Summer Programs

<p>As you can tell from my screen name, my last kid to go through the admission process is an aspiring actress. Next up, my Junior son who wants to become an architect. Any suggestions how he should spend the summer between junior and senior year? I am well aware of the numerous six week programs at some very good schools. They seem quite intense, and we are debating whether one of these programs are worth the effort and expense.</p>

<p>Summer programs provide two important exposures: one is for the student to see and experience the craft of architecture; while the second, although the schools refuse to admit it, is for the school to observe and possibly evaluate prospective students. Sorry for being so cynical but why else would they be holding these programs other than to recruit students? So pick wisely.</p>

<p>Summer programs are good money earners.</p>

<p>I did Career Discovery at Harvard when I was 16 and had a blast! </p>

<p>And, got some 'total immersion' in arch'l study to boot :)</p>

<p>Even better, Harvard paid for it.</p>

<p>USC has an "Exploration of Architecture" and SCI-Arc has the "Making and Meaning" program if you're interested in the LA area schools.</p>

<p>i did RISD pre-college last year as a drawing major and am doing it this year as an architecture major. its really intense program, you have class 9-4 four days a week with art history on the other day. its /a lot/ of work but it was an extremely worth-while experience in my opinion. from other summer programs i heard about through friends (usually normal academics) they were a complete waste of time and money. its a 6 week residential program, and you basically live the college life. i had a blast and learned a lot.</p>

<p>^^^ yep..if nothing else, the summer programs prepare students for the kind of hours they're going to be putting in!</p>

<p>thespian dad...I had to do a double take when I noticed you posting on THIS forum (having seen you on the theater forums, LOL). We have something in common....a kid in theater and another kid in architecture....though mine are in reverse order to yours. </p>

<p>I can't tell if your son is thinking of entering a five year BArch or an architecture BA major (so called 4+2 path). If he is looking to apply to a BArch program which involves a committment, it may be a good idea for him to do an immersion program to explore if this is truly the path and type of program that he enjoys. I can't say without knowing what he has already done. But an in depth exploration would be important to discover prior to making a committment to a degree program such as a BArch involves. Also, depending on his experiences to date, if he hasn't done that much with architecture, it might be beneficial to do a preparatory program as well as create pieces for his portfolio. My answer would be different if he has been able to explore the field a bunch in other ways already.</p>

<p>However, if your son is preparing to enter a BA program, I don't truly think he NEEDS to do a pre-college architecture summer program unless it just is something he wants to do to explore this area further. It would be a good experience for him, but not a necessary one. </p>

<p>I have a daughter who is pursuing architecture as well, but is in a BA program with plans to do a MArch program. She is currently a junior in college. In high school, she was not ready to firmly commit to this field, nor wanted a specialized undergraduate degree and the kind of program that entails. She had some direction with architecture at that point, however, and did try to explore it further. But she didn't have to commit yet. She never contemplated a summer arch program in HS. She did an independent study in junior year involving arch skills. But the summer between junior and senior year, she did a travel program to Europe for competitive tennis players, something she really wanted to do (very into travel and other cultures, and is also a competitive tennis player). But when she got home from that program, she spent the rest of summer doing an internship in a local architect's office. She contacted several architects about interning and chose one. It was a great experience and allowed her to do some real hands-on architecture work, plus explore the field first hand. </p>

<p>Marsden, my daughter did Career Discovery at Harvard as well, but after her freshman year of college. She loved it. Which summer were you there? She went in 2005.</p>

<p>Ryan, my daughter attends Brown and she has taken some arch courses at RISD and liked them a lot. My other daughter's local friend who she went to school with did RISD summer program last year too and I think it may have been in drawing! He is now a frosh at RISD (NOT in architecture). His initials are R.B. Maybe you were classmates.</p>

<p>Susan,
It was my daughter's experience that makes me wonder about the summer programs for my son. I think she would have been better prepared, and a better candidate for the MT programs she auditioned for, if she had attended a summer program. And she would have loved it. But the summer programs in Architecture are a whole different animal. While my daughter could sing and dance all day and all night, my son would consider a summer at one of these programs a summer of toil. And quite honestly, if you read about most of the programs, he's right. I know that college architecure students work endlessly, but is it necessary to give up a summer of high school just to see if you can stand the heat? He works very hard at a very competitive school all year long, and I think he might well benifit from decompression over the summer.</p>

<p>And this all may become moot. He and I read the description of Architectual Engineering elsewhere on this thread, and this may be the better option for him. </p>

<p>The search begins again, I'm glad my third is only 12!!!</p>

<p>I definately understand where you're coming from thespian. I work pretty hard in all year long and I too look to decompress all summer long. I think he if finds a summer program that he really loves, it's worth doing. If he has a passion for it, it doesnt seem like work. I had countless all nighters and a pretty rediculous work-load a lot of the time, but we still found time to go out to dinner, the mall, the movies, everything you do in a normal summer. The only differences were a) you were on you're own and being treated like an adult, b) you're basically living the college life and taking classes, and c) I learned way more and had way more fun than I ever could have staying at home all summer. </p>

<p>I mean, these programs are a one shot deal. If you try it and don't like it, you certainly didnt waste your summer. You took a positive step in planning your future. I'll admit, I could've gone to football camps and whatever, but I chose to take another step in finding what I love. So yes, it was a lot of work, but it wasnt as stressful as you would think. I loved every minute of my experience and I think it made me into a more mature and aware individual. </p>

<p>I dont know how much any of this helps, but if you're son really wants to experience something new and get away from the same old-same old, I think summer programs can be an excellent experience if you choose the right one.</p>

<p>i attended Cornell's summer architecture program and highly recommend it for anyone looking at architecture because it is very similar to the typical architecture education experience. I also learned a lot in the program and was well prepared for design studio in college. </p>

<p>Attending a summer architecture program that is modeled off of the real thing is important because many people have a wrong idea of what studying architecture is really like. Also, some may not enjoy the lifestyle of being an architecture student. At Cornell summer program, I spent many many nights in studio. </p>

<p>Schools are also more willing to accept students with summer college experience because they know that these students know what is like, and are wanting to further their education. A lot of the people in my studio have had previous work experience and summer college experience. </p>

<p>The architecture student lifestyle is NOT for everyone...it takes a lot of passion and dedication to be in the major. However, if you really enjoy it and have a passion for what you're doing, it's probably more rewarding than anything else. it won't feel like work...for a while at least. then it's just a matter of patience and dedication.</p>

<p>thespian...I totally hear you. That is why I was asking you your son's college intentions. If he is seeking a five year BArch degree program, a summer program would give him a first hand account of what that is like before he commits, as well as some preparation such as portfolio pieces, etc., though again, I don't know what he has already done and he may not need this immersion and he may already be ready to commit. </p>

<p>However, if your son is going the route that my D has gone, to a BA in architecture with plans to do a MArch, I don't see a need for your son to do an arch immersion program this summer unless he truly WANTS to. My daughter spent every summer doing programs she wanted to do growing up and they had NOTHING to do with her eventual college major and they were NOT academic in nature AT ALL. She did do the Harvard Arch program one summer IN college to solidify her exploration and experience and desire to commit to this field. She did not do that in high school and had no plans to commit for certain to her major at age 17 even though she had some direction and inclination to go into architecture at that point already. She is in college and fully committed NOW. The summer at Harvard Graduate School of Design was akin to what an intense arch college program is like in architecture. She saw it, she experienced it, she loved it, etc. It wasn't a relaxing type summer as you say. But she was in college at that point. She even funded it herself. She then came home for a month and worked at a job teaching tennis to kids at a resort. But her summers in high school were not spent in those sorts of programs. She did four summers at a performing arts program. She did one summer at a travel program throughout the US, Western Canada and Hawaii and another in a travel combined with competitive tennis program in Europe (though fit in a short architecture internship for the remainder of summer locally that year). So, no, she did not spend her summers in academic or arch programs in high school. But she also did not enter a BArch degree program. That is why I was asking your son's plans. My D did not want to commit at 17 and did not want to spend her undergraduate years on a narrow focus in that sort of specialized program. She is doing a lot of architecture in college and just did a semester abroad in architecture, but she ALSO is studying other subjects she enjoys. Perhaps your son might want to take this path...a BA in architecture with plans to pursue an MArch. </p>

<p>If you do look into architectural engineering, my D looked at and applied and was admitted to Tufts which has both Architectural Studies AND Architectural Engineering and you can do both there...major in one, minor in the other. Just thought I would put it out there to you.</p>

<p>By the way, my D who went onto an intensive BFA program in Musical Theater did spend 8 summers at a theater intensive (not an academic or college based one), but as you can see, that dovetailed to a kid ready to commit to her singular passion in an intensive BFA program for college. For someone going onto a BA in theater in college, they may not have done much in terms of theater intensives in summer and been just fine. Sorta the same thing with BA and BArch bound students in this regard.</p>

<p>is there any good summer programs for architecture in california that you can recommend anyone?</p>

<p>Summer programs are good introductory courses, but they're not too detailed. It's more of a fun thing to do over the summer then an educational one in my experience. They also cost $$, but if you go to the right school and put in some effort you can get a nice looking model for your portfolio/have a nice bullet on your application saying youve compelted the program.</p>

<p>Ive compelted two architecture summer programs at Catholic Univ. in D.C. and the other at UPenn. They were pretty similar; we did the same thing at both programs.</p>

<p>cand1licious- there is the Exploration of Architecture at USC and Making & Meaning at SCI_Arc. I don't think either lasts the whole summer, just a few weeks, so you wouldn't be giving your whole summer up to it either. = )</p>