Colleges like Temple University for Architecture BS/BA?

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21

You are not going to get aid - if the family earns $300K.

So you need to talk to your folks about what they will contribute.

If it’s $40K, it will eliminate schools - including Bryn Mawr most likely although they have merit aid. It’s likely a reach anyway given your stats.

And that’s where flexibility on your part, including location, may be required - or at least to open up more schools.

Can you again say what you’re looking for?

I read a BArch but others (and then me based on their suggestions) are sending urban studies, historic preservation and more.

For tuition, room and board alone + college fee, BM is $85,420 - and the likelihood of $45K in merit is slim to none.

So please have that discussion - and please update on exactly what major/degree you are looking for.

Thanks

22

Yes, I really like cities like Minneapolis, Detroit, Chicago, Charleston, New Orleans, Savannah, and Atlanta. I considered schools in all of these areas before I started consulting my parents.

We were just in Myrtle Beach and the flight was pretty short. I really don’t understand why I cant go that far. If I manage to convince them to let me go farther, I will be sure to make an updated post.

However, I might be able to convince them to let me go to Cincinnati. My dad went to Ohio University and he really liked it. The only thing he didn’t like is the fact that all the friends he made are so far away. That’s one of the reasons he wants me to be in New York.

My mom grew up in the Philippines. She lived in a rural area. For college, she was sent to Manila (the big city) by her mom because it was a really good school. She remembers what it was like to be so far away from her parents. They were rarely able to visit. She also barely got by. Living in Manila was expensive. She doesn’t want the same for me.

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I don’t know much about the Philippines but I’m going to guess it is a lot easier to get around the US, especially given the number of budget airlines here. Maybe part of your research can be doing a little bit of research on low cost, short (whatever that means -2, 3 hours?) flight connections.

Also - your parents clearly mean well and don’t want you to have what they considered drawbacks of their colleges, but, this is your experience. If you feel differently about their reasons (it’s not clear to me if you do, so IF), then maybe gently explain to them that you see things a little differently. Maybe coming home for every break is more important than them visiting you frequently, for example.

24

I understand that I have many interests. I was originally looking for an architecture BS/BA (not a Barch). I’m also considering majoring in something of my interest like Environmental design or Urban studies, as long as I can minor in architecture. I’m definitely considering a career as an architect so studios are important to me.

I’m also looking for a college that is urban or close to a city/town where I can walk or commute and I won’t need a car.

Cost is the biggest issue, considering I wont get much aid. A lot of the colleges I like are very expensive so I’ve been reconsidering my options.

My parents will most likely contribute <40k. I will check the expected contribution of my parents soon.

At this rate, I wouldn’t mind transferring out of community college. I checked Nassau Community College and I get a lot of credit from my APs. I might be able to transfer before/during my sophomore year.

25

Well, Cincinnati is your portfolio-free Drexel alternative. Also urban, also a co-op program. It’s definitely worth looking closely at both Cincinnati and tOSU - compare the programs and see what you think. And if being a bit outside the city is okay, Miami of Ohio could be worth having in the mix as well: Bachelor of Arts in Architecture | Dept. of Architecture and Interior Design | Miami University

Conn College is great, and they do give merit, but I don’t see them making a 30-40K budget. At any of these merit-granting private LAC’s (Smith, Bryn Mawr, Conn…) it’s very competitive even to get to half-tuition merit, and that doesn’t even get the total COA down to 50K much less 30-40. (And Amherst College doesn’t give merit at all, so I don’t see the point in having it on your list. You could consider UMass Amherst, though: https://www.umass.edu/architecture/academics/undergraduate-programs.)

If you’re liking the women’s college idea, but not seeing it come together because 1) too expensive and 2) parents not loving the single-gender idea, you might think about Rutgers. When the all-female Douglass College was merged into the flagship U, it was transformed into a women’s Residential College within Rutgers, which offers a single-gender living community and tons of great programming: https://douglass.rutgers.edu/ Rutgers doesn’t have an arch major, but their Urban Design & Planning major does have the design piece and seems pretty close to what you’re looking for. There’s also an Environmental Planning major that’s offered by the LArch department. You’d need about 15K in merit to get into your budget range here - I’m not familiar enough with the merit landscape there to assess whether that’s likely, but perhaps others will chime in.

Also, maybe consider UVM? Burlington isn’t urban by NYC standards, but it is a city, and a pretty great college town. Community Centered Design Major | Community Development and Applied Economics | The University of Vermont OOS merit awards that would get you to budget do exist, although landing 5-10K over budget is more likely.

There are quite a few on your list that are, tbh, not worth your time applying. Northeastern, for example, is absolutely not going to be in budget. Even their NMF package wouldn’t make it affordable, and all other merit awards are even smaller. You wouldn’t even be likely to be admitted directly to the Boston campus - if you got in at all, you’d be full-paying (more than double your budget) to spend your first year abroad or in Oakland, thus blowing your geographic boundaries as well as the financial ones. Sorry, but Northeastern is a nope. (Again, Cincy is the more-affordable co-op substitute.) Neither BU nor NYU will be affordable either. And why debate about the geography of Notre Dame and WashU? They won’t make budget either. (WashU gives a few highly-competitive merit awards but you wouldn’t really be in the running for those - getting in at all is reachy.) CWRU does at least give a fair amount of merit, but getting in and getting enough merit makes an affordable offer there a high reach. (It’s worth applying if you love the school, but make sure you show them that love - they really care about demonstrated interest, and track whether you open their emails, click on links, etc.)

And some of your OOS publics are pretty pricey too. UMD, UVA, UIUC (which is also too far and not urban)… none of these is going to get under 40K for you. (Hopefully others will correct me if I could be wrong, but I don’t see how you get to budget.)

I’d suggest trying to get out to Buffalo for a visit, if you can. This seems like your guaranteed-affordable, best-fit in-state option that sets the bar for others to beat.

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26

It’s fantastic that you have varied interests!! Just want to ensure that the items being put forth are appropriate.

It’s nice when a student can look at many majors and say - I can see myself in this one vs. - they don’t have anything I’d like!!

I put above - if you didn’t see - noting your distance concerns -

I put out a U Delaware Policy major with a focus on Urban Policy, Planning, & Historic Preservation Concentration.

And Mary Washington, a smaller school in between DC and Richmond, that has a Historic Preservation major. I didn’t think that was you, per se, but others suggested the program at Charleston - so didn’t know where to go. It’s walkable to town - no problem.

Wasn’t sure if that’s a direction but now noting your interest in a minor in architecture, probably not - take a look at a few of these.

I get your desire to be urban, but if it’s just I need a car - you don’t need to be urban. Many colleges don’t even allow cars. But if you have $40K, then yes, you are limited - a school like URI has merit aid -and has a Landscape Architecture Minor (you expressed interest earlier) and a Community Planning Minor. Might those work?

You seem to like Temple but can you get to cost with merit? Many express concern with the area - I don’t have any thoughts to that.

A school that would make budget and has a minor in architecture is Kennesaw State. It’s suburban Atlanta - and I know, you say too far - but an easy flight.

I know someone mentioned Buffalo earlier - and they too have a minor that seems reasonable for your needs. Maybe you can get your family up there to check it out - it would give you that in state cost.

One other “crazy” thought - take a look at SUNY ESF. They have a landscape architecture major/minor and a few other things that “might” be of interest - I don’t know.

But for an instate price (affordable to you), you get to access much of Syracuse University - clubs, dining, even the graduation ceremony. You can even take classes at SU in your area of interest not offered at ESF. Might this work to get you into some architecture content?

Best of luck - and stay true to your goals. If you decide to go to a CC, then great - but I’m not sure that changes much in the sense that given your interests, it may be harder to find a school - but that doesn’t mean it’s not out there - so hold out for it.

Architecture Minor - Curriculum - School of Architecture and Planning-UB - University at Buffalo

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I didn’t read the full thread so may be suggesting some things that others have already stated. If you’re reasonably sure you’ll never want to pursue an architecture license ignore the suggestion below. :slight_smile:

The list in your OP is very reach(y) to my opinion. No problem with applying to them but wouldn’t set expectations on them - particularly if you need merit to make it work (several don’t offer it or offer it only to very very high qualified kids).

I understand you don’t want a pre-professional B-Arch program (initially). Even so, I would go to the NAAB website and look up the list of schools that offer M-Arch degrees. Those schools will - mostly - offer a BA/BS Arch program and have it structured as a 4+2. See if any of those schools/area’s speak to you as a potential target.

If you go to a BA/BS Arch program at a school that does not offer an NAAB accredited program you’re likely looking at a 3 year master program if you decide to go that route.

Syracuse is a BArch program that requires (and puts heavy weight) on the portfolio submission.

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Do you know, if the student attended ESF, would they be able to take some architecture classes at SU?

That’s a way into SU with an easier admit, cost within budget…and ESF/SU share so many facilities. ESF eats in the SU dining halls, etc.

They have Landscape Architecture which interests OP - I wonder if this is a back door way at least into some of SUs content?

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Not crazy, and already suggested/explained. Not a perfect fit in terms of major offerings, but potentially workable between its LArch minor and SU cross-reg - would need to investigate whether ESF students can access SU arch studio classes. Seems maybe a bit belabored to assemble the desired program when it already exists, fully-formed, at Buffalo, but if the setting appeals more for whatever reason, it’s an option and would definitely be affordable.

The minor at Buffalo is not such an issue since there are two different interdisciplinary majors that fit and that include that content… but additional flexibility is good in case another major outside of architecture & planning starts to appeal.

OP, the problems with starting in community college are that 1) most won’t offer studio classes (Nassau CC seems not to have anything like that), so you’d be postponing that aspect of your education, and 2) merit for transfers is much more limited, so you would likely be locked into the SUNY/CUNY transfer pathways, as it would be tough to get privates or OOS publics to budget as a transfer applicant. For what you want, that just brings me back to SUNY Buff as the default transfer destination… and if that’s the case, why not just go there to begin with? That way, you won’t miss out on this: Freshman Studio: The Architectural Design School Experience - School of Architecture and Planning-UB - University at Buffalo And you also wouldn’t miss out on first-year social connections - you could either live in the Architecture LLC, or potentially in Honors College housing - either way, so much happens freshman year that you wouldn’t get at community college. You should get in here, and you can afford it, so I’m not seeing how the CC plan wins. Something else might edge out Buffalo if the stars align money-wise, but I don’t see why you’d turn Buff down for CC unless you truly couldn’t afford 4 years at SUNY, which it appears you can.

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30

Gotcha - i mised that.

OK.

Here’s hoping the student likes Buffalo.

Seems, honestly, a wonderful fit in so many ways and it’s a fine school. The Urban Studies major seems it would be of interest if it can be combined with the minor in architecture.

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31

I focused on schools that have not been mentioned yet. Almost all of the colleges on this list are at schools that have NAAB-accredited M. Arch programs, so I suspect they will all have either a BS/BA in architecture (Emmanuel is the exception, but is in a consortium with a NAAB-accredited school).

Extremely Likely (80-99+%)

  • Bowling Green State (OH): About 14k undergrads here with a sticker price around $34k and it appears that you’d be eligible for additional merit aid (source). The major in Architecture and Environmental Design is probably the one that would interest you most, but you may also be interested in Environmental Policy and Analysis, Interior Design, or American Culture Studies. Google Maps makes it appears as though there’s a definite town around the university, and it’s a short distance to Toledo.

  • Emmanuel (MA): About 1900 undergrads at this Boston school that is part of the Colleges of the Fenway consortium that inclues Wentworth (the latter of which has a NAAB-accredited M. Arch) so students can take classes, participate in extracurriculars, and do sports together. It has traditional majors like sociology (as well as a sociology with a concentration in social inequality & social justice), that could be of interest, but its Digital History or Sustainability & Global Justice majors might as well. In running its NPC, it estimated that you would receive $26k in merit aid, leaving this with a cost of around $39k.

  • Kent State (OH): About 20k undergrads with a sticker price of less than $36k and likely to be eligible for merit aid here. It offers a BA in Architectural Studies and a BS in Architecture. There are also minors in climate studies sustainability, urban studies and other areas as well as a semester in D.C. that appears focused on national issues (and affordable housing and environmental design issues could definitely count). The program seems as though it may have been created in direct response to the Kent State riots decades before your birth, so definitely more of a focus on policy and getting changes made.

  • Marywood (PA ): About 1900 undergrads at this Scranton school. Besides the B. Arch it also offers degrees in Environmental Design, Interior Architecture, and even Virtual Architecture (creating environments for films, video games, etc), which might not be your interest, but at least sounded interesting to me. The NPC estimates you would receive $20k in merit ($19-21k range provided) which would leave the cost of around $35k.

  • Morgan State (MD): About 7600 undergrads attend this HBCU in Baltimore. It’s part of the Baltimore Collegetown consortium that allows students to take classes at other area schools like Johns Hopkins and Loyola Maryland. It’s classified as a commuter campus, but 88% of first year students live on-campus. Sticker price of $32k.

  • Thomas Jefferson (PA ): About 3800 undergrads at this Philadelphia school. Besides the B. Arch there is a BS in Architectural Studies and a BS in Interior Design. The NPC looks as though you would probably receive between $16-18k/year in merit, leaving costs of about $46k, so chances are this school will be out of budget, but wanted to leave it here since I’d already done the research (i.e. saving you this step).

  • U. of Hartford (CT): About 4k undergrads. This one was mentioned earlier but I don’t know if links were provided. There’s a B.S. in Architectural Design and Technology as well as a minor in architecture for those who don’t want to do the major. Its NPC estimates that you would receive $30,500 in merit aid which would bring your costs to less than $32k.

  • U. of Kentucky: About 23k undergrads at this Lexington school. Lexington has over 300k people (more than half a million in the metro) and it’s 90m to Cincinnati. Sticker is around $49k. Students entering in Fall 2024 with your stats would have received $8k, bringing the price down to $41k (source). The scholarship levels for Fall 2025 are still TBD.

  • Wentworth Institute of Technology (MA): This Boston school has about 3700 undergrads and is part of the Colleges of the Fenway consortium. It offers a B.S. in architecture, building sciences, industrial design, and interior design. There is also a first year exploratory semester for students interested in architecture & design but are unsure about their major. The B.S. in architecture includes available concentrations in urbanism and in adaptive interventions for transforming communities and existing conditions. Additionally, two co-ops are built into the program. If you apply EA here, you are eligible for an extra $1500 award, and the NPC estimated that you would receive $20k in merit (it asked for your GPA but did not follow up with a score question). That would leave your family with costs around $40k.

Likely (60-79%)

  • Hampton (VA): About 2800 undergrads at this HBCU in Hampton, which is in the middle of the Newport News/Norfolk area and offers an architecture major here. You might want to reach out to the admissions office to see what they mean by a 3.3 unweighted GPA, as many colleges will calculate it differently from high schools. According to their website, a 3.3 UW is the lowest they will consider for a merit based scholarship, but those scholarships range from $10-25k (source). If you don’t receive a merit scholarship, you could be considered for a room scholarship, which would cover your housing (but not board) costs. Sticker price is around $42k.

Toss-Up (40-59%)

  • Howard (D.C.): About 9800 undergrads. This HBCU is in D.C. and its sticker price is right around $50k.

Lower Probability (20-39%)

Low Probability (less than 20%)

Ohio State’s sticker is around $53k, and I’m unsure whether you’d get enough merit here to bring this within range. U. at Buffalo has already been discussed several times, which I think would be a great option for you as have Syracuse (and SUNY ESF) and Drexel.

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32

There was no guidance on any of our portfolios. It was probably really amateurish, but he got in at some places he really liked. Some were portraits of people he knows. A sketch of a townhouse is totally legit. A lot depends on the program. Some are more technical, others more studio/art. But it sounds like you have more than enough to submit.

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33

You have three obstacles: cost, geographic location and portfolio. Overall, I’d say that your sound academic record plus your enthusiasm for architecture, planning and related disciplines would make you a person interest to a lot of schools. You may gain some diversity points as well. Make sure your essays and recommendations reinforce these positives.

You really need to have a serious sit down with your parents about the cost of college today. If your parents are unable or unwilling to go beyond $40-50 per year then you really should eliminate schools that are unlikely to offer enough merit to make up the difference. (Which is many of those on your list.)

Your geographic restrictions are workable if the money is workable. (Big IF.) There are plenty of less selective architecture/planning BA/BS programs in New England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Ohio. As others have mentioned Cincinnati and VCU are strong adds.

I’m not clear on why you’ve decided against submitting a portfolio. You’ve taken art courses and you still have 4 months or so to prepare so it seems that assembling a portfolio is something you should seriously consider.

Schools that require portfolios are not looking for architectural drawings, but rather a way to judge your comfort level with various media (especially drawing) and your preparedness for studio classes. If a portfolio is a possibility then I would add Drexel, Boston Architectural College, MassArt, Kean U and Roger Williams.

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34

Specifically SU, I don’t know. Son is at Tulane (as you might recall). My sense is that while many of the Arch courses are open to anyone that wants to take them, the studio courses are almost entirely the students in the BArch program. The studios are 6 credits, 3 classes a week for 4 hours/class. My sense looking at other college curriculum’s for the BArch programs is that it’s pretty similar - so I wouldn’t imagine someone from a different program taking the studio.

Lots of great suggestions/options given by others… Agree that one of the bigger hurdles is the financial one. If you’re unlikely to qualify for any aid beyond merit and you’re looking at ~$40K/year, it’s going to severely limit your options. Not to suggest it should hold you back from applying to wherever you want and see if you get the merit offer.

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Not sure if you’ve seen it but this was a great reference list of accredited programs when my son was applying:

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36

These will all be BArch for undergrad, no? I thought OP did not want to do BArch? Or is this for the suggestion above to choose schools where there is also an MArch?

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A little of everything. Some of the MArch places without BArch have BA/BS programs. Some have minors. Incomplete. But gives a sense of a few places with programs of one sort or another.

Also… I was a little unclear why BArch wasn’t being considered? To a certain extent it seemed like an aversion to portfolio.

38

This was the source I used when developing the list of colleges I suggested in post #31.

I looked at the schools that offered an M. Arch that were in the geographic area of interest that seemed likeliest to hit budget.

39

Hobart and William Smith offers an excellent architectural studies program and the potential for merit scholarship recognition. Although not in an urban area, you would not need a car there.

40

The first post made it sound like they weren’t 100% sure they want to be an architect so wanted enough of it to decide while not getting totally locked into that path.:

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