Starting Late on a Portfolio + College Suggestions?

College Majors Architecture Major
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I’m a junior in high school this year, and this fall I’ll be applying for architecture programs in the US. My problem is that I don’t have a portfolio or any sort of experience in art at all. I know that there are several good programs I can apply to without a portfolio, but I don’t want to limit my options by not having a portfolio. What is the best thing I could do to make a decent portfolio by this fall? There are local art classes available to me in drawing, watercolor, mosaic, landscape painting in oil or acrylic, ceramics, and sculpture. I can’t do all of them, of course, but I can do multiple. Probably about 2-3, 4 max. Would it be best to take these classes, or would they not help me make adequate work for a portfolio, since they are one-day-a-week classes that last around 3-5 weeks each? Should I try to work with a private art tutor? If so, what should I focus on? Should I try to learn art on my own by doing things like what is suggested in this article? http://www.wikihow.com/Draw Should I do all of the above? Any other suggestions?

Also, I would appreciate any recommendations for good colleges for me. By the end of junior year, I’ll have around a 3.9 UW GPA and around 4.14 W GPA. My SAT is 2040 for the first time I took it (without studying), but I’ll be taking it again in March and studying a little this time. I think I can get it up to ~2100, hopefully a little higher. I’m a CA resident, but I’m open to going anywhere that isn’t really cold or really big.

Side Question: Is a choir class used in GPA calculations or is it omitted because it isn’t academic?

Thank you all! :slight_smile:

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@SomeChoirGuy, I saw your other thread about attending a summer career discovery program. I think this is a good way to get an indication whether architecture is for you and to start building your portfolio. I don’t have any specific information on the programs you’ve listed. (If you can afford it, I’d go for the Ciao! program in a heartbeat.)

If you concentrate on drawing you’ll be able to put together an acceptable portfolio. Schools are looking for creativity and technical mastery, not necessarily involving architecture. You’ll still have the first semester of your senior year to take a high art course, which to me would be preferable than a one-day-a-week course. If you’re starting from zero skill level a tutor may be a good idea, but again, this can get pricey.

I think the biggest question that you need to answer in the next few months is whether you want to get a Bachelors of Architecture or a BA/BS in architecture or architectural studies. The BA or BS would give you more flexibility which seems sensible if you haven’t had much exposure to the field, and you wouldn’t have to tie yourself in knots over your portfolio. With a BA or BS you’d need to get an MArch as well.

The other equally big question is what can you afford? If you need (or want) financial aid, the first step is to determine how much need based aid you might be eligible for. If that doesn’t work, move on to merit aid. Bear in mind when you choose your degree that the MArch can be quite expensive.

Your grades and scores will not keep you out of any architecture school, though the most selective are always difficult to predict. Depending on the school, your extracurriculars will also be important. The portfolio will be a significant factor for schools that require it. Many BArch programs do not require a portfolio, and as far as I know, BA or BS programs do not.

There are dozens of good architecture programs in the U.S. so it’s hard to give you suggestions without getting more of an idea of what you’re looking for, both in degree and in the personality of the school. I hope you’ll have a chance to visit some of the different types of schools – large/medium/small, art/design/tech/liberal arts/research university, urban/suburban/rural.

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Thank you @momrath!

I guess I’ll concentrate on drawing then. Luckily, I found a 10 week drawing class, so that should do better for me than something that lasts only 3-5 weeks. The CIAO! program does sound amazing; I’ve been to Italy twice with my family and love everything about it (especially the food :smile:). I haven’t really decided yet between BArch and BA/BS in architecture/arch studies, but is there a way to get to know a school in terms of “personality of the school”, as you call it, without having to physically go to the school? I could visit several schools, but there are too many in too many different places for me to visit as many as I’d like to get to know.

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The oft untold purpose of the portfolio is not to judge artistic ability, but as an indicator of perseverance in a creative environment. High School students, even highly successful ones, may not realize the intricacies of the creative process in architecture. If you’re taking AP Calculus, you score a 94 on the test, and that’s all there is to it. You know what you did and how you did it. In the creative world it’s a different ballgame.

Then there’s the issue of ‘competing’ with kids that have been dealing with the creative process for years. Whether in digital form, sketching, drafting, or model making, some kids have spent aeons in photoshop, building models, drafting, sketching, etc. The college won’t or may not teach any of that. They assume that 1st years know the basics.

The personality concern is valid. You basically have different ways of teaching, from huge studios to small studios, from digital from day one (what’s a pencil?) to a few schools (you know who you are) where you don’t touch a computer till junior year :blush:. Do they build models, or 3D print them? The problem here is that you don’t know what to look for, while someone who’s been in architecture for a couple years is usually more aware of them.

My daughter is graduating this May with a BA Arch and headed to grad school, and the selection process based on the above is quite intricate. Many of the questions are not very different from what you’re asking. To make things interesting, she applied to a large number of schools and is getting a large number of admits, and the selection criteria are as clear as mud (hmm, State U arch building is near a Starbucks. Meh. SCAD has a Popeye’s Fried Chicken across the arch building). In other words, even after a BS/BA Arch you’re still not 100% sure.

Look at the school web sites or facebook pages and see if you can figure what the culture is. Is 1st year all in a warehouse sized building or smaller groups? where did the faculty study? Are they more focused on real world projects or renders of things that will never get built?

It’s fun, I know :smiley:

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For BA/BS architecture or BA anything programs, you can do quite a bit of advance investigation through the internet, guidebooks, your high school counselor, talking to friends or architects. In many cases you’ll be applying to the college or university, not the architecture school, and you’ll still have flexibility to transfer into another discipline if architecture doesn’t turn out to be your vocation.

BArch programs are somewhat more restrictive. They offer less opportunity to experiment in other disciplines and in some cases transferring to other majors at the same school can be difficult. So for the BArch, you’ll want to make sure that you do thorough research. You can postpone actually visiting until after you’re accepted, but unless you want to put together a long apply list, it’s better to have a look in person beforehand. If you visit the architecture programs in your home state to get an idea of different types of environments, you sometimes apply what you like or dislike to other schools.

The archinect forum can be a reasonably good source of information about specific schools (and a good deal of misinformation as well).

I assume you’re familiar with the BArch programs in CA. Some others that meet your criteria (not really cold or really big): Auburn, Rice, Tulane (MArch), Clemson.

You’ll have a lot more choices for BA/BS architecture or BA anything schools. Since you’ll be going for an MArch anyway you don’t have to limit yourself to schools that offer an architecture major. Art, art history, or really anything will get you into a good MArch program as long as you put together a strong portfolio and fulfill the admissions requirements. So, concentrate on fit and affordability first.

For BS schools I’d look at Tulane, WUSTL, Virginia. There are many others that offer this route.

If you’d waive your weather related requirement, your choices would increase exponentially.

All of this is assuming that money is not an issue. If you need financial aid tackle that first! And as in any college list, have a balance of reach/match/safety.

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@turbo93 @momrath Thank you both for your helpful advice :smile:

Momrath, concerning my weather related requirement for choosing a school, how important is it for me to open myself to more options? If I keep the weather related requirement, will I still have enough options to be fairly confident that I’ll get into a good program, given my stats mentioned in my original post and a (hopefully) decent portfolio? If I don’t keep the weather requirement, where will I realistically be able to go? If I do go to a school in a cold area, will I be limited to getting a job in that area after graduating, or will I have options in other places too?

As for whether or not money is an issue, when I asked my parents how much they were willing to pay for my college my mom said “don’t worry about it, we don’t want that to limit you” but at the same time, I fairly sure that I would need some financial aid for going to a private school or an out-of-state public school to be reasonable.

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Sometimes it’s hard for parents to talk money with their kids, but knowing what you can afford is the MOST important factor in college planning. It’s especially critical for architecture because education can be costly and entry level salaries are disproportionately low. A full pay BArch can cost $300,000. A full pay BA/BS+MArch $360,000 to $400,000.

The first step is to determine how much need-based aid your family may be eligible for by having your parents use an on-line net price calculator for a couple of the privates that you are interested in. The NPC will give you a rough idea of what to expect. If your estimated family contribution is reasonably workable, then you’re okay in putting together a fairly open ended list of private colleges. Note: You still should run the NPCs for all colleges, but one or two will give you a general sense of whether need-based aid is in your financial ballpark.

For OOS publics, check their financial aid pages. Some offer need-based aid to OOS students; some do not.

If need-based aid is not workable, then you have to look for colleges that offer merit aid. This will be a considerably shorter list, especially for the BArch, so start early.

No, you don’t have to endure snowy weather in order to study architecture. There are maybe a dozen BArch schools in the south, southwest and west coast, and quite a few BA/BS architecture choices. For right now, though, I’d suggest that you make your list based on fit and affordability and leave the weather out of your equation.

This is a good question. Some architecture schools are more regional than others. It makes sense to study in the same geographic area in which you intend to live and practice. You’ll get exposure to local firms through internships and visiting professors, and your school will have high name recognition.

However . . . the top rated architecture schools are well known across the country. Their students come from all over the country (all over the world, actually) and end up working all over the country as well.

It’s very difficult to predict what schools you could get into. You have excellent grades. If you’re committed to choir, that’s a good start on ECs. Let’s assume that you get your scores up to ~2100 and that your essays and recommendations are strong. Schools that require a portfolio, might be a stretch; that’s a big “it depends.”

For BA/BS schools and BArch schools that don’t require a portfolio I wouldn’t eliminate any at this point. Just have a balanced list that you can afford.

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If finances are an issue, I highly recommend applying to different types of schools because you may get a nice merit offer or you may get a nice FA package too. It pays to apply to a variety of schools to see your options.

Don’t always assume the longest route or a BA/BS + Masters Architecture (4+3) is the most expensive route. Ironically, for my D her cheapest option was the longest route (4+3). She received a large merit offer from a private college that cost significantly less than a state school. So that plus a Masters in Arch. for 3.5 years would have been her cheapest option.

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@newjersey17 @momrath Thank you :slight_smile:

I have some more questions about the portfolio-making process. I know that I will be able to make a good portfolio, or at least develop the skills needed to make one, if I go to a architecture-introduction + portfolio/skill-building program like at WUSTL, but if I go to a program that focuses on architecture like at Tulane, ND, or UT Austin, will models I make for those programs be acceptable in a portfolio? If I could, how large of a portion of my portfolio could these models be?

My parents don’t want to pay for a program as expensive as CIAO! ($5250 + a plane ticket to Italy), and they say the $1900 program at ND is a good price. The ~$2,800 program at Tulane is something they can afford, but definitely want me to look for financial aid. What are some good programs that are cheap and/or offer merit-based financial aid that I could reasonably be able to get? How difficult is it to get merit-based aid at programs like WUSTL’s, which I assume attracts a lot of high-achieving students?

Lastly, I would appreciate any information anyone has about this “Architecture School Portfolio Workshop” by Design Venturer. I personally had not heard of them or their program until earlier today when my mom saw this online and pointed it out to me. Judging by its website, this program seems to have a heavy focus on portfolio advice and preparation for students that already have art experince, but part of their program description (http://■■■■■■/5CU0bH) suggests that they might help develop students’ art skills, but it’s not clear to me how much help they can provide in this area or how good it will be. Also, I can’t find any information on how expensive this program is aside of the fact that they offer a free intro-session, so any information on cost would be helpful.

Thank you three for all of your help so far, I’ll greatly appreciate any sort of answers anyone can give to these questions, I know I have a lot, hopefully the answers can help some other people too :smiley:

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@SomeChoirGuy, I think it’s important to bear in mind that BArch admissions committees don’t expect high school students to be able to build models, draft plans or design buildings. Some do require portfolios, some do require one or two years of studio art.

The schools that require portfolios are often the same ones that emphasize the design aspect of architecture. They expect entering students to have a studio arts foundation. Portfolios do not necessarily need to include architecture at all. Admissions committees are looking for creativity, design sense and a facility with various media, especially drawing. All of this can be accomplished through a few high school art classes.

Which schools that you intend to apply to require a portfolio? I think you may have to accept that you may not be competitive for those schools no matter what you attempt to accomplish in the next 9 months. You have plenty of other choices; you don’t have to rush into a BArch.

I understand that you haven’t taken an art class so far, but I’m not sure why you’re not taking art in your senior year. That seems like the easiest solution and one that would benefit you whether you go for a BArch or a BS/BA. If that’s not possible then I would go with the summer course that you’ve already identified.

To me the most valuable aspect of architecture career programs for high school students is that they help you decide whether you are ready to make a commitment to a BArch. That they also lead to the production of portfolio appropriate work is a secondary benefit.

WUSTL’s portfolio plus appears to be geared more toward studio art and design than architecture. I’m sure you’d benefit from the experience, but I’m not sure it would get you nearer your goal of getting into an architecture program.

WUSTL’s architecture discovery program is probably much the same as programs offered by other architecture schools. As they say: “The explorations carried out in studio provide students with quality material to add to their design portfolios.”

Are you talking about financial aid for summer programs or for college, or both? You should contact the summer program admissions about financial aid. My guess is that the money would go to the applicants with the stronger portfolios, but I may be wrong.

As for undergraduate financial aid, as I’ve already explained, ask your parents to use a net price calculator to determine how much need-based aid you might receive. Architecture schools do give merit aid, but it’s difficult to predict. You need at least one financial safety.

I wanted to dislike Design Venturer but I have to admit it looked intriguing. Send them an email and ask about rates. If they won’t tell you, forget about them.

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@momrath‌ I guess I wasn’t clear when I asked about including pieces I make in a summer program in my portfolio. I understand that schools that require a portfolio don’t require or expect architectural models in the portfolio, but I would it be viewed negatively if I included some in my portfolio?

It’s a bit too late for me to take “a few high school art classes”, but I am taking a class on drawing, outside of school.

Schools I plan on applying to that require a portfolio are WashU and Rice (I know Rice is an extremely far reach, but it’s worth a try) plus a long list that I haven’t bothered narrowing down yet. There are some B.Arch programs that don’t require a portfolio, like Cal Poly, UT Austin, and Virginia tech, if I’m not mistaken.

It would be difficult for me to include an art class in my senior year schedule. The classes I currently plan on trying to take next year are:
I need something in this category (category title)
Jazz Choir
AP Economics(Econ, semester)
AP Government(Gov, semester)
AP Spanish 5
AP Calculus BC
Yearbook(practical art/Career Tech Ed)
AP Literature & Composition*(English)
AP Physics
I can only take 7 classes (14 semesters)
The classes that I could replace with an art class if I really wanted to are those without the asterisks. You can probably see why I’m hesitant to drop something for art. The only class here that I can reasonably see myself dropping to take an art class is AP Spanish 5, since I might want to learn another language (Italian, I love Italy) when I get to college anyways, but would it be reasonable/beneficial to drop Spanish class for art? The art class at my school (aside of AP studio art, which requires prior experience in art) that seems most relevant is drawing and painting, we have a drafting class but I hear they never do anything in there. Also, I’m not sure what you’re referring to when you say “the summer course that you’ve already identified”. If you’re referring to the 10 week drawing class, that isn’t a summer course. It’s a course for beginners or intermediates and it starts in April, but I believe it is recurring, so I could sign up to take it for another 10 weeks in the summer if I wanted to.

I think WUSTL’s Architecture Discovery Program (ADP) also includes drawing, at least more so than others indicate. On their website’s ADP page, under “curriculum”, it says “drawing studio, the second component of the program, engages students with the art of seeing, and teaches them to communicate through drawing as a measure of observation.”

I was talking about financial aid for summer programs, I will contact the programs individually. I’m not sure about money going to “the applicants with the stronger portfolios” since most of the programs I’ve seen don’t require a portfolio when applying to their summer program (Tulane, ND, WUSTL, and UT Austin to name a few).

I just contacted Design Venturer and asked them about their rates, I will give an update when I get a response.

Is UT Austin’s program’s age requirement strict? I will only be 16 until late August this year, but their program description says that it is “open to anyone 17 years of age or older, as of June 8, 2015”.

Again, I can’t thank you enough for all of the help you’ve given me :slight_smile:

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Design Venturer replied to my email practically instantly with a seemingly automated message that answered none of my questions. They tried to schedule an appointment for me to talk to their director/instructor, so I won’t be looking further into their program. Oh well.

Here’s my message that I sent to them:
Elos,
Your program sounds fantastic, but I have some questions. First, during the “Content Development” stage, does this focus on providing students who already have art experience with inspiration, ideas, and the like or does it focus on improving the art skills of less talented students? I have no art experience and want to know if this program is right for me. Second, this may be on your website somewhere, but I couldn’t find it, How much does your program cost? Lastly, is this portfolio program meant for prospective undergraduate students currently enrolled in high school or prospective graduate students?

Thank you!
Connor

They sent me this:
Hello Connor,

Thank you for contacting us. I would like to schedule an appointment for you to speak directly with Evangelos Limpantoudis, the director and instructor handling portfolio development workshops. He will be able to answer all your questions regarding his architecture school portfolio workshops and the architecture school admissions process in general. This is a free introductory meeting and can take place in person, over the phone, or online (whichever is more convenient for you). Would this coming Thursday, March 5, at 5:30pm work for you?. Thank you and I look forward to your response.

Best,
Suzana

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@SomeChoirGuy, I think you’re getting a bit ahead of yourself in worrying about what you should or should not include in your portfolio. At this point you haven’t even taken one art class! You may be a quick learner with natural aptitude and be able to whip together some fine work in a 10 week class (yes, that’s the one I was referring to) plus a career discovery program. Or, you may not. You’ve set a very steep curve for yourself, so have a Plan B.

I would think that WUSTL and Rice architecture school admissions would expect fairly high level portfolios. It’s good you have a back up plan of schools that don’t require portfolios. You should also look at some schools where you apply directly to the college or university instead of to the architecture school. You have a good academic record, but your portfolio at this point is an unknown.

The WUSTL BS is portfolio optional unless you’re applying for an academic scholarship. I don’t know how not submitting a portfolio would impact your chance of admissions. @Newjersey17 may be able to give you more information. Attending their ADP program may or may not help, but it couldn’t hurt.

I can’t keep repeating this: Please talk to your parents to clarify your need-based aid situation before you go further on your apply list. You may receive merit aid, but you can’t count on it. One of the UCs may be a financial safety for you, but if you don’t want big, you need an alternative.

If you’re serious about architecture I would figure out a way to fit an art class into your senior schedule. Is Spanish 5, third year or fifth year? I wouldn’t give up three years of a language, but you may not need five. Does your school require a “practical art” class? Could you substitute drawing for yearbook? Could you move Economics or Government to the second semester?

WUSTL’s ADP sounds good. I hope they offer you financial aid. I believe most of the career discovery programs follow a similar format. You should ask UT Austin about their age requirement. I agree, give Design Venturer a miss.

You seem to have a wide range of interests, so I’m curious: why have you decided that architecture is The One? As I said before, it’s not something you have to rush into. Many architects have undergraduate liberal arts degrees (in a wide range of disciplines) and get their professional training in graduate school.

You sound like the kind of kid who would flourish at a small liberal arts college. I hesitate to recommend without knowing your financial situation, but to start look at Pomona, Davidson. If you don’t mind cold weather Williams, Wesleyan, Carleton, Grinnell, Kenyon, Vassar, Hamilton.

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I found this on WUSTL’s website: http://samfoxschool.wustl.edu/admissions/undergraduate

Wash U says “For more detailed information about undergraduate admission to the Sam Fox School, including the submission of a portfolio (required for Art, optional for Architecture), please visit the admissions section of the College of Art or the College of Architecture.” So an art portfolio isn’t required for Architecture at Wash U, but if you have one definitely send it.

I think it is very smart of you to take a drawing course because it will definitely help you with your Architecture classes. I also highly recommend that you take an Art class your senior year. You then can decide later if you want to submit a portfolio or not. I’m sure you can submit your drawings from the summer career discovery program as long as it isn’t CAD (computer related). My D drew four architectural pieces by hand at ND’s career discovery and she could have submitted them but she didn’t because she already had quite a few pieces of artwork.

My D wasn’t able to take Art for two years in high school so she took a course on Saturdays and then was able to take Art in high school her Junior and Senior year. I’m really amazed how much drawing my D has to do in her studio but then again it makes sense.

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@momrath Thank you for the great information and advice :slight_smile:
I know my first order of business should be to learn art as well as I can. I doubt I’ll have any natural talent in art, but I hope I will :stuck_out_tongue: My plan B in case I can’t develop an adequate portfolio would be schools that don’t require a portfolio, with Cal Poly being both my academic and financial safety. UC Berkeley would be affordable as well, although it isn’t an academic safety.

Between economics and government, one is first semester and one is second semester (I don’t get to choose, I don’t even get to choose if I get micro or macro). Spanish 5 is fifth year, and it’s the first Spanish class that would allow me to take an AP test for Spanish, which is why I’m hesitant to drop it. My school does require a practical art, unfortunately. Otherwise, I would drop yearbook for my school’s drawing and painting class.

I would contact UT Austin and ask them about their age requirement, but I don’t see where I go to contact them if I have questions about their program.

I chose architecture because it combines a lot of my interests. My biggest interests (in no particular order) are economics, writing (not creatively)/english in general (not reading though), math, physics, singing, and soccer. I also love uniqueness and complexity. Soccer and singing are just hobbies, I don’t really want to pursue either of those. Architecture combines most (arguably all) of those other interests.

I agree that small liberal arts colleges sound appealing, but I’d hesitate to get a non-architecture related undergraduate degree both because it would take a longer time to get my degree and because I would have no idea what to major in. I guess it would be worth applying to some since I might get enough financial aid for the longer route to make sense in terms of money, but I still wouldn’t know what to choose as my major. Also, they seem difficult to get into, especially Pomona.

@newjersey17 Thank you for your helpful input :slight_smile:
Even though a portfolio isn’t necessary when applying to the school, is it much harder to get in without a portfolio? I would assume so, and if that’s the case then my stats probably aren’t up to par. If I end up with a portfolio, but it isn’t good, would sending a bad portfolio instead of not sending a portfolio hurt my chances?

I understand that schools ask for no CAD designs, I guess I wasn’t very clear. I meant to ask if submitting physical, built models (pictures of them I guess? WUSTL’s website says that “all students receive professional documentation of the work they produce in the program”, would this mean things like pictures of what I make?) made in these summer programs would be appropriate. The fact that you haven’t mentioned them makes me worry that I am misunderstanding the curriculum of these programs. Do the student build models or just make drawings? Does it depend on the program?

I found this on UT Austin’s FAQ for their program:
“What is the minimum age of students allowed into the program?
The Summer Academy is open to anyone 17 years of age or older, as of June 8, 2015, who is seriously interested in exploring architecture as a field of professional study, regardless of experience. There are no specific academic standards for this session. However, the admission process attempts to identify students who have the interest and initiative, discipline and ability to take full advantage of the program. All minor-age students must also submit the parental/guardian statement of consent acknowledging the program policies regarding the supervision and personal liability of minor-age students. That being said, we consider students on a case by case basis if they are entering their senior year in highschool.” I think this means I can apply even though I won’t be 17 until after their program, since I will be entering my senior year of high school.

This is a random paragraph, I don’t know why I included it:
I wish I knew earlier that making an art portfolio would become a problem for me. I’ve always been interested in art, but pushed it to the side to make room for what I considered at the time to be more important things. If I had known this would become an issue for me, I would have taken an art class this year instead of AP Statistics and AP Calculus AB, oh well.

16

@OneChoirBoy, You’re only 16. There’s no reason for you to feel pressured to choose your life’s work or even your college major at this point in your life.

A lot of young people feel they have to zoom in on a specific career label as early as possible – e.g., doctor, lawyer, architect – whereas in fact the world of work is far more nuanced and far reaching. What’s important is to use your undergraduate years to explore different disciplines, learn to think analytically, communicate effectively. The more you learn and know about the world, art, design, history will just make you a better architect.

My advice is slow down! Try to attend the most academically rigorous college that fits your learning style and that you can afford. Apply to some super reach schools (as long as you can afford them) like Pomona and UCB, even if they don’t offer an architecture major. The difference between a 2.0 and 3.0 year MArch isn’t as significant as you might think, plus unless you continue from a BS to an MArch at the same school that 2.0 years often expands into 2.5 to 3.0.

I like that Yale posts the backgrounds of students in their MArch programs. Some have taken a direct route, some have achieved the same end through a round about process. There’s no right way to get there except what’s right for you.
http://architecture.yale.edu/people/enrolled-students

PS, You can write to UT with your question about the summer academy at this address
academy@austin.utexas.edu

PPS, You need 5 years of Spanish in order to take the AP exam? That doesn’t sound right. It is important, however, that you are able to test out of college level language, so look into each college’s requirements. I’d talk to a counselor about swapping yearbook for art studio. In the case of architecture drawing is practical/vocational.

17

@momrath I’m SomeChoirGuy, not OneChoirBoy :stuck_out_tongue:

I’ll look into non-architecture programs, academically rigorous LACs sound great. I’ll also look for some super reach schools like Pomona and UCB, maybe even Brown if I can get my scores up (I know it goes against my weather requirement, I’ve just always been semi-interested in Rhode Island for no particular reason. Maybe because it’s small and I like small things).

The varying backgrounds of students admitted to Yale is reassuring. It even varies in terms of time between degrees, which I find to be very pleasing since it shows how many options there are. Could an architectural internship be completed between the undergraduate and graduate degree, even without an undergraduate degree in architecture? That seems like a good option since it could give experience while helping pay for grad school (I know I shouldn’t be worrying about grad school right now, it’s just a thought that came to mind).

Yes, I do need 5 years of Spanish at my school in order to get to the lowest level of Spanish deemed to be AP (at which point you can choose Spanish Language or Spanish Literature, of which I choose Spanish Language without a second consideration). Maybe my school is just exceptionally slow. I’ve always felt like my Spanish classes were slow. I could not take an art studio class at my school next year; the only art studio class offered at my school is AP Studio Art, which I can’t get into without prior experience. The most applicable class I could take is called “Drawing and Painting”. Would that class at my high school be better than a drawing class at an adult school (offered at beginner levels through advanced levels, depending on how quickly I progress I guess. It’s not free, but it’s cheap enough to ignore the price)? The “adult school”, which doesn’t really have to be for adults, and my local art center also offer various art classes like painting, watercolor, etc. These classes are short/low-stress enough to where I could take several of them throughout my senior year.

Oops, I typed this last night and forgot to hit post :stuck_out_tongue:

18

Sorry to have chosen the wrong ChoirBoy!

I’d suggest you plunge into a drawing course either at the adult school or art center right away. Proficiency at drawing is the same as learning to play an instrument. Even if you have talent it takes a while.

I’d still in be in favor of taking your high school’s drawing & painting course senior year. It will provide a structure, an official grade that appears on your transcript, an opportunity to build a portfolio under academic supervision and hopefully a supplemental reference from an instructor. At this point, if you can’t get a waiver on the practical art requirement, it looks like Jazz Choir is your only other option to cut. Could you still participate outside of the class?

I don’t think you need 5 years of Spanish to get into college, even at the most selective, but you have to check each individual college’s requirements once you matriculate. Some colleges have no language requirement. For those that do, you either want to place out or test out. The rules vary widely. You may want to continue Spanish or try Italian in college but you don’t want to have to take a language, especially if you’re in an architecture program.

Yes, the diversity in Yale’s MArchI program is interesting --not only the gender, racial, life experience and economic diversity that we see in undergraduate admissions, but also diversity in age, experience and educational background.

It’s quite common for students to take some time off between undergraduate and graduate schools to gain real life architecture experience. There are plenty of non-architect entry level positions at architecture firms that are available just for that purpose. I wouldn’t call them internships (which is an official designation for unlicensed BArch and MArchs) but many people with BAs or BSs work in architecture firms. The key is make connections and to have summer internships during your undergraduate years.

Brown is a good destination for art and art history and they do have an architecture major. Same generally goes for other peer universities like Yale and Princeton. These are extremely selective schools, but it’s okay to have a few reaches as long as you also have safeties.

I’m a great fan of small liberal arts colleges and I think it’s a category you should investigate. Of the schools that I listed Williams, Wesleyan, Hamilton, Vassar, Kenyon have particularly good art and art history programs. I would highlight Williams and Wesleyan as also having good music performance opportunities for non-majors. In other words, your choir participation would be a plus.

Again (and again) before you can consider ANY private school you need to understand your family’s financial situation. Most selective colleges in the Northeast do not offer merit aid, period. Their need-based financial aid can be quite generous, but only if you qualify for it. Find out!

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@momrath Thank you :slight_smile:

Would the first part of a high school first-year drawing course really be enough to make a significant difference in the portfolio? I understand that the art skills it would help with are useful for a major in architecture regardless of weather or not it helps with portfolio, I’m just curious because you mentioned it as “an opportunity to build a portfolio under academic supervision and hopefully a supplemental reference from an instructor”. I don’t think the instructor and I would become well acquainted in the first part of the year, not enough to ask for a letter of recommendation. My school starts in the last week of August. Also, I don’t think having the grade on my transcript would matter very much since it’s senior year and I plan to apply ED to as many non-binding schools where I find I’m interested in going. I’m fairly certain I couldn’t participate in Jazz Choir outside of class, we do most of our music learning and choreography in class.

I’ll think about switching out Spanish for Drawing and Painting.

Which schools should I consider that would be safety schools for me? I already have Cal Poly as an option, but I’m not super far above their averages, just a little so I’m wondering what I could also consider as a safety school?

Someone who was a senior last year in Jazz Choir went to Williams. He really wanted to go to Harvard, but he’s probably happy at Williams. He’s a lot smarter than I am, though. Kenyon sounds cool. Stats-wise, it seems within my reach and it offers lots of majors I like (economics, math, english, music, sociology). It even offers minors/classes in architectural history and Italian. Kenyon was the only one I looked up tonight since it’s getting pretty late for me, but I’ll be sure to research the other ones too, thank you for your suggestions :smiley:

Also, just a general question: How feasible is it to own a dog while going to college? I love dogs, my family has had 7 since I was born, even 4 at a time when I was young, 2 now :slight_smile:

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Among your options – a summer exploration program, an adult or art center course, or a regular high school course – I think the latter gives you the best chance of producing portfolio level work. A combination of two or three would be even better. Honestly, I don’t know that you’ll be able to pull together a strong portfolio in the time available under any circumstances, but you will benefit from the training.

Don’t switch out of Spanish unless you are confident that you will be able to place out or test out of your prospective colleges language requirements. Do some research on this before you make this decision. Do you have a counselor who can help you?

In order to put together a list of matches and safeties, we would need to know your scores, rank and your financial situation. For example Kenyon does offer merit aid; Williams does not. I don’t know the acceptance rate at Cal Poly architecture, but I would doubt that you could consider it a safety. Remember too, a safety has to be one that you actually want to go to (and can afford) so if you don’t want big, you may have to look outside of the state system.

We are a dog loving family too but having a dog on campus isn’t a good idea. Many professors “share” access to their animals, though.