<p>wow, i'm glad that you're having such a great time!!!</p>
<p>Hey guys... I am new to these forums but have been following you guys for a while listening to what you have to say. I am a Junior in highschool and am not an elite but pretty above average student. I have around a 4.0 gpa weighted...(like 3.7 without), decent Sat's, around 4 to 5 AP courses when i graduate. Well anyways, I am looking to apply to schools and have been fishing around Syracuse, Drexel, UT, and Cinn for sure, and also Rice, UPenn, and Brown as my " hopefully i have a chance schools."
Well the reason why i posted is because I have some question and you guys seem very knowledgable at this architectural stuff. As for my portfolio, and am a creative guy when it comes to sculptures. I have made many nice models, my uncle is a neon artist so ive mastered that over the years. However, my drawing skills are not that great. I am starting to take classes and have been trying to get better by books and practicing everyday, but the whole shading thing still gives me some problems. Do i have a chance? i know its a broad question but its just so frustrating that i have all these great ideas that i can't get onto paper. Any suggestions?
As for one more question. For homecoming, me and my date made my suit and her dress out of completely pink, lime green, and black and white duct tape. It was pretty amazing with a cane, top hat, and the whole enchilada. Do you think i should include that in my portfolio? its definitely thinking outside the box but maybe its to whacky?
Thanks so much for your help guys and the best of luck to you</p>
<p>it's so nice to hear from you again, jimminy! i'd been wondering how you were finding the rice experience. great! [my gap year has been very fulfilling]. how are you finding the rice atmosphere?</p>
<p>yeah, Smagster, definitely include suit/dress creation. nothing is too whacky for a portfolio. check out these links for more info about syracuse pfs...
<a href="http://soa.syr.edu/admissions/portadmiss.html%5B/url%5D">http://soa.syr.edu/admissions/portadmiss.html</a>
<a href="http://soa.syr.edu/admissions/portfolio_flyer.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://soa.syr.edu/admissions/portfolio_flyer.pdf</a></p>
<p>you could also check out the archictecture portfolios thread for more on the pf</p>
<p>different schools actually look out for different things in the portfolios. and while you need to show a wide range of abilities, it is also important to focus on your strengths - sculptures, neon art, etc. and while drawing skills are important (many schools encourage prosp students to take art classes.....), i think, though, that the most important factor in the application is your passion for architecture.</p>
<p>PS - pls don't take this too seriously. just my opinion, which is prolly lacking in many respects.</p>
<p>smagster: i don't think there is too much to worry about academics (anything above 670 is quite fine). Your list includes some 5 year pro's and some 4 years, and maybe you can start finding out what suits you more because they are quite different. Regarding PF, Jimminy included quite a few watercolors which he was good at, and it'll be fine if you include quite a few good sculptures. Freehand stuff are mostly likely required or recommended, so even just try your best to come up with 1 or 2 better ones and that may be enough. and also, the dress is a really cool idea, i would like to try doing that myself!</p>
<p>Smagster:</p>
<p>I am currently an undergraduate architecture student at Penn. It is a BA program, so I will need to do 2-3 more years afterwards.</p>
<p>Penn's undergraduate program is very conceptual, and is more based on changing the way you think around spatial problems than to teach you to actually build buildings. Learning to build buildings you do in grad-school. I think this is a good thing - it will make me a much better architect than if I had just focused on acquiring the technical skills.</p>
<p>The admit rates for top graduate architecture schools from Penn speaks its own language - after the program most people can go where they want. However, the workload is downright ridiculous. We do, however, have our own studio desks.</p>
<p>The program is very small - 25 students per class - but is small not because it is hard to get into but because very few Penn students chose it. But to get admitted to the program you need to already be admitted to Penn, which is the hard part. I advice you to focus stronlgy on your passion for architecture in your application, and how the conceptual rather than practical education si the way you want to go. Since there are so few applicants who mark down architecture as a major it definately helps your application.</p>
<p>Hey guys,</p>
<p>I really want to say thank you to Jrock, bneg, and snipanlol. Thanks for the detailed answers and you guys helped out concerning the questions i was having.</p>
<p>so i decided that while my dream schools for architecture would be upenn and rice, i dont know if my lack in free hand drawing will keep me from these schools. I think I am really going to emphasize my whole " thinking out of the box" theme in my portfolio. I think the admission advisors would appreciate that more then the average pencil drawing. However, i will try to throw in some good free head sketches. </p>
<p>I have some more quesitons for you guys if you dont mind the time. I am really wondering what the difference is between a 5 year program, and a 4, 2 year program. And snipanlol, could you give me a 25 word or less summary of your resume getting into college....just so i have something i could work towards. </p>
<p>thanks again guys i appreciate all the help. Oh, and if you guys want to see the duct tape outfit ill post some pictures up. thanks again</p>
<p>you're welcome.</p>
<p>a 5yr program terminates in a B.Arch, professional degree, after which you can go straight into the practice e.g. at Cornell, Rice, USC, Syracuse, etc. It's extremely rigorous and highly demanding.</p>
<p>the 4 + 2/3 program is first a BA or BS in Arch (like at Penn, Pton, MIT) and then a 2/3 MArch professional degree, after which you can practice...</p>
<p>each has its pros and cons. </p>
<p>in terms of admission, though, i think the 5yr program is harder to get into, cos, at many schools, you apply directly into the school of arch, and you'd be in a highly competitive pool. most require portolios with specific guidelines regarding them....</p>
<p>As for Penn, you are applying not directly to the architecture school but to the College. All incoming students are considered undeclared, even though you might have expressed an intended major.</p>
<p>Pros and cons of five vs four+two?</p>
<p>Five: You can start practising sooner. It is possible to get licenced faster following this route.</p>
<p>Four + two:
Don't think that a four year B.S in Arch at Penn is not rigourous. It is commonly known as the hardest major at Penn in terms of workload, and this includes the Fisher Programme in Management and Technology.</p>
<p>What I think is good with the four + two is the possibiliy to explore other areas and get a deeper understanding of architecture. For example, I am studying a lot of art history as well as real estate, economics and urban studies while I am studying architecture. Some people on this board likes to look down on art history, but the truth is that it has given me a much deeper understanding of the very nature of a building and its contexts. </p>
<p>Another huge plus is institutional diversity. Different schools have very different philosophies and directions when it comes to the work their students produce. It is a good thing, in my mind, to work under different ideals.</p>
<p>In short - five years is the architectural fasttrack and will get you practising faster, but four + two years will make you less singleminded and increase your understanding of the profession.</p>
<p>however, if your other interest is not offered at the undergrad level but only at the grad level...</p>
<p>whoa guys, it feels like so long ago i was here... craziest month of my life! but i just got back from visiting rice and felt it necessary to post... if rice were a man i would marry him in a heartbeat. oh wait, he was a man, now hes a dead one though. hmm anyway it was completely awesome and houston was awesome and its just perfect so everyone should go there. ha. smagster, i was in the exact same situation as you, but a pulled off 2 halfway decent drawings and slipped them in among the 12 pieces total of my portfolio... we'll see if thats good enough for rice. but in the interview they seemed fine with the background i did have (primarily creamics and photography/developing) anyways jrock and bneg sorry ive not talked to you in some time, totally my fault i wasnt not talking to you on purpose or anything :) but i hope y'all are well</p>
<p>-jcro</p>
<p>hi~~ it's been a really really long time. what was it about this rice that made you want to marry the school?!! it's been such a long time since you were on this site!...do you remember what we talked about??? hint hint, <em>*??? me and jrock already did it...now that you're done everything you think you're ready for it!!?!?!?!? [this is sounding so odd] but i'm looking forward to it!!! (hint hint, we talkd about *</em> thru pm's, remember?)</p>
<p>Hey guys....
thanks for the imput jcro. Rice really seems like a great school from the sounds of you guys. ill definitely look more into it. So jcro what did you actually like about it. Did you go see a class take place or were the dorms cool? just wondering. talk with you guys soon</p>
<p>snipanlol:
art history is good, but the fact that i didn't really fancy myself going into that doesn't mean i look down on it....however, i could later come to like it. nevertheless, art/arch history is also going to be a part of the 5yr program, as well....tho i recognise that 4+2 allows broader interests, etc...</p>
<p>i really appreciate your comments, cos as a student in arch you share your views on the program, and they have helped....and you give first hand info on what the arch scene in penn looks like.</p>
<p>it's great to hear views from 2 very different scenes [rice and penn], and since Smagster is considering both as top choices....</p>
<p>welcome back! how're you doing?
great to hear from you again. fancied you were really very busy, pf and all....i'm also in the app crush for this week. hopefully it'll all be over soon :)</p>
<p>g'luck with apps/emailing you soon ;)</p>
<p>did you see jimminy at rice? how were the studios, and dorms?</p>
<p>hey Smagster, what are your top choices now?</p>
<p>mostly to answer smagster's questions, maybe this will be of use to many...
i didn't get to go to classes or a tour because i visited the first week in december when most colleges are still in session but as i learned rice kids dont go to school as much as other kids :)</p>
<p>but, in about 36 hours, this is what i did find out about rice:
the general points:
1) it's in the middle of a great city - Houston (which, as I heard about 20 times whilst I was there, is the 4th largest city in america after nyc, la, and chicago)
2) the campus is gorgeous with lots of green area and some wicked sweet trees that i didnt know exactly what they were but they were awesome and also the campus well sectioned off so you can go into the city whenever, but it can feel like the countryside and private and all that when you want it to (unlike say, harvard which is sprawled thoughout cambridge and sure, havard square is great but you have to share it with the rest of the city!)
3) the dorms are really nice, better than I've seen almost anywhere else (i will say roger williams is #1 in my book) and there are a lot of suite and quad kind of deals rather than the typical situation so it feels more like home (?) :)
4) the dorm system itself is awesome... if you're familiar with Harry Potter you can compare it to that... anyhow this is how i understand it: there's 8 (or 9 depending on who you talk to - but I'm going with 8) buildings or "colleges" that are all mixed up with upperclassmen, lowerclassmen and even if you dont live in the dorms you have an assignment. it's like your identity and each building has its own "personality," teams, parties, student governments, events and theres a little friendly competition going among them all. all this is in place of frats and sororities, which of course can be very exclusive even if someone did want to join one, and this includes everyone so its quite unique. (theres a thread about the colleges and their personalities, i dont have the link cause my computer is being an idiot but use the search box)
5) the campus is so diverse and openminded... theres no one political party, religion, background you have to have to fit in or feel comfortable there
6) the food is good - enough said</p>
<p>about their architecture - (the good part!)
1) not only is rice THE school in the south - its pretty much got the reputation of ivy league without the attitude - but the architecture and music programs are both in the top 5 in the country (i believe architecture is #1 in the south and #3 in the country, or at least thats what the info session said)
2) the architecture building is large-and-in-charge, right in the middle of campus... so easy to get to from the dorms, student center, etc (i happen to interpret the accessibility as a measure of its importance)
3) the studios are well designed, spacious, theres a lot of light and big windows - i like that because i like feeling the weather from inside - sun makes me happy and energetic and i derive inspiration/motivation from dreary rainy days (which there are few of in Houston)
4) theres a million-and-one connections from the architecture program to the city - there are always hands-on projects going on, and Houston is a city that's always being rebuilt so there's a focus on the architecture of the city in general
5) professors really help the students, but also let them do what they need to on their own - its a good balance
6) rice does a may go 6 yrs, but dont be fooled - it's not a 4+2... its a 4+1=5yr program because you go to school for 4 yrs, use one year to work either somewhere else in the us or in a different country (most of the offices they hook you up with are world-renowned) and then you come back for another year to basically apply what youve learned from the workforce... there are pros and cons, the cons being that exposure of an exciting different place and getting to work ... having that taken away from you.
7) and essential part of applying to rice arch is an on-campus interview with an arch professor. i didnt realize how important it was until i went there, but unless youre an international student or other special circumstances they basically throw out your application if you dont have one - they make it all too clear</p>
<p>i think i should add that although i would marry rice, i would also marry u. miami. guess im a playa but thats alright. later!</p>
<p>Wow Jcro.....</p>
<p>Thanks for that amazing reply. You helped answer so many questions of mine about the school....people...food....just everything...its sounds amazing from how you describe it.
Houston is a sweet town. I have family down there so i have visisted many of times. Although its not austin ( my favorite, and my birthplace ) I like texas in general. I have even heard from people in texas that houston is the " Havard of Texas" which is extremely true.<br>
To answer your previous question Jcro, i do have a list of top choices. However, while i am a pretty decent student when it comes to grades/gpa, my sats are not that outstanding. I figure though that if i work on my portfolio early and make that as outstanding as i can, show my extra curricular activies and grades...i would have a shot at my top choices. Anyway, back on track, my choices are.
Rice (ED)
Syracuse
Drexel
University of Cinncinati
UT ( maybe )
Upenn
and then some safety schools- University of Philadelphia</p>
<p>However, reading these forms and hearing from enthusiastic people like you just make me want to attend rice more and more. I have some more questions for you though. While i do care about my schooling, on the outside im a pot smoking hippie. Proabably the only one of my kind to actually care about school. Well I am just wondering how the people are at rices. I mean i know it proabably isn't the most liberal school in america but are the kids all uptight??? or do they look like they have fun? I mean of course i want good academics in a school but i am gonna be there 4-5 years plus....i want to enjoy it..
thanks Jcro for taking the time to give me some feedback. I appreciate your answers man and maybe we'll meet one day at Rice together...who knows</p>
<p>sorry i just realized that jrock asked my top choices of colleges.....sorry buddy...</p>
<p>finnished sending everything today!! so happy and afraid that i might've missed something...</p>