<p>What do you guys think about the 5 years architecture program at Pratt Institute? I have no idea about this school, they send me a huge package two months ago, and continually send me stuffs every week! I am just curious to know how can they got my information?</p>
<p>It is a very good program. I have a cousin who is an well-known, established fine artist. He sent his son to Pratt, which speaks volumes to me.</p>
<p>However, there are many other good archtecture schools, some of which may be better than Pratt such as Harvard, Cornell, Carnegie Melon, Rice etc.</p>
<p>What about RISD and Cooper Union?</p>
<p>Regarding RISD, my daughter knows a lot of BArch majors at RISD, from her own entering class of 1999. It is an extremely demanding program, but I think this is true of most arch programs. Unlike the crits in most other majors (such as industrial design -- my daughter's major), the ones in arch are often brutal, and it's not unknown for students to have to repeat a year. RISD's arch program is highly regarded but also seeking to improve its standing and this may contribute to its current apporach.</p>
<p>Reading many posts about BArch majors, I've seen a trend that the Arch major is very challenging. What aspects/reasons make this major so difficult?</p>
<p>Marbles, How about very long hours of work, tough grading, and tough brutal critiques. How's that for a start?</p>
<p>taxguy: I'm somewhat confused then as to why BArch majors don't earn as much money once they become licensed architects (in comparision to CompSci majors, Engineers)?</p>
<p>Marbles, you are asking a good question especially because Architecture school is a very demanding program and, if an archtect screws up. it could cost lives. I really don't know the answer. I would suggest it is partly suppply-demand. There are plenty of people who want to become architects and fewer who really want to become computer experts.</p>
<p>Also, art and design folks usually really want to go into their field for the love of being an artist or designer. There usually isn't the same passion for comp sci folks.</p>
<p>Why does a basketball play make 40-50 times a teacher? Why does a doctor make triple what an average PHD makes? There is salary disparities aplenty.</p>
<p>One reason most architects don't make a lot of money is that society undervalues the design as opposed to simply the structural engineering aspects of building things. Related to this, good aesthetic design is something that people don't want to pay a lot for, as opposed to function. So when people want something built, the design cost as opposed to the construction and materials cost is often understimated and then the architect (if there is one) typically gets the "last" dollar and not the first dollar spent on a project.</p>
<p>Most of the architects I know who make a reasonable amount of money do it by becoming builders/developers or joining a building/development company and then doing the design aspect as one of their tasks.</p>
<p>Please forgive me for the humor but before considering Pratt I would see this link.
<a href="http://www.livejournal.com/community/pratt/269534.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.livejournal.com/community/pratt/269534.html</a></p>
<p>Huh? Pratt is really just like that?</p>
<p>two summers ago I participated in a month-long pre-college program at pratt. (for drawing & painting, but it doesn't matter; my roomate was architecture.) But anyway, it kind of is like that. we never had mice but the dorm bathroom flooded every day. the floor was concrete and kept getting nasty and muddy from people's shoes. i wished there were locks on the doors, but we did get used to knocking. my main complaint about Pratt in general would be (and i think this is the same for a lot of people who've seen the school) is that the facilities are somewhat run-down. I didn't have a problem with the quality of the classes (and even now that I've actually seen some other art schools, it's still comparable) but things just seemed to be wearing out. the dorms I was getting used to, but maybe only because I knew I'd be able to leave in a month.</p>
<p>The head of Communication Design up to 6 months ago would come to work drunk as a skunk. He was the Chairperson of the school's largest department. The place has it's issues but there are some great old school teahers there with the right NYC connections.</p>
<p>Yeah, I liked the teachers! I had this guy called Kye Carbone, and another called Keith (forgot his last name) who rode his bike everywhere and never remebered anyone's name.</p>