Summer Architecture Programs

College Majors Architecture Major
1

Can anyone recommend a summer architecture program to me and/or comment on the quality of the programs I’m looking at? I am currently looking at:

UC Berkeley embARC (also, why is this so much more expensive than the others?)
http://ced.berkeley.edu/academics/summer-programs/embarc-design-academy/

Cal Poly Summer Career Workshop
http://architecture.calpoly.edu/about/summer-career

UT Austin Summer Academy
http://soa.utexas.edu/apply/summer-academy-architecture

Tulane U. Career Explorations in Architecture
http://architecture.tulane.edu/outreach/career-explorations

CIAO! Summer High School Architecture Program
http://www.ciao-cfsu.org/
-I am especially interested in what anyone may know about this program. All of the others are associated with architecture schools which I recognize but this is in Italy (which I believe is AMAZING), so I don’t know much about it other than the bit of information on the website.

Also, are these programs/programs like these selective in their admissions process? Would what I do in these programs give me enough pieces for a portfolio or enough experience/knowledge to be able to make a good portfolio, given that I have no experience whatsoever in art or architecture?

2

My D attended ND’s summer architecture discovery program and she loved it. It was the shortest one she could find and she said it was long enough! It really helped her decide up front if Architecture was for her which in turn made it easier on the college process. Tulane, Wash U and UT Austin are all great too. I don’t know anything about the others but I’m sure they are fine too!