Archie School Help Please :)

<p>Hey everyone,</p>

<p>So I have been scanning through all of the past convo's and it seems that there are tons of you that know what you are talking about when it comes to which is the better school and what not.</p>

<p>So here is a new one for yall.</p>

<p>I am a Sophomore taking as many Ap/ Honor classes as my school offers, I am in the top band as a flutist, I am part of the National Honor Soceity, GPA= 3.4+, varies from 3.4 to 3.6+, I am on varsity Swim team and its my first year ever swimming, as well as Varsity Water Polo, First year.(hopeing one of these days to get a scholarship)
I would like to stay on the western part of the US for college/University.</p>

<p>Oh and most of all I love Arch.!!!! It is my life, hobbie and, Dream!!!</p>

<p>So I was just wondering if any of you had and idea of a great school that fits my picky needs?</p>

<p>Thanks a bunch!!!</p>

<p>best thing i can think of is to visit colleges that you're interested and see which architecture school would fit you..</p>

<p>hmm..western part is vague. it depends what kind of program you want too. berekley provides a 4+2 program rather than a 5 yr program (same with UCLA). Cal POLY SLO and U of Arizona provide 5 yr programs. uhh there's also Sci-arc if you're up for a really conceptual and focused program (and if you like living in a shipping port!)</p>

<p>But SCIArc doesn't have water polo. USC has a five year B.Arch as well as a brand new 4 year B.S. in Architecture, and a great water polo team, and if you've got a good portfolio your GPA could be forgiven. Though it has a four-year program, ASU is generally seen more favorably than UofA is, and has an absolutely gorgeous campus. </p>

<p>Are you in a position to submit a portfolio now, or are you looking for a program that admits 'pre-arch' and has you apply after two years of basic design courses? Do you anticipate going to grad school? Are you 100% sure that architecture is for you, or do you also want to explore areas like interior design, industrial design, etc?</p>

<p>cool thanks so where is sci arch</p>

<p>lol and which one is better 4+2 or 5 if they are both a B.</p>

<p>well I am only a sophomore in high school so i havent really started applying should i start applying how am I supposed to know wut to put in the portfolio</p>

<p>I am just gonna start my archie classes in my junior year cuz I got all my other classes out of the way so I can now start my archie classes and not focus on mindless health classes that are boring I got 114% in that class lol and i didnt do extra credit i only did it on test lol </p>

<p>oh anyway ya i would love to be a full time archie so much so i dont think I would be givin up on it anytime soon</p>

<p>but ya i forgot to say thanks!!! for both of ur help!! :)</p>

<p>I really appreciate it!! :)</p>

<p>SCIArc is [url=<a href="http://www.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=51.883429,108.808594&q=Southern+California+Institute+of+Architecture&ll=34.043877,-118.231945&spn=0.013371,0.026565&t=h&om=1%5Dhere%5B/url"&gt;http://www.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=51.883429,108.808594&q=Southern+California+Institute+of+Architecture&ll=34.043877,-118.231945&spn=0.013371,0.026565&t=h&om=1]here[/url&lt;/a&gt;]. </p>

<p>It depends on how sure you are about architecture, and whether you plan on going to grad school. The 5-year B.Arch is a first professional degree, whereas the 4-year B.S.in arch or B.A. in arch is a pre-professional degree. Most states require that you hold a professional degree to become a licensed architect. So if you do a four year program, you will most likely have to go to grad school for a professional M.Arch. </p>

<p>The B.Arch is a very intense program, and B.Arch holders are often more educated in the field of architecture than M.Arch holders, but it leaves less time for other activities and interests. But no grad school, or if you decide later to go to grad school, it doesn't have to be for an M.Arch- you can do grad school for urban planning, environmental design, structural engineering, anything that piques your interest, because you've already got that professional degree.</p>

<p>The four year program is a great option if you are not fully dedicated to architecture, because it is a less rigorous program which allows you more room to explore. If you know that you want to go to graduate school and don't mind the expense and time of six years of education, then a four year pre-professional program can let you have a little more fun in your undergrad years. If you go this way, you may want to choose a state school that is easy on your wallet for undergrad, so that you can go to the best grad school that will accept you without concern later on.</p>

<p>One of the first steps towards figuring out the right school is choosing which of those paths is the better choice for you. Once you've figured that out, the school choices will begin to be much clearer.</p>

<p>The B.Arch is a very intense program, and B.Arch holders are often more educated in the field of architecture than M.Arch holders, < You said</p>

<p>Ok so does that mean that I wouldnt have to go more htan 4 yrs</p>

<p>and when you mean going to grad school wut is that i am totally confused> oh ya I am new at this stuff if u havent noticed lol</p>

<p>no, for a B.Arch you would have to go for five years. But if you did a B.S. or B.A., you would in total have to go for 6 years to fulfill licensing requirements. By 'grad school' I mean graduate school, the means of getting a master's degree, such as the M.Arch which is necessary if you go for a B.A. or B.S.</p>

<p>To simplify:</p>

<p>route 1: B.Arch: five years of education total, in one program. After this, you go straight to internships and licensing exams.</p>

<p>route 2: B.A. or B.S. in Architecture: four years, pre-professional degree. Not eligible for licensing exams in most states. To gain licensing eligibility, you would need to then proceed to a 2-year Masters in Architecture (M.Arch). 6 years of total education, which can be completed all in one place (4+2 program), or at two separate schools.</p>

<p>so which one would u recomend?</p>

<p>so who do u know all this info? are u an archie? where did ya go?</p>

<p>I was thinking, from reading wut you have written, that I would prolly be most fit would be the B.Arch. Degree then to internships and start to get my masters at the same time does it work that way?</p>

<p>I graduated from USC's B.Arch program a year ago. I found CC because I am looking at going to grad school for graphic design. I probably should have done a B.A. instead. Not that the B.Arch through USC was a bad experience at all, but I graduated high school when I was 16, and simply was not in a good position to commit myself to a career, and ended up not choosing quite the right one for me.</p>

<p>Most people do internships during summers during undergrad as well, usually starting the summer after their third year, on average. It can be hard to find a job after graduation if you don't have at least one internship experience. If you know already that you want a masters degree, why do you think the B.Arch is the degree for you? Do you just really, really like school? Many B.Arch students either do not get a masters at all, or work for a few years before going back for their masters, so that they can get some experience and really figure out what they want to study in graduate school.</p>

<p>The four year and five year programs are entirely different experiences. The more sure you are about architecture, the more I would recommend the five year program. The more extracurriculars and other interests you want to explore during college you have, the more I would recommend a B.A. or a B.S. There isn't one overall right answer, it's just about finding what's right for you.</p>

<p>Wow 16 thats intense, I wont graduate until I am 19 but, oh well thats just the way it works :)</p>

<p>So How is the B.A different than the B.arch. I kept thinking that they were the same thing. :) oops I guess they arent lol</p>

<p>Oh no I dont like school THAT much :) </p>

<p>So if I wanted to go to college and get my pre professional degree, like you were talking about, and then work like a year and go back to school for the final part to finish masters is that good? And how would I do that? Cuz I am really sure about this archie plan I really love it and as I keep getting older I realize that I have always drawn like different style houses and bedroom stuff and buildings so I would like to put that into some great use, and I would also like to design a really really cool building one of these days know for its arch. , by me :) and going to school learning how to do that would just be great in my eyes, if thats part of the school :) </p>

<p>Thanks for your help so much :)</p>

<p>ok, since I don't seem to be describing it very clearly, I suggest you visit this</a> website. It's got a pretty good description of the different types of degrees offered.</p>

<p>Oh cool thanks lol </p>

<p>C/U WP Swim $1styr B.Arch Pc/Pri.
ASU yes yes 15,845 yes Public
UCLA yes yes 24,324 yes, G Public
SCIA N/A N/A 20,380 yes Private
USC yes yes 33,888 yes Private
UNLV yes yes 12,527 yes Public</p>

<p>I just made that its just a rough draft for now though but I think these colleges are the ones I am gonna try and look into the most.</p>

<p>I guess thats better printed out in colums than it is on this site but oh well I am sure you will get it :)</p>

<p>actually, neither UCLA nor ASU has a B.Arch program. Not sure about UNLV. But ASU has both a B.A. and a B.S., but no B.Arch. I'm not sure that UCLA has undergraduate architecture at all, but they may have just hidden it under an unexpected department.</p>

<p>larationalist, if you don't mind answering, what is your reason for dropping out of architecture? Architecture has always been my passion and I've had some experience in the practice of architecture before and know it's not always lucrative. I'm afraid I'll waste so much money on a degree (at cornell! yikes) that I might not use in the future. I'm surprised you stuck with your major all the way even though you decided that it was not for you.</p>

<p>So my plan is-</p>

<p>if not architecture, then get a M.arch2 and become a professor because I love to teach.</p>

<p>or minor in information science in undergrad and then get a grad degree in something related to info science.</p>

<p>or get a mba in grad school</p>

<p>but i'm definitely sticking with architecture for now</p>

<p>sashimi- school is 100% different from work. And internships are 100% different than fulltime work. In school, it's all about design, and the production of your drawings and other presentation materials, making them beautiful too, is (while secondary) still treated as a craft. You are working 95% of the time as an individual, and the design in the only thing that is really important. In work, it's a whole different story. People put out crummy looking presentations all the time, don't push themselves at all, are completely limited by clients who wouldn't know good architecture if it bit them on the butt, and have to deal with some extreme office politics because EVERYTHING is teamwork. Most people will not ever have the opportunity to design, but will be forced into construction documents and/or construction management, because that end of the business takes many more people than the design end. If you work for a big corporate firm, you usually do boring work. However if you work for a small firm, the boss designs every little thing that goes out the door. It is very hard to break into the design side, and since I am very organized, detail oriented, and technically able, I would probably be stuck in construction documents for life. I want to design, so I'm choosing to go into a profession that is 90% design, 10% technical, instead of one that is 25% design, 75% technical.</p>

<p>I am actually not trying to discourage you, but you should be aware that this side of architecture exists that school simply does not expose you to, and it is the side of architecture that most people end up in. Most seem to enjoy it more than me. I went into architecture because it seemed the most viable of the artistic professions to me, but have since discovered that it is not artistic enough for me. And again, I made this decision when I was about 15 years old (gotta figure it out before you graduate), with very little guidance from anybody. Many people end up straying from their undergraduate background for various reasons. I was very good in architecture school, came out with a really great portfolio and resume, got called by something like 40 different firms upon graduation wanting me in for interviews. So you can be very successful in school and then the real world hits you like a ton of bricks.</p>

<p>I think I'm quite aware of the situation, as I've talked to many bitter architects before haha. It's scary because I've wanted to become an architect since I was 7 so I've always been questioning my judgement. For me, design is important and I feel that architecture is one of the most influential creative professions out there and making an influence in people's lives is an important aspect for me. </p>

<p>so they say, school only teaches you how to design, not how to really become an architect. I expect my internship years to be different. I guess that's the other side of architecture--learning how to run a firm, dealing with clients, and knowing how to put a building together. Isn't it part of the process of becoming an architect? I guess the beginning years might not include much design but is crucial nevertheless? </p>

<p>what major are you moving into?</p>

<p>I might work in China in the future, because I know mandarin..and hear that the opportunities are abundant for foreigners. Worst comes to worst, I'll go on and get a m.arch2 so I can teach architecture....and get both practice and theory at the same time...seems like a nice balance...though I don't know how easy it is to become a professor. I just can't seem to get out of architecture....i love it because it's a people profession...you get to use creativity to shape ppl's lives. but i guess that can be done in different ways as well, not just architecture. good luck larationalist!</p>

<p>That was exactly it for me, too- I wanted to be in a 'worthy' profession, to influence. But beware of the trap of asking too much of a profession. Make sure that you can find meaning elsewhere in your life, because if you rely on architecture to provide it, you can become frustrated quickly. But if you enter into the profession with an equal interest in construction and collaboration as you have in design, you will be a step ahead of those bitter architects, as you are much more likely to be truly suited for the profession than most.</p>

<p>The opportunities in China are indeed plentiful, particularly for those who know the language. Dubai is also booming right now.</p>

<p>I am looking to go to graduate school for Graphic Design, and decided to drop by and see what all the pre-archis were saying, what schools they thought were hot, etc. I wish I'd known about this place back then.</p>