs pitched it as a school where you can choose your focus and carve out your own path of interest, as opposed to other schools that tend to focus on theory, design, technical skills, etc. I do think this breadth-first attitude comes at the expense of a little bit of depth, but they pride themselves on being the "#1 most hired-from" program of their size and that's probably a meaningful criterion. They have a professional placement program where you can be set up at a firm for a semester, though they did say this tends to push back your degree date. I'd probably not do the program and stick to summer internships, but running the program has allowed the school to build a really powerful professional network for its students.
The reasons I love UT are pretty me-specific. Austin is an awesome city and absolutely my kind of place. I do think it's a really good place to go to college; it has a good mix of being a "city" and a college town with great food and live music and a neighborhood feel. I latched onto UT early in my school hunt because of the Materials Lab. As a materials science minor, it's pretty cool to have an architecture school with so many resources in my niche. I love the school spirit at UT and I think being a UT alum is really a lifelong identity.
Hello,
I am applying to architecture school for grad programs but not M.Arch. Just want to see if anyone of you will be expecting late recommendation letter from your recommenders? Do schools accept late letters? :\
Good luck to all of you!
Yes, I am expecting late letters. Certain schools have different deadlines for the recommenders and for you, and I am really hoping that all schools have grace for this. It is really out of our control! Best of luck
it is within your control if you give enough notice to those writing the letters.
Non Sequitur, I'm not sure why you always feel the need to reply. Your responses are almost always on the brink of being rude if not outright. I sent my recommendation requests in Early November, and had asked all of my recommenders to write for me in person months before that. 5/7 of my recommenders have sent in all of their letters and of the last two, I sent reminders and both have emailed me reassuring that they will submit ASAP and are working on it right now. I am guessing that the original poster is in a similar situation. Profs are busy and often late. We can only do so much. It is out of our control.
Cool story. My replies are typically pretty damn good including the one above. Plenty of students wait until it's too late for recommendation letters. You should have asked in September.
Some schools can tolerate late LoRs and some don't. Best to check on their websites to see what it states regarding this.
157V / 160M / 4.0AW
Results
Waiting impatiently to find out...
Oregon -
ASU -
Miami -
UPenn -
Minnesota -
Any reason for this strange mix of schools?
I thought I might get some questions about my choices. Minnesota was pretty straightforward as my undergrad school. I know a large number of the faculty there and am familiar with the school, professors, and the city. I have large number of friends at the school and in the surrounding area so it made sense to apply. However, the biggest issue for me is my familiarity with everything. I enjoy being comfortable and that's how I feel about Minnesota which was why all of my schools are so vastly different and far away.
Woah. Accidentally posted my response early and edited it, but apparently the edit didn't post. So I'll rewrite what I had originally answered with. As I already said Minnesota was pretty straightforward for me. I’m won’t go into detail since I’ve already done so in the other comment. I’m interested in Oregon and Miami for similar reasons. I’ve always had a passion for housing and through my work experience I’ve come to the conclusion that housing and hospitality are the two things I’m most interested in. Hence, applying to these schools, Miami does a lot of research into both and Oregon has their specialization in housing that really drew me to the program. In addition, I’m from a very small, rural town and the logging industry is the number one economic driver in the area. Naturally I’ve always been interested in logging and timber, and Oregon’s Tallwood Institute for timber research is a resource that I am very interested in leveraging and participating in. As for Arizona, the thing that drew me to their program was their Indigenous Design Collaborative. The small town I am from borders a Native American reservation and both of my parents worked for the tribe in varying capacities and I had a lot of friends that were tribal members. And it was a pretty poor tribe so I saw how bad conditions could, especially the lack of quality housing. The vast majority were 20-30 year old trailer homes in varying levels of dilapidation. I visited multiple other reservations in my area with friends and most of them had similar housing issues, so looking into that is an interest of mine. There isn’t a whole lot to say about Penn. It’s one of those schools that I’ve always wanted to attend since I was younger and this seems like as good an opportunity as any to make that dream a reality. It certainly helps that it’s a reputable school. And I have a friend who is attending Penn for grad school in another field so it would be fun to reconnect with him and to have someone in the area that I know. The overriding theme was to look for places as different from Minnesota as possible geographically as I want to explore something new. I wouldn’t have people around me that I already know and that is something I’m looking for as I’ve gotten comfortable with my current surroundings and need to break away from that. And frankly, I want a change in climate. I don’t mind the snow, but the cold just gets old really quickly in Minnesota and I’ve dealt with it for long enough.
Wow thanks for sharing! The Indigenous Design Collaborative sounds particularly interesting. Good luck!
Update: In at ASU w/ $$$ 1/7 In at Oregon 2/5 (still waiting on $$)
nice work!
In at Minnesota 2/24 - no word on $ yet
In at Miami w/ $
Out at UPenn
what happened last year that made you wanna reapply? if you don't mind sharing
Well, I still want my Masters so that's why I'm applying again. I applied to TU Delft, KADK, and Polmi (Milan) last year. I only got into Polmi and I visited all three after I applied, but before I got any decisions. I did not like Polmi, so I decided to wait and work another year. I work at a nice firm that pays well, so it didn't feel like a big set back. I'm applying to a lot more places this year and all that I could see myself at, so fingers crossed.
Got into Pratt with a scholarship covering more than a year.
Amazing ! Congrats!
Intl/M/23
(Applying M.Arch II and MS AAD resp.)
GSD, Yale, MIT and GSAPP
Update: In at Cornell MSAAD with $$
Huge congrats!!
Thank you JoeyTheGiant
Out at GSD
Update: In at GSAPP MSAAD (5th March)
Intl/F/22
will post it later
MArch at GSD, Yale, MIT
Good luck, it would be cool to see your portfolio. My friends from BFA backgrounds all tend to have very intriguing portfolios .
Thanks! Just posted it. I was trying to have an "interesting" portfolio, instead of intriguing... really out of energy...
https://issuu.com/jenniepeng/docs/jennie_peng_march_2020
Good work, looks nice
Thanks!
Interesting portfolio @jenniepeng
Applying to same schools and also haven’t heard back..! getting quite anxious haha
I'm pretty sure all GSD admissions results are out, if you haven't received an email, you should check your application for an update.
Intl/M/23
• UNDERGRAD/SCHOOL/YEAR
BArch/ Beaconhouse National University/ 2019
• GPA -IELTS
2.67 - 7.0
• LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION
3 professors from Beaconhouse National University
•SOP
Strong SOP as i have mentioned particular courses i am interested in plus mentionable professors w/ summary of their contribution to architecture.
•PORTFOLIO
I will try and upload today
• SCHOOLS
Parsons, RISD, UofT, CCA, Woodbury
RISD - Accepted with financial aid 18K
Woodbury - Accepted with financial aid 9K
Parsons - Waiting
UofT - Waiting
CCA - Got interviewed via skype will receive offer in march
I don’t apply until next year...but good luck to everyone
This thread gives me second hand anxiety
Lol!! Yeah but good for you reading them now and learning from us as much as you can!
22/M/Ohio
Ohio State / BS Arch / Spring 2020
GPA: 3.56/4.0 (closer to 3.75 or 3.8 only counting arch classes, had a rough first semester that dragged me down)
GRE: 158 Verbal, 164 Quant, 5.0 Writing
3 letters from professors (1 Rice alum, 1 recent MIT alum, 1 professor previously tenured at MIT)
Each of them were different for each school but willing to share if someone is interested.
Will update later with a link to issuu after I get it uploaded.
4 studio projects and 2-3 smaller unique works from seminars, research, and a fashion show.
MIT, Rice, UCLA, UVA
I didn't have time to go to any open houses, but have visited all but UCLA. I have friends at Rice and was able to fly down during the summer to check out the school and talk to a couple people about their time there. Stopped into UVA after their finals week on the way to DC, enjoyed the building and work there. Visited MIT while in high school, but not the architecture building.
Will update later!
Take the GRE early when you can dedicate the time to study. I was able to take a prep class through Kaplan because it was free for me, but I wouldn't recommend it based on the costs. I studied a lot with the hopes that a higher score will allow me to leverage more financial aid possibly. If you want tips or tricks for it in the future feel free to DM me. I started my portfolio too late and it felt somewhat rushed. I was happy with the end result but I would have liked to re-do some drawings for sure. Between work and school I didn't have the time until after final reviews but I would start well in advance and show it to as many people as possible for feedback. The essays were also very challenging since those felt rushed as well. I made my personal statement very personal, in regards to struggles with indecision about my future career and my growth through school. Don't forget the "personal" part, and don't just make it a long resume of your accomplishments, they don't care. For Statements of Purpose I focused on what I was interested in for research in the future, as well as what I want to do after graduating. I want to teach and work in a small research based practice, so I harped on that a lot. Start the essays early and do them over and over again. Don't be afraid to share them with peers, faculty, advisers, etc. Take your time and make sure that they reflect you and your ambitions. Also, really think about what school(s) you want to go to. Don't bother applying to safety schools if you don't really want to go there. If you only see yourself actually going to two schools, apply to those two. If you don't get in, try again next year. Don't settle for something you don't actually want.
Good Luck!
You as well! I enjoyed your portfolio!
Portfolio: https://issuu.com/patricksardo/docs/patrick_sardo_graduate_school_portfolio_issuu
Hi all,
Ecologist carpenter trying to go to arch school. Very excited to be turning these applications in. It has been so so much work, everyone here has done great. Bravo.
86/M/USA
BA Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior/ Skidmore College/ 2015
GPA: 3.25/4, GRE: V- 160, Q- 157, AW- 3.0
1 prof, 2 employers
Somewhere in between a personal history and a philosophical rant
https://issuu.com/dougztootis/docs/stephen_mccann_m.arch_1_portfolio
M.Arch I for all these schools:
CCNY Spitzer, UT, UIC, IIT, Clemson
All these schools are awesome, I'd be stoked to go to any of them
Have only visited Clemson and CCNY. I was very impressed with the studio work I saw at both schools. CCNY a little cramped but comfortable and Clemson's building is beautiful. Very Excited to get out to Chicago and Austin. Please let me know if you have visited these schools and what you thought of them.
Pending
Non-design Non-art
Some of these schools are gonna want to bench their starting lineup to see what the other guy can do. I'm that guy, let me in coach please.
Have fun with it if you can. I got so deflated coming onto this forum and seeing how incredible past applicants' portfolios were and I felt like I would never be able to compete with that level of work. If you're doing what I did and looking at this forum to compare your work to others STOP. It was a bad play for me, I just stopped looking at arch stuff finally and just tried to make stuff that I liked, and that was way more enjoyable.
Best of luck to everyone.
It's like what they say, you're never too old to do anything!! best of luck ;)
nice, link that! where are you from and where are you going?
oh very cool! the HV is remarkable. been meaning to get up to Bard to see the vinoly building. GL to you!
IN: UT SOA, Clemson, IIT
OUT: UIC
Just curious, and I mean no offense— are you actually 86 and applying for M Arch programs? If so, extra kudos. If not, kudos just the same
No I’m younger than that. It was supposed to be a 2. Are you going to the UT open house?
The 8 was supposed to be a 2
Unfortunately I’m not gonna make the open house. I am visiting the department next week though
Oh man, I thought you were actually 86 and I was so impressed haha
I went to Clemson for undergrad and I couldn't recommend it more. I went there for the program, fell in love with the campus and especially the football Saturdays, even though I was a basketball fan. There is a ton to do if you like the outdoors, and Greenville is a really cool city, I ended up moving there.
Greetings,
21/M/domestic
lots of ppl got an interview invite from Cornell, did you got one as well?
How many students that got interviews were international students?
I did not receive, but one of my friend got one.
I wonder who receives and who doesn't? like is this an indication of anything? Personally did not get one
I read somewhere that the ones who receive need ‘augmentation’ to their profile so ‘Maybe’ category get the interview request. If one is in a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ category then your
wouldn’t receive.
*they wouldn’t receive
peijunfei, I submitted my application on Monday because of the extended deadline, and I haven't heard anything since
Koala, makes sense. fingers crossed I am not in the "no" category then
all, just confirmed via email Cornell extended the deadline to Jan.17. So seems they only issued an interview invite for "part" of applications, which the application is complete. Somehow they figured there are many applicants who did not finish with their process and will review most of them after 1.17 (next week). So no worry about YES/NO for now.
Great!
In at Oregon! Possible funding to come in a couple weeks.
Congrats man! Go shopping in Portland, low tax rate!!
*no sales tax :)
Thanks for the heads up; I'm stoked to check out Portland when I visit!
In at UT Austin! The best Valentine's gift I could've hoped for
Big cong again!
Thank you!
I'm on at Oregon as well! Are you going to their open house in a couple weeks?
I’m not sure yet. I was going to visit over my spring break but I’m visiting Austin now. I’m really going to try to make it though
Update: rejected from rice. Knew it would be a long shot but the possibility of that sweet funding was worth it
Did you ever wind up visiting UT Austin? I got accepted on Valentine's Day as well, and was so excited to attend the Graduate Open House on April 3rd. Now that it's been canceled I am at a loss for when/if I'll get to see the school in person and tour the facilities.
I visited over spring break, and I was really impressed! Seemed like a great program with great facilities and also a very laid back atmosphere which is great for me. I think it’s a very unique program and is my top choice as of now.
I'm deciding between there and USC as of right now. Would love to talk more about UT's program if you would like to exchange contact info! Lmk !!
lots of ppl got interview invite from Cornell, did you got one as well?
bs arch / uic / 2015
2.88 (not great) / 170v 170q 3.5aw(also not great)
2 teachers/bosses, 1 boss
https://issuu.com/davidramisus/docs/2020-01-07_david_ramis
mit and princeton
applied last year, didn't get in, maybe i'll get in this year.
I don't know why but I have a strong feeling you'll get in? because of how quirky it is? personally i really like the portfolio
I like how you used "quirky" haha...to me the text were placed so oddly into the portfolio i don't know...
ur approach to representation is pretty refreshing! cool to see larger scale installations as opposed to the painful amount of rhino drawings in other people's portfolios..
wait, only MIT and Princeton?
this needs a serious edit: 160v 160q. im not that smart. thought for a min it was out of 180
i think the folio will be hit or miss depending on who reviews it. i get annoyed with how sleek looking most are but maybe schools like that. ill apply to more schools next year depending on how this one goes
so? how was the results?
Wow this portfolio is something i've never seen others have done. Amazing! I liked the pictures very much! But I do think it needs heavy editing on the layout. May I ask you how did you make these oil painting-ish graphics for some of your projects like the cottage?
wait, only mit and princeton?
F/24
Toefl: 110. GRE: 152Q 155V G.P.A 3.55
Background. B.arch
Schools: UC Berkley, YSO, Cornell, GSAPP, Sci-Arc, UVA, Pratt, IIT
M.Arch II for most, Msd.aad for Cornell + Gsapp.
Personal Statement: Varied School to School but mostly talks about future interests- personal and academia related and how the courses offered at the school would help me with the future vision that I have for myself.
01. ( Kind of messed up Essay 02 for Yale where they ask for the research interest in particular. Wonder how much that particular one matters. Is it to get an idea of the inclination of interests or do they want to know a more defined area of interest. I feel mine was too broad. )
02. It'd be great to get some input from you guys about a thought I've had recently. I'm only applying to msd.aad programs where advanced standing is not an option. However, I also heard that the msd.aad program is a bigger program with more intake than the m.arch I but do they require or look out for portfolios that are more parametrically evolved for the advanced design program?
Portfolio- Thesis, 3 other academic projects of different scales, 1 showing professional work experience, personal photographic narratives, furniture drawings and renders ( not built just drawings)
I feel like I HAVE NEVER HAD SUCH BAD ANXIETY IN LIFE BEFORE! Goodluck to everybody!
Yo, we got lots of overalp, YSO, Cornell, GSAPP, good luck gal!
keen to see the portfolio!
Is anyone applying for MIT SmarchS in Computation and Design?
BARCH 3.44/4.00
TOEFL 106
GRE : V158 Q166 W3
UCB MADD
Cornell GSAPP MSADD
YSO Princeton GSD MArch II
MIT SMarchS computation
LOR 1 boss 2 prof
Portfolio, 8 projects (3 academic 2 professional 2 research 1 personal), took 4 months to finish
cant post the works since some images and photos are confidential and bound photocopyright.
Essay, I think I didnt put much effort on it. took 2 weeks to finish.
In at UBC MAAD, donno any FA yet...
Congrats FrostFrog!! British Columbia or UC Berkeley? Hehe
Well, the UC Berkeley!
In at Cornell MSAAD 2/28
Massive! Congrats!
GSD MArch II rejected 3/2
same here
@frostfrog Here are about twenty thousand reasons why you're better off going to Berkeley than GSD anyway! https://archinect.com/features/article/150170495/a-deep-dive-into-the-salaries-of-nyc-architects
GSAPP MSAAD in 3/5
hey frostfrog! have u received a result from SMarchS Computation and Design?
They informed me to be on the waiting list, but I doubt I would get into the line...
yeah same! seems chances are slim...
applied to computation and design and got waitlisted as well and my f
, doubt any of us are gonna get in based on what a professor i know personally told me. the waiting list is huge and the acceptance rate is high :(
my friend also got waitlisted for C&Dm
hey @frostfrog, are you taking up the MAAD course
I just got rejection from MIT MArch (I applied both SMarchS and MArch) Well, seems like my SMarchS would also be rejected soon? :( I haven't decided where to go, but I am preferring to go Cornell at this moment.
Allright. Congratulations on Cornell. I have been accepted for the MAAD in Berkeley and wanted to know of others going for it.
I got a email from Smarchs! @frostfrog did you get any email regarding smarchs?
@monkeyfish Nope, no response yet. But it seems I will be rejected soon....sad... ! Anyway congratulation to you! I think I would try my way on Cornell or GSAPP.
@frostfrog where did you decide to go? If you are going to Cornell, see you in August
@sqqq Yeah, I am 99% on Cornell unless nothing changes. See you there!
B.Arch 3.55/4.3
TOEFL : 103
GRE : V153 Q168 W 3
GSD M.arch 2
YSOA M.arch 2
Princeton M.arch 2
GSAPP MSAAD
UCB MAAD
MIT SMARCHS
TU DELFT M.sc
Portfolio - 9 projects ( 5 acadamic, 1 professional, 2 personal, 1 installation)
LOR - 4 prof, 1 boss
Fingers crossed!
Update: In at Cornell MSAAD with $$
Cong!
Out at GSD
Update: In at Columbia MSAAD in 3/6
You got two excellent options! Congrats!
Out at yale.......frustrating...wanna go jump
Gksrndls.. it’s not that serious. You’re in at some incredible options. Cornell and Columbia are amazing! I’m at an open house now with students who follow this thread, we been talking a lot. The schools really shouldn’t have this much power over our emotions. It’s all good! You’ll be A-okay!
Update: In at TU delft
Hey what did u decide on? I am deciding between TU Delft(Berlage) and the MAAD Berkeley.
@sbavtnmvrdv where did you decide to go? if you are going to Cornell, see you in August
Still dont know where to go but probably g
o to cornell or columbia
Int./M/3.84/4.0
TOEFL: 107
GRE: V150 Q164 W3 (Brrrrr)
GSD YOSA M.Arch2
PennDessign, GSAPP, CornellAAP MSAAD
(Only new England area. No time for MIT, and europ schools, started preparing my application since mid of Nov.)
Portfolio - 7 projects (5 acadamic, 1 professional competition, 1 personal competition) Took 2 weeks to finish.
Only 1 week working on PS/SOP.
LOR - 2 prof(FAIA), 1 boss
Finger crossed as well! GL all. Do not learn from me, should prepare everthing as early as you can.
Update: in at Cornell MSAAD w/ $
Same as me
Congrats!
Congrats to you both @gksrnrdls and @peijunfei !!!
Thank you!
Update: Rej from GSD
Anything you don't like/like less about SCI-Arc?
Only a couple of things I didn’t like at SCI-Arc but they’re probably super personal to me. 1) being that it’s an art school NOT part of a full fledged university may have it’s drawbacks in terms of culture and community while studying - not having that “university” environment I love so much having gone to UCLA: libraries, gyms, restaurants, making friends and connections with folks from various disciplines etc.. 2) this will sound like a contradiction, but the thing I might dislike a little about it is something that I also love about it: that they are very futures driven, very technologically advanced, implementing technology for art/architecture production is the schools ethos. The design and modeling are all very digital, and fabrication is all very technical with robotics, in 3-D printing, laser cutting, and even animation, it’s insane! In a good way, but may not be for everyone.… Gone are the days of hand drawing, sketching and analog model making. There were some elements of the old school methods still there but not as much as I’d have liked, but then, those things are disappearing everywhere. My only concern really is that the education at SCi-arc may not be as practical in terms of real-world application as it might be at other schools… Having said that, perhaps, like in the fashion world, if you can design extraordinarily avant-garde, futuristic, out-of-this-world, conceptual, next level designs, then you can certainly handle basic “normal“ stuff. Not
sure if that makes sense.
As promised, here's the update from my UCLA visit. UCLA AUD is certainly focused on its Masters Program which is great for us. (not so much for the undergrads). As I mentioned above, the school feels super small compared to the massive nature of the campus and compared to my visits to other Arch programs. UCLA is a STUNNING campus. Gotta be the most beautiful in the country but Perloff Hall, the Arch building, is completely uninspiring. The Master's studios are beautiful though, with huge windows, allowing in a ton of natural light. I got to peak in on a visiting lecturer, an architect from Iceland. Pretty cool. The tour was given by an M.Arch student who had a lot of info for me. Super excited to be going back again next week to speak with a professor and glean more information about the pedagogy. I was completely bummed to find out that the super high tech, experimental "IdeasLab" they opened down in Culver City is only open to students who apply for special courses taught there, in an extremely competitive application process within the M.Arch program – It is NOT part of the general program. Total bummer!! The fabrication facilities were decent at the main site. Nothing to write home about; all the usual stuff BUT the 3D printers are in disrepair/un-managed, so most students have their own. After the tour, I spoke to a member of faculty who gave me insight into the program. She assured me not to worry about my GRE scores. She said the most important aspect is the portfolio and the statement. I described to her what was in my portfolio, how I laid it out and what I discussed in my statement(s), and she said I should be in good shape. Above all, I was most excited to discover that while working on the M.Arch, students are encouraged to take elective courses from anywhere within the University if we want; any subject at all, though they prefer it to be within the Art school. (In contrast to USC who has a firm policy on Arch courses only.) Overall, UCLA would be an amazing choice, based on in-state cost and massive global prestige of the University and the growing success of the Arch school.
Side Note: found out today I'm in at U. Houston, waiting to hear about $!!
Thank you for the thorough visit review, man! I heard that ppl got interviewed from UCLA, did you have one as well?
Hey Peijunfei! I haven't been invited to a formal interview but I'm thinking that my meeting next week with a professor may constitute one. Not sure if that's how that works - like if the professor would communicate with the admissions committee to give direct feedback about an applicant. It's certainly possible.
Hey Joey, this was really helpful. I have a web interview with a professor from UCLA tomorrow for the Suprastudio. Fingers crossed!
Awesome AHP. Godspeed to ya. Just be yourself. The faculty I spoke with at UCLA yesterday told me they value authenticity above all else. Don’t worry about sounding like you know it all, rather, that you are teachable and eager to learn. That’s what was conveyed to me, you got this!!!
Thanks Joey, it went well! She just asked some general questions like - Why UCLA?, My research interest and which other universities I have applied to.
Congrats. Keep us posted on results!
USC doesn't have a firm policy for arch courses only. I'm in my 1st year of M.Arch program and a couple of my classmates have taken courses from Roski School of art, pottery, furniture design, etc. I'm taking a couple of courses from the Planning school in sustainable cities. The choice of special topics makes it a very interesting program (I'm taking a space architecture course from a Professor who teaches in Aerospace Engineering and is also an Architect & Urban planner. It's really fun)
Hey Ethan, thanks for clarifying that. That’s great to know as I really wanna broaden my study and research while I’m there. Feeling hopeful to get in as would really wanna take advantage of the IPAL.. are you gonna do the IPAL ?
I'm planning on starting the IPAL procedure but from next year. The 1st year in the 3 year program is a bit intensive and I took up other responsibilities in the AIAS chapter which takes up some time too.
Yeah I can only imagine, year one is epically intense. But love the idea of getting that license in four years. Will you do your AXP hours as a third year “gap year” and finish the M.Arch in a fourth year, or finish the 3 years and take your AXP “gap year” as your fourth year. Other USC students I spoke with said they’d be doing the latter
Probably latter. I want to get finished with the program first. I don't mind it getting a year after
Makes a lot of sense. Also, I’ve heard it’s hard to come back into a program for the final year if you leave to go work for a year. Once you start working you’ll want to stay in that mode and not go back to academia. The biggest advantage of the IPAL is actually not the AXP hours in my opinion, it’s getting to sit for your ARE’s while in school. That’s a game change
r!
Update: I’m at UCLA!
Update: in at UCLA! Such a relief.
Congratulations Joey!
Thank you AHp111. I appreciate it...
Congrats Joey! Which one are you going with?
Great kweshton lol I am honestly unsure. Still waiting to here from USC, and a couple east coast schools. Also going to visit my UH and Tulane open house this week, flying out tonight. (And possibly UNC-Charlotte later this month). I think after that I’ll be able to make a more informed, head over heart decision. I’m still confident I may get in at USC. One of my references was written by an architect who is a USC grad. Also, if I do get in, I am confident that I will get pretty well-funded. So lots still up in the air. Praying about it all. Though, moving out of LA might be nice. I’ve been here 13 years.
Update: In at Rensselaer (RPI) on 3/5. One of my top two or three choices, So surprised I’m the only one in this forum who seems to have applied to this amazing program!! The faculty is incredible. So honored. Will find out
about $ soon.
Nice one!
Thanks Michael!! At Tulane Today, pretty blown away by it!
When did you hear back from UCLA? I still haven't heard one way or another.
Hey Andie, I heard from the architecture department that I’d been recommended to the graduate Division for admittance on Friday Feb. 28, then got the official letter from the Graduate Division on Tuesday night March 3. Then found out on Monday March 9 that I was recommended to the graduate division
for a full Fellowship. Did u get my email? Sent you a DM last week
Update: in at Tulane!!!!
Congrats :) Me too!
Congrats CC! I'm going to try to DM you my contact info!
Late to the game.
Hey CSSS, welcome. Same here, I started my Rice app but didn't finish. What were your reasons?
They were actually very specific. I'm originally from Houston, and my husband didn't want to return to the job market there because it is so oil and gas heavy. It was more of a cultural thing than a Rice thing. My grandma went to Rice so I actually was a bit bummed that I couldn't be kind of a legacy student, but at the same time I didn't want to pay the application fee if I knew there was such small chance of actually attending.
Makes sense! That's wisdom. I'm originally from Houston too.. but my reasons were mainly about Rice. The program seems a bit small for my liking. About 15 students in each cohort. Also the essay prompt "What's at stake for architecture today?" As someone who is applying for the m.Arch 1 (three years) without much of a background in architecture, I thought the question was unfair. It expected me to take an uneducated stance about architecture, where I'm hoping to gain such education and guidance from the institution. To me, it communicated that a big wall was up, and that with such a small in-take each year, they are looking for a very specific kind of student. And I'm not sure i'm the one. Generally I would be okay to go back to Houston which is why I applied to UH (and was accepted) and I love the Rice Village. Gorgeous part of town. I'm sure Rice is amazing in its own ways, just not for me!
Good point, I know some alumni from the program but didn't realize how small the program is! Either way, good luck on your other admissions!
Best of luck to you as well! Fun times!
Update: In at UC Berkeley
Amazing! Congratulations. You got the admit on 7th?
Amazing!!!Congratulations!! That's huge!!! Is it top choice, or you gonna wait to hear from a few others?
HUGE CONG! UCB is a hard deal! You made it!
Thanks guys and girls! Yep, got admit on the 7th. My top choice is GSD for now, but my basic strategy is to see where I get in first, and then visit GSD, Columbia, Berkeley to see whats up with the programs before I make any choices. Unfortunately I wasn't very clued in to the open houses last year so I have to arrange my own visits. UCB is good for me because I'm currently in the Bay Area and my husband works here too. I'll visit soon and add my impressions about the program.
Fantastic, some of the schools will invite you to open houses for admitted students. Hopefully none of the dates will class. But at any rate, congrats again!! It’s such a relief to have solid dub under your belt.
Update: In at UT Austin - no word on financial yet.
Update: In at UT Austin - no word on financial yet.
I visited UCB today (just a guided tour and visiting the arch bldg) and I was really disappointed by the architecture facilities. Does anyone have something glowing to say about Berkeley that can negate the abject depression of Wurster Hall? Ive seen other dingy/brutalist architecture campuses, but none as bad as that.
CSSS, this is precisely how I feel/felt about UCLA's Perloff Hall. Completely uninspiring. One hopes the course content and instructors will bring the material alive and inspire your genius. Coz the building surely ain't gon' do it! Perhaps it's something about the UC system. Highly ranked Arch programs in shitty buildings ;)
I got accepted to UC Berkeley’s M.Arch program. I’m super excited about it. I did a summer architecture program there and thought it was great. I really like the brutalist building. It does feel very “public university” which I’m a big fan of, tbh. The view from the studios are pretty amazing. The faculty that taught the summer programs were amazing too, super intelligent. I hear people joke about how the architecture buildings are
always the ugliest.
Congrats! I'm in at UCB too! Heading to the open house this weekend. Going to manage my expectations about the building
Congrats! Im
also going to UCB open house. See yall there~
k000 we have a pretty similar background as both from TX plus both from CVEN background and both already have a masters in engineering topics as well. Looking forward to chat with you at open house!
Another great update: in at GSD with $ (note not $$$$) got the notification March 2 afternoon. :)
CSSS, you’ve got amazing options now. Congratulations!! Will it come down to dollars and cents or will you go with GSD no matter what? Inquiring minds wanna know :)
It was good talking to you today! Also congrats!!!
k000 you too! Best of luck on choosing a school. Joey, I was excited for 3 hours yesterday and then I started thinking about money and no longer excited. Even a 20% grant to GSD will still leave $150k + in student loans, which is insane if I go a traditional arch route with an average salary. I need to figure out if it’s worth it.
@csss why you may wanna choose Berkeley over GSD: https://archinect.com/features/article/150170495/a-deep-dive-into-the-salaries-of-nyc-architects
haha yeah, certainly something to consider. though since I already have MIT under my belt I'm not sure quite that I wouldn't be closer to the MIT category than the Harvard category.
Good call!!
March 13 Update: In at Columbia GSAPP
What?!!! Congrats CSSS!! Too cool!
Hi, I am pretty late to join here, sorry about that.
Hey, I am super late to this, sorry about that.
I do not understand why my response won’t get completed here. Undergrad - B.Arch. 2018
I am admitted to the 2-Year M.Arch at UC Berkeley too. Though being an international student I could not attend the open house. It would be helpful for me if you guys could share your experience regarding Berkeley and the open house? @csss, @constellation, @k000 and @Sabin Ciocan.
I would be cautious about GSD graduates making a lot less than UCB grads post graduation as this article claims https://archinect.com/features/article/150170495/a-deep-dive-into-the-salaries-of-nyc-architects. GSD grads are very talented and independent which leads them to starchitect firms, niche firms, or openning their own firm. UCB grads end up in the Bay area where architects are paid the most on average in the country due to the many major corporate firms that set up an outpost and are headed by UCB grads.
hi everyone,
What are your thoughts on RISD M.Arch 2 yr program? Is it worth the expensive price tag or is it too conceptual of a program?
Thanks
Izzy
also who all got in?
I was accepted into RISD that’s why I’m asking
I got into the 3 yr program but I am giving priorities to other options. I got some $ but still a lot of money to be paid. It's a highly ranked program but I haven't been able to find too much information about it, even on their website. The student work seemed nice, the proximity to Brown is also a bonus, but idk, personally I'd still prefer a big university than an art institute. Still very happy to have gotten in though.
Did not find any Canadian schools on here, so hope that might help some
22 / Male / Canadian-Egyptian
Bachelor of Environmental Design / University of Manitoba / Spring 2020
3.86 / 4.5 - N/A - N/A
2 Studio Profs and Architecture Employer
Mainly talked about my Egyptian background and my experience living in Dubai and how it inspired me to pursue my undergrad in Bachelor of Environmental Design (Landscape + Urbanism). I expanded on talking how my undergrad education and my Co-op work experience has prepared me and directed me towards my grad education and what subject of interest I would like to pursue in my masters which in this case is sustainable built environments.
Would Appreciate any feedback or comments on that specific part/
https://issuu.com/shaheermansour2624/docs/u_of_m_portfolio_issuupdf
Length of portfolio varied based on each school requirement but the attached link shows most of my projects that I included
Mcgill
Carleton
UBC
U of T
Calgary
U of M
Unfortunately, did not get the chance to visit any beside (U of M obviously) but would like to hear any recommendation if anyone has been to any
Still waiting upon result in Mid-March (top choices UBC, UofT and McGill)
Go through multiple drafts of your portfolio and statement of intent. Seeks advice and feedback from professors from diverse backgrounds and family or friends. It really helps and open your eyes towards things you might have not noticed.
Feel free to drop some comments, feedback, or adivces
Hi. I am applying for Canadian School too. Still waiting for UBC, UoT (thegradcafe shows they started to release the result already), Calgary and Waterloo.
Btw congrats for your offer in Manitoba and a nice portfolio. It paid off!
I am applying to same schools for 2021. Any results you can share?
UW rejected
UBC 2-year stream $, UT 3-ye
ar stream $, UCal 3-year stream
M Arch I applicant with no design background
24 / Male / Korean American (문재인 유시민 화이팅)
Fellow non-design applicant here, would be nice to see your portfolio :) and congrats on your acceptance to RISD and UCB!
Haha thanks @chuckluck. Portfolio is too personal so im a bit hesitant to share it online
k000 and @chuckluck, another non-design applicant here (in the strictest sense). Congrats on your admits!! You've got a solid academic foundation, which I'm sure served you well. I can imagine your portfolio is pretty inventive and unique as well. Seems your application portrays a whole person with some serious emotional and academic depth/breadth. Keep us posted as you here from the rest!!
Hi Congrats on your admission! When did you hear the announcement from UC Berkeley?
Thanks @joeythegiant! And i heard from berkeley on 2/7
In at WASHU!!
Huge congrats k000!! Top university, top program!
Thanks! Congrats to you too
Waitlisted at Rice and Rejected from GSD and Yale haha. Whatever. Im just thankful that i am given a chance to study architecture, will attend the openhouse at RISD and WUSTL and decide~
USA/Male/21
Undergraduate Degree/ School/ Year Graduated
B.A. Philosophy with Distinction & Minor in Physics/University of Colorado Boulder/2019 (December)
GPA - GRE - TOEFL
GPA: 3.777/4.000
GRE 1: 158/80%V, 154/53%Q, 4.0W
GRE 2: 157/76%V, 157/64%Q, 4.0W
TOEFL: N/A
Letter of Recommendations
Quantity: 3
From: 1) Instructor/Graduate Student, 2) Professor, and 3) Instructor.
Suggested Content for my Essay Writer: 1) Artistic and creative abilities; writing, research; 2) Analytical skills, i.e. I am ready for advanced coursework; 3) Epistemic (knowledge related) diversity and being chill and enjoying books, especially sci-fi.
Personal Essay/Statement
Also, I have a few typos on every essay I submitted, so don't let that stress you out. Typos stressed me out, but I should have proof-read my essays more carefully than I did.
Portfolio
19 page pdf made in PowerPoint consisting of woodworking, drawing, and photography. Black background (except Clemson, which I did in white, because I had to physically mail them my portfolio in a notebook with my CV. I shouldn't have to do this in 2019. Clemson lost a lot of points in my book because of this). White text, Arial font. Title page consisting of my full name, program name, program specification (track 3, etc.), and the university. Page numbers starting second page. No table of contents. 4:3 aspect ratio for slides.
Schools
North Carolina State University; University of Tennessee Knoxville, Virginia Tech, Clemson, University of Kentucky, Cornell, Rice, University of Oregon, University of Washington
Open House Impressions
N/A (yet). I have only toured the NCSU program. My thoughts from the NCSU tour as well as my experience taking one class as a non-degree seeking student this spring (2020): NCSU is a very horizontally integrated program within the College of Design and is a practically oriented program with a lot of lecturers working in professional offices, not in academia. The M.Arch program is also very diverse, notably with nationality. NCSU students consistently are consistently internationally recognized and have large scale competition winning work. And, the woodshop is amazing.
Results
As of Feb. 21 2020:
4/4 Admission:
University of Oregon (prompt decision, with Tuition Remission)
Clemson
NCSU
Virginia Tech
Tips
Amazing rundown, and some solid wisdom considering your age. Well done sir.. what is/are your top choice(s)? V.Tech is arguably the most prestigious
of the four you’ve gotten into thus far.
Update since I can't seem to edit my original post:
Thanks for the complement JoeyTheGiant. I decided to go to NCSU primarily because of place. I was accepted into all schools besires Cornell and Rice, and waitlisted at UW. Clemson ended up offering me a fellowship and thus in-state tuition. But, I'd prefer to live in Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill rather than get funneled into Northern Virginia/DC as I likely would be through VT, and I do not want to live in Clemson, SC (or SC in general), and although UO is in the PNW which is a region of great personal interest, I read Eugene is pretty unexciting and does not have nearly the architectural resources as Raleigh.
deleted
US undergrad applying for the UK schools
Undergraduate Degree/ BS. Architectural Studies
GPA - 3.95/4
GRE - N/A
TOEFL - N/A
Letter of recommendations
2 from professors (have no idea what they have written)
Personal Essay/Statement
Some personal understanding of the relationship between video game and architecture. 2 weeks in total.
Portfolio
https://issuu.com/qingyuanzhou/docs/zhou_portfolio_school
*Similar graphic theme throughout the whole portfolio
1 personal project of a video game proposal (#narrative #dystopia #sarcasm)
3 academic projects
sketching+photography
Schools
AA diploma, UCL MArch Part 2
Open house impressions
After a tour in AA I believe the school provides all kinds of facilities for the students, but I cannot tell if the quantities are enough. The school was really compact and I was always surrounded by people no matter where I was, but it was fun to walk around. I won't consider the physical size of the school being problematic for the students since their 'school' isn't just the building but the whole city.
I haven't visited the Bartlett yet. I'll update later if I have a chance to visit.
Results
Got an offer from AA but a year lower. (AA Experimental 3rd year)
Still waiting for the Bartlett.
Tips
***Spend time on figuring out who you are and what you want.
*Show your specific interest in your Essay and Portfolio (a personal project will help a lot).
*You don't have to stick too many projects in your portfolio. Quality is more important than quantity.
*You don't have waste your money to apply for 10+ schools.
Hey, congratulations!
Was wondering when was your interview and when did you get the offer from AA?
Thank you :)
Interviewed on Feb 6th
Offer received on Feb 11th
I had mine on the 13th, but I haven’t received any email yet regarding the offer. Starting to worry now. I don’t know if I should call the admission office.
I think you should call them because many students got their offers after calling the admission office, which gets particularly busy at this period each year.
Yea I called them. They told me to wait for another two weeks... I’m getting more and more nervous!
update: UCL accepted
One of the best portfolio ive seen
Thank you!
Got into UCLA too！
wow ! congrats! keen to see your portfolio
Congrats Vialee!!! Big dub. What did you do your undergrad in? Do you have an architecture background?
Hi arielbintang! I will post it online and let you know soon!
Hi JoeyTheGiant! I studies "architectural studies" in school, with a BA degree!
Also got into Georgia Tech's Mater of Human Computer Interaction program!
Vialee, if you’re going to the UCLA open house for admitted students, I’ll see you there. Just registered.
Got into Harvard GAS M.Arch 3.5years！
Got into all the schools except Rice. No fundings at all. I guess I will not study architecture anymore.
@vialee, choose your top school and appeal. Only pick one, so you can spend the energy appealing and asking if they have any additional funds. Harvard has a ton of money. But be smart, do some research and appeal hard. To the graduate program at the university and to the school or architect. I’m doing it for one of my programs. I’ll keep you posted!
@JoeyTheGiant what is the process for making an appeal? Is that like frowned upon?
Hey all, thought I'd join in!
F/23/Canada
BA Architectural Studies, U of T 2019, GPA 3.91/4.00
V165 Q155 (major oops, but wrote it at the absolute last minute) AW5.5
3 profs, one of whom I have a long-standing relationship with over the course of 3 years (recommend doing this)
Personal Essay/Statement
Went kind of wild with this one since writing and architectural theory is a strength of mine. Wrote about a research interest and made sure not to belabour what's already on my CV.
I personally felt like this was my weakness, since my undergraduate programme was (arguably) not that good, and I didn't have the in-depth plans/sections/architectural drawings I see in many of the top-school portfolios. I had a lot of conceptual/analytical work and made sure to include minimal group work and kept it original. I made sure to only include the strongest drawings and went through two versions before I was happy with it.
Also, to supplement my studio projects, I did some independent work which focussed on my research interests to tie it together with my personal statement.
This is a long one, but I'm applying to both US schools because the pedagogy and reputation appeals to me and EU schools because I'd like to come out of school debt free if possible.
US: MIT MArch I, Princeton, GSD MLA I AP (my work is at the intersection of landscape/architecture so I thought it would be a good fit, also didn't think I was competitive for the MArch I)
Europe: Bartlett, TU Berlin, KADK (Denmark), KTH (Sweden), IKA (Austria), potentially some more German universities but the deadlines are in like June/July...
Can't attend any as I'm working in Berlin
In: MIT, financial aid TBD
Waiting on everything else. Top choice would probably be the GSD.
Portfolio: I found the application process to US schools quite challenging, mostly because my work was very different from many of the best portfolios online. I would recommend not looking at other portfolios too much, because the sad reality is that so much of everyone's work is same -- stay true to yourself! Nevertheless, it's important to get feedback from teachers and colleagues. I worked hard on having a narrative in my portfolio, and the projects "talked" to each other. I had 5 projects, included some of my photography work and an exhibition which I ran/curated.
Personal Statement: Despite what everyone says, I do think this is an extremely important part of the application, especially if your portfolio work isn't as strong as everyone else's. I worked on mine intensively for about a month. If you have an original research interest or good writing skills, I believe that this can be the decisive factor in your application to US schools (probably not so much for European schools). I made sure to include specific aspects of each programme that interested me. Also, I didn't write about my background or my "lego moment," I think personal anecdotes are usually not a good idea...
Good luck everyone!
When did you receive MIT's decision?
This morning :)
Congratulations
oops I commented down below. Congrats! did they call you?
I actually didn't have a phone number at the time when I submitted my application (was in the process of moving) so I'm not sure if they would have. I got an email from a professor.
I haven't heard back from MIT either, but I'll update when I do hear back. Super nervous now haha
Update - full $$$ + stipend at MIT, full $$$ at GSD
OMG CONGRATS!
Congratulations!!
Wow that is soooo cool! Really shows how writing is as important as portfolio! Keen to see it
Thank you!! Good luck to everyone, nervous to hear back from Princeton now
Hi, huge congrats!! Did you decide on GSD or Princeton at the end? And I was also wondering, why didn't you consider Yale?
did they call you?
Hey :)
Ctrl, Congrats on MIT. Curious, what would’ve been your UK/Europe choices had you decided to stay?
Joey, Thank you! Uhm, possibly ETH (but I think they require German...), Delft or back to Cambridge (loved it!).
Makes sense!
Update: Call from Harvard - AP and full ride. Shocking
Wow, congrats, that's amazing news to get.
Hats off!! Well done.
Thank you guys so much! Fingers crossed for everyone.
(MIT offered 3/4 tuition and stipend; but no AP)
Serious congrats!!
Thank you, csss! Fingers crossed for you as well xx
Any MIT admits know when open house is scheduled?
a
Undergraduate Degree/ School/ Year graduated
University of Florida / B.A. History, B.A. Political Science, Minor: Public Leadership / 2012
GPA - GRE - TOEFL
3.31 GPA (Undergrad was more about personal growth rather than academic focus)
158 Q | 167 V | 4.5 AWA (August - October studying after work almost exclusively for math, took six full practice tests prior to test day)
Letter of recommendations
3 for most, 4 for some.
2 - employers/managers in architecture/design field (1 previous, 1 current)
1 - previous client (worked with closely on a specific project)
1 - studio instructor
Personal Essay/Statement
I spent a significant amount of time on these and was still writing/editing up to the deadline. I think because I started working on Berkeley’s application first, and their essays were structured as a “Personal History Statement” and a Statement of Purpose, my essays were skewed more towards personal narrative rather than future research / professor-focused. I also felt like my longer-than-usual journey to architecture school needed additional context.
Portfolio
I never studied architecture formally, but have had about 7 years of professional experience in the design/construction field. It was tough to figure out what to include from my professional work, personal design work, and Design Discovery (a studio intensive program) I did last summer. The advice I got from the summer program was to really emphasize the design of portfolio itself--to treat the presentation as a design project in and of itself. The final breakdown was: 5 “academic” projects, 2 personal projects, and 4 (single-page) professional projects.
Schools
Harvard GSD, Yale SOA, GSAPP, Berkeley, MIT, Princeton, Cornell, Rice
Open house impressions
GSD - I spent 6 weeks there last summer doing Design Discovery, so I got a good feel of the studio/facilities, the culture (to a certain extent), and the school’s approach. The instructors of the program were all recent grads, or students finalizing work on their thesis. They were amazing as instructors but also as a resource to understand what going through an M.Arch is like, what the GSD was like, why they chose it, what they plan to do after. I also attended the open house this past fall and it was helpful to see the school’s “official” presentation about itself rather than the more informal perspective I got this summer. After going to other open houses, I can say that what impressed me most at GSD was the quality of the student work. There wasn’t any work that I wasn’t impressed by. I was taken by the level of rigor, the depth of inquiry, and the final presentation of work. Consistently good through and through.
Yale - This was the open house that surprised me the most. Unjustifiably, my impression of Yale was that it was stuffy and self-centered. During the visit, I found exactly the opposite. I really connected with the first-year housing project. I love the hands-on nature of the approach and its commitment to the local community, and how despite being a competition, seems to bring the cohort together. I was surprised (in a positive way) by the overall tone and focus on social justice issues. In reading the student publications, and seeing the issues that some of the current studios focused on, I really felt like this was constant dialogue that the school was engaged in. I found that all the students that I engaged with (not just the hand-picked tour guides) were friendly and willing to talk about their work and it seemed like studio-culture leaned more towards camaraderie rather than competition. Really awesome open house.
Cornell - This is such a tough school for me to talk about. I love the program, the facilities were outstanding both spatially and the in the availability of resources (brand new fabrication shop, etc.), the research labs were engaged in exciting and meaningful work, and the professors were all very interesting and welcoming. I also really liked Ithaca. It has a small college-town charm, and the access to beautiful hiking and other nature is a huge plus. The biggest downside is how remote the school feels. The M.Arch I program (maybe others too) has a component in which students spend a semester in NYC which is a nice effort towards connectedness, but Ithaca itself honestly feels very isolated. Of course, for some people this may be a bonus, because you can be very focused on your work with few external distractions. All in all, amazing school, but location was a big hurdle for me.
GSAPP - I loved the school’s contextual approach to architecture. It felt very in-tune with all of the different aspects of the built environment rather solely a formal aesthetic approach. I was really impressed with their faculty and I enjoyed the critiques I observed--good conversations and a real sense of collegiality among the students and professors. I was disappointed in the facilities. After spending the summer at GSD, I thought all schools provided as much real estate for each student. I was really shocked at how cramped the studio spaces felt. Then again, it is New York (I currently live in Brooklyn), so I guess I should have known better. Other than the physical space, this was an amazing school that is fully engaged in architectural discourse and contributes original ideas and research to the broader conversation.
Results
GSD -
Yale -
GSAPP -
Berkeley - Accepted! Heading to the admit open house for a first visit. Doesn’t seem like I got any aid. As a public school, I can gain residency after the first year so that should help manage the cost.
MIT -
Cornell -
Princeton -
Rice -
Tips
Give yourself plenty of time to study and write.
If you don’t have a formal architectural background, don’t try to make your portfolio more architecture-y than your previous work/experience actually is.
Don’t wait to apply. I kept waiting to apply until I felt like I had more experience and more projects under my belt before I felt like I was a ‘worthy’ applicant. After sitting down with the Architecture Lead at GSD this summer, she gave really good advice: “You’re applying to grad school so that you can learn about architecture, we don’t expect you to come in as an expert. It’s the biggest misconception I think people have.”
A lot of good insights, thank you!
Update 2/29: In at Cornell with $. Very excited and grateful.
Congratulations!
Update 3/2: Waitlisted at Rice
Update 3/3: Rejected from Harvard
Congrats on Cornell! Good luck with MIT and GSAPP! I am hesitated here between cornell and upenn also because of the location. Literally in the middle of the mountains, definitely going to miss a lot of opportunities to find summer jobs and then move around. I wish I got into MIT, I just love Boston
Thanks! Updates: Out at Yale (3/6) and Princeton (3/9) still
(continued from previous)...still waiting to hear from MIT and GSAPP. Between the two acceptances I have, I'm leaning towards Berkeley over Cornell. Even with the scholarships/stipends that Cornell is offering, the total cost of tuition is about double. It's also a 3.5 year program compared to Berkeley's 3-year track. After going to Berkeley's admit open house, I was most struck by the overall laid-back vibe--it was very refreshing compared to the northeast schools I've visited! All the professors and students were very approachable and willing to share what they were working on even if it was very much in-process. I'd like to talk to more current students and alums to make sure that laid-back doesn't translate to low expectations/low-quality work. It didn't seem like that was the case during my visit, but I want to get more background.
I am writing a thread with tuition information from all schools. Does UCB only cost $5,000 flat tuition for out of state students? That's insane!
@archi_gram not sure if that's correct. According to https://registrar.berkeley.edu/tuition-fees-residency/tuition-fees/fee-schedule#ced out-of-state tuition is $19,525.75 per semester.
Update 3/9: Rejected from Princeton
Update 3/17: Waitlisted at Columbia
Update 3/20: Rejected from MIT
Hey @ciocs353, I have been accepted to UC Berkeley too for M.Arch , are you still leaning towards it?
@ciocs353 where did you decide to go? if you are going to Conell, see you in August
do you guys think the GSD and YSOA will post their decisions afternoon of the 28th like every year or will it be the 29th since its leap year? Im so anxious lolll
Also what is up with people saying they got phone call acceptances from MIT and GSD when its clearly stated on the website that there will be no decisions given out through phone calls? Help me understand, is this real and they just call their fav applicants informally?
On a lighter note, how is everyone holding up? Im an anxious mess here cant even get out of bed. Hope we all get the schools we want
Can totally relate. Am super anxious as well. Aaaaaaah...
Don’t want to say it’s a certain way or another - can only confirm they do call informally. They also confirmed when the official email will be sent out - i got MIT yesterday and GSD said I’ll get theirs on Monday. Hope this helps. It doesn’t matter how we’re notified - good luck!! :)
I imagine today, the 28th, because I imagine they would do it on their workday, not their weekend. Ditto on the super anxious part! I started checking my emails every 30 min yesterday.
Thanks for sharing ctrl_z! Well, looks like it's coming on Monday then, at least I will have another weekend to kill.
They call the top applicants. It says no decisions given via phone so people don't call in to ask about their status.
Can def relate, thankfully I’m not too anxious coz I got into one of my top choices, Tulane, with $$$, and two other great programs (UNC-Charlotte and U Houston) but still a lil nervous as I’m hoping to hear positive news from one of my LA schools ( USC, UCLA or Sci-Arc), so I Would have the option to stay here if I don’t want to leave LA. Tho moving isn’t the worse thing ever... At the end of the day, the schools will help us reach our goal, but career prospects will be on us, to be aggressive and smart about how we take advantage of the time and resources availed, no matter where we end up. I’m also hoping I hear from UCLA by today (yay or nay) so I can decide to keep or drop this pre-rec I’m taking before the refund deadline of March 1 lol (UCLA only one I applied to requiring Survey of Arch history).
Lol feeling super grateful, found out I am in at UCLA just minutes after I posted the above comment… (Feb 28, 2020, for anyone reading this in the future). Obviously as it is a public/state school, won’t find out about money right away. The graduate department will inform me about that when they send out the official letters in a few weeks.
@Joey congrats! awesome news
Thanks so much CSSS! What a ride!
Haven’t heard from them. I assume they will sent out decisions in Monday.
Phone calls are true stories. Not mine though. Sadly.
Any Landscape Architecture applicants out there?
Yes, me, I applied into the MLA at the GSD (MArch everywhere else though)
I also applied to a mix of programs! MLA at the GSD too. Wondering if they are released around the same time as MArch results. All the best!
I am! I applied to MLA at Harvard, Upenn, Berkeley, RISD, UBC, U of T and U of M. I got my Upenn acceptance last week.
Good luck both of you!
Yes, I applied for UPenn for MLA and MArch. The chair sent me an email for the admission!
Wait listed at GSD for MLA 1 AP
Yes, me too. MLA applicant here. In at Uni of Mich and WashU St Louis. Out at GSD. Has anyone got an update from Berkeley yet?
Haven't heard from berkeley yet! But accepted at RISD yesterday.
Anyone heard from Berkeley yet for MLA decisions?
Hi, did anyone hear from Berkeley for MLA? I am thinking its a rejection for me as its already too late.
I emailed them a few weeks ago, and they just replied saying they are very behind on applications due to the COVID situation. They said everyone will be advised by the end of april.
@landarch2217 Oh okay, thanks for the information. The other schools want the decision by 15th April. Do you think they might postpone it?
So results should be rolling out starting tomorrow, best of luck to everyone in this thread! Here's to the countless days and nights spent in anxiety
Kudos and much obliged!
umm, the GSD website says the results are due in the first week of March is that not the case?
By the first week. Top admits have been getting phone notifications over the past two days, everyone else will be notified by email by the end of next week.
if you don't mind my asking, what are top admits? from the sound of it, it seems -if i'm not mistaken- like those would be the ones they are sure about as opposed to others that they are not sure about yet, correct?
From my understanding, the calls to admitted students take time, like each 10 min or so. They need to inform one by one, imagine that. The ones not got informed, will be told automa tically by email to check the portal, which means, most of the cases, rej.
It's the one's that have been awarded merit scholarships (as opposed to though maybe in addition to, need-based financial aid), so the top 10%ish, there may be definite yesses that will not be notified by phone. I'm assuming most of the decisions have been made.
I am questioning how healthy it is to speculate on the intentions of schools in their decision release methods, and the meaning of who gets where when. It is likely based on factors we will never know about. What we handed in is in the hands of the admissions teams, and thats it. I am still extremely nervous but speculating on other's standing with respect to the school does not help, and does not reflect any facts of the situation. This rises to the level of speculation
That's just GSD, every school is different. I think MIT makes an attempt to contact every admit via phone, but they have a much smaller class.
You know what? it is indeed unhealthy, it is just reflecting how anxious we are! lol, good luck to everyone here! Fi nger crossed...
From my understand, the calls to admited students take times, like each 10 min or so. They need to inform one by one, imagine that. The ones not got informed, will be told automatically by email toi check the portal, which means, most of the cases, rej.
https://youtu.be/9JVNMmsN3Co
hahahah, exactly what I feel right now
hahahahahahaha so true