<p>Steamedartichoke, </p>
<p>I think you must have had those schools on your list for some reason and liked them enough to apply to. I realize it is hard if your top choices don’t come through. But the good news is that you actually have OPTIONS! Four so far! I also think if you visit, you will find one that fits well enough. Forget the ones that don’t come through. </p>
<p>I think I will tell you a personal story because I get a sense that you think that going to a “top school” would be best and that a school that seems less known for MT won’t suffice. Ya know, as I have written many times, it is about FIT. A top school is not the end all and be all that you may think. </p>
<p>I have another daughter besides my MT one. She has been a very good student and a high achiever and frankly, has done excellently in the admissions process every step of the way. She got to attend one of her favorite colleges, Brown, and loved it. Right after college, she applied to highly competitive (about 5% admit rates) grad schools for architecture. She got into 6 very competitive ones including Ivies and such, with scholarships. Great, right? She chosen to attend MIT, which at the time was ranked #2 for grad schools for architecture. She liked MIT and she loves architecture. It was a 3.5 year program. But she did not truly like design studio which is a core part of an MArch program, and realized she did not want to be a designer and she liked all the other courses, and was always interested in sustainable design. She decided to leave this top MArch program in order to pursue an MS in Architecture in Building Science and Sustainability. At the time, she grappled with this: “People will think I am insane to leave one of the top arch grad schools in the country!” But she realized the fit for what she wanted to do was not quite right. She left and applied to specialized programs in her interest area within architecture (very few exist and they are extremely competitive) and spent a year working in Europe in her field. She lucked out and got into her new grad programs with great options and is attending a top program in her field at Berkeley and is about to graduate and has her dream job waiting for her. </p>
<p>My point in telling you this is that even though she did go to a top school for her first grad school (well, the one she is at now is too for her specialty), it wasn’t exactly the right fit. So, again, it is the student who succeeds and not just what school you go to. A top school is not everything. Make the most of the opportunities you are given and you will succeed. Even if you were to get into a school like CMU, for example, it doesn’t mean you will be any more talented when you come out than if you attend U of Colorado. Once you know your options, discover them and make the most of what you have in hand. If it doesn’t work out, you can transfer but I don’t know if it is worth taking a year off and trying again as there are no guarantees. And a top school won’t make you happier once you are in school. I bet you will thrive where you are planted.</p>