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momoftwins · 04-23-2008, 01:07 PM

msheft,

I'll start by saying that during our first visit to UIUC during her junior year, she was nearly in tears and begged me not to "make" her go there. This was also before she had settled on architecture as a major. I wouldn't have forced UIUC on her. Once senior year began and she looked exclusively at arch schools she decided that she had a few criteria.
1) Solid, stable program that would prepare her well for grad school if she chose to pursue architecture as a career
2) Opportunity to take a variety of courses outside of architecture - even perhaps to minor in an unrelated field.
3) Study abroad program that included rigorous academics - not lightweight courses and travel (which I would have chosen many years ago)
4) Ability to select a different major if arch ended up not being right for her

She couldn't make up her mind until the last possible day and selected UIUC. In my eyes, Tulane was a perfect fit for her so I was disappointed. There were a few tipping points. I believe the Versailles Program was a huge factor. Then she began thinking that if she was in a 5-yr MArch program and decided to select a different major, it would be very difficult. Or if she wanted to complete a BA/BS in Arch and pursue a MA/MS in a different field, she'd be spending time earning a MArch that she didn't really want. It made a lot of sense at the time, and I was very proud of how she came to her decision. She loved Tulane and liked UIUC. I think it's easy to be seduced by a beautiful school in a part of the country that is more exotic than Champaign. She didn't let those issues impact her choice. I think that she also heard from local architects that if she wants to work in the Chicago area after graduating, the network for jobs is fantastic.

All in all, this has worked out beautifully for her. She'll be home from her year in Europe soon and has an internship waiting for her this summer. She loves her major and is convinced that it is the right choice for her career. Because of AP credits, she was able to skip many of the Gen Ed classes and has taken classes that have been of interest to her. It's been a well-rounded academic experience and she is already beginning to research graduate schools.

Let me know if you have more questions.

04-23-2008, 01:07 PM	#8
momoftwins Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: IL- USMA and UIUC 09 Parent Threads: 187 Posts: 2,256	msheft, I'll start by saying that during our first visit to UIUC during her junior year, she was nearly in tears and begged me not to "make" her go there. This was also before she had settled on architecture as a major. I wouldn't have forced UIUC on her. Once senior year began and she looked exclusively at arch schools she decided that she had a few criteria. 1) Solid, stable program that would prepare her well for grad school if she chose to pursue architecture as a career 2) Opportunity to take a variety of courses outside of architecture - even perhaps to minor in an unrelated field. 3) Study abroad program that included rigorous academics - not lightweight courses and travel (which I would have chosen many years ago) 4) Ability to select a different major if arch ended up not being right for her She couldn't make up her mind until the last possible day and selected UIUC. In my eyes, Tulane was a perfect fit for her so I was disappointed. There were a few tipping points. I believe the Versailles Program was a huge factor. Then she began thinking that if she was in a 5-yr MArch program and decided to select a different major, it would be very difficult. Or if she wanted to complete a BA/BS in Arch and pursue a MA/MS in a different field, she'd be spending time earning a MArch that she didn't really want. It made a lot of sense at the time, and I was very proud of how she came to her decision. She loved Tulane and liked UIUC. I think it's easy to be seduced by a beautiful school in a part of the country that is more exotic than Champaign. She didn't let those issues impact her choice. I think that she also heard from local architects that if she wants to work in the Chicago area after graduating, the network for jobs is fantastic. All in all, this has worked out beautifully for her. She'll be home from her year in Europe soon and has an internship waiting for her this summer. She loves her major and is convinced that it is the right choice for her career. Because of AP credits, she was able to skip many of the Gen Ed classes and has taken classes that have been of interest to her. It's been a well-rounded academic experience and she is already beginning to research graduate schools. Let me know if you have more questions.