<p>If anyone has any information, thoughts, opinions about the School of Architecture at UVA, we would love to read about them. S is an in-state junior looking at schools that offer either a 5 yr. B. Arch or 4 +2 B.S. or B.A. in Arch. We know that VT has the 5 yr. B. Arch but he is still undecided if he wants to go that route. Thanks in advance for any help you could give him!</p>
<p>Bumping this up....anyone know anything about the school of Architecture at UVA? Thanks!</p>
<p>im pretty sure its a BS in Arch. just from the little i know about the program, its the hardest school to get into, and the A-school is nowhere near first year dorms, but much closer to where most upperclassmen live.</p>
<p>i also remember first year people scavengering around for cardboard boxes because there was constant model building.</p>
<p>jags,
Thanks for the reply. It is a BS in Arch there, you are right. S is trying to learn more about the arch programs at various schools he may apply to. Sadly enough, he has written-emailed- two different profs at UVA to ask questions about the focus of their program, etc. and neither one responded. </p>
<p>He also wrote profs at VT, Clemson, Swarthmore and Brown (for other areas of interest), and they all sent really detailed, nice emails back. I told him those folks at UVA are probably busy, and I told him not to read too much into it, but getting quality responses from some schools sure does make a kid take note of those who don't bother to reply. I am trying to find out more for him through this site. Thanks for your help!</p>
<p>I share your frustration. Maybe it's because my D was looking mainly at LACs and had network connections for most of the larger schools (mostly Ivies) that she explored (so we are spoiled), but, in comparison, we found Virginia unresponsive to our academic queries. Fortunately, the coaches and students she knows have been extremely helpful in getting her answers to her questions. Still, it does really dampen her interest and makes me nervous about whether the University is all that it puts itself forth as being academically.</p>
<p>If by any chance your child is a legacy (Virginia defines that rather broadly), you might try taking your questions through the alumni legacy channels (or ask an alum you know to do that for you). </p>
<p>Best of luck.</p>
<p>That is odd and truly disappointing that professors did not respond. How did he decide which ones to write to? Perhaps they're on sabbatical, etc?</p>
<p>Virginia is one of the best schools and the 4+2 program is the way to go IMHO.</p>
<p>Marsden,</p>
<p>I also felt that it was odd that neither responded. He went online and wrote two different people- I think they had direct links from the website. He wrote the second one about a month after he didn't receive a reply from the first. One was the dept. chair, I do remember that. He was trying to get information about their views on the 4 + 2 vs. the 5 yr. Arch (like they have at Vs. Tech). As I said before, I tried to tell him not to read too much into it, but in listening to him talk to other kids about schools, he has mentioned it in conversation, so it did make an impression. Of course, some of his friends believe that UVA has a somewhat haughty attitude, so this situation was jumped on when he told them about it. Unfortunately, in a kid's mind, things like this are overemphasized.</p>
<p>Virginia struggles a bit with the "haughty" label. However, as an alumnus I can tell you it's not really a problem once you're there. </p>
<p>Compared with Virginia Tech, UVA's program is much more theoretical/analytical and, naturally, much more grounded in a liberal-arts context. Tech's training may actually be better from an immediately-practical standpoint. However, I have never seen Tech ranked nationally in this field. </p>
<p>What other programs is your son considering? One of several reasons I prefer the 4+2 format is that it offers the student a natural 'jumping-off' point should s/he decide that a shift to another field is in order. With the 5-yr degree, you're pretty much stuck with it.</p>
<p>Marsden,
He is looking into several schools: William and Mary, UVA, Clemson, College of Charleston, VT, Allegheny, USC (South Carolina), GMU. Of course once he takes and receives scores from his SATs/ACT, he will have a better idea of where he could actually go I guess. He is thinking landscape architecture right now, but loves science as well- especially marine science-so it is a toss up. He is thinking if he goes to a school that is strong in the sciences (USC, CofC, WM) but doesn't have an arch program, he could maybe double major (or minor) with geology and art and go onto grad school for a Master's in LA. Then there is the swimming variable as he wants to swim in college, so that may play a part in his options, too. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. :) I totally agree with you about jumping into a 5 yr. program, because right now I don't see him being totally enchanted with architecture, but as with anything for a 16 year old, that could change!</p>
<p>*However, I have never seen Tech ranked nationally in this field. *</p>
<p>?? - Last I checked, Tech's program was ranked *quite * well. And while only anecdotal, I know the president of a firm that has pretty much described UVA's grads as "worthless".</p>
<p>^^^ Fun anecdote :) Now show your ranking source please?</p>
<p>I'm referring to the DI rankings.</p>
<p>^^ oh okay. Supposedly they rank UVA third in the nation?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.arch.virginia.edu/news/106%5B/url%5D">http://www.arch.virginia.edu/news/106</a></p>
<p>Grad, not undergrad.</p>
<p>See, Tech's write up:</p>
<p>Four programs in the top ten, overall. BTW, Tech links to this year's ranking. Where does UVA stand in 2007?</p>
<p>I don't know what the '07 DI rankings are.. do you have access to them? I'd like to see them because I know a lot of people are skepical of them, possibly because in the past, some relatively sketchy schools such as Cal Poly San Luis Obispo have ranked as high as #2, IIRC, and Cincinnati as well, when this simply hasn't been borne out elsewhere. </p>
<p>DI seems to be filling a void and may well become the de facto prime ranking in the design fields, as USN&WR did of colleges generally. (I believe USN&WR has ceased reporting design-school rankings.) First with the most and all that. But if they're relying on practitioner reports, that's a major flaw because most practitioners are clueless about education and even the ones who do have a clue tend to emphasize the most prosaic aspects of the work. </p>
<p>To wit: they're hiring production personnel by and large and very few represent what we'd call "design" firms to begin with. Not that I mean to imply that practical issues are irrelevant; I just think they need to be viewed in a more complete context, especially where education is concerned. </p>
<p>Still, if you have the lists, I'd like to see them and educate myself. Thanks</p>
<p>Undergraduate</p>
<ol>
<li>Cornell University</li>
<li>Rice University</li>
<li>Syracuse University</li>
<li>Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University</li>
<li>Rhode Island School of Design</li>
<li>Auburn University</li>
<li>California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo</li>
<li>University of Kansas</li>
<li>University of Texas at Austin</li>
<li>Carnegie Mellon University</li>
<li>University of Notre Dame</li>
<li>Kansas State University</li>
<li>Illinois Institute of Technology</li>
<li>Iowa State University</li>
<li>Pratt Institute</li>
<li>University of Oregon</li>
<li>University of Southern California</li>
</ol>
<p>Graduate</p>
<ol>
<li>Harvard University</li>
<li>University of Cincinnati</li>
<li>Yale University</li>
<li>Massachusetts Institute of Technology</li>
<li>University of Virginia</li>
<li>Cornell University</li>
<li>Rice University</li>
<li>Washington University in St. Louis</li>
<li>Columbia University</li>
<li>Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University</li>
<li>University of Pennsylvania</li>
<li>Princeton University</li>
<li>University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign</li>
<li>University of Texas at Austin</li>
<li>Rhode Island School of Design</li>
<li>University of Michigan</li>
<li>Southern California Institute of Architecture</li>
<li>University of Florida</li>
<li>Texas A&M University</li>
<li>University of Notre Dame</li>
</ol>
<p>* But if they're relying on practitioner reports, that's a major flaw because most practitioners are clueless about education *</p>
<p>Thats a pretty ridiculous statement, IMHO. Relying on practitioners, as opposed to, say, the snobs of academia, provides a pretty reasonable metric of preparedness, education, and value, esp. given that most are headed into the private world. To some extent, I can appreciate UVA's program, what little I know if it. However, I think the reality is that in comparison to Tech's grads as well as many others, UVA's aren't immediately practical, which brings into question their practicality at all. How can it not?</p>
<p>I should end this by saying that my comments should be taken with a healthy dose of salt. To say the least, I'm hardly an AIA member.</p>
<p>Okay... So far, you've quoted a nameless friend of yours who says
[quote]
UVA's grads as "worthless"
[/quote]
and now you claim that UVA grads (the grads, not their knowledge, mind you)
[quote]
aren't immediately practical, which brings into question their practicality at all.
[/quote]
yet the one *putatively *objective source you have quoted places UVA's program 3rd in the nation in 2006 and 5th in 2007.</p>
<p>Since you seem to be promoting Va Tech here, should we assume you are a VT student or grad? What makes your remarks useful here, especially since you yourself say you know "little" of the topic at hand, which is 'Architecture at UVA"? </p>
<p>Since the remainder of my response to your remarks takes this discussion even further from its thread topic and into the realm of architectural rankings and their legitimacy, which applies more generally, I've moved it to its own thread, here: </p>