<p>Can someone tell me about Waterloo architecture program? I planned to go the states, but with my current grades and SAT marks, I don't think I'll go far in the states. As someone once said to me: its better to stay in Canada unless you go to a top school in the US... So I started to look through the canadian schools, and the Co-op program at waterloo seems very amuzing.. as it has lots of working experiences, and also, it might give you a connection with a firm, so that you can have a chance of getting a job there in the future. However, many of my friends said that life in Waterloo is bad. Mainly because of the high male, but low female ratio.. ^^ and also, it is very far away, hence life would be boring...
But my main concern would still be studies..so anyone have suggestions?</p>
<p>Another question, how is the program in U of Mich and University of Southern California? Is it better to go to Waterloo than the above?</p>
<p>100% rice oh yea baby! careful arabesque... owl weekend will win you over for life haha. i so wish i could go back to the second one just cause i love being there... but theres the whole thing of actually using my money to pay for tuition... oh well :) until august!</p>
<p>I'm looking forward to fall in love with rice :D I've heard goof stuffs about it. It's my first choice now -- if I don't get off the waitlist for Cornell (plus Cornell is so expensive). I still don't get why they make their class so small though... </p>
<p>Does anyone know anything about Cal Poly San Luis Obispo's program? As a Californian, going to SLO would cost much cheaper than any other school I got into.</p>
<p>nic,
haha i know i keep saying this, but if we're talking quality of life, id seriously consider u mich just because it's got the res. college system. programwise, usc is spectacular! but also spectacularly hard to get into and spectacularly focused on californian architecture. to me, co-oping seems virtually impossible with an arch major just cause arch requires so much attention. but i guess some people do it if they offer it. if youre concerned about getting connections with firms... pretty much any decent arch school will set you up or get you a good reputation to do well in the workforce. </p>
<p>did you say you were into green design/smart growth? i cant remember if that was you or someone else... but i would take u.miami into consideration. they set it up so that one of your IDP years is worked into the 5 so to be a lisenced professional youre cutting 2 years not just one. AND elizabeth plater-zyberk is dean, so its relatively easy to get into her firm which is famous countrywide for new urbanism/smart planning/other cool stuff. u.miami is in my opinion, pretty easy to get into and doesnt require a portfolio... in fact the app. is only common app + 2 supplemental pages, so easy addition.</p>
<p>Hey Architecture enthusiasts, I was hoping I could find answers to my dilema. Well I got rejected from Cal Poly SLO for a bachelors in architecture. Being an architect is possibly my all time dream career. Considering I can no longer major in architecture for undegrad, does it make sense to masters in architecture after recieving my bachelors in something else? </p>
<p>My current alternative options that I've been accepted to are:
Structural Engineering at UC San Diego (preferrable since I live in San Diego)
Landscape Architecture at UC Davis (for those that don't know California, Davis is in northern California in the countryside)</p>
<p>What I'm worried about are the chances I have into getting into a good masters program for architecture considering my unrelated undergraduate major.
Also, the huge jump and learning curve in entering architecture with no secure prior knowledge. </p>
<p>i would get to know landscape arch before jumping in... i know of some people that love architecture and just didnt find landscape arch all that great...</p>
<p>Well my current and most likely plan is take structural engineering at UCSD and then master in architecture somewhere else. Is that reasonable? I know they're not related but I really want to be an architect, so 3 or 4 more years of study shouldn't hurt (that bad).</p>
<p>Hey guys, I was thinkin since this was a popular topic AND I'm considering Architecture, if you could take a look at this. I love these boards and hope to get more help from here about whether I should even do architecture (I posted this topic):</p>
<p>Sorry if this info sounds depressing. But I'm confident that it's important to know these things before anyone jumps in. BTW I'm also applying to University of Miami and University of Florida (I don't think I'll get into Cornell). You don't have to reply to this but it's interesting nonetheless, but I hope to go for a closely-related field!</p>
<p>Thanks Cyrone. That was quite informing...and depressing. :( Maybe I should rethink architecture and just stick with structural engineering, anyone agree?</p>
<p>heck no! truthfully, i think if you're second guessing now, i would consider engineering... I would never rethink architecture... I would only thing about taking on a double major in civil or structural also... It's about being happy in my opinion... engineering wont do that for me... even if all i do is talk to clients, I'm still excited thinking about it...</p>
<p>Oh yeah, i'm pretty sure that I'm going to CMU... I dont want to go to Rice all that much. The location and class size just doesn't do it for me. Also, the focus of the program at CMU seems right up my ally (not to mention i think my type of people are at CMU over Rice...)</p>
<p>well, my thoughts on those other postings go like this. if you look back on this thread its obvious: people dont go into arch to get rich. they dont do it to have a leisurely life. they dont do it to have the best social life on campus. just to stereotype cause i like to do it:
1) architects are perfectionists. when you ask them on the spot about "how happy they are" and they think back quick on the week, they remember the one night they were up late or a harsh critique from a prof and say oh, not that great. its common to remember the good not the bad esp when youre a perfectionist.
2) perfectionists also are whiny complainers. i complain constantly! but really i am so happy with my life (that sounds soo corny)
3) you cant go into arch with any doubts whatsoever. if by some fluke its not what you want, its a lot easier to transfer out than it would be to get in from a different major, so im thinking the high transfer-out rate is due to people playing it safe and starting with arch if they can get accepted in the first place
4) you also realllly cant go in with an ego or an attitude. if you can take constuctive criticism, who cares if your prof's saying its a piece of crap? youre there to learn - not be perfect already! if you think youre the best and that youve got it all right you'll fail not only academically but socially because in arch you have to work with people and they wont put up with that.</p>
<p>haha that sounded really deep-angry-chick. im not like that i promise...
jcro</p>
<p>oh, and one more thing... architects dont care or listen to people telling them whats up - they experiment, learn and find out for themselves. so disregard all of the above. :)</p>
<p>Possibly the only reason I might rethink architecture is because I don't have many (reassuring) alternatives. Here's why</p>
<p>I got rejected to the schools that had an architecture program.</p>
<p>Now I might have to go to UCSD for structural engineering (which I gag at sometimes... all that math, scary). </p>
<p>Transferring junior year to a school that does have arch is quite difficult.</p>
<p>Or jumping straight into a masters in architecture after recieving a bachelors in something non-related is crazy. </p>
<p>Unlike many of you who already are or will attend an undergrad architecture program (which I envy), I can't and I don't really know what to do. I could just masters in arch, but like I said, that's an extreme jump considering I wouldn't have strong prior knowledge.</p>
<p>Thing is I love architecture. I may not be the highly skilled drawer who can sketch perfectly on the spot or think of the most awesome and unique designs, but the idea of designing in general and developing your conceptual creativity never fails to fascinate me. </p>
<p>I'll be grateful (and surprised) if someone has a solution for me.</p>
<p>leirbag-
going from a non-arch undergrad to an arch grad is very possible. my aunt majored in fine arts and fashion before attending grad for architecture at UPenn from overseas! my advice- take as many college and summer courses related directly to architecture to create good work for your portfolio. majoring in something indirectly related like a form of engineering should do you well in the real world, even a business course or two should hold benefit. </p>
<p>dont loose hope! aspiring architects will become architects.</p>
<p>leirbag, I don't think they expect any prior knowledge from you. I know a commerce major who then got an M.arch from Columbia. </p>
<p>If you choose structural, you can get a license for a job that is more secure than architecture, and one that may open up more opportunities for your arch career. there are also structural/architecture master degree programs that you might get into more easily (I'm thinking UIUC, but I'm not sure). But if you're don't like math, it might be hard to endure four years and excel to get in at the top m.arch programs. </p>
<p>I know nothing about landscape~ </p>
<p>I know there's a program at Dalhousie (which is in Canada) that has a special program ONLY for transfers: every student takes two years of university work somewhere else and then apply for the four year program which is professional, so that's six years which is not too bad if you think about how much exploring and portfolio-building you can do in the first two years.</p>
<p>I went to visit Cornell and talked to a student there-- 4th yr arch student. He said that it is actually good to get a bachelors in other major unrelated to architecture, and then get m.arch in architecture. Good grad-arch schools like those kinds of people because they're different, have a 'fresh' perspective about architecture, and have the potential to be more deviant. </p>
<p>I don't know if it's true since I only heard from a person... but I know a lot of architects don't have undergrad degree in arch. Like broknchopstyx, I know people who majored in fine arts, got m.arch, and are great architect & prof. </p>
<p>I know some people transfer to architecture from some other major (for example they major in physics/engineering their 1st yr and transfer to arch 2nd yr/3rd yr etc). I'm not sure how this works but it probably depends on each school. </p>
<p>Some (I don't know if all) grad schools divide masters into m.arch I and m.arch II (for b.arch):</p>
<p>I quote this from yale's web:
"The M.Arch. I program is for students holding undergraduate liberal arts degrees, such as a B.A. or B.S., who seek their first professional architectural degree. "</p>
<p>"The Master of Architecture II program is for students holding a first professional degree in architecture who seek a second, masters-level degree in this discipline and who are interested in developing a stronger theoretical basis for their understanding of the field. "</p>
<p>Thanks for all the info guys! Now I don't feel as bad for not getting into an architecture program right away. The idea that there's nothing wrong with getting a bachelors in something unrelated and then mastering in architecture is comforting. :) I'll be sure to ask anymore questions when they come up.</p>
<p>Replying to an earlier question: do archies pull all-nighters just because they put off the deadlines or they really have that much work??</p>
<p>Well, both. Architecture students DO have a lot of work, and occasionally you get a project where it's literally impossible to meet the deadline without some midnight oil. Usually, though, deadlines are manageable. The reason archies pull all-nighters together is that it's often a lot easier to work around a lot of people that you can bounce any random design questions or thoughts off of at any time. You need someone to keep you straight and give impromptu critiques, and so people end up working when they know other people will. And, yes, archies procrastinate...but not any more than any other major (despite what engineers will tell you)...and we have an excuse - it takes time to come up with ideas for those projects.</p>