Attrition rates at arch schools

sashimi46
Mon, 25 Feb 2008 04:32:32 +0000

the school that i go to (cornell) has a very low attrition rate. only 1 person out of 60 students in my class has dropped out of the program.

the admissions review doesn’t just look at the portfolio to determine whether a student will do well or not in the program. they also make sure that the applicant is very dedicated to the field (interview) as well as have good scores and record. cornell is also blessed with a reputable name so it tends to attract a large number of applicants, giving cornell the opportunity to take only very committed students. also, many students have taken summer arch programs or have worked before in architecture firms so they know a little bit as to what they’re getting themselves into.

larger state schools tend to have large attrition rates but that isn’t because they aren’t as focused or have poorer education. they generally tend to accept many students who meet certain requirements in the beginning and then try to weed them out later on. i know ASU does this. by the 2nd year, all arch students have to submit a portfolio, in which only a selected small portion of the class will be able to continue their architectural education.