<p>Hello,
I wanted to ask if any of you knew anything of the arch programs at Mississippi State University or Louisiana State University. I am looking into 5 yr BARCH programs at the moment, with my plan being to follow it with a master's in Historic Preservation. </p>
<p>I am a rising junior who is very interested in going to school down in the southern part of the country. I would need to be competitive for OOS merit money in order to pursuade my parents to allow me to attend somewhere other than a Virginia state school. </p>
<p>I am looking forward to learning more about these two schools or others in the south, especially those that have a focus on community historical preservation and that have a reasonable chance for being affordable for an out of state high achieving student. I know MSU and LSU do not get as much publicity or are not ranked as high as others, but does that necessarily mean they are not good schools for architecture? I am hoping to hear about the merits of either of these more obscure schools of architecture. Thank you for your time!</p>
<p>I have never met an MSU grad, but have worked with a couple of LSU grads. My sense is that these are good schools, but not outstanding. Southern schools such as Auburn, Clemson, Florida, NC State, or Texas are more highly thought of. With UVA and VT in-state it is hard to imagine going so far to attend MSU and LSU. </p>
<p>I’m also interested in attending LSU for their architecture program or landscape architecture program. Even though LSU is probably not as well known as some other schools, that doesn’t mean it’s inferior at all. I think people get caught up too much with rankings and comparing different schools with each other rather than simply looking at which school is the best fit for the individual.</p>
<p>I’ll contact LSU and try to email some students at the architecture program to ask them about their experiences.</p>
<p>What are your current stats?
MSU is often very generous with their out-of-state waivers.
also, not sure what state you live in, but it’s possible that either of these programs are an academic common market program for you - which waives out-of-state tuition.</p>
<p>Thanks to those of you who took time to reply. kerrbo, I only have my gpa to report right now, because we don’t take the PSAT or SAT/ACT until next year. I have a 4.45 gpa in a very rigorous curriculum and I am ranked 5th in my class right now. (It is early though- I am only a rising jr) </p>
<p>rick12, it isn’t that I am against VT or UVA. I will definitely be applying to VT because it is such a great program. UVA as a school just doesn’t seem as much a fit for me personality wise, so I am kind of leaning against that one right now. I just want to be smart and have a few options when it comes time to apply. I am really looking at the architecture path followed by a master’s in Hist. Preservation if I can swing it. There is something about the south that just really appeals to me, but I know that I am lucky to be in Va. with our choices, too!</p>
<p>I am also looking into Auburn. Maybe I am putting the cart before the horse so to speak in that I don’t even know if I will be able to achieve what I need to in order to receive those great OOS scholarships. We will see! Thanks again to everyone that is trying to give such great advice!</p>
<p>Auburn also offers a lot of merit scholarships. Our daughter just completed 1st year and was in the Foundation Unit (read carefully on their architecture admissions page how first year admissions are done) and I would probably be safe in saying that 80 percent of the foundation unit group (25 this year) had some form of merit scholarship.
Good Luck!</p>
<p>It looks like with those stats (so far) you would have a lot of options!</p>
<p>Regardless of stats there are a few academic common market programs available to you (I’m not sure how generous schools are with merit scholarships on top of the out-of-state waivers) as well.</p>
<p>No 5-yr programs though - and no great undergrad options - but with the good grad options it gives you something else to think about.</p>
<p>Bach in Arch at Fairmont State in WV
Bach in Arch Eng Tech at Bluefield State in WV
Masters at U of MD - college park
Masters at GA Tech</p>
Thanks again to everyone that is trying to give such great advice!</p>