US M. Arch suggestions

College Majors Architecture Major
1

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I am a senior undergraduate architecture student in Fribourg, Switzerland. I would be interested in applying for a Master of Architecture (accredited programs) at some US schools, but I wonder about how tough it really is to get in.</p>

<p>I will earn a professional Bachelor of Arts in Architecture (1 year internship, 3 year studies) and I believe I have a strong level based on my knowledge of work and study in Switzerland, but I am not sure how different it is in US.
My GPA is not very high for US standards (3.0) but in Switzerland universities is almost impossible to get perfect grades and inflation grade does not exist.</p>

<p>For the moment I made a list of some schools that I am interested and I wonder if it is a realistic one to apply for:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>UC Berkeley</p></li>
<li><p>PennDesign</p></li>
<li><p>Princeton</p></li>
<li><p>University of Texas at Austin</p></li>
<li><p>Iowa State</p></li>
<li><p>IIT Chicago</p></li>
<li><p>Portland State</p></li>
</ul>

<p>I will have three letters of recommendation: one design professor, one history professor, one architect at a firm where I worked. And I am now starting to prepare a portfolio for the application. I will take GRE and TOEFL tests at end of August.
I have some of my work online if somebody wants to take the time to evaluate me:
<a href="http://www.paolorlando.com"&gt;www.paolorlando.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>I will really appreciate any advice or tips about the application process !</p>

<p>Thank you !</p>

2

<p>I’m not in a position to evaluate your portfolio, but I will give you a few comments
3.0 year MArch programs are expensive. Be sure you are covered financially. Grants and teaching assistantships may be available, but don’t count them. If money is an issue consider some of the schools that offer co-op work study programs like Northeastern and Cincinnati.</p>

<p>Your list appears to be equal parts Ivy League, well known big State Universities, less well known State Universities, and one tech focused school. It’s good to have a balanced list of reach/match/safety, but your geographic and cultural range seems a bit far flung. Do you have a good sense of the different approaches and philosophies of these schools?</p>

<p>Researching architecture schools from afar is difficult. Perhaps your current university could give you some direction: What other US schools have other students attended? How do their credentials compare to yours? Do any of your professors have US experience, either as graduates of US universities or working for US firms?</p>

<p>Do you intend to practice architecture in the US or to return to Europe. Either way, name recognition of the school and firms that you intern with will be an important factor in getting hired. </p>

<p>I’m not aware of published acceptance rates to MArch schools so it’s difficult to predict your chances. Princeton and Penn accept relatively few students each year, so they are extremely selective. The portfolio is the most important consideration in admissions. GPA, recommendations, the reputation of your undergraduate school, work experience, life experience and diversity all factor into admissions decisions, to varying degrees. </p>

<p>Some others that are (I believe) mid-level in selectivity, but still excellent programs are Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL), Tulane, Auburn, University of Michigan, Cincinnati, Northeastern, Kansas State.</p>

<p>Working for a year or two in architecture before going for the MArch can be a good strategy as it deepens your experience and widens your connections and knowledge. This might also allow you to visit some of the less well known programs to get a better idea of how they fit with your goals.</p>

<p>If you have the patience to wade through some the nonsense, this is a good site for communication with past, current and future MArch students:<a href=“All Discussions | Forum | Archinect”>http://archinect.com/forum&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

3

<p>I know that all the top graduate schools feel it is important to have a globally diverse student body and several of them have set up outsets in different parts of the world. So they are very open to international students. They clearly understand that GPA’s are going to be different abroad, so I think much of the judgement is going to be based on your GRE’s and portfolio, with the portfolio being at the top of the list.</p>

<p>As far as your list. I tend to think of Penn and Princeton as a bit more provincial. I think Columbia, Yale, and Harvard are a bit more international, and are in more interesting locations.</p>

<p>Among the state schools UT Austin is a great program, but why Iowa State and Portland State? I would include UVA. I’ve never heard of Portland State’s program.</p>

<p>If you want to be on the west coast I think Berkeley, USC, and UCLA would be the top programs.</p>

<p>Goos luck,
rick</p>