<p>I recently learned that i've been rejected from the arch program at UCLA =(
but does anyone know if it was because of a weak portfolio or weak GPA? or Both?
I kind of messed up in the beginning of school cause i didnt really know what i wanted to do in life, and after a while i found a passion for architecture, so I raised my GPA and what i go was 3.0...lol
But i really want to know whether it was a problem with my portfolio or grades, cuz if it was the portfolio i would need to make it stronger etc and find what i did wrong
Not much i could really do with my GPA since i really did bad in my previous years...before i wanted to do architecture of course =)</p>
<p>ADMITTED: NO
GPA: 3.0
CURRENT SCHOOL: Fullerton College
EXTRA CREDITS: Architecture Club member
PORTFOLIO PICTURES (criteria: 3 pics of Creative work)
[url=<a href="http://threetwelve.deviantart.com/art/scribbles-113151899%5Dscribbles">http://threetwelve.deviantart.com/art/scribbles-113151899]scribbles</a> by *ThreeTwelve on deviantART<a href="ink,%20photoshop">/url</a>
[url=<a href="http://threetwelve.deviantart.com/art/arch-design-113151537%5Darch">http://threetwelve.deviantart.com/art/arch-design-113151537]arch</a> design by *ThreeTwelve on deviantART<a href="photoshop">/url</a>
[url=<a href="http://threetwelve.deviantart.com/art/hand-120452170%5Dhand">http://threetwelve.deviantart.com/art/hand-120452170]hand</a> by *ThreeTwelve on deviantART<a href="legos">/url</a>
IGETC/TAP: IGETC, Honors Program (would be TAP certified, but GPA was too low)</p>
<p>I'm planning on APEALING!!! so please help me out =D</p>
<p>you know you could have just asked this in the other architecture thread you posted in…</p>
<p>heres my personal statement:
Ever since I was little I have been fascinated with being able to make things. I played with Lego, mud, sand, and anything I could find to make myself buildings, cities, robots, monsters etc. I even picked up origami and borrowed anything I can find about origami from the library. People often commented on me being creative and imaginative and encouraged me. But as I grew older and began to think about what kind of profession I should pursue, I began drifting away from creativity and began listening to the pressure from my family. Coming from a typical Korean family, I’ve been always taught that studying hard in school will solve every problem in life. But soon I found myself frustrated and more distant from education as I grew up. I grew distant towards education and soon I was being forced to go to college by my mother. For at least a year I couldn’t decide my major because I couldn’t find a profession that I would enjoy myself doing for the rest of my life. I was about to give up school and just go into military service until I had a chance to talk to my Architect uncle from Korea. He was visiting the US with his family and I got a chance to talk about his job. This to me was the turning point of my life. I was at the point where I had lost hope in finding a major that I would be passionate about and fulfilling. I was imagining myself having a depressed life, working everyday just to survive than to work because I loved to do what I do. My uncle sparked my interest in the Architecture field and right away I started to take classes from Fullerton College. I took a beginning studio class and worked on a project designing a house. I was always insincere and indifferent with everything in my life until I began designing the house. I became so engaged that I was having dreams of new designs and different ways to make my house. The process of designing the house was so enjoyable that I made another house on my spare time. Being able to use my creativity to make something useful and attractive for others gave me great satisfaction. I felt even more satisfied when I had an overwhelmingly great critique from the advanced class students. Architecture tapped into my creative instinct and imagination that I had set aside since I was a child and being able to express myself in this way was so enjoyable and satisfying that it literally changed my life. </p>
<p>I looked to my past to figure out why I was indifferent to my life. When I was seven years old my mentally unstable father, who was a Pastor for a quite large church, beat my mother. My mother took me and my sister and ran away to Korea without even packing our belongings. We literally started off a new life in Korea. My mother was never home due to her job. I had no idea how to speak Korean, and I was going to have to make new friends. My father tracked us down after three years and we had to run away again back to America. Since then my life in America has been stable but I lost someone to look up to. My mother was so busy that our relationship was beginning to fade. I began mingling with drug addict friends and law breakers. My school grades were plummeting to a point that I was on academic probation. I was going to quit school altogether and felt frustrated with my life. I was frustrated with what happened in my life, frustrated that I did not know what I wanted to do with my life, and frustrated that I was living a life with no purpose. I volunteered to my community often because I love kids and innately I wanted to feel needed and purposeful but even then I found no satisfaction of being myself. Then my uncle from Korea came to the US for a trip and introduced me to Architecture. As I got into the process of designing buildings I felt all my frustration and energy being focused into my work. I enjoyed making new designs and coming up with different ideas and as I found myself being good at it I began to love it. With Architecture I found myself as a person, doing what I have been searching for my whole life. Since then I have found a purpose in my life and now I am accomplishing little goals one at a time. My grades have been improving and I believe it is proof to my potential and ability to bring myself together once again. Although I had many false starts and a rough beginning, I believe it is never too late for me to accomplish my dream of being an Architect. Although I had no spectacular experiences or resume, I believe it’s not too late for me to start making them. I have been through some seriously rough situations but in the end I have overcome them. I survived and persevered through the worst and when I was given the opportunity to start again I grabbed it. Becoming an architect is actually the first genuine goal that I have ever had in my life, and I plan to see it accomplished. By taking these art classes and architecture studio classes I have rediscovered my creativity and imagination. Designing creative solutions to problems and creating things that have never been made before sparked my interest to a level that I had never thought possible. Finding this method of expression was like the perfect cure to my indifferent attitude and frustration toward my own life. I have been taking the initiative to join clubs, enter the honors society, make friends, and improve my grades. I am shaping my life and taking charge of my own life, and now I want to take the next step towards accomplishing my goal of becoming an architect.</p>
<p>and heres my essay for why i chose my major:
When I learned more about architecture I realized that this profession is exactly what I want in life. I have always wanted to do something I love, and because I love to build, design, and make things, finding architecture brought new opportunities into my life. It was not easy to get to this point, but with this goal set in my mind I have persevered through rough times and I have accomplished little goals diligently one after another. Now, I am entering into a new phase for my future and I hope to fulfill it in UCLA. Ever since I was a child, UCLA was my dream school. I love the campus, the city, and the many things the school has to offer. But most importantly I want to join the architecture program in UCLA because of my goals for my future career. I plan to graduate from UCLA with a B.A. in Architectural studies to have a broad knowledge of architecture, while finding a focus in what aspect I want to pursue in the expansive architectural field.
I chose UCLA as my primary choice of school because I feel that studying architecture in a broad sense in terms of design, concepts, history, and also urban design would be greatly beneficial for me in the future. I also believe studying at UCLA will give me the opportunity to build a firm foundation and focus my interest in what aspect of architecture I want to pursue. I also want to study in Los Angeles because of its eclectic source of architecture and architects. Ranging from normal residential houses to the Disney Concert Hall, I believe the architecture in Los Angeles has a diverse source of architecture that can inspire me.
Studying at UCLA would give me the opportunity to stretch even further and give me the solid foundation that I will need. I plan to study more for an M.Arch and I believe the best route for me would be through UCLA. Because UCLA offers the environment and education that I do not want to miss, I am grabbing onto this opportunity to study at UCLA and become even closer in fulfilling my dream as an architect.</p>
<p>did you get this proofread? There are numerous grammatical errors.</p>
<p>yea i went to the transfer center and such to proof read it o_O</p>
<p>heres an example:
I even picked up origami and borrowed anything I can find about origami from the library.</p>
<p>it should be could not can</p>
<p>-_- i guess the people proof reading my essay were tired or something…ah i should have found this site a lot earlier =(</p>
<p>are you planning to reapply? have you gotten into any other architecture programs? I’d strong recommend that you reapply with stronger grades and stronger essays. I had my essay proofread by some people on the forum and i found their comments to be helpful.</p>
<p>thennn they should be fired. also, you really shouldn’t spend that much time saying how you discovered architecture, unless it’s unusual and interesting. Plus, i’m really interested in reading what people wrote in order to get into the program. <– don’t repeat words so close together and avoid them overall…interested/interesting, read, wrote.</p>
<p>I got accepted to UCSD, but i REALLY wanted to go to UCLA
so i am planning on appealing but if they still reject me im going to plan B
which is to graduate from UCSD in urban planning or Art and then go to grad school at the UCLA MArch program</p>
<p>i wouldn’t waste my time appealing unless there is something SIGNIFICANT that you didn’t put in the original application.</p>
<p>really?
=/ do you know of any success stories from those who appealed?</p>
<p>only one and it was because UCLA accidentally labeled the person as an international student when they were a california resident. looking at your stats, your application was just not strong enough this year. There is nothing that truly sets you apart from the other applicants.</p>
<p>haha dude you’re posting in so many threads i can’t keep track of your *ss.</p>
<p>I think the reason why you didnt get in boils down to a few factors…</p>
<ol>
<li><p>the essay…its verrrry cliche…they hear that all day. They wanted something original and unique, something other than as long as I’ve been able to pick things up I’ve loved legos. An arch admit counselor(at sciarc) once warned me NEVER to write that because they are utterly sick of hear it.</p></li>
<li><p>GPA…you bareeeeeely made the cut off</p></li>
</ol>
<p>3.prereqs…do you have arch history completed?</p>
<p>i never thought about how cliche it would seem…
darn i wish i had talked to actual councelors who had an actual idea about architecture programs and such
my school provides a arch history class and i finished that last semester</p>