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noOne289
Joined: 17 Sep 2004
Posts: 6
Location: Cincinnati, OH USA
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 Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2004 7:58 am Post subject: School Guidance Please |
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I'm a working professional wanting to reenter academia to become an architect. I have a few questions to which I'd really appreciate your answers. Actually, I probably have enough questions to fill this message board, but I'll try to narrow them down to the most important. I'm just going to list them as they come to mind, in no particular order.
I have a B.S. in an unrelated field (Computer Engineering), should I persue a Professional degree in undergraduate or graduate school? Bear in mind that my first time through school, academics were about the last thing on my mind and my transcript shows that.
In the same vein, I am about to take the GRE and was hoping people could offer some direction on what my target score should be. In case it could be a helpful base line, I scored a 1330 on my SAT a decade ago without any formal studying or preparation.
Since I do currently have a full time job and am married, travelling to all of the potential schools is a daunting, if not impossible task. Is there a good strategy for selecting my best fit? I know that the 'right' shool is different for each candidate, but what are the questions I should be asking to make my decision?
Do schools which are perceived as providing a more quality education (MIT, UVA, RISD, etc) truly produce a better chance of employment or are employers more concerned with what the individual can do?
I have wanted to be an architect since sixth grade (16 years ago) and love historic neighborhoods. I have spent five years in the computer field and have become pathetically aware of how bad my college decision was. However, I have managed to command a rather respectable salary. I know this is a decision I must make on my own, but given my passion for architecture versus my current income would you expect the vast rewards (happiness, mental exercise, creativity) to be worth the monetary costs of school and salary reductions? Put another way, do you feel that the lower average salary is far outweighed by the positives of the profession in your life? Can anyone provide me with an average income or an accurate resource for finding this information, i.e. Monster's salary calculator or salary.com? I'm sorry to dwell on this topic for so long, but it is probably my greatest concern. I want to be happy and, like it or not, money contributes to that.
I do not have any plans to offer in a portfolio. However, I have gotten fairly serious in woodworking, specifically furniture design. I also have various writings, paintings, drawings and photographs that I could include. Would it be worth my time to learn a CAD program and do some technical drawings of my furniture, or would my other works serve as a good representation of my abilities?
I suppose that about covers the important questions at this point in the process. I would greatly appreciate any guidance this community can offer me. I very much want to join the industry, but there are so many obstacles I hardly know where to begin. Thanks in advance.
P.S. I'm sorry for the cross-posting. I wasn't sure if this belonged in the Architecture Students Forum or the Architecture Forum as I don't really belong to either community. Please feel free to remove this message from whichever forum it doesn't belong. |
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jbh244
Joined: 15 Sep 2004
Posts: 2
Location: Conshohocken, Pa
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| Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2004 1:35 pm Post subject: School Guidance |
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noOne289,
I'll try and answer your post as best as possible from my experience.
First & foremost you have to want to enter, & stay in, this profession because you love it. Some architects make very good money & some don't. I talk to contractors all of the time and they always think I make more than them. Which is usually not true, especially if they are in a trade union.
But on to the school part. I am entering my thesis year at Drexel University in Philadelphia. I have a degree from Drexel in Interior Design from 1989 and didn't decide to go back until 5 years ago. Philadelphia has many schools that have architecture programs. Each has its strengths wheter they be theoretical based or "nuts & bolts" based.
I chose Drexel because it is a night program. Which is great because you can work in an architectural firm by day (and make some money) and go to school at night. Another plus is that the age range of students varies greatly, from 20 year olds to some fellow students in their 50's, married & unmarried. This brings a broad range of experiences to the studio, which is great. 90% of the professors are working as well which means they bring a practical approach to the table.
As far as the academic question. Just because your transcript is not what you think is up to par, does not mean much (in my opinion) because you should be able to by pass the core classes. What you do in your studios is what is important.
If I missed some of your questions I apologize, its the end of the day and I'm tired. You may want to try an excellent web site for some of your answers. www.archvoices.org
Good Luck! |
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