I am entering my senior year of high school and have architecture as my prospective major. I’ve become slightly discouraged as a handful of schools I am interested in require portfolios and I am not artistic/ have nothing to show for my creativity. What do I do? What do they expect out of me? Should i just avoid the school that do require one? PLS HELP
@msps1629, As you’re probably aware, there are two routes to a career in architecture: An undergraduate bachelor of architecture degree (in a few cases a non-baccalaureate master of architecture) and an undergraduate bachelor of arts or science plus a master of architecture. So that’s the first question: are you applying for a BArch or a BS or BA in architecture?
Many, but not all, BArch programs require a portfolio. The BArch includes a fast moving sequence of courses and those schools that require the portfolio expect first years to be able to keep up with the studio work. There isn’t a lot of time for entry level drawing instruction. On the other hand most, but not all, BS/BA programs do not require portfolios.
The design studio is a major component of all architecture programs, but some put more emphasis on design than others. In many cases there’s correlation between the emphasis on design in the curriculum and the emphasis on the portfolio in admissions.
If you are uncomfortable or inexperienced in expressing creativity visually and defending your work orally, then you might be better off choosing schools at which portfolios are not required or are optional.
Having said that, you should understand that schools don’t expect a high school student’s portfolio to demonstrate mastery in architectural drawing. What they are looking for is a facility with various media (especially drawing), presentation and creativity. If you are able to take a drawing course or general art course the first semester of your senior year, you may be able to pull together a respectable portfolio by December, especially if you seek some additional mentoring from an art instructor. If that doesn’t work out, then I think you’ll find you have some excellent choices among BArch and BS/BA schools that don’t require portfolios.
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University of Cincinnati does not require a portfolio and I’ve heard their program is excellent. I’m sure there are other great programs that do not require a portfolio.
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Where are you thinking about applying?
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You say you are not artistic? An architecture major includes many studio (art) classes. You may want to visit the architecture department of a school close to home and speak with a representative (faculty member?) from the department about their program. Architecture is heavily art focused. If you’re not into that, maybe structural or civil engineering would be a better fit.
a few schools i have on my list include
umd college park
Virginia tech
uva
northeastern university
clemson university
university of southern cali
north carolina state university
syracuse university
@aquapt
I appreciate all of your help and my first priority is to call my high school so I can fit a drawing class into my schedule.
I have personal experience only with the Northeastern portfolio. (My d applied to the Urban Landscape program, not the BArch program - they share a first-year studio program but then diverge. It is optional (though I wouldn’t really recommend not doing it) and less extensive than some schools require. (10 items I believe.) And it doesn’t all need to be drawing. Photography, ceramics, sculpture… seriously, go camping this summer and build something cool out of natural materials and photograph it. Anything goes. Each item gets a written blurb, so as long as you say something meaningful about what you did and why you did it… There’s also an overall personal statement - do not leave this to the last minute .
The portfolio is due in slideroom one week after the Common App deadline. In my daughter’s case, this mean an Early Action deadline of 11/1/16, plus 7 days… which meant she was still trying to come up with a pithy conclusion for her Portfolio Personal Statement as the presidential election results were rolling in. All I can say is that evening has not gone down in history as one of my personal favorites. Fortunately this will not be an issue for you, lol, but I still don’t recommend the last-minute approach. 
Also, while it’s really nice to have an acceptance in hand in December, it’s more important in your case to take the full time between now and the RD deadline to get your portfolio together.
Also, as stated above, there are some good arch programs that don’t require a portfolio (besides Cincinnati, Portland State is another), and there’s always the option of an Arch Studies or enviro design program. Some of these programs have no studio component and mostly focus on art/arch history and a bit of non-architecture studio art. But there are some with a good number of studio classes - Conn College is a good example of one to look at (although obviously very different in character from all the large schools on your list). https://www.conncoll.edu/academics/majors-departments-programs/majors-and-minors/architectural-studies/
The school of Environmental Design at CU Boulder could be a particularly good option for you - it starts with a common core and then diverges into four possible tracks: architecture, landscape, planning, or design studies. No portfolio involved, and you can apply early and have a decision in January. https://www.colorado.edu/envd/program-information UMinn Twin Cities could be another good program to look at: https://design.umn.edu/academics/architecture.html Also U of Utah, which is a particularly affordable option (good OOS price, generous merit, and a path to in-state tuition after the first year) with a great Honors College and an unrivaled combination of urban surroundings with proximity to amazing outdoor recreation. http://soa.cap.utah.edu/degrees/undergraduate/
Good luck - hope that helps!
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@msps1629,
Of your list, the following schools offer the 5.0 year Bachelor OF Architecture. With this degree you can begin the process of becoming a licensed architect.
Virginia Tech no portfolio
USC portfolio required
NC State portfolio required
Syracuse portfolio required
Virginia Tech no portfolio
The rest of the schools on your list only offer the 4.0 year BS or BA IN architecture or architectural studies. (Northeastern is 5.0 years including a year of co-op.) In order to become licensed in most states you would need to get a Master of Architecture, either at the same school or another school.
UMD College Park no portfolio
Northeastern no portfolio
Clemson no portfolio
Some other schools that do not require a portfolio are as follows:
BA or BS: Cincinnati, Colorado Boulder, Penn State, Texas Tech, Tulane (portfolio recommended), UVA
BArch: Auburn, Penn State, Tulane (portfolio recommended)
It’s really important to understand the difference between the BArch and the BS/BA/BED+MArch route. The BArch is faster but more intensely architecture focused. In most (not all) cases less expensive. Most schools that offer the BArch will provide need based aid for the entire 5.0 years. If financial aid is important to you, then you should make sure this is the case.
The BA/BS/BED+MArch route allows for more flexibility, more electives outside of architecture and more options if it turns out the architecture isn’t for you. The time that it takes to complete the MArch varies widely from school to school, from 1.0 year to 3.5 years. Generally BA/BS graduates in good standing will be accepted into their own MArch programs; however, this is not guaranteed. Need based financial aid is generally not available for the MArch. Grants and merit scholarships may be available, but again, these are variable and unpredictable so if you go this route you need to think about how you will finance the MArch.
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heads up that for some strange reason architecture kids tend to have high GPA’s in high school, portfolio or not. Also, I don’t think the portfolio is a sign of ‘artistic’ skills as much as it is a sign of patience and resolve, which are needed in buckets to get thru architecture. You will encounter very artistic people, very ‘digital’ people, very ‘model oriented’ people, and you really have to pick your own style.
I believe both Kansas schools are portfolio-free zones 
for high school students applying for their 5 year M.Arch programs.
A visit to a college with a portfolio required for Arch. They wanted to see a variety of different things, not just drawings. They do not need to be Arch. in nature. Anywhere from Photographs, to water color, charcoal drawing, sketching, oil paint, sculpture, pottery etc… This particular school said, they would also like to see a sample of your writing explaining you work. finally they said if you are going to submit, for example 8 pieces in the same medium, you need to give a great explanation.
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