<p>my son has been accepted to several schools already and is waiting to hear from Syracuse and Virginia Tech. He was accepted to Penn State-University Park and Drexel-Honors College. We are leaning towards Drexel because of the 2+4 program and the generous scholarship he received. I want to make sure he's going to make the right choice. Some people are telling us that the reputation of the architecture program of the school is better while others are saying that the 4 years of full time employment at an architecture firm is priceless. HELP</p>
<p>I cannot comment on the financial side of this, but I don’t want to downplay this as an important consideration. However Penn State has a stronger national and regional reputation, though I would not put it in the top echelon of schools. It is also a BArch program, which is the most direct way of becoming a licensed professional.</p>
<p>In reading about the Drexel program it sounds interesting to spend your last four years working in an office and studying at night. I am very practice oriented, but I worry losing the exploratory studio time spent with your fellow students would be a significant loss. Not to mention the completely different student life experience. If your son gets accepted to either VT or Syracuse the selection of Drexel would be an even more difficult choice. Have you talked to current students and graduates to get a good sense for the program?</p>
<p>rick</p>
<p>What you need to look for are the opportunities offered within the schools themselves, as well as the content of the curriculum (i.e., if it’s extremely technical, extremely design-based, or a well-rounded mix of design, technology, theory, etc). For instance, Syracuse has an incredibly strong alumni network and career development program, especially in architecture. If your son gets accepted here, he will have access to all the tools needed for him to be employable by the time he graduates. </p>
<p>After reading up on the 4+2 program, it’s actually great seeing how you are able to earn IDP credit, which is required to be a licensed architect, and serves as strong experience and background.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, there are pros and cons to each program, do some research and visit some schools if you can. As for student, I would leave it up to your son in terms of what he wishes to do with his undergraduate career, such as if he wishes to live the “college experience” on a campus. I can already tell you that Syracuse is a huge party school, and from spending a semester here already, it can be a bit of a distraction from finding your niche/meeting some good people.</p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>