<p>My son is planning to apply to Cornell ED after spending the summer there.
Most relevant stats (is now a sr at a great public magnet school):
SAT: 2050 (jr year. Takes again in Oct.)
SAT II: Math II 690, Physics 640 (jr year, takes again in Nov, study this time)
GPA: 4.0 all AP/Honors
Cornell arch summer college: Lecture A+/Studio A
All great ECs: interns at large arch firm, founded green club at school, varsity soccer goalie, etc.</p>
<p>If his portfolio is strong when finished, I feel his chances are good.</p>
<p>We visit 4 additional schools in October:
Carnegie Mellon
Penn State
Syracuse
RPI
Our home state also has a B arch as a back-up:
Univ. of Tennessee</p>
<p>For everyone: Does this seem to be a well-rounded list, we've explored endlessly on paper and ruled out others for one reason or another?</p>
<p>For those who applied ED architecture: Did you have final version portfolios at time of interviews at "other" schools? From what Cornell told my son, they don't want summer college students to interview because they know them from summer, just drop of their final portfolio.</p>
<p>Thanks. We'll try to go one by one through the other schools portfolio requirements and deadlines, but it gets a little tricky timing-wise when applying ED, so I'd appreciate any feedback from others who did this. Plus, one of the benefits of applying ED is that you don't have to complete all the other applications, right? Our HS counselor hasn't had anyone apply to arch schools, so she's not much help with this part.</p>
<p>"Plus, one of the benefits of applying ED is that you don't have to complete all the other applications, right?"
My son didn't apply ED, but I can tell you that some of his friends did themselves a great disservice by not proceeding with other applications prior to hearing from their ED school. They waited to do other applications until they had been rejected by their ED college, and some of them ended up at schools that were way down their list.
I would have my kid proceed as if they weren't applying ED, and get all the applications in early. It's simply a numbers thing...he sounds like a great student, but there are lots of great students who apply, and who apply ED to Cornell and the other "top" schools.
Most of us who have lived through this process already would also encourage your son apply to some 4 year BA/BS programs as well...I don't know much about the program at UT, but I can't imagine it's really a safety school!</p>
<p>My son is a sr in hs and applying to schools for architecture. I agree with thespian dad. My son is not applying ED. His schools of choice in order: USC, Penn St, Syracuse, and Cincinnati. Only USC and Syracuse require a portfolio. We are in the Chicago area but he is not applying to U of I. No interest.</p>
<p>About portfolios and interviews; Carnegie Mellon looked at my son's rough portfolio during his arch dept interviews and they told him it was fine, but as portfolio submission was optional he never did send the final version to them with his app., (claims he forgot until it was to late) yet was accepted anyway. CMU keeps careful records of all contact so perhaps they made notes of his rough portfolio? Syracuse looked very close at his rough portfolio during interview, said they liked it, made a few suggestions for improvement for the final showing him a box full of portfolios both good and bad and explained why. They really encouraged him to apply but he chose not to. RPI didn't want to see his portfolio during interview - it was campus wide open house weekend and busy. S decided not to mail in portfolio for RPI, and was accepted without it. I really am no judge of portfolio so I can't tell you if it was a big factor or not. His stats were ok, certainly not stellar, gpa 3.3something, I forget the SAT, slightly over 2000? but less than 2050, no EC's at all, no work experience. However he took a wide, deep and heavy courseload at a rigorous hs and he interviews well, very well. He had lengthy interviews, 3 hrs at Syracuse, two interviews at CMU totaling over 2 hrs. and was taken on private tours at the end of interviews at three other schools by professors.
I know little about the arch admissions process other than what I've read here (stats, ec's and portfolio) and my son's experience, which was mostly personal contact and interview. I'm trying to say I don't think it's always numbers driven.</p>
<p>A word about the Syracuse admission process. My son is a Freshman there, btw. The interview that "counts" for admission to the program is the one that is done when the student presents his/her portfolio for review. When we were touring schools, they did make themselves available for in-depth discussions about the program, and they would have been willing to take a look at his portfolio and critique it.</p>
<p>At the actual interview, the student presents their portfolio for formal review. It is critiqued and discussed with the canidate, and then it is not looked at again. In fact the applicant brings their portfolio home from the interview. There is an appeals process if one feels they have been incorrectly judged, but I am not familiar with that process.</p>
<p>Although 4trees S was obviously an excellent canidate, it would be mis-leading to suggest that the admissions process includes two formal interviews. That being said, I have always taught my kids that every time they have contact with a college, they are being evaluated. So, in effect, this all comes down to semantics.</p>
<p>I will say that the admisssions department at SU was very well run. I think that the availability of a full time recruiter, who is always available to the applicants, allows the students to put a face on the whole process. Of course, it doesn't hurt that Victoria is an amazing person, who obviosly cares about the kids a great deal.</p>
<p>Go with what thespian dad says for Syracuse.</p>
<p>My S traveled to Syracuse with plans to check out the school, campus tour and just a rough portfolio for the arch tour- at the time of booking his flight there was some confusion about bringing the portfolio and I remember S saying they said to bring whatever he had at the moment. It was Victoria who came to the rescue, after she had some time with S she sent him to the main campus admissions for the school interview then back to the Warehouse for a formal arch interview later that morning so he would not have to travel x-country a second time. He had his rough portfolio (which was critiqued) and they told him he could submit his final version by mail. I don't know if he was a real contender for Syracuse, but would like to think because of the time and attention they gave him that at least he had a shot. Never will know as he never applied for his own reasons. </p>
<p>The moral here is be prepared, and bring your best portfolio.</p>
<p>Good on thespian dad's S. Syracuse is a great school and I bet Slocum Hall is a fantastic setting to learn in.</p>