Questions About Architecture Portfolio/Admissions (Cornell, mostly)

ednamillay
Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:50:27 +0000

Well, okay, I already handed in my portfolio to Cornell ED, so perhaps this is an after-the-fact freak out question, but alright. Can someone answer my questions/assuage my random anxiety?

I’ve got no drawings of actual standing buildings. I didn’t include any plans and sections of buildings, either. Does it matter if I make up with more “concept/reasoning process/experiment” works? I tried to focus on things like moving back and forth between 2D and 3D, interpreting found objects using conceptual models (planar intersections, rhythm), doing really basic meditations on circulation/light and one site intervention complete with “mullions” (RISD pre-college…)

Will Cornell care if it’s 23, not 20? And if something I count as one piece is multiple images? (maybe 5 different images of the same “project”)

How long do they look at these things? Do they put in more time than the average art school? Will they catch a minor typo?

Things done in class, things done at home? I’ve got a 12/11 split… is okay?

What makes the final decision, SATI or portfolio? How about things like SATIIs? I forgot to write national AP scholar on my form, does anyone give a damn at AAP? (lol I think not…)

My grades are fine (they’re good), but I’m really worried about not looking architectural enough. When I was hanging out at Rand, one of the professors who saw my portfolio asked me if I was sure wanted to study architecture and not art… When I went to take my interview with all my stuff at Sibley, the lady in the office said, “sweetie, if you’re looking for an arts interview, you’re in the wrong building…” But when I was actually in the interview, the interviewer lady was really into my sketchbook (coffee stains, taped “pop up” models, charcoal scribbles… craft paper… “thinking”) and seemed to really like the artsy, hands on things, maybe even more than my pretty shiny baby drawings.

I’m really anxious. It’s a long while till December. Sometimes I do wonder if I want to be at Cornell, or RISD or Cooper Union… but I visited twice and I was impressed both times with AAP. Of course, I would be impressed… I could always transfer out of Ithaca doesn’t agree with me, right?

I really want to relax about this and work on applying to other schools like RISD…(I wonder if my mom will see this =P) it does feel good to have the app submitted.