Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc)
Pratt Institute
Tulane University
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Temple University
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Cranbrook Academy of Art
New York Institute of Technology (NYIT)
M.Arch @ UVA, RISD, U-M? (Yale & Northeastern)
Hi all!
I am planning to attend a 3 years M.Arch program but want to make sure I pick the right school. I applied to 9 schools and have been offered admission at University of Virginia, University of Michigan, University of Colorado (Denver), and Rhode Island School of Design. I am also waitlisted at Yale University and still awaiting a decision from Northeastern University. I am interested in a program with a focus on the technical/practical aspects of architecture as that is something I’ve missed in undergrad. I also have interests in environmental/sustainable design and fabrication. If you could provide any guidance that would be great!!
UVA: I visited and loved it! The work, people, and overall atmosphere was very impressive. But does the name carry weight in the professional world compared to RISD or potentially Yale? It is currently also my most affordable option (nearly 1/3 of the price of the others and wouldn’t put me deep in debt)
U of M: I visited and did not like it as much as UVA. Am I missing something? Should I reconsider?
Colorado Denver: I applied because of the Colorado Building studio, but now have written it off because of the other offers I have received.
RISD: This is the one I am most unsure about. I have not had the chance to visit yet, but it seems that the name holds a lot of prestige and the professors are very impressive and similar to those at the Iveys. However, I see many mixed opinions on RISD and worry that it won’t have as much of the technical/practical focus as I am looking for. It is also my most expensive offer with a fellowship offered for the first year only (not sure if it’s able to be continued for the 3 years?).
Yale: Waitlisted but my top choice. Will be visiting soon but on paper has everything (and more!) of what I want!
Northeastern: Still waiting for the decision but probably won’t consider it at this point unless it is affordable. Thoughts?
If it were you, what school would you pick? Would love to hear from any current students or alums as well! Thank you!!
The right school will always be the one that costs you less. Name, reputation, perceived future connections, etc are all irrelevant when you're looking at tens of thousands (or hundreds for the dumb ones) of future student debt.
UVA is plenty good. It's a "public ivy" so there is some snob appeal there. There's good connectivity to the east coat via Amtrak.
Yale is great if you can do it at a similar price to UVA. But I kind of doubt that an admissions offer with that kind of financial aid will be coming your way at this point.
They're all good schools. Go with the least expensive option
The national average pay an architectural intern will be around $44k (up to $75k in large metro areas like NYC). You need to keep that in mind when considering your debt to income ratios.
Thank you for the feedback! Cost is definitely a big part of the decision.
I did just hear back from Northeastern University and I was accepted with a Dean's scholarship (60% covered tuition). UVA is still the most affordable but Northeastern is very close in cost now. What are your thoughts on Northeastern? Is it worth visiting?
Go for UVA. most affordable and also very strong program.
UVa is a great university. Of course my experience there is over 5 decades old now, so it's undoubtedly far different from what it was.
Still time to change your choice of majors and get a degree from the new UVA school of data science, and make significantly more your first year out than you will with any level of architecture degree.
I wouldn't make a choice like this strictly on dollars though. I'd also observe that never in over 50 years of work did I see anyone hired because of their alma mater. Work ethic, proficiency, and knowledge typically trump the name on the diploma. My 2 cents.
I went to RISD. Very liberal environment and encourages individualism. I had some of the best time of life creating works there. The professors were definitely top notch. Regarding conceptual I don't know if it would be a big issue once you get into the field. It's just a question of what are you interested in? I know most academia love the conceptual works that RISD undergrads make.
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