cornell summer architecture program

<p>i was thinking of doing the 6 week introduction to architecture this summer at cornell. has any one done it/did they think it was worth the time and the money? and how busy were you for the 6 week period? thanks a lot!</p>

<p>There are a few students on here who have done it. Personally I think it's more important that you pick a summer program that you will enjoy the most; I feel like a lot of them are of similar quality. The ones I've heard about here are mostly Cornell, USC, Carnegie Mellon, and I went to RISD's last summer. </p>

<p>Basically I narrowed it down to Cornell and RISD. Both are six week residential programs, both are pretty intense, but ultimately I decided that the curriculum at RISD would be better for me. I thought about my goals: to build a diverse portfolio focusing on my best abilities, which would include a lot of drawing and painting. In addition to 16 hours of architecture major studio time a week, I also had foundation drawing, 2D/3D design, and art history. The extra classes gave me more portfolio work because I applied as an art major to some schools, and I focused on developping a portfolio that would showcase my best possible work. In that way, I thought about what I wanted, and chose a program based on what would help me develop the best work possible. It just depends on what you want, there are a lot of great programs. </p>

<p>The general consensus on this board will be that Cornell's program is great. A lot of programs are great - and expensive - if you're willing to work hard. You just need to really think about what /you/ want out of the experience, not what colleges want. Cornell's program, much like other summer architecture programs of its duration, is very intense. You'll have some solid work for your portfolio, and it will show the school not only that you're passionate about architecture, but also what you're capable of. So yeah - it's worth it, and it's a lot of work. But I wouldn't do Cornell just because it's Cornell - really think about what you want to get out of such a program and what your personal goals are. The more thought you put into it the better off you'll be in the long run. Go into a program with specific goals like to first and foremost EXPERIENCE architecture and see if the education style is for you. If it's not - don't worry about it, at least you know. If it is, a summer program will put you one step closer to realizing your goals.</p>

<p>Exactly what he said. I did the Cornell program this past summer and the Syracuse one the summer before, and I can speak for both, but what he said was really important.</p>

<p>The Cornell program is really well done however- and I personally do think my experience there was worth the time and money.</p>

<p>...sounds cool, but how much is it?</p>

<p>i applied and was accepted, but didn't go. i would say the price drove me away, but i guess that much money for 6 credits is pretty good.</p>

<p>i wound up going to carnegie mellon - cheaper cuz i got a scholarship, but it had no credits.</p>

<p>cornell's architecture is absolutely amazing, but the location would kill me....literally.</p>

<p>why would it kill you!?</p>

<p>i'm from long island - i hate it and its only 20 miles from NYC.</p>

<p>i need to be like RIGHT outside a city or in it. cornell's campus is beautiful, and i'm quite the tree hugger, but its in the middle of nowhere.</p>

<p>yeah there are a LOT of things to do and its really diverse, but it's funny that it's architecture program would be so good even though there's a lot more buildings to ponder upon in a city.</p>

<p>i also need the ocean. you're from cali - that's my second home...to be landlocked is terrifying to me haha.</p>

<p>i need to surf and i need to breath salty air.</p>

<p>and also, i'm smart, but i'm not crazy about the work an ivy requires so i wouldn't be able to last even if i got accepted...</p>

<p>oh i thought you might have like 0% bodyfat and the winter might /literally/ kill you :-p</p>

<p>come on angie, you know wherever you go for arch it's gonna be a lot of work. NO EXCUSES, FIGHT THE PAIN! lol</p>

<p>hahaha omg. no offense but, you are like the seven millionth person who has insinuated that "cali" is all ocean, tan bodies, and surf!
i do live near the ocean - about 50 miles. near sacramento. the only air i breath is smog. haha just letting you in on a bit of california culture...</p>

<p>but i hear you. that's why i want to go to san luis obispo. that's exactly what california is all cracked up to be. surf, ocean, sun!!! forget los angeles!</p>

<p>my mom is from huntington long island. she was like you. practically lived in the city haha</p>

<p>yeah i agree with ryanmac. i went to cornell this past summer and it was a very intense experience. i guess what was so hard was that in all of the many art classes i have taken at my school my teacher has been very supportive and gives consrutive crtitsim but in a very nice way and when i got to cornell that was not the case at all. and that's was really hard for me to get used too... sometimes it was like way to much for me to handle but i unverstand why architecture is like that and now i know what architecture school will be like for me where ever i start in the fall. but it's worth it... you really do get a good understanding of what architecture school is like... the cost is a lot though. i got rejected for financial aid at first and really had to bargain with them to get some. but it really was worth becasue it was one of the most amazing experiences i ever had.</p>

<p>take harsh criticism as something constructive that you can take out of it. constructive criticism will help you become a better thinker. criticism at cornell used to be much harsher than now but i think it is one of the reasons why cornell students are known to be good critical thinkers</p>

<p>haha, to reply to everybody - don't get me wrong, i KNOW architecture is hard work. i died...ten times at cmu's summer program. i saw other kids burst into tears and run out and had their projects rated as "TOTALLY SUCKS" by professors during critical reviews. i survived...and i loved it! architecture is gonna be hard work anywhere yes, but i know i can't do it at cornell. like i said before - it makes sense to study architecture in a city [to me at least] and it just doesn't feel right for me.</p>

<p>and about cali - i don't think its all tanned bodies and surfing! i spend a lot of time in cali - both inland and by the beach. i have a house in chino hills. i know a lot of nyers totally think cali's like all that, but i don't mean to come off like that at all. i just happen to love surfing. there isn't a lot of surf...or surfers around ny so...yeah.</p>

<p>hahah yeah i know what you mean now.</p>

<p>california is a great place though, no matter where you are here. it's so diverse. i love it. the surf's definitely good though</p>

<p>i would love to live in new york though too! haha it's an ammmaaazzinggg place with so much culture..</p>

<p>i love both places very much - i wish i could live in a combination of both.</p>

<p>and lets not forget hawai<code>i. its got the surf too. and i'm a little bit hawai</code>ian haha.</p>

<p>so those are my favorite 3 states right there :].</p>

<p>new york's culture definitely comes to use when it comes down to architecture. i think architects have the responsiblity to interpret and translate culture into structures - thats to defend cities when it comes to city vs. ithaca, haha.</p>

<p>oh and ryan...the winter could probably kill me although i definitely don't have 0% body fat.</p>

<p>actually, it could probably kill any of us haha.</p>

<p>oh and the drive there would kill me too. 9 hours = death.</p>

<p>is it that cold?
i'm not used to cold so i probably would die.
i went to south dakota once in january.</p>

<p>and it was such a dry cold that i got a nosebleed within ten seconds of stepping outside. i'm such a californian. ha</p>

<p>uhm...lets see - we're talking about snow...measured in feet - not even inches.</p>

<p>also, while i AM on an island - which means cold winters and hot summers, it's still about 32 degrees farenheit...but its like 10 degrees farenheit up there.</p>

<p>BRRRRR...i also happen to be canadian...but i was only born there so i dont think it gave me much of a gene against harsh winters haha.</p>

<p>but then...i dont even own a coat. havent in the like last 6 years. hmm...maybe i'm not going to die after all.</p>

<p>bleh, forget weather - i just don't like being in the middle of nowhere.</p>

<p>yeah i hear you.
i am most def not used to that weather.</p>

<p>the coldest is when i go to san francisco, and it only drops down to about 35 at night.</p>

<p>i just got a bunch of snow though, a bunch meaning 7 inches ahha</p>

<p>chino hills by la actually gets pretty cold at night too, but nothing like ithaca at all.</p>

<p>think of it this way though - if global warming continues, ithaca's gonna be the next vacation spot. heh</p>