Community College Transfer?

[mprjvk]

Hello, I am a high school senior with hopes of pursuing a career in architecture. However, I came to this conclusion quite recently and am in need of advice. Through high school, I was unsure of what path to follow. I now am quite certain I want to major in architecture, but I am applied as an undeclared student at the colleges I have been accepted to.

My primary question is if it is possible (and advisable) to transfer to a competitive undergrad program from a community college. I understand that most programs accept transfers as freshmen. Is it worth the extra 1-2 years in a community college? I hear most undergrad programs are 5 years long. The thought of such a long process is quite daunting and is why I am seeking advice from the College Confidential Community.

An alternate path I've been considering is attending and changing my major to architecture at Cal Poly Pomona. I am not sure if I will enjoy my time at the school and place comfort with the school and experience as a high priority. I am concerned to how difficult these two options are compared to each other and which will be more beneficial to me in the long run.

Thank you for your time. Any general tips or things I should know are welcome.

[OnlyTwin]

Another option for you would be to choose a different major and then apply for grad school to earn a M.Arch degree. If you want to choose the B.Arch path, it's up to you. Going to community college first won't really help you out much except for some GERs. The B.Arch programs are designed for incoming freshman, and transfers will have to start from the freshman level regardless of where your academics are. Going into architecture is definitely not a simple path. There are a lot of complicated decisions to make. I've been having a very hard time with these things as well.

[Suchann]

Check with the university you want to eventually attend to see what kind of transfer agreements exist with the CCs. California has very strong articulation (transfer) agreements with its CCs, so it's likely that you could transfer as a junior, rather than a freshman, depending on the agreement. A good CC academic advisor could also tell you about the transfer agreement.

I advise students at a community college in Arizona, and I can "guarantee" transfer to our state universities if certain courses are taken - though not necessarily to a professional program like architecture.

[mprjvk]

Thanks for the replies!

@OnlyTwin:
I have considered this option as well. However, I am unsure of what alternate major would prepare me for the M Arch courses. Civil Engineering comes to mind. Do you have any suggestions or know anyone who's followed this path?

@Suchann:
Do you know any students that have transfered to a successful B.Arch program? I feel that I wouldn't mind attending a CC AND being admitted as a freshman. Preferably, I wouldn't want to spend all those extra years in school but I am willing to pledge all that time to a school I am happy with. Do you happen to know any Universities that are more willing or open to transfer students?

[OnlyTwin]

I don't know anyone personally who has followed this path, but I know many people are doing it and it is become the standard. It seems that more schools are changing to the M.Arch degree path, saying that a background in something else besides architecture leads to graduates who are well-rounded in many subject areas. I don't feel it's completely true though, since I don't think you need to take classes in something to be good at it and have a well-rounded education.

I'm going through a difficult decision myself. I was recently denied from a B.Arch program, so I'm looking for a new major to pick before going to grad school. I can't seem to find anything I would like to do. However Civil Engineering would be a good decision. I think that would give you a good preparation for architecture, and job prospects for civils are generally better. But don't let that turn you off from architecture in any way if it's really what you want to do.

[Suchann]

I haven't recently helped any students who have transferred from our CC to a B.Arch program, but I have in the past. They typically take some of the prerequisite courses like English composition, humanities, math, science, and economics before transferring. After they transferred, they had to pick up the lower-level architecture courses, as our CC didn't have any major courses. In this case, they did not earn an associate degree, as there was no specific pathway. The university in this case was ASU, which has a decent architecture program which is somewhat difficult to get into.

If you are in California, you should definitely check with your advisor to see about the transfer agreements with universities that have a B.Arch program.