I am now accepted by both Umich and RISD. I know these two school are like two different styles. I really love Umich as a whole but since it only has a 4 years pre-profession program, I want to know how good is the program? Is it worth for me giving up RISD. Though I know RISD is a really good art school, I am not really an typical art student. I love drawing but fine art really isn’t my thing. I 've heard that the atmosphere in RISD is really really artistic and I don’t know whether it is too much for an arch student. However, the architecture program there is really good.
Overall, I want to study in a school with strong academic atmosphere both in archietcture and other fields.
BTW, tuition is currently not one of my concerns and I am willing to go to grad school if necessary.
Right now, I am trying to choose the school that best fits me, so your response will be really helpful!!!
Congrats! Personally I would pick Michigan especially if “art isn’t your thing”. Here are some reasons why: RISD is a design school. If you end up changing majors you’d probably would have to transfer out which is a pain and you may lose credits transferring. So it’s a could be costly path. Michigan would offer other majors such as engineering and business in case you decide to change majors. Architecture has a high drop out rate.
Also a 5 year BArch is a bachelors degree. It’s hard to find a one year Masters program after a BArch. So you’ll end up taking at a minimum 5+2 or 7 years instead of 4+2 or 6 years if you went to UMichigan. However you don’t have to get a masters with a BArch to become a licensed Architect. I just was browsing for Architecture jobs and it seems they want Masters in Architecture. Not sure why that is?
Another thing to consider is the 5 year BArch is a brutal program. It is compressed or an accelerated program where you have to take many 18-19 credits a semester. My D couldn’t do that if she tried. She says the studio course should have been her only class for the semester! Her professors tell her she has to spend at least 8 hours a day in studio. It’s really tough.
Take a look at the graduate ranking: http://■■■■■■■/r8ud6x. As you can see Michigan is a top 10 university for Architecture. They have a great program! The graduate list includes all universities that offer grad Architecture but the undergraduate list only shows the universities that offer a 5 year BArch. So the undergrad list is not complete because it’s missing outstanding universities that offer BA/BS in Architecture. However you can use the grad list to find them.
However you should definitely pick the college that fits you. They say happy students are successful students! So pick the school that fits you best. You cannot go wrong with either one. They are both ranked highly.
@yan19980514, I think you’ve answered your own question. If you want to attend a university which offers a full range of academic opportunities, then UMich is a better choice for you.
In addition to offering fine art degrees, RISD’s focus is on design, a loose category that certainly encompasses architecture. Aside from a somewhat different balance in the architecture curriculum between design and structures, you would also experience a different balance in the student body. At RISD all of your classmates would be involved in some aspect of art/design; at UMich they would be studying everything in the universe. One isn’t better than the other; just different.
The RISD BArch is 5.0 years. The UMich BS+MArch is 6.0 years if you do both at UMich. You would also have the option of getting your MArch at another architecture school. In the scheme of things 5.0 or 6.0 years isn’t especially significant, especially if cost is not a major consideration for you.
@momrath @newjersey17 Thanks for all your responses!! They are really helpful. I would probably choose Michigan!