I actually did work as the student rep for grad school admissions for Columbia Architecture school many eons ago. It’s not at all equivalent, so I don’t bring it up often, but it was enough to know what it feels like to be on the other side. There were some applicants who were clear admits, but many more that could go either way. Some recommenders were useful, others less than helpful. Some essays were great, most were surprisingly unhelpful. I’m happy to stay off the expert threads, but back in the day, I went to every presentation by AOs that came to our school. I listened and took notes for admissions officers from probably 30 different schools. The expert has worked in ONE school I believe. They don’t all operate the same way, though there are commonalities.
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