... maybe this could be the thread?
Where did you apply?

I applied to RISD, UMass Amherst, Harvard, UPenn, and Cal Poly Ponoma. If anyone has any opinions of these programs, I'm open to it. I've spoken to various alums of the programs, but more insight definitely helps.

I'm in the same boat as you - I applied to Harvard, UPenn, UOregon, and Berkeley.

I think Berkeley is my first choice, and I've been accepted, but I'm visiting Penn next week as I will be in the area.

Are you applying to the post- or pre- professional programs? I'm an intern architect now, but am switching to the landscape field.

I applied for the second professional degree / advanced placement programs; I have a B Arch from Cal Poly SLO and about 8 years work experience behind me. Just fufilling a long dream to get into landscape architecture now. What's your background?

out of curiousity, why did you choose Berkeley? I began looking at the program but realized I wouldn't make the early Jan deadline for the application so I didn't look far into it.

Have you heard anything from Harvard or UPenn? Those are the ones I'm waiting to hear back from myself. Let me know what you think of Penn -- if they accept me I'll visit them later this month. I'm heading out to the east coast for a two weeks to look at the grad programs.

I'd been interested in people's opinion of which program is stronger, Penn or Harvard. I'm leaning toward Penn but I still lack a lot of information. Any thoughts?

I wish I knew K88 - from what I've heard and can tell, they are the two to get in to. Did you apply to those two this year?

hi - the GSD has strong program when it comes to ideas surrounding reclamation, conservation and other similar ideas - a lot of the names in the field are teaching there right now. Penn...is hard to decifer in my opinion.

I found out I've been waitlisted at Penn. I had asked if when I visited if I could find out my status since I live in New Orleans and the mail service down here is still...uh, sporadic, at best.

The dept. assistant there told me Corner said I was waitlisted, and wouldn't be able to see me when I visited, but asked if I could come back for the Open House April 10 and meet with him.

I'm not really sure what to do now...financially and getting time off work-wise, it's going to be difficult to go back up to Philly esp. if I don't know if I'm really in yet or not. Leaning more towards Berkeley since I've already been accepted, and supposedly been offered a financial package (again, waiting on the mail). I ultimately want to end up on the West Coast anyway. Anybody know anything about Berkeley's program? Why did they totally fall of DI's list this year?

Oh, and besancon - I have a B.Arch. from Tulane, and about 3 years work experience now. I just decided my interests lie somewhere else - even before all the work I did became moldy post-flood renovations.=) I'm hoping, though, that the B.Arch. and MLA will lead to more planning opportunities, and I want to teach someday.

Is the UPenn Open House April 10th? I tried to find out when it was to see if I'm in the area for when I go to the east coast. Where did you find that out? As for their ranking on DI's list -- they're still #7 -- admittedly a drop from #3 the 2005 ranking, but still good. How programs can move around so much is beyond me though -- it's not like they are modified year to year...

As for Berkeley, what I've heard that their program is more on the planning side, which follows what you're after. Beyond that, I'm not quite sure what they are about.

Nolasara -- do you know how many people are in UPenn's program, especially those with the B Arch? just curious.

Nolasara, I graduated from Oregon with a undergrad land arch. degree.
I think Oregon is really more about balance with regard to Landscape Architecture as a whole and therefore lack a really strong specilization. If planning is your focus then I would assume you would be working very closely with David Hulse or Cynthia Girling on your thesis.

Is anyone considering the program at RISD?

I've been considering the RISD program quite a bit. I met two recent grads from their program and both have a lot of positive things to say. I saw their graduate exhibit last year and was very impressive. One thing that is both a good and bad thing is the small size of the program -- 40 students total across all years. Are you going to their open house this April Mofongo?

Yes, I am planning on going to the open house in April. Ive heard a good number of positive things about RISD. The only wall I've run into is a similar comment I have received along the board: RISD students can produce beautiful things but that this doesn't necessarily translate into a good job skill once you are done.
will you be there besancon?

Yeah -- I'll be at the open house. For me the presentation / theory / conceptual side of things is I feel my weaker point now and what I want to work on. I've had enough of a technical training / education for quite some time. I'm going to talk to those recent RISD MLA grads again this upcoming week and will let you know if i hear anything of note. Have you heard anything from Penn or the GSD? Which MLA degree did you apply for?

I applied to the MLA1 programs but haven't heard a peep from UPenn but I recently did received good news from the GSD.

Congrats on the GSD! I've been waiting to hear back from them, but for the MLA-I Advanced Placement. What was your undergrad in? Also, are you from Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic (I recognize the food from my travels there)

As a penn alum, i found the heady optimism and wild theories that float around the halls of meyerson intoxicating - then again my encounters with the gsd showed them to be much more grounded and looking for real world problems that they could apply the Havaad brand to. So did penn pack up and head to N'orleans? no, but the gsd probably did. But then LARP grads just swept the Van Alen Urban Void Competition. Penn seems to find new problems to landscape, while the gsd makes uber-competent professionals.

The 500-level (first year of the 3 year MLA) is where most of the magic happens- so if you got into the 2 year program, get a dual degree and take the first year studios in landscape (while ignoring the m.arch first year).

So you can't go wrong with either choice- but to choose between the two is difficult - there are great people in both places and they will both cost you into the six figures.

besancon - the Penn Open House is indeed April 10th. I don't think I'll be able to make it due to my job, though. Visiting Monday, I'm getting a tour of the school and I'm supposed to sit in on a pin-up with Prof. Anu Mathur. I'll ask how big their program is, I'm curious as well.

trekiller - some Harvard folks down here, but they are mostly Tulane alums pimping their respective projects. all I hear on the streets these days are Andres Duany and Reed Kroloff bitching each other out.

Nolasara, its funny that you mention you are going to a pinup with Prof Mathur -- i just got back from a lecture she did her in San Diego about the projects she did for the Mississippi and Bangalore. Really incredible work with excellent graphics. Have a good trip out there.

If the open house is the 10th I won't be making it either. I already scheduled my two weeks off from work and have to be back by then.

besancon - I grew up in those parts of the Caribbean. As for my background I have a art and religion background with some architecture mixed into the group. Are you going to the RISD open house?

Mofongo -- I'll be at the RISD open house. Have you received their 'second package' yet? I got the phone call from them and a letter from the department. However, in the department's letter, it said I should receive something by March 8th. Still waiting. Did you get anything, and if so, what was in it?

no package from risd yet and I even live in boston!

Trekiller you confirmed my suspicsions about the distinctions between the two schools. I still have to hear from Penn, so perhaps I will not have a choice but ideas in academia is more important to me than problem solving. I am curious to why the first year is where all the "magic" happens. I would be doing the two year program and I do not think I would be interested in Penn's architecture program.

trekiller aka treekiller.

Penn's first year magic is based on the suspension of professional obligations and immersion in the art of understanding the power of the landscape. The first studio (501) finds an unstable terrain to physically explore and through iterations of different design processes express a latent quality that becomes your design. The imprint of Anu's methodolgy is very strong here - and you will produce more drawings then you ever thought possible, especially if you land in Mei Wu's section.

The second studio (502) tends to be an urban brownfield exploration that starts with a small scale garden that captures the larger realm, then morphs into a park that connects to the surrounding urban fabric. Now you get some of Jim's pedogogy and his frequent presence in the studio and at crits. Victoria Marshal and Steve Tupu bring an antipodian sensibility and passion to these studios.

Second year (601) was until recently, Laurie Olin's baby, where his minions (still) teach the basic professional skills you need to work in his office- grading, cad, and color pencil rendered plans. The project is usually a large neighborhood plan. If you are a dual degree student with architecture this studio is replaced by the equivalent in the arch department - where they cram 8-12 different computer programs down your throat so you can 3d model, render and animate.

Starting with 602 and through the final year, the elective studios are great. Typically there will be two or more international travel options, one domestic travel option and a local/no travel (though site may be international) choice.

Student are very supportive and non-competitive (though each class has a different personality)- across the board PennDesign tries to instill a collaborative spirit in the students.


Each LARP year tends to admit between 20 to 28 students, so the studios have between 8 to 12 people in them.

Best luck waiting for the fat envelopes!

treekiller, when did you graduate from upenn??

besancon - risd package arrived - postmarked on the 15th

Thanks for the update on the package from RISD Mofongo. What's inside -- anything about financial aid? And thanks much for the insight treekiller on UPenn's studios; unfortunately doing a three year isn't much of an option due to cost and time -- at this point i have too many outside responsibilities that an extra year wouldn't work so well.

Anyone know much about UMass Amherst's program?

a good friend of mine recently finished her mla1 at umass. she really enjoyed it but the program is quite small (10-15 people total in her class) but they really seem to bond. The facilities are also quite limited because of the size of the program. However it has been around for a very long time and is respected in the area. I am sure she would be willing to answer any questions you might have.

as for the risd package...general info, a little info on assistants hips and fellowships, housing info and other deadlines in april

any input on UMass would be appreciated. I'm trying to know more about their cultural landscapes concentration.

From what I understand about RISD, it too is in that 'small school' situation -- about 15 people per year.

Upenn - MLA/MArch 2005

So if you were at penn last year, that limits my identity to one of about 5 people.

Mofongo, did you get a invite from RISD to their thesis reviews? I just the letter today -- unfortunate since the reviews took place several days ago. But one thing that caught my eye was the letter was signed by Charlie Cannon as the "interim chair." Does anyone know if Mikyoung Kim is stepping down?

she is on leave of absence...temporary from what I hear...

I am completely ignorant when it comes to landscape schools, but...

Walter Hood is in Berkeley, and I have heard (on NPR) great things about their Landscape program.

Walter Hood's "Urban Diaries" was one of those books that really influenced me and changed the way I think about design.

I've been accepted to RISD, ESF and Cornell, haven't heard back from UMass yet. Any input on Cornell, I know it's based in the Ag. school, which I really like.

I was at UMass a few weeks ago and it seems like the have a similar based program with an emphasis on planning as well.

I'll also be at the RISD open house, although I'll most likely end up at Cornell (free tution through my dad... it's sweet).

So, last Friday after skipping happily home from the office with the self-satisfied knowledge of knowing that come August I'd be able to escape to the GSD, I found a small, beat-up envelope from Penn. It contained a xeroxed letter of congratulations from the MCP student welcoming commitee, inviting me to the open house for accepted students. So, it appears I've gotten in and I'll be expecting a bit more formal notice sometime soon.

Now here's the "problem" . . .

I applied to the GSD's MLA 1 AP program and got in. Great . . . $100k is cheaper than $150k. With Penn, I applied to the dual MCP/MLA program. I wasn't really expecting to land in the AP program at Harvard, and was thinking that 3 years Vs. 4 years seemed like a decent trade off. Now its 2 versus 4 . . . I'd really like to get the MCP, but its not a deal-breaker. My impression is that Penn has a less heavy handed pedagogy than the GSD, and I'm worried that cramming everything I'll need to into a 2-year program will mean I won't be studying what I want to focus on.

Focus is a strange word, because I'm interested in using graduate school as a mechanism for expanding the scope of what I do as a designer, rather than hone in on one particular field. Professionally, I'm not interested in being a liscenced planner, architect or landscape architect - though I'll probably try to pick up a liscence for convinience. I'd really like to start an office that does for the build environment what Ideo does for products (yes, I realize Ideo has an environments division, but the finished work isn't nearly as impressive as the methods).

Any thoughts?

Thanks . . .

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."

-Robert Heinlein

Va Bene -- I should think you'll hear soon from UMass -- i got a letter from them last week. Which concentration are you thinking of pursuing there and what MLA track did you apply for? I'm interested in knowing more about what your opinions are of their program -- i'm meeting some faculty there at the end of next week.

Congrats on the free tuition at Cornell -- great savings!

Congrats besancon!

I applied to the 3-year track (my undergrad degree while in arch. is only a BA). It seems like a well run program, then again they're also hiring a new department head for next year, so who knows. If you're interested in community design, planning or sustainable arch. it seems like a great choice. The faculty are also very open to any new ideas and other concentrations that might interest you.

Good luck with your meeting!

besancon - i sent an email to my friend to check if she is available to chat about umass, as for risd, I got the same letter you did, 2 days late for the reviews - go figure.

lab rat - you can always add an MDes degree at the end of your MLA

Anyone know much about Cornell's program?

finally got my fat envelope from Penn!!

Congrats Mofongo -- I hope I get the same today or tomorrow... haven't seen anything from the GSD so I'm writing that one off...