Chance Our Daughter

With your financials as described, it’s hard to see UW-Seattle out-of-state being affordable unless you have significant college savings for her, relatives helping out, etc. What’s your max budget?

The Cal Poly programs are definitely good targets. Also in the CSU system, Fresno State just launched an Architectural Studies major this year. The UC targets seem good as well. Perhaps look at Enviro Design at Davis also?

If at all possible, I would highly recommend trying to get her into a summer architecture intensive this summer. (Who knows at this point whether these will be able to operate in person, but worth a try.) These can really give a taste of what a studio-based major is like, and either solidify her commitment to a BArch or help her to reconsider before applying. Plus, the work she does in such a program would strengthen her portfolio, for schools that require one.

Have you run the Net Price Calculator for Cornell? This will give a good idea of your net cost for a generous full-need-met school, so you can compare with the in-state options. USC will likely be less generous than Cornell, but run the numbers and compare.

In terms of OOS flagships, check out Arch Studies program at U of Utah. Her strong stats could get her significant merit there (and Honors College), and Utah offers the WUE reciprocity discount OR their one-year path to residency plan. All told it would be far more affordable than UDub.

In terms of full-need-met private options, check out Northeastern (pre-professional architecture but with a very strong studio component), U of Miami (5-year BArch), Lehigh (studio-based arch studies, strong recruiting for URM students including a funded fly-in diversity weekend), and Conn College (nice studio-based arch studies major). Private U’s that don’t guarantee full-need-met aid but might give enough aid and have strong BArch programs include Carnegie Mellon, Tulane, and Syracuse. Also RPI, if she’d be open to a school that heavily STEM-oriented. (If she’s interested in RPI, ask her school to participate in the Rensselaer Medal program - if they award her the Medal as a junior, she’ll be guaranteed 30K/year merit if accepted.)

Good luck with the search!

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