Planning Admission 2021

[willplanning]

54 minutes ago, CanPlan said:

We're all waiting! I don't think anyone has heard anything since the interview. 

I'm sure we'll hear immediately as soon as people start getting results. 

In the meantime, we wait... 

[drew.m.b]

I received my USC acceptance via email last week, but there was no mention of funding in the email. When I emailed the admissions rep (Sarah) she mentioned that more information on funding/aid will be shared on admitted students day later in March. Is this the case for others as well? Does anyone have a recommendation for another avenue to try? 

[Riley Hammond]

has anyone heard from USC or Columbia M.Arch program? It seems to be most of the schools last program to announce. 

[prospectiveplanner]

4 hours ago, lovesgrayweather said:

I have been wondering this as well. At the moment I'm trying to decide between Portland State and the University of Sheffield, the former of which is in-state. But the total cost of PSU is only slightly cheaper than Sheffield, and I am very interested in studying abroad.

UBC is my first choice. Haven't heard anything since the interview.

haven't heard from UBC yet either, i'm so on edge as they're my first choice too! 

[austinplanning256]

I guess it’s standard for this process but I find it unfair that some of these schools aren’t giving us at least a full month to assess our options and make a decision. 

[CanPlan]

12 minutes ago, austinplanning256 said:

I guess it’s standard for this process but I find it unfair that some of these schools aren’t giving us at least a full month to assess our options and make a decision. 

Unless you need to pay a deposit, I wouldn't worry too much. 

If Plan B has an upcoming deadline but you are on the wait list for Plan A or waiting for funding, accept Plan B. If Plan A eventually comes through after you accepted Plan B, withdraw your offer from Plan B and accept Plan A.  

I used to worry about this type of thing, but I currently work in higher ed (a different field) and see this all the time. It's not a great move, but it also isn't anything out of the ordinary. 

[rio2sp]

1 hour ago, austinplanning256 said:

I guess it’s standard for this process but I find it unfair that some of these schools aren’t giving us at least a full month to assess our options and make a decision. 

It is definitely inconvenient, especially given the fact that many programs have received more applications than ever before this year and are working remotely due to covid, delaying their ability to get back to you sooner than they usually would.

Nonetheless, you can always ask universities to provide you with an extension on their decision dates. I was able to successfully get an extension from my in-state public university. 

[GMK]

I know several are still waiting for decisions on master's programs.

Is anyone still waiting for PhD decisions?  My application is still "pending."

 

 

[wwjanejacobsd]

On 3/15/2021 at 12:27 PM, anxiousplanner said:

I really wish I could visit, particularly UCLA, but just don't see how it's feasible with COVID since it would require a cross-country flight. My top 2 picks are UIC and UCLA, and while I've spent a fair amount of time in Chicago, I've spent a grand total of 24 hours in LA. If any of the CA people on this thread have opinions/insights into LA, I'm all ears!!

I personally love living in LA--I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and I went to UCLA for undergrad. It's a very diverse city, the weather's great year round (minus fire season), and you can easily go to the beach or the mountains. I also love its food scene and art museums. LA is known for its sprawl, so it doesn't have a typical big-city feel and it can be difficult to get around without a car. While LA's rail transit isn't great, it does have a pretty extensive bus network! I lived in Westwood the entire time I was a student at UCLA, so it was very easy to get to and from campus and run errands on foot. I had a car my senior year and it definitely made exploring LA beyond the Westside much easier. I'm planning to enroll in UCLA's MURP program and I don't think I'll live in Westwood this time around to cut down on the cost of rent. UCLA's grad housing in University Apartments South isn't too far from the Metro Expo Line, so you could use that to get to Santa Monica or Downtown LA. There's also a shuttle for UAS residents that goes to and from campus on weekdays.

I'd also suggest thinking about where you would like to work after graduation. If your goal is to work in Los Angeles or elsewhere in California, UCLA may be the better choice.

[willlo]

On 3/15/2021 at 12:22 PM, hayamate said:

I am! A former colleague graduated from the program and recommended it. Still haven't determine which program to go.

Are you planning to attend Tufts?

I am considering it! Along with my other options. I love the community-based approach and sustainability focus, but am concerned with the lack of transportation coursework. What have been your thoughts abt transportation at Tufts?

[willlo]

On 3/15/2021 at 11:05 AM, willlo said:

Just jumping on this train today and figured I'd share for the future lurkers.

My SOP focused on the intersection of mobility, equity, and public engagement. Gaining technical skills (R, ArcGIS, etc.) is also very important to me in grad school. 

Age/Gender/Citizenship

25/F/US

Undergraduate degree/School/Year graduated 

BA English / NC university / 2017

GPA - GRE  - TOEFL (for Int'l students) 

3.5 - waived - N/A

Work Experience:

2.5 years of community engagement / program management in nonprofits, 1 year in TDM

Letter of recommendations: (from whom)

1 from undergrad academic advisor/professor, 1 from past supervisor/mentor, 1 from current boss in transportation sector

Schools applied to: UI Chicago, Rutgers, Tufts, University of Buffalo, and Virginia Tech

In: Rutgers (awaiting funding info), UI Chicago ($5K), UB ($3K), Tufts ($16K), Virginia Tech (RA with 50% in-state tuition scholarship)

Out: 0

Wait-list: 0

Awaiting: 0

 

Edited March 17, 2021 by willlo
Updating with financial offer from VT - feeling very grateful, yet conflicted!

[PlanneDesign]

On 3/9/2021 at 7:33 PM, PlanneDesign said:

 

Age/Gender/Citizenship

24/M/US

Undergraduate degree/School/Year graduated 

BA Urban Planning; BA International Studies  /  southern state school  /  2021

GPA - GRE  - TOEFL (for Int'l students) 

3.65 (4.0 last 60hr) - 158V  /  155Q  /  4.5AW

Work Experience:

1yr as research assistant; 3yrs as part-time graphic artist/website designer; 3yrs as HS teacher

Letter of recommendations: (from whom)

2 from undergraduate professors; 1 from work supervisor

Schools applied to: Harvard, UC Berkeley, UPenn, Columbia, UT Austin (MSCRP/MSUD), University of Washington, UCL (MSc Urban Design & City Planning), TU Delft (Urbanism), Liverpool

In: UCL, Liverpool

Out: Harvard, UPenn, UC Berkeley, TU Delft

Wait-list: Columbia, UT Austin (MSCRP), University of Washington

Awaiting: UT Austin (MSUD)

Waitlisted at Columbia! Quite surprised - was totally expecting an outright rejection. Still waiting on UT's Urban Design program.

[pinotandplanning]

i've been lurking for FAR TOO LONG and am *antsy* waiting for UBC results so here y'all go! 

Age/Gender/Citizenship

22/F/US 

Undergraduate degree/School/Year graduated 

BS Environment & Natural Resources and Political Science/ state uni in the mountain west/ december 2020

GPA - GRE  - TOEFL (for Int'l students) 

3.84 (upper level 4.0) - no GRE #bless 

Work Experience:

2 yrs research assistant, 1 yr TA, 3 yrs sustainability club president, 1 yr outreach & social media sustainability internship, plus i bartend full time (wish that counted like it should) 

Letter of recommendations: (from whom)

3 undergrad profs, one supervised my undergrad thesis & internship 

Schools applied to: UC Berkeley, UMich, UBC, Tufts

In: UMich (5k), Tufts (1/2 tuition) 

Out: UC Berkeley 

Wait-list: 

Awaiting: UBC (had interview) 

[CanPlan]

14 minutes ago, pinotandplanning said:

waiting for UBC

I've been telling myself any day now for the last few weeks! 

[prospectiveplanner]

15 minutes ago, pinotandplanning said:

i've been lurking for FAR TOO LONG and am *antsy* waiting for UBC results so here y'all go! 

Age/Gender/Citizenship

22/F/US 

Undergraduate degree/School/Year graduated 

BS Environment & Natural Resources and Political Science/ state uni in the mountain west/ december 2020

GPA - GRE  - TOEFL (for Int'l students) 

3.84 (upper level 4.0) - no GRE #bless 

Work Experience:

2 yrs research assistant, 1 yr TA, 3 yrs sustainability club president, 1 yr outreach & social media sustainability internship, plus i bartend full time (wish that counted like it should) 

Letter of recommendations: (from whom)

3 undergrad profs, one supervised my undergrad thesis & internship 

Schools applied to: UC Berkeley, UMich, UBC, Tufts

In: UMich (5k), Tufts (1/2 tuition) 

Out: UC Berkeley 

Wait-list: 

Awaiting: UBC (had interview) 

Wow, nice! How did your interview go? 

[prospectiveplanner]

Anyone hear from SFU Urban Studies yet? It's their first week of admits and I've heard nothing. Not sure how their waitlist works. With UBC, do they send out rejections first at the same time as first-round admits, or do they wait until the very end of the waitlist to reject the people who didn't even make it onto the waitlist? 

Edited March 17, 2021 by prospectiveplanner

[pinotandplanning]

18 minutes ago, prospectiveplanner said:

Wow, nice! How did your interview go? 

i actually think it was medium-level trash? it's not like i wasn't prepared, the questions weren't anything crazy, but it definitely wasn't what i wanted it to be. wish i could go back/also wish it had been with a human! 

[pinotandplanning]

22 minutes ago, CanPlan said:

I've been telling myself any day now for the last few weeks! 

did not mean to post that BUT i decided it would come Monday and when it didn't .... WOOF 

[prospectiveplanner]

3 minutes ago, pinotandplanning said:

i actually think it was medium-level trash? it's not like i wasn't prepared, the questions weren't anything crazy, but it definitely wasn't what i wanted it to be. wish i could go back/also wish it had been with a human! 

EXACTLY! I didn't even get asked about planning, SCARP, or my experience necessarily. I was asked "what does professionalism mean to you"! I was surprised they would ask such vague, work-interview type questions instead of anything relevant to the program. I researched and practiced a lot but it didn't even help me. I really would've preferred it with an actual human being too! It felt so stiff and fake:( I didn't do well at all. I'm quite crushed because SCARP is my first choice and it's the only accredited program I applied to. Yikes @ my life. 

[Planning and plants]

I've been lurking on this thread for a while so I decided to finally share in case if this is helpful for future applicants.

Age/Gender/Citizenship

26/Female/ US

Undergraduate degree/School/Year graduated 

5 year Bachelor of Landscape Architecture/ Large State School/ 2017

GPA - GRE  - TOEFL (for Int'l students) 

3.25 - Did not submit

Work Experience:

1 year food justice fellowship

AmeriCorps VISTA- at well known affordable housing nonprofit

2 years project manager as an affordable housing developer for a local NYC CDC

Letter of recommendations: (from whom)

Current boss (who has a MUP), AmeriCorps supervisor, Fellowship supervisor (Columbia only)

Schools applied to: NYU, Pratt, Hunter, and Columbia

In: NYU and Hunter

Out: 

Wait-list:  Columbia 

Awaiting: Pratt

I am pretty sure I will commit to Hunter given the low cost in state tuition and it will allow me to go part time and keep my planning adjacent job. However, I am waiting for Pratt just to make sure. Has anyone heard from them?

[prospectiveplanner]

Sorry for spamming the forum today but I'm waiting for news so I'm going a bit nuts and stalking it a lot haha!

I had another question for you fine people. Is anyone wanting to focus on accessibility in particular and know of a program that has a stream that focuses entirely on accessibility? I am yet to see the word "accessibility" actually listed under any concentration/stream at any program I looked at and it has slowly become my main interest in planning and design. When I do see something about accessibility, it's usually in the context of social/economic access to services/housing for marginalized/racialized groups, not actually physical access to tangible places. Think accessible children's playgrounds and parks, Changing Places washrooms.... buildings, campuses and transit using basic ADA regulations as the bare minimum, etc. Lots and lots of grassroots activism is being done in buildings/park accessibility by disabled individuals but I don't see much collaboration with planners going on, and it seems to be a problem that needs more attention and I would love to get into this. 

It's a fairly recent interest of mine and unfortunately I didn't stress any of this in my statement of intent. That's the one good thing about potentially not making it in this year - whole new statement of intent for a new focus! Thinking of where I could apply to that focuses a lot on accessibility planning and collaboration with disabled people.

Edited March 17, 2021 by prospectiveplanner

[numenor]

Has anyone who applied to UofT checked Acorn recently? Looks like someone got "invited" today... curious to know if others have received an update!

[hayamate]

4 hours ago, willlo said:

I am considering it! Along with my other options. I love the community-based approach and sustainability focus, but am concerned with the lack of transportation coursework. What have been your thoughts abt transportation at Tufts?

One of the reasons that led me to apply to Tufts was that you can register to take classes at other instituions in Greater Boston, including Harvard and MIT. So even if Tufts transportation planning courses are not as extensive as other programs, you could supplement it with taking classes at other programs.

Edited March 17, 2021 by hayamate

[planning]

18 minutes ago, Planning and plants said:

However, I am waiting for Pratt just to make sure. Has anyone heard from them?

Pratt is the last one I’m waiting on, too. Haven’t had any communication since submitting my application (which was a bit later, sometime late January). Looks like they’re still accepting applications? but I hope to hear from them soon!

[MildlyJaded]

46 minutes ago, numenor said:

Has anyone who applied to UofT checked Acorn recently? Looks like someone got "invited" today... curious to know if others have received an update!

Don't think we'll be updated via acorn. Also. What does 'invited' mean?