<p>Hi,
I'm in need of opinions for undergrad arch programs:</p>
<p>Accepted:
USC
Tulane
University of Houston
Texas A&M
Texas Tech
Northeastern</p>
<p>Waitlisted:
UT Austin
Carnegie Mellon</p>
<p>Rejected:
Wash U. St. Louis
Rice</p>
<p>I want to know which option would be best for me right now? Problem is the private schools require me to take at least $100k student loans...USC I am still waiting on my finaid package...</p>
<p>My art teacher has told me NOT to go to USC especially considering its California and doubts I will get anything for aid. She has persisted I go to University of Houston...a rising school...I've been born and raised in Houston for my entire life -.- She also says I can get as much opportunities for internships at U of H as USC reputably has. Then again, she said Rice and U of H always trade top rankings each year...and thinks I'm not going to get a job in this economy...or start out really low (which is true)
Is Houston or Texas a good city for architecture in comparison to Los Angles?? Is USC worth the cost? Or Tulane? Or Northeastern? I am really torn on what to do right now!</p>
<p>I know very little about Northeastern, but among the other schools to which you have been accepted USC and Tulane are the most impressive. However I would not go into $100k of debt to attend either one.</p>
<p>Among the Texas schools I would rank UT Austin and Rice at the top, UT Arlington next, UH and Tech very close, and all of them followed by A&M. Your best option is to hold on for that UT Austin acceptance, and barring that choose between UH and Tech.</p>
<p>As far as jobs go, people are hiring again. We had to compete pretty hard to get our top candidate; she had seven offers. In the previous three years we pretty much had our pick. It is still highly competitive, but I think the market is going to continue to improve. Your teacher is correct that being in Houston probably gives you a better chance of getting an internship.</p>
<p>Rick what are your rankings based on? Mine would be: UT Austin and Rice, A&M, UH, Texas Tech. There is no way that UH and Tech are better than A&M College Station. Plus, the aggie alumni network is amazing.</p>
<p>Keeping in mind that architecture has a high unemployment rate, don’t go into a lot of debt for a prestigious school. It is just not worth it.</p>
<p>My rankings are based on what I have seen in the last ten years. I have recruited at A&M, helped co-teach a course, hired several graduates, and have been on multiple juries there. At the undergraduate level it is behind Tech and UH in the quality of their graduates. The graduate healthcare program is the only really outstanding program at the architecture school.</p>
<p>Overall it is a fine university, and it attracts some really bright students. There is a ton of potential there, I just don’t think the architecture school does a good job of developing the students. On the other hand, the construction management program is really outstanding, and we hire a lot of kids from that program for our construction side.</p>