How is the BArch program at RPI? They gave me some great financial aid so I’m wondering if I should seriously consider them.
If RPI is affordable, definitely consider them. They were #13 in the DI rankings this year and they have a good reputation. If at all possible, attend the accepted students day–you will spend a good chunk of your day at the architecture department and they do a good job of giving you a feel for what it would be like there. The big issue, however, would be–as is often pointed out on this forum–if you transfer out of architecture, does RPI offer an alternate major you’re interested in? RPI definitely stresses the technical aspects more than other programs, so if you prefer a program that, for example, spends most of the first year drawing instead of using computer applications, RPI probably would not be a good fit.