I’m an international student who plans to study Architecture in the United States.
Recently, I was accepted to these following universities:
Virginia Tech
Cal Poly SLO
Pratt Institute (with $20,000 scholarship)
Carnegie Mellon University
Syracuse University (with $10,000 scholarship)
SCI-ARC
I am having trouble deciding where to settle in this year. I’m currently thinking about Pratt, SCI-ARC, Cal Poly SLO or CMU. It would be very helpful if you can give me some feedback or review about these schools. Thank You!
I’m an international student, and I’m torn between the two.
I’m more interested in SCI_ARC because I believe that they will be grooming future architects, and I like that they have super cool technology. I like sciarcs studio space compared to VT’s. And I believe living in the art district in LA is rly beneficial to our work.
However it’s true that VT offers a campus life. I’m not too worried about not living in a dormitory though.
I haven’t seen much work published from VT arch students, but I get that SCIARC’s student work is frequently published and displayed online. I also think that SCIARC offers more exposure to their students, i.e. I think they brought their students to MOMA, while VT didn’t, and SCIARC seems to have more interesting professors.
I heard mixed comments about a career after SCIARC, some say youll be very employable while some say you won’t be. I think for us international students if depends on where we want to work, and the popularity of that school in our region.
Excited to meet you if I do go to either school!!
Could you let me know your opinion between the two schools too?
Were you admitted to the School of Architecture at CMU? Your other choices are fantastic, but, if so, that would be extremely hard to turn down, really premier. I rarely give advice primarily based on reputation, but in this case I’m inclined that way. Now if you are admitted to CMU and not specifically to the School of Architecture that’s a different matter. I would GUESS that it is hard to switch over, but you would have to research that to confirm. (I know a student who did the architecture summer program there, a couple of times I believe, and started in architecture before switching to another program, which is not unusual).
Of the others I know, VT is excellent STEM university that will provide a very typical US university experience (I mean that in a good way). Big-time football, Greek life, college town, great collegiate architecture, etc. It is in a small town not at all close to anything. Weather is fair, cold in winters but nice early in the academic year, and late (usually). Students love their experience there, and alumni are very devoted to the school. Syracuse is an excellent national university in an urban environment. Very cold and snowy winters. Cal Poly is also an excellent STEM university in a stunning location with dreamy weather. It is my understanding that students often have trouble getting classes because of budget constraints and overcrowding. I can’t really vouch for that. In general, the school is a terrific choice. I don’t know much about SCI-ARC and Pratt. Pratt Architecture is in Brooklyn, which has undergone a real renaissance. It’s nice and obviously very urban, with Manhattan nearby, so you’d have all of that. It would be an expensive place to live relative to pretty much all your other choices. Good luck!
Sorry for the late reply. Have you committed to any school?
I am not sure about VT, but I heard that their architecture program is really prestigious. Many graduates had no problems getting a job afterwards. But I am more inclined towards SCI-Arc due to its location. I am sure they have more connections to multiple firms if you plan to work in the States in the future. However, their program focuses more on design and creativity. Hence, the school might not be a good choice if you want to seek for more technical skills. It is not a bad idea to attend some other school and then, transfer to SCI-Arc for M.Arch (because SCI-Arc is pretty expensive + you’ll have to pay for apartments). I don’t know. Just some opinions. Overall, if you have no financial issues, then I would go with SCI-Arc! Their studio is amazinggg!