<p>I would like to suggest another school for you to consider and that is Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. They have an excellent architecture school that is well respected throughout the US, at least among practicing architects if not among the USNW types. </p>
<p>There was a thread a while back where a father was asking for advice for his D on where to go for architecture and he said that friends of his in Chicago were telling him that they would hire someone from Ball State in a snap because they were so well trained and employers could rely on them. I replied at the time that we knew an architect in Miami Fla. who said the same thing. Our Miami friend said they had a good reputation all over the US.</p>
<p>We know about Ball State in general 'cause my H went there, as did his whole family. They also have a good men’s volleyball team, if you play. </p>
<p>This might be a good place for you to “look outside the box”, as it were. They do, however, tend to make their decisions based a lot on the portfolio, as the other US schools do. Good luck to you. Don’t be afraid to pursue your passions. Patience and perseverance are the keys to success.</p>