<p>So, i'm considering applying to Roger Williams architecture, but am not exactly sure how the program is</p>
<p>if anyone can give me some feedback on this school/program that would be really helpful
(the bachelor's architecture program)
How the program/school is, just anything about it
thanks</p>
<p>I’m also considering applying to Roger Williams and am curious about how the school is, if anyone has any useful information.</p>
<p>Sorry to repeat myself here, but does anyone have any information about this school in regards to their architecture program?</p>
<p>I hear it’s pretty good. Not RISD, which is 20 min away, but pretty good. Bristol is nice.</p>
<p>The question should be how do you approach architecture: are you more of an artist or an engineer? If you’re an artist first, and you have very strong design skills, then it’s difficult to beat RISD’s 5-year architectural program (you’ll have to go through RISD’s famous foundation program as a freshman, where you’ll be taking heavy drawing, 2-D and 3-D studio courses with classes full of illustration, graphic design, painting majors, etc.). But if you’re more technical in your approach to architecture, Roger Williams has one of the finest architecture programs in the northeast (it’s highly ranked) in a small-school setting.</p>
<p>Jakesdad, tell us more about your experience with Roger Williams Univ. You hear very little about it and I had not heard that it was strong technically. I thought they had a strong interest in historic preservation based on their website. Size wise, I think it is comparable to Philadephia Univ but I don’t know how they compare to each other.</p>
<p>Jakesdad - I have never seen any rankings that included Roger Williams so I am curious as to what rankings you are refering to. Roger Williams is pretty expensive school with a so-so reputation - at least in the Northeast.</p>
<p>I just sent in the deposit for my son to study architecture at Roger Williams. I had not scanned back far enough to see this thread before. I’ll give all of you the background of our search the last year. We kept the search to New England, being from Central Mass. He was not going to get accepted to Cornell, CMU or NYC schools so we did not check them out. Syracuse was deemed too far from home.</p>
<p>My son is a B+ student, with SATs in the mid 600s. He is more of a math kid than an art kid - so a civil engineering BS was a potential. He attends a public HS in Massachusetts (Groton) that was ranked in the top ten last year by the MCAS scores. The school usually ranks in the top 20 schools out of the 351+ schools/discricts. He decided over the summer of 2009 that he wanted to study architecture and started a portfolio then. check one of my other posts for the pointer. The website also has a wiki that has all of the info/pictures we collected.</p>
<p>He ranked RWU at the top of his list during the application phase. All students, freshmen included, have a work space in the studio that is their own. The professors that we met were all open and had a great relationship with the students. They all seemed approachable. The students start with architecture courses the first year. The architecture program has a CNC machine, a laser cutter and a 3D printer (not all schools have all 3). The main building was built in 1987 with a major addition in 2005. It is a really nice setup. The program has a little more building physics and construction management aspects that appealed to him.</p>
<p>Costs - all schools seem out of touch with reality. The architecture program at RWU will be 31K for 2010. This is on par or less than some of the other area schools (Providence, Endicott, Gordon, Stonehill, Clark, Curry, Assumption, St Anselm, Nichols, etc) that are in the same educational bracket that do not offer an architecture degree. The R&B cost at RWU are about 1K higher than the average, which sux. Maybe it is worth it for a waterfront condo/dorm. </p>
<p>Ranking - overall RWU might be thought of as a so-so school. separate out the architecture part and just look at that. I graduated from an A ranked school and have taken classes at an A+ ranked. I place RWU overall as a B rank, with architecture at a B+. RWU is certainly in a second slice of schools, but there are a lot of lower quality offerings. </p>
<p>Why - He will be an above average student here. This could help his GPA going forward, whether he stays at RWU for the MS or goes elsewhere. The student community is small and appears to be a cohesive team. He will work best in a program where everyone is moving in the same direction and not a lot of choice is left up to them to study other things, or goof off. I will know more a year from now about the program. Feel free to drop me an email since I may not check back here.</p>
<p>other schools considered (alphabetically):</p>
<p>McGill - rejected - his reach school. They are looking for more international candidates. The program accepted 50 students, no wait list. if someone did not accept, then they went back to the pool. allocations were about 20 Quebec, 10 Ontario, 5 other province, and 15 international - which included US. so it was very selective. US applicants need a A/A- the last 3 years of HS. He did not take a Chem or Physics SAT II, nor had Physics in HS, so this counted against him. The school had the work spaces, tools and is in a great city. US students entering need to take an engineering foundation the first year. This was turn off for him, but he would have done it. If he was accepted he would have gone here.</p>
<p>Northeastern - waitlisted - ~55 Frosh. This is expensive for a so-so school. The 4+2 architecture program with the coop could be done over 6 years, working through the summers after Sophomore year. The program seemed great, but there was nothing exciting. program is more urban based and not what he wanted to focus on. little in the way of tools. studios are adjacent to the Orange Line T stop. From that station South, the O-line is crap.</p>
<p>Norwich - accepted - ~50 Frosh. They have a great program tucked into the school. good professors and the students seemed happy. draw backs are: the closest big place is Montpelier and that is 7800 people, our small town is 10,500. The school is primarily a military academy, with most of the students being in the Corps of Cadets. He was asked a few times during the visit if he had considered the Corps and that he should do it. He did not want to hear that for 4+ years.</p>
<p>RPI - waitlisted - 70 Frosh. This was a top choice. Great building, people and tools. He sent in the request to stay on the waitlist, but is really happy with RWU. I think that he would have a great time and fit in with the other techies. However, I think that he can have as good an education at RWU and graduate with a higher GPA. He may not have been able to keep up with other students who are brilliant. Costs of 5 years at RPI and 6 at other schools were roughly equivalent. The final deciding factor here would have been how much financial aid he received and it appears that they are stingy.</p>
<p>RISD - did not apply - He viewed it as an “art kid” school. he was not interested in the first year in the foundation program w/o any architecture classes. we know another student here and she likes it. RISD is really expensive for what it has to offer.</p>
<p>UHartford - accepted - They have a Architecture Technology degree. would probably need to go on to another place for an MS. They have a “hot desk” program, where no one gets their own space. this was a turn off. They offered good FA and was in expensive, but he is above average for this school and needs to be challenged.</p>
<p>UMass/Amherst - accepted - ~45 Frosh. They have a BFA in design for the undergraduate degree. The BFA and MA architecture programs are relatively new. Hot desk for freshmen, have a lot more space since the Studio Arts building was completed but is not really occupied and not interesting. It does not look like there is a lot of activity here. There was a lot of activity in the MS program and it will be a place to check out later. We are in-state so the cost difference is huge. But the program seems more like a bolt on than a core competency. It definitely has potential as the only state school offered program in the NE. keep it on the radar. UMass also has a lot of other distractions, which may not be best for a new architecture student.</p>
<p>There were 2 other high level schools he applied to that did not have architecture programs. He was waitlisted to these and prefers to attend an architecture program rather than remain on their waitlists.</p>
<p>Rankings - I have not seen RWU listed in any ranking lists either. I am not sure how they come up with who is cool enough to be on the list. The lists from the past few years seem to have the same 20 schools with their order being slightly switched around year to year. It is also a national rank and not a regional rank. The Architecture Guide book that I purchased lists 134 schools in US and Canada, several of which do not offer undergraduate programs. Architecture itself is a very selective program and hard to rank against the other 3000+ schools.</p>
<p>Thanks Groton for such a complete and thorough review of your findings and choices. I believe one of the benefits also for your son is that at RWU he will come away with a MACH in less than 6 years if he wants. </p>
<p>I think it is hard to come up with the right balance of desires and needs in the decision of where to go. I know as I look for my son, it is hard to avoid the push people express that you should select the most highly rated program you can get into. It sounds like you and your son made a balanced choice. I may contact you next year to hear more how it is going.</p>
<p>Groton, I just read your post from 2010 and am wondering whether your son is still at RWU and whether he still likes it. My son, applied to several architecture schools. He was already accepted by Tulane and he is waiting to hear from U Miami, RWU, Cal Poly, RPI, Syracuse, and CMU. Now that we are over the hump of waiting for that first acceptance, I am starting to wonder how to help him make a choice if he were to get accepted by several schools. </p>
<p>My son is also a B+ student in a top school district. He is more of a Math/Physics architect, than an artist. He is very driven when he is working on something that he likes, but he is lazy when he doesn’t like a task/subject. We have seen all of the before mentioned schools, except for Cal Poly. Any thoughts about these schools? Would you and/or your son still sign up for RWU or would you make a difference choice? </p>
Agree. Would love to hear an update from Groton.