<p>i am currently a freshman at USC, majoring in biochemical engineering. i am playing with the idea of changing major and school all together because i feel like USC is not what I expected it to be (hint: ALWAYS visit your school before you want to commit).</p>
<p>now, i keep hearing that architecture is much more a regional major so people recommend studying architecture at a school near where I want to work after college. if that is the case, which schools are known for great architecture programs in different regions (northeast, south, west).</p>
<p>also, how much does national rank/prestige matter as far as architecture goes? i assumed architecture was more individual-oriented since a student with an exceptional portfolio would be hired over a student who came out of a top architecture school (cornell, rice, carnegie) with an average portfolio. </p>
<p>RISD has a partnership with Brown university for a dual program. Why don't you inquire directly to RISD. You may be able to go to architecture at RISD and do engineering at Brown. However, I would think it would be a complete overkill since architecture is very demanding and time consuming. Oops...just realized you asked the question to architects..I'm not...</p>
<p>Im an undergrad at University of Texas at Austin and it's amazing so far. There is a lot of one on one time with professors and upperclassmen on you projects and you jump right into designing.</p>
<p>how much does ranking matter for architecture. a junior architect at USC told me, architecture emphasizes more than other majors on individual talent than on where he or she graduated from. </p>
<p>would a firm hire a decent (top50?) school alumni with a great portfolio or a top school alumni with a decent portfolio? i also heard architecture is about connections as well. thank you for your time and help.</p>
<p>When I am hiring, the portfolio and individual character rule, not the school you went to. A Harvard grad with a mediocre portfolio will not get a job. However there are schools where we have had great success in the past, and we tend to go back to those places to recruit. UT Arlington has always been a good school for us, but lately UT Austin is at the top of our list. </p>
<p>I would not worry too much about going to a regional school. People are very mobile and we see kids from all over the country. You need to find a good solid school, it doesn't have to be Cornell, or Rice, or UVA, just a good school with a solid reputation. Some solid schools just off the top of my head; Kansas, K State, Iowa State, Florida, Auburn, Clemson, Virginia Tech, UT Austin, etc. Lots of good choices out there.</p>
<p>thanks rick for the useful information. i'm currently enrolled at USC, which is ranked 12 this year and has been in top5 past 4 years, but I am planning on transferring out to the north east. which schools in that region have solid reputations for architecture? I know Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, etc are strong, but I don't know if I can make it in there, atleast for architecture. are there any other architecture schools with lower ranks that are easier to get into? syracuse, RISD for example. thank you</p>
<p>if you want an ivy with architecture, the only one wiht an accredited 5 year program is cornell. all of the others are 4 year programs and are better at graduate architecture than undergrad</p>