Hi everyone, I’m a senior this year and will be applying to architecture schools. I know it is difficult to gage my chances because a lot of weight is in the portfolio for architecture schools, but I am just curious about the quality of my application besides that. I think my stats are the weakest part of the application, but hopefully the subjective parts and hooks will help balance it?
Demographics: African-American, female
GPA: 3.91/4 UW
ACT: 31 (36E, 30M, 30R, 28S)
AP scores (My school only allows juniors to take up to 2 AP classes, and seniors up to 4, which is why I don’t have many): Computer Science Principles (5)
Senior Year Course load:
AP Calculus AB
AP Physics
AP Euro
AP French V
English
Studio Art
Ceramics
ECs:
In-School:
Varsity track team (captain and MVP 2 years in a row)
President and founder of Design Club at my school
Visual arts editor for school newspaper and lit mag
Lighting designer for school theater company
Black Student Union member
Out-of-school:
ACE Mentorship program (my team won 1st in the regional competition)
International Exchange program in South Africa (over the summer)
Intern at local architecture firm
Volunteer at local art museum and library
Employee at Panera Bread (junior year)
Schools I’m applying to (so far):
Cornell (ED)
Tulane
Rice
USC
Carnegie Mellon
Penn State
Howard
Thank you all for your help! Please don’t be mean; this is my first post, lol
I forgot to mention that I’m from Pennsylvania and my portfolio has a mixture of drawings, paintings, ceramics, modular origami, and a mural I did while in South Africa this summer.
Fine list. You are qualified for anywhere, but no one can guarantee admission to Cornell, Rice, USC or Carnegie Mellon.
As not all students end up majoring in their first choice when a HS senior, you might also review your other possible majors. Are you a visual artist who dabbles in math and science or are you an engineer with a strong visual arts interest? Where would your second option take you?
Consider WPI as it has a program in Architectural Engineering. They have also a very well developed Fire Protection Engineering department and the flexibility to integrate. Average unweighted GPA for university is 3.86/4. The Worcester Art Museum is short walk off campus. The University is focused on interdisciplinary approaches and small group projects. See https://www.wpi.edu/academics/departments/architectural-engineering for major specifics. See https://www.wpi.edu/project-based-learning/wpi-plan for an overview on the University approach to team research. The University president is from U of Arizona and CalTech. She is a highly regarded innovator who came to WPI after heading R&D at RPI.
RPI is another historical polytechnic STEM university. They have a well developed program in Architecture. See https://www.arch.rpi.edu/. Their average GPA is a bit lower, but their average SAT/ACT scores are a bit higher. WPI was one of the first STEM Universities to go test optional. RPI’s president is an MIT product.
My guess is both of these Universities would be likely admits for you. They are in the Northeast, but all the buildings are well heated!
@Jasperl0818 Aside from Cornell, which is highly competitive, I think you have a reasonable chance of admission to all of the architecture schools on your list. Unfortunately very few schools publish BArch admit rates. The only one I’ve seen is CMU @ 27% this year. (If anyone has any other BArch admission statistics, please let me know.) https://admission.enrollment.cmu.edu/pages/undergraduate-admission-statistics
If you’d like to add a few more that might be less selective, consider Auburn, Syracuse, U of Miami, Boston Architectural College.
@Jasperl0818 I just wanted to add that I believe that you also have a reasonable chance of admission to Cornell’s BArch program. It is, however, extremely competitive for everyone, not just you, but there’s nothing in your profile that would keep you out and a lot that would get you in. Your portfolio and interview will be pivotal. Good luck and let us know how you do!
Virginia Tech used to have an extremely comprehensive data set on admissions to the Arch school. Don’t know if they still maintain it, but the link to their institutional research is https://irweb.ir.vt.edu/webtest/admission_data.aspx
Hi!! CONGRATS, this is amazing!!! I am a junior, Cornell is my dream school for arch. I am really interested in the ACE mentorship program How does it work? can you only enter in the beginning of the school year? thank you!