Thank you. Appreciate the input. I am hoping touring a few will help. All of these are schools (to some extent and for various reasons-location/program/options) that drew S26’s interest. Pre-acceptances, he was ok with any of the them, as we were unsure how the decisions would go. He does feel pretty solid about architecture, but we know that could change. Almost all have a wide variety of majors that he could potentially switch into, except perhaps Thomas Jefferson or SCAD, but I think he could find an alternative there also, such as graphic design, architectural history, or industrial design. Many of the other schools are large institutions with almost all majors, and we haven’t ruled out a liberal arts education either (HWS). It’s great to have options but the narrowing is difficult.
Hopefully I’m not hijacking this thread but the decision process here is also one that I’m struggling with a little. Part of the reason C26 didn’t apply to art/design schools is exactly because if they change majors it would likely be into STEM. But there is - am I correct? - different reputations between the arch departments at different schools? The current two top choices I believe the one is better for architecture but the other is a better overall college. Not sure where the decision point lies (though it will probably mostly be determined by how the kid feels after the admitted students days).
Also, in your opinion, is a program that has an internship embedded as a requirement any different than a student just finding an internship on their own?
@gcmom1 Congratulations to your son on a solid list of choices!
I like this option as it allows for a wider breadth of learning and work experience. Architecture is a highly collaborative field and success depends on the ability to present (and “sell”) concepts both figuratively and verbally to clients and colleagues.
The only school on the list that I’m familiar with (overlapped with S23) is UTK. We visited the school and were super impressed with BArch program, school, spirit, surrounding area, etc. He was pretty firm on the BArch path so our applications focused on those schools. If he didn’t land at Tulane, he would have gone to UTK.
I hated the programs that had a cut-down or “re-apply” criteria - the thought of paying a year of tuition only to be told “sorry, your kid isn’t in the program they want” didn’t sit well.
Particularly with such a niche degree. If they’ve done mostly pre-arch they may be limited in how much they can transfer to a different degree, or else they’re faced with trying to transfer in somewhere else when the real reasons for transfer are probably going to be quite obvious and probably some kind of hurdle to a transfer acceptance.
Yes, but I still think that the school itself matters slightly more than the program, even from a “resume screening” standpoint. A college with a good educational reputation will provide a solid architecture curriculum regardless, even if another more specialized school may have a reputable arch. program. The former also (likely) provides great options for subjects to minor in or for developing side interests.
If you mean the “co-op” programs, they are certainly becoming an attractive option for students. By the time they graduate, they will have completed multiple internships and developed contacts for future employment. However, the traditional non-co-op programs still make up the majority, with some more leg work to be done by the student to find internships. Some people view the co-op terms as disruptive to the education - too much of “real world” being mixed in with the theoretical education. Others like it as they argue that students should have practical experience early. However, real world is boring - no student wants to learn about building/zoning codes or draw ADA bathroom plans during a 2-month internship 
Thanks for the feedback!
I was actually thinking about Pitt here - one semester-long internship is required for their BS.
With a BArch program you’re going to end up with 10-12 credits of studio (likely other courses and additional credits) in the first year that aren’t going to transfer into MOST other programs if they are not accepted into the program. Same goes if the student changes their mind at some point too. Impact of a BA/BS will likely vary between schools.
Yep, if my student changes their mind that’s one thing, but not being allowed to progress assuming you’ve done everything you can is another thing entirely.
UTK it is, then! I’m kidding, but S26 like the curriculum there, and this positive feedback on the school is really helpful. In addition, one must maintain a GPA to remain in the program, but, as far as we can find online (haven’t visited yet), there isn’t the dreaded reapply. In contrast is LSU, which he also really likes, was given a nice scholarship and Honors program, which only has 50% progress into the second year and sounds like a difficult reapply.
The GPA from place to place and program to program will vary but maintaining a GPA threshold is pretty normal in MANY Universities and programs (not just BArch).
I would not expect you to make the call based on my stamp of approval . I only offered it in case you had not visited them already yourself.
It’s often stated that Arch programs have a 50-60% attrition rate. But that’s a different story than a school driven 50% cutdown 1st to 2nd year. Registration information at Tulane I can tell most of the attrition happens after second year.
I was trying to be funny, but I sincerely appreciate the input and info!! Understood about the GPA, and it seems manageable (2.5 at UTK) per the website.
February update:
1)Deferred at U of Florida (along with 3 other members of his same high school sports team!). I knew it was popular, but we only have 5 seniors on the team.
2)Accepted for EnvD at CU Boulder with Chancellor Scholarship and Dean’s Scholars. High end for cost of attendance, amazing program.
3)Accepted!! for BArch at U of Miami with Presidential Scholarship for Architecture/portfolio. Still one of the highest COA for all schools but S26 is thrilled. Interestingly, the scholarship is for all 5 years but ONLY for architecture (other awards haven’t stated this explicitly but maybe it’s in the fine print and we haven’t found it yet).
At the moment, his top choices are U of Miami, UTK, and Hobart and William Smith. U of Miami and UTK have no reapplication for BArch. He is still intrigued by the liberal arts education with an architecture focus at HWS. We will do our best to try to visit these three and maybe one more.
We have to sort out the COA issues, but otherwise anyone have thoughts/considerations/concerns that we maybe haven’t thought about? Thank you all for being along for the ride and your keen insights!
Congrats on having great choices!
To me this is always key. When you have a budget, stick to it. My son’s friend graduated UTK and has done well. Went to West Virginia, of all places, to work.
Obviously, Hobart will be the easiest to eliminate or fall in love with.
But you set a budget for a reason - so ensure your financial stability is ok no matter what.
There are no perfect fits - don’t forget. There are bad roomies, profs, food, dorms, and more. Sometimes the major doesn’t fit. There’s a current thread about a family who did all their homework and then some and as it turns out is a terrible fit even after all the pre-work.
So no one truly knows. But the one thing you can control is your cost and financial stability - so I always put focus on your pre determined budget. You chose it for a reason. All I read was full pay as many of us were but still set and lived within a budget.
Whether or not you built a list to achieve it I don’t know (as I don’t know your budget), but you mention high COA several times.
Good luck.
It’s wonderful to be wanted! 
For emphasis on design creativity and community involvement I would rate both CU Bolder EnvD and the UMiami BArch highly in their respective degree categories. I don’t have any insider information on UTK or HWS.
For the BArch I would think the environment and personality difference between Knoxville and Miami would steer him in one direction or the other. Same for the EnvD UCBolder vs the BA architecture studies HWS: their environments and student profiles are quite different. Not that one is better than the other; just that they offer different attractions and negatives.
Of course only you can balance choices against your family’s finances. I’m sure you thought about this, but an MArch on top on a pre-professional degree adds $$$.
In the coming weeks he’s going to have face the “which degree?” decision. For my son the BA+MArch was the right combo at the time, but your son sounds more firmly decided on architecture. Despite his reluctance to get started, his portfolio must have been a knockout.
Some other points of differentiation to look at:
The costs of departmental study abroad options.
The resumes of the faculty and visiting instructors.
The department’s involvement in securing internships and jobs after graduation.
The focus of department “build” projects if offered.
Thesis projects if required.
Thank you. It is certainly nice to have options. S26 seems pretty adaptable, but the hope is that the environment, personality, and architecture specific info from the tours/open houses will be helpful. We toured a few schools last year before the commitment to architecture, and, while the parents liked almost every school, S26 definitely formed opinions based on the visits, both pro and con. I’ve added your points of differentiation to our evolving spreadsheet, so we need to spend some time looking at this. I believe UTK requires a study away experience. I think he would enjoy this but hasn’t stated it as a top point of decision. We appreciate the help in considering things that were not previously our radar!!
“Study away” is hugely advantageous for a young architect IMHO.
There’s a difference between learning about various architectural styles and actually seeing a neighborhood or city developed in different eras and with different cultural perspectives!
Why does Prague look different than London?
Excellent point. We’ll certainly encourage it, and it seems most architecture programs recommend or require it! Need to do more homework on his schools in particular, though.
Great options in front of you. UMiami - S23 was ultimately waitlisted but in doing deeper research after initial application I was finding a narrative that housing was a bit of a nightmare. Even freshmen not guaranteed housing and “the cost off campus is substantially higher”. Maybe they’ve straightened it out in the last 3 years but worth asking some questions.