DECISION CRITERIA
Ultimately, how will you decide on which architecture programs to apply and more importantly which architecture program to attend. Granted, you will NOT make the latter decision until next spring (National Reply Date: May 1, 2022), but now is the time to think about how you will make this important decision.
Do you know that most important criteria used by most aspiring college students?
- Location: On its surface, many students use location as the most important deciding factor. Oddly, parents may sometimes influence the decision wanting their student to be within a certain distance to home.
But, if you truly think about it, an undergraduate degree is typically only four years. Of course, when you are 17-18 years old, four years may seem like a long time, but it is NOT. As listed below, what may be more important is the locale of the institution – in other words, is it located in a major city (New York, Chicago, Los Angeles) or a particular region of the country to which you may wish to begin your career.
- Money: Perhaps not surprisingly, money dictates most decisions out of necessity; but again, almost all institutions provide financial aid. You never know what you will truly pay for your college education until you apply and receive your award letter.
One example to consider; at Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago, IL), the College of Architecture provides the Crown Scholarship – full-tuition for five years. Thus, money is important but not always the most important criteria.
Below is a link to an article on Selecting an Architecture Program that includes full descriptions on the Decision Criteria (listed below) for you to truly consider under the headings of You, Institution and Architecture Program
Selecting an Architecture Program
https://www.archcareersguide.com/selecting-a-program/
You:
To find the best program for you, think about your level of confidence in pursuing architect, your personality type, the proximity of the program to your home – do you want to be close or far away from home? And, finally, what is your budget for attending a program.
Consider the following attributes prior to selecting a school and an architecture program:
- Level of confidence:
- Personality type:
- Closeness to home:
- Budget:
Institution:
Just as important are factors related to the institution – what type of institution is it? What about the locale of the institution – rural or urban? Is it private or public? What is the overall enrollment of the institution? What is the cost of attending the institution and what amount of financial aid (grants, scholarships, and loans) are available?
Attributes to consider when selecting an institution include:
- Type of school:
- Locale:
- Institution size:
- Public versus private:
- Cost:
- Financial aid:
Architecture Program:
As you will spend vast amount of time within the academic unit, you may wish to strongly consider aspects of the program. What is the overall academic structure of the academic unit? What degrees are offered? Consider the philosophy or approach of the program; what is the tradition or reputation of the program? What about enrollment? What resources, facilities, and special programs will be available to you as a student? Who are the faculty and student body?
- Academic structure:
- Philosophy/approach:
- Reputation/tradition:
- Accreditation:
- Enrollment:
- Academic resources:
- Special programs:
- Faculty:
- Student body:
- Career programs:
- Postgraduate plans:
So, what will be your Decision Criteria will be what Selecting an Architecture Program; contact us to let us know how we can be of assistance – archcareersguide@gmail.com