Ask me anything about architecture school applications

S23 took a summer online Intro Architecture course through Syracuse. It was good to get him comfortable with the “yes, Arch. is truly what I want to follow”.

As far as the portfolio goes though - check out the schools that would be targets for your son and see if they require submission of a portfolio. If they do, this coming summer is late to “start a portfolio” unless he’s going to dedicate all summer and every weekend in the fall to it. Requirements differ by school but most are looking for hand sketch drawings. Can be of anything, not necessarily “architecture”.

There are good choices at schools of architecture all over the country. They do vary, however, in duration, cost, whether they are residential or “commuter” programs and whether they offer scholarships. Some are geared toward high school students, some toward college undergraduates thinking about an MArch. Some offer night classes to working adults. Some are on-line.

Perhaps you could provide a bit more about the location and the type of program that would be best for your son.

Also, by “Cambridge” do you mean Cambridge University in the UK? Or universities in Cambridge MA?

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Yes either commuter or residential summer program for high schooler on the east coast. Don‘t think virtual would work. Yes Cambridge in the UK

Some residential programs to look at:
Roger Williams
RISD
Drexel
Carnegie Mellon
Syracuse

Further afield
U of Virginia
U of Michigan

Boston Architectural College has a program, but it’s not clear if housing is provided.
Cooper Union has a commuter program
Cornell’s program is online
Harvard for local residents only

I looked at quite a few others in the northeast but information wasn’t readily available on their websites. You may have better luck if you dig deeper or contact the school directly.

Can’t help with UK options.

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Hi!

So sorry for the late reply. Work has been hectic to say the least.

Yes, UPenn is the East Coast SCI-Arc. They love computational design. It usually attracts those kinds of designers. If you feel you may not fit within that community then my recommendation would be to choose a school(s) which align more closely to your interests. Sorry if this isn’t what you want to hear, but I want to be honest with you!

The best portfolio you can make is the portfolio that speaks directly to your interests. Sincere, honest portfolios are more valued by admissions. The school wants to get to know you. Even if that means you’re not including work that aligns with the school’s pedagogy. This is a win win, because you might be accepted for your unique potential creative contributions to the school thorugh your lovely honest portfolio. Or, you may not be accepted because perhaps the school may think you may not thrive in their environment, in which case you’d dodge a bullet. Win win.

The portfolio process is a highly introspective one. The best portfolios are unique to the individual. We want to learn about you.

So my advice would be to take the existing work you have, understand the common links between the projects and how they relate to your interests, and double down on them. Go back thorugh and revise the key drawings that could be taken further. Take the time to write about them thoughfully, making links betweens pages, projects and the portfolio as a whole. Maybe even make shorter independent projects in your free time (if you have any!) that take some of the peices of work a little further, perhaps more intuitively, speculatively and loosely. Now ask yourself which schools might have similar themes to your work, and take it from there.

Sorry, I know this might not be the answer you’re lookign for. I’ve seen this conundrum come up time and again so I thought I’d shed some light.

The following post is geared towards BArch applicants, but you may find it helpful more generally:

Hello!

Glad your son is thinking about these things now, nice and early. Making a body of work takes time, so this is good.

A top one in the US would be Cornell’s. A top one in the UK would be UCL’s (The Bartlett). They’re both excellent and your son would be able to make a good body of visual/spatial work that could be put towards a portfolio. Cambridge’s architecture summer programs are so-so. It depends on the year and the teachers. Cambridge’s department of architecture is not a very design-oriented envrionment so it may be harder to make more creatiely energetic work suitable for an undergrad portfolio. UCL takes it far more seriously. The standard is multiple times higher. These programs don’t necessarily teach how to make the final portfolio though, but they do enable students to develop projects that would go into the portfolio.

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Drexel University in Philadelphia has an awesome 2 week summer program. My daughter attended last summer and got some great experiences and created pieces for her portfolio. She was a direct admin into 9/10 programs she applied for this year and got into 10 out of 13 schools. WL at 3.

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@bronzerfish mentioned ARE pass rates in another thread, and I realized I had never thought about the pass rates in relation to architecture programs. I guess I was kind of thinking of NAAB accredidation as the big hurdle and forgot about the ARE. So now, I have tons of questions bursting in my head.

  • Do applicants need to pass the ARE all in one sitting or is it like some other professional exams where they can take certain parts at differnet times (or only retake a particular secction)?
  • Is there a rough idea of how many applicants complete a NAAB-accredited program and never pass the ARE?
  • What are the career options for people who don’t pass the ARE?
  • How much of the ARE is strongly correlated with ACT/SAT scores? For instance, students who score highly on the SAT/ACT are also likely to score highly on the LSAT, regardless of how well they’ve been prepared by their university. In contrast, there are other exams where it really is a reflection of what has been taught. How would you describe the balance with the ARE?
  • At what degree of pass rates would you have significant concerns about someone attending a particular architecture program?
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I don’t think that ARE pass rates are a cause for concern, though the motivation of an individual may be.

Upon securing a terminal degree (BArch or MArch), typically a graduate would find a job as an architectural designer at a firm of any size. Then while working at the firm and acquiring the hours and experience also required for licensure, the applicant would begin the exam process

There are currently 6 separate exams, covering different aspects of architectural practice. Most firms will cover the cost of the exams (though not necessarily retakes) and provide study materials.

The exams are taken one at a time, at any time. Some firms insist that their employees get on the project right away; other firms are more relaxed.

I would say that a typical time line for completing all exams would be from 1.5 to 3 years, again depending on the applicant’s motivation. Failing and retaking is common, but if the applicant takes the time — and has the time — to study, most will be passed on the first go. In the meantime the applicant will be accumulating the requisite hours and experience.

The firm that my son worked for strongly encouraged licensure (plus LEED certification). He spent a reasonable amount of time studying the material and passed all but one the first time. His colleagues’ results were mixed, but eventually all that wished to be licensed succeeded.

Schools of architecture don’t necessarily teach the material that is covered in the exams. In fact it seems to me (not an architect) that some of the most elite schools take a perverse pleasure in NOT covering it.

About 10 years ago NCARB introduced the IPAL program (Integrated Path to Architecture Licensure). IPAL allows students at schools of architecture that subscribe to the program to get a head start on exam taking and hours accumulation. I would say that enthusiasm for the program has been mixed.

Is there a correlation between SAT/ACT scores and ARE results? Probably, since some students are better test takers than others. To me, though, success is more determined by motivation both personal and professional than by education or test taking ability.

If applicants are motivated they will pass the exams. If they are not motivated they will not TAKE the exams. Plenty of people work in architecture (and teach at schools of architecture) who are not licensed.

My observation is that it’s best to go through the process as soon as possible after graduation as licensure may lead to greater job mobility and better pay. But sometimes life and work get in the way.

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Hey, I have a few questions about studying architecture in english in europe.
Which university do you think is the best? Eindhoven or Poli mi and what s the difference between their program?
When you finish from eindhoven do you get an architect degree?