leaving architecture and coming back--- NEED ADVICE!

College Majors Architecture Major
1

<p>i'm a second year student in a 5 yr M. ARCH program at a private university. because of the high cost of tuition and unmet financial need, i was forced to take out student loans with outstanding principal balances and even bigger interest rates. between my parents and myself, we discovered that financing my education for future years would be nearly impossible with this amassing debt. thus, i am faced with 1 of 3 options:</p>

<p>1) trying to transfer to an accredited architecture school with the same curriculum and hope they can meet my need as to not add to my already existing pile of loans</p>

<p>2) go back to my state school and finish a BA in architecture, then finish a M. ARCH at the same university or try to apply to different grad schools</p>

<p>3) advice given to me from a faculty member in my department-- finish a bachelors degree in something i'm very good at (in my case it would be music) in order to salvage my grade deflated GPA and earn more merit for grad school, then reapply to grad school to finish my degree in architecture</p>

<p>i just feel like i am almost halfway finished with the architecture program and there's no sense in changing my course of path this late into college. i could finish this undergraduate degree, but i'm worried about the low salary and how i can afford to pay back my loans. though i can certainly see why firms like someone with a liberal arts education and a well-rounded background. i also feel there is a huge risk in leaving the program now and relying on good scholarships to help keep the graduate costs low. and also, how would it look on an application if i left architecture and then decided to return to it? what if i randomly decide not to return to school for architecture and i'm stuck with a degree that pays little and yields little job opportunity? is an undergraduate degree in architecture more valuable than a graduate one? </p>

<p>i am completely torn by these decisions, and i need any and all advice or input i can get. please help me out as i am trying my best to rationally weight out my options. thank you!</p>

2

<p>I think you are going to have to be really creative here.</p>

<p>First of all don't get a liberal arts degree with the intention of then going on to grad school. A four year degree with very little employment potential in the profession, that then needs to be followed up with 3.5 years of grad school does not seem like the most financially feasible route.</p>

<p>You don't say what state you are in, but look into a good state school where you can pay in-state tuition. A four year program might give you more flexibility since you can get out sooner and begin working. Just remember that at some point you need to go back to get your masters or you will hit a ceiling in your career.</p>

<p>Look for programs that allow you to work while going to school. Locally the University of Texas at Arlington is very good about accommodating students who need to work. Rice, and UT Austin are not. We have a young man who has been working for us five years on a part time basis (20 to 30 hours a week) and is about to complete his masters at UT Arlington. He started working for us doing menial tasks, but is now the project designer on some smaller jobs. Perhaps you could try to find a similar employer. Don't worry about starting pay or responsibilities, just get in the door. An architectural employer will probably be more sympathetic to you studio demands.</p>

<p>Though I have argued here that one can make a good living in the architecture field, I would hate to start my career with $100,000+ of debt. It will handicap you for the next decade.</p>

<p>God luck,</p>

3

<p>Some basic background on me: I graduated with a BSArch degree and am applying to graduate programs in the hopes of switching tracks. Also, I feel your pain. My parents told me they were unable to finance my education halfway through sophomore year. I lucked out because I was able to obtain residency (my tuition went down to about $3,000 a quarter) and because I was able (required, actually) to co-op every other quarter starting the summer of sophomore year (I received decent pay and used the money to help finance my education and living expenses).</p>

<p>1) From personal experience I would say transfering without losing most of your credits is quite hard. If you can find a cheaper school, that's great, but you might end up "starting over." </p>

<p>2)
[quote]
i'm a second year student in a 5 yr M. ARCH program at a private university.

[/quote]

I'm a little confused. Do you already have an undergraduate degree? I've never heard of an undergraduate architecture program that grants a master's in five years. Most five year programs offered to people coming straight out of high school are professional "Bachelor of Architecture" degrees. You can also get a master's in a 4+2 or a 5+1 program that first awards a pre-professional bachelor's and then a professional master's. </p>

<p>Anyway, if you are indeed an undergraduate student in a five-year program that awards a professional undergraduate degree, I would say leaving halway through second year is not necessarily too late. It's a personal decision, though; I can't tell you if it will be worth it. I decided to stay in but I didn't have your financial concerns and I had my epiphany (i.e. "this field is wrong for me") at the end of junior year. Some of my classmates left for other majors and appear to have never regretted the decision.</p>

<p>All I can say is this: If you can comfortably afford to switch into a state school and stay there for another four years, you'll have the option of joining the work force after you graduate with your pre-professional degree. You might not be paid as much and you won't be eligible to take the ARE's at this point but you will have the chance to complete your IDP hours and earn some money in the process. A lot of people I know are taking breaks from school in order to pay off loans and/or pad their resumes before applying to architecture programs at some prestigious grad schools.</p>

<p>3) Not bad advice but you will have some 'splaining to do on your graduate applications. Telling an admissions committee you left architecture so you could pad your GPA might not be the best idea. I also have to agree with the previous poster in that it's not necessarily the most financially feasible thing to do. Having said that, I would like to point out that a number of highly respected architects received their undergrad degrees in something other than architecture.</p>

<p>
[quote]
i just feel like i am almost halfway finished with the architecture program and there's no sense in changing my course of path this late into college.

[/quote]

I would not say you are "halfway finished," more like 1/5 of the way there or 3/10 of the way there. If your opinion is that you're too far in, I can't change that.

[quote]
i could finish this undergraduate degree, but i'm worried about the low salary and how i can afford to pay back my loans.

[/quote]

You are not necessarily going to be poor as an architect but you won't be making the salary of a brain surgeon either. Your pay will depend on what kind of work you want to do and the specific firm you work for. If you're into competitions and the "artsy" side of architecture, you probably won't make much starting out. If you're willing to work for a corporate firm...that can be a different story. There are offices of all shapes and sizes out there that treat their employees very well. Will you be able to pay your loans back? I don't know, depends on how much you're willing to sacrifice in terms of living standards. I you want a Jag and a loft downtown, you might have some problems.

[quote]
and also, how would it look on an application if i left architecture and then decided to return to it?

[/quote]

I don't think there's anything wrong with leaving and coming back as long as you have a good explanation for why you did it.

[quote]
what if i randomly decide not to return to school for architecture and i'm stuck with a degree that pays little and yields little job opportunity?

[/quote]

Say you get your undergraduate degree from a state school and go work for a while. Your options from this point on don't just inlcude: 1) come back for architecture or 2) don't come back at all. If you decide not to return to school for a graduate degree in architecture, you can return for something else. If your plans include going back to school, they don't have to change. Only your concentration changes in this case. Don't look at it as being "stuck."

[quote]
is an undergraduate degree in architecture more valuable than a graduate one?

[/quote]

I am assuming you are planning to become a registered architect (and setting "prestige" aside)... If both degrees are professional and come from accredited universities, the graduate probably looks better than the undergraduate but you'll be eligible to sit for the exam with either one. If you are comparing a pre-professional undergraduate degree with a professional graduate degree, I would say the graduate one is much better.</p>

4

<p>Tough situation for you, and hard to speculate on without knowing what school your at or at least what state your in.</p>

<p>Option 1 - You'll need a very high GPA and have to find a more aid friendly program willing to take transfers and the credits you have. Depending on the school you are at it may be possible.</p>

<p>Option 2 - Get your BA at your state school, work a few years to pay down your loans until you can find a MArch school that will take you and you can afford. What both Rick12 and adhzedan said.</p>

<p>Option 3 - After a year and a half in an arch major swapping to music would take how long to get a BA? Then 3.5 more years.... ???? I agree with Rick12.</p>

<p>Have you spoken to FinAid staff at your school recently. With the current economy FA is changing at some schools, maybe they can help. Also there are outside and in-house scholarships for upper classmen you should look into that might make staying where you are possible.</p>

5

<p>i guess i didn't make it clear on my first post, but if i leave i will finish my second year in the program and attend a new school in the fall. and by the way, my school is Tulane and i am from Florida.</p>

6

<p>Check on the NAAB website for accredited arch programs in your home state and take the time to contact all of them to see if they will take transfers from your current school and what the COA would be.</p>

<p>Here's a link;
NAAB:</a> Schools Database</p>

7

<p>If possible, try to stick around as long as you can. From the people I've known, those who left never came back.</p>