<p>My girlfriend has been extremely stressed lately over college admissions to architecture programs. She decided she wanted to go into architecture a little late in the process (towards the end of junior year) but in the summer between junior year she went to an architecture class at NYIT and passed with extremely high marks. </p>
<p>She is an extremely competitive applicant to most schools on paper (Hispanic, 98 GPA at one of the top 10 schools in New York State, her essays are very strong) but she is really worried about her portfolio. She keeps telling me how worried she is because she is going up against people who have been focused on architecture for years, and I do see her point. </p>
<p>Her portfolio should be pretty strong (I haven't seen the whole thing) but I do know she has some great work in there: her photography is very very good, and she has some architecture figures/sculptures that she worked on in the summer which the NYIT professor told her was great. What I think is weakest is her pencil on paper drawings, which could definitely be stronger. </p>
<p>I keep telling her that her stellar work in math and sciences as well as her great multimedia work will show schools that she has the drive to work hard and that though she may not have been working at architecture for years, she has the potential to go far. I'm hoping this is true, but I'm not sure if this is wishful thinking on my part. One of the schools she visited (Pratt) said that they will admit a student with great grades who doesn't necessarily have an amazing portfolio because they can teach you how to draw, but they can't teach work ethic. </p>
<p>tl;dr: can someone who only recently decided they want to do architecture but clearly has the drive to succeed at what they put their mind to be admitted to great architecture schools?</p>
<p>Yes. Many B.Arch schools are understanding that most people haven’t taken art in highschool and put together portfolios by themselves. They mainly look for creative thinking and exploration when reviewing portfolios, and also look at the applicant as a whole (essays, grades, extracurriculars etc.)</p>
<p>I currently attend Syracuse University, does your GF plan on applying there? With her grades it sounds like she would be a strong applicant, and if she has a good enough portfolio she would probably get in.</p>
<p>Yes, she’s actually very interested in Syracuse and would love to go there. Her other top pick is Cornell, but we all know how hard it is to go there. Do you like it there?</p>
<p>Yes I love it! It’s a great school and one of the best programs. So is Cornell, but it’s harder to get in. Has she visited either?</p>
<p>We have both visited Cornell and Syracuse and both really loved the campuses. She and I both like the college town at Syracuse more than Cornell hehe. I’m glad you like the school! I really hope she gets into one of the two because she has enormous potential - she just hasn’t been working at architecture as long as some other applicants.</p>
<p>Actually, you would be really surprised about how much ‘architecture’ experience people have coming in. There are some people who have done drafting before and summer programs, but that isn’t the majority. There are people like your GF who recently decided architecture and put together a portfolio in the time they had (and some of them also didn’t take art either). </p>
<p>Best luck to you and your GF with your college decisions, if she ever has questions about Syracuse feel free to message me!</p>
<p>Thank you so much for your help! I definitely will.</p>
<p>@Mysticalkites</p>
<p>Hello, I do not have enough posts to pm yet, but as a current student what suggestions do you have for preparing for freshman year? I have done some stuff but do you have any specific tips? thanks!</p>
<p>@Jcwebster</p>
<p>Congrats once again for getting into Syracuse and becoming apart of the Class of 2019. Things I would recommend going into your first year would be:</p>
<p>-Draw and sketch everyday. What you sketch doesn’t even have to be architecture, it can be anything. As a designer, it’s important to be able to develop a visual language to communicate your ideas. </p>
<p>-If you’re in AP classes or if it’s not to late to sign up for dual-credit classes take them. If you can get out of general university requirements like English and Calculus, your life would become so much easier. </p>
<p>-One thing I was surprised coming into Syracuse this year was how computer driven it was. Usually at SU they don’t begin to use computers until 2nd year, however they made freshman use programs like Rhino, CAD, and Adobe Suite first semester. If you can, take digital drafting classes now or learn in your own free time so your transition will be easier. </p>
<p>Also: I have no idea what they plan on doing with your incoming class, they may decide they’re going to go back to keeping first year hand-drafting, but like I said if you can begin to learn now.</p>
<p>-Another thing would be to take a look at these resources, they have recommended books/films/journals you may want to check out.
<a href=“http://soa.syr.edu///files/00/00/00/00/2257.pdf[/url]”>http://soa.syr.edu///files/00/00/00/00/2257.pdf</a></p>
<p>If you have any other questions feel free to ask!</p>