Chances/ portfolio help?

College Majors Architecture Major
1

I’ve been struggling to find an interest in anything but this year I really fell in love with art and I would like to major in architecture. I’m doing alright academically, but I basically have a nonexistent portfolio. I’m taking ceramics for the first time this year, my junior year, and I have 2 strong pieces. However, I am lacking in all technical skills and other mediums. I’m going to try extremely hard this summer to finish a portfolio and experiment with different mediums. I also recently started sketching every day, and I am planning on writing my essays about art.

Does anyone have tips on the best mediums to learn and the best types of pieces to make when applying to architecture programs? I’m going to try to apply to UVA and VA Tech (and ED to an impossible reach school, Cornell, just as a dream school, I know I’m not qualified but might as well…) and I would like to bolster my app as much as possible. I have safety schools for non architectural majors ofc, but are there also any lower architectural programs that I can aim for?

Some basic stats:
Female, in state VA, Asian
Class rank: #2
ACT: 33
basic varsity sports, clubs, etc
If this is worth mentioning, I just won 3rd place in the portfolio category for my 3 ceramics pieces at a city art show…

Thank you!

2

@agentaquastar, I think you should put the portfolio to the side for a minute and think about your overarching options for an architecture education.

The first step for any college or any major is to understand your family’s financial situation. Do you require financial aid?If yes, does your family qualify for need-based aid or will you need to receive merit aid? More than anything else, money will drive your application decisions so get that out of the way first.

Second, you should be aware of the different types of undergraduate architecture majors. The 5.0 year Bachelor OF Architecture (BArch) is a professional degree which allows you to begin the licensing process immediately. The 4.0 year Bachelor of Arts or Science IN Architecture, Architectural Studies, Environmental Design or anything else, requires a follow up Master of Architecture (MArch). The MArch generally takes from 2.0 to 3.5 years depending on your undergraduate major and the specific requirements of the MArch program.

BArch programs are highly architecture intensive and don’t allow much room for experimentation in other disciplines. I would only suggest a BArch if you are 100% sure that architecture is for you. The BA/BS+MArch route is more flexible, though it takes longer and can therefore cost more. Financial aid is widely available for the BArch or the BS/BA. It is harder to come by for the MArch. So, again, finances are an important consideration.

UVA has a terrific BS Architecture program with automatic admission to their MArch program for students who fulfill their GPA requirements. I believe the a portfolio is either not required or optional for admission to the BS program. You’d have to check their website. There are several other universities that offer very strong BS/BA+MArch options. For example WUSTL, Cincinnati, Michigan, Northeastern. There are many others as well in varying degrees of selectivity.

Virginia Tech and Cornell are both BArch schools. VA Tech does not require a portfolio for admissions. Cornell requires a portfolio and an interview. Cornell BArch admissions is extremely selective, but assuming you can jumpstart your portfolio you have the academic standing to be a contender. There are several other good BArch programs that don’t require portfolios, and like the BA/BS programs, come in varying degrees of selectivity. Review the list of BArch in Wikipedia to see which schools offer it, then research the admissions requirements of each school.

It is also possible to get admitted to a good MArch program (including Cornell’s) with a major in art or, really, anything at all, as long as you fulfill the MArch admission requirements.

I believe your ceramics background and supplementary drawing engagement would give you a good start on a portfolio. Architecture programs are looking for demonstration of creativity, facility with media and overall sense of design. They don’t expect high school students to be proficient in architectural design.

If you can, attend a summer career in architecture program. This will give you a better idea of what architecture entails and also help you build your portfolio.

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@momrath Thank you so much for going over the differences in programs. I will have to look into them. Either way, I obviously still want to improve my portfolio and will keep improving my technical skills. With working and taking personal finance over the summer, I won’t be able to do an architecture camp… But I’ll also think about MArch programs. Would it be possible to get an art degree at VCU and take MArch at Cornell?

4

Yes it would be possible to get into Cornell’s MArch program with an art degree from VCU or any other respected program. VCU has an excellent fine arts program, especially sculpture, and that’s the kind of foundation that design focused MArch programs look for.

Typical MArch prerequisites would include some physics and some calculus so you have to be sure you’re covered.

MArch admissions are hard to predict. Most schools don’t post their acceptance rates. They’re looking for a balanced class of students with different undergraduate degrees and different demographics and life experiences. It’s also common to work in architecture for a year or two before getting an MArch. Right now women are in demand though that might change.

With an art BA or BFA your MArch would most likely take 3.0-3.5 years so consider finances carefully. MArch programs don’t offer need based aid, and at top rated schools, grants rarely cover more than 25% of the total cost. There are exceptions for exceptional applicants but you shouldn’t count on it.

If you are a VA resident UVA’s BS+MArch would be both cost effective and a good career move.

5

Alright. UVA is one of my top choices so I’ll definitely try it! Thank you

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I would also note that you don’t need to get your BA/BS and MArch at the same school. A BS Architecture in good standing from UVA or another respected program would put you in a favorable position for admission to any MArch program.

7

@agentaquastar , you might want to look at the Urban Landscape major at Northeastern U. https://camd.northeastern.edu/architecture/academic-programs/architecture-urban-landscape/ It combines a foundation in architecture (same studio classes as the regular Arch majors initially, but then branching off), but then moves into an interdisciplinary approach to the design of public spaces, with a lot of exploration of environmental and social systems. It’s a five-year co-op program, so you acquire actual work experience while you’re a student - that might help to put your parents’ minds at ease about your employability. :smiley: The portfolio is optional (though obviously it’s better to submit one) and not too extensive - just 5 pieces - so you’re already well on your way to having enough material. If you got into this program and then changed your mind about your major, NU also has civil & environmental engineering, and major changes are easy once you’re in.

Another program worth looking at is the Program in Environmental Design at CU Boulder. It’s a small program with a lot of individual attention, even though it’s a large university. There are several specializations within the program (architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, & design studies), but you don’t have to choose your track right away. The students do a lot of very cool projects. http://www.colorado.edu/envd/program-information/curriculum

In terms of liberal arts colleges, both Connecticut College and Middlebury have architectural studies majors with a studio component. It’s important to look at the content of an arch studies major, because some are not studio-based and mainly study the history of art and architecture. (Which of course is fine if that’s your thing, but it sounds like you’re looking to do actual design work.)

None of these programs will give you a full professional architecture degree at the undergrad level, but it doesn’t sound like you’re necessarily hard-core enough about architecture to go that route - a broader education that combines architectural design skills with environmental and social sciences might be more your speed, and it would prepare you for a professional arch grad program if you chose that direction. My D looked at such programs during her search this past year, so just passing on what we learned - hope that helps -

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@aquapt thank you for the school suggestions! I especially appreciate that you took the time to offer colleges that have strong branches outside of architecture if I change my mind. You assume correctly that I’m still not sure about architecture, but it’s a career I’m considering more so than most. I definitely want to have some design involved, but I actually love art history. It was my favorite class this year, and along with ceramics, it made me consider an art related career.

Also regarding the portfolio, is it alright if I have just (or mostly) sculptural pieces?

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Hi, @agentaquastar - I’m only a parent who has been through this exactly once (college admissions twice, but portfolio prep only once), so my word is anything but gospel. But my advice would be to plan out some pieces to work on between now and when your portfolios are due, to round out your repertoire and demonstrate interest in the kind of work that your programs of interest focus on. What my D did was to sign up for a one-credit Architectural Modeling class in the summer session of one of our local community colleges. That resulted in some nice photos of a fairly polished 3-D model, which rounded out her portfolio that would otherwise have been all drawing and painting. I know you probably don’t have that specific option, but it’s just an example.

Look into the philosophies of the programs you want to apply to, and try to come up with a project that’s inspired by a relevant theme. For example, if you were interested in the NU Urban Landscape program, pick up a used copy of this book by the founder of the program (it’s a fascinating book anyway and would help you evaluate whether the program is right for you: Radical Landscapes by Jane Amidon - lots of copies on Amazon) and think about a project you could do, inspired by one of the photos in the book.

Another good resource is the “design challenge” assignments for programs that either require these “challenges” or offer them as an option for students who don’t have a large body of existing work.

Cornell Design & Environmental Analysis: http://www.human.cornell.edu/admissions/undergraduate/process/upload/DEA-Challenge-2017.pdf
Carnegie Mellon Architecture: https://admission.enrollment.cmu.edu/media/W1siZiIsIjIwMTYvMTAvMDMvMjd2aHl1dXQwNF8yMDE2XzIwMTdfVW5kZXJncmFkdWF0ZV9BZG1pc3Npb25fQXJjaGl0ZWN0dXJlX0Rlc2lnbl9Qcm9qZWN0X0ZpbmFsLnBkZiJdXQ/2016-2017_Undergraduate%20Admission_Architecture%20Design%20Project_Final.pdf
Carnegie Mellon Design: http://www.design.cmu.edu/files/designproject_090821.pdf

Even if you’re not interested in applying to these specific programs, the portfolio assignments may give you ideas for the more free-form portfolios like Northeastern’s. For example, a storyboard can be a great portfolio piece that shows how you think and communicate as well as your basic drawing/sketching abilities. And the “3-D gift” assignments might give you ideas to flesh out some of your existing work by framing it in a certain setting or with a back-story that expresses more about who you are and what you value.

At any rate… it sounds like what you should be looking for in a school is depth in your areas of interest, like architecture, but also flexibility to explore and potentially choose a different direction. A lot of top programs lock you into a path very early, and you’re not in a place where being locked in would be good. You at least want to know that you could change majors easily. An Arch Studies program with studios (like the Conn College & Middlebury ones I mentioned - but those are expensive LAC’s - Midd offers no merit aid and Conn has some merit scholarships but not a ton of them) that would also have a lot of art history could be great. In the reach-y Top-20 genre, check out the new DIVE program at Vanderbilt https://www.vanderbilt.edu/immersion/dive/ and look at the arch program at Rice, which has a phenomenal year-long practicum program between the 4th and 5th academic years - definitely no worries about employment for Rice arch grads. Their portfolio description is helpful in describing the expectations on that front: https://arch.rice.edu/Admissions/Undergraduate-Admissions/ Other virtues of Rice are a lower “sticker price” than any other top university, an incredibly well-engineered social experience for undergrads via the residential college system (perfect for introverts who need the structure of a small, supportive community), and complete freedom to change majors (with arch and music being the only ones with additional barriers-to-entry). It might be too hard-core/professional an arch program for you, but worth looking at, as you at least wouldn’t be locked in. An excellent PRE-professional arch program that sounds like a fit for you is the one at UPenn: https://www.design.upenn.edu/architecture/undergraduate/about No portfolio requirement: “Portfolios are required only for transfer applicants. Although students can express an interest in the Major in Architecture on their application, majors are not declared by students in the College of Arts & Sciences until their sophomore year. During their freshman year students enroll in Freshman Seminars, general requirement courses, and electives. Students interested in the Major in Architecture should enroll in ARCH 102, the first course in a required six-semester studio sequence, in the spring semester of their freshman year.” Look closely at UPenn now, because if it were to emerge as a favorite, your chances of getting in would be vastly better as an ED applicant. They fill over half their freshman class through early decision. It sounds to me like the right balance of exploration/flexibility and depth for you (potentially better than Cornell, where architecture is very all-or-nothing in its own silo, and DEA is in a completely different sub-college from either architecture or arts&sciences, and then landscape arch is in yet a different place in the ag school). It would be a full-pay proposition, though (as would Cornell) so weighing the price tag is important too. Lastly, check out Lehigh: https://aad.cas2.lehigh.edu/home Thanks to the overwhelming whiteness of the Lehigh Valley, this is one of the few top schools where Asian students actually have a URM advantage and get invited to the “diversity” recruiting events. Not sure if it would be the best social fit for you (a little heavy on the Greek life) but as a mid-sized private U with some cool arch & design programs (and also great STEM if you were to veer in that direction), it’s worth giving it a chance.

Sorry for going on and on - I just finished with this exact process with my D, so you might as well take whatever’s useful from the brain-dump of info that’s of no further use to me :smiley:

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@aquapt thank you very much! All of the info was great and extremely helpful!