90% true. Nuance is that 4 year Arch programs are not accredited by NAAB and require going for a MArch (this assumes one wants to be licensed). Further nuance is overall “fit” at the school for the student. Picking the cheapest program at a school the kid hates is likely going to lead to a lesser outcome than paying a little more at a school the kid at least likes - assuming both are affordable.
We definitely agree on fit, and I think they were all referring to NAAB-accredited programs when referring to accredited ones. But yes, I was just reporting out on what I had read on the other forum.
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Ok, so I ended up picking Carnegie Mellon because it was a much better fit for me personally.
To me Syracuse was kind of a place where no one got any work done and just partied; at the library I didn’t see anyone working and I visited on a Tuesday morning and there was a frat having a party right next to the main buildings. I also didn’t like the buildings, the new ones felt sterile and corporate, and the older ones felt old but not in an indeering sort of way.
Carnegie Mellon’s students were definitely more studious and looked a lot cooler from my perspective (by which I mean nerdy). I also liked the buildings a lot more and the campus was prettier. The school is also much stronger overall, and while I did like the Syracuse Architecture building in specific more than Carnegie Mellon’s school of fine arts, you don’t experience college in a bubble and you have to look at it as a whole. That isn’t to say Carnegie Mellon’s architecture school is ugly, far from it, it gets a lot of natural light, and the studios in the school of design are my favorite (but they’re only for 3-5th years). But the fine arts building in Carnegie Mellon, where the 1st and 2nd year studios are, is old, and the creeky floorboards kind of get annoying, and you also don’t get your own building like in Syracuse. Carnegie Mellon’s program is also much smaller being only 60 students and Syracuse had like 200 students, and it felt a little cramped and bussy in the building because of it.
But if study abroad is important for someone, Syracuse would be a much better option because it’s pretty much assumed you’ll do study abroad since 90% of architecture students study abroad, where in Carnegie Mellon it’s really not that big if a thing.
Also it’s worth noting that Syracuse, the town, has absolutely nothing in it. Not like, “Oh it has a few restaurants”. No. There is absolutely nothing there. Pittsburgh isn’t incredible either, but its like Chicago compared to Syracuse. Syracuse is also a lot less safe than Pittsburgh, and as an architecture student you’ll often be staying late in the building and getting back home late, so I didn’t really feel safe at Syracuse.
Carnegie Mellon’s program was the better fit for me personally, but I see how someone could pick Syracuse, and I don’t think its a bad choice. Carnegie Mellon is more expensive but I’m scared that I won’t stick with a major as difficult as architecture if I don’t really like the school.
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Thanks for coming back and sharing your impressions and final decision. Wishing you the best of luck at CMU!
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