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MS - Historic Preservation


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I'm applying this year.

Whatever happened? Did you get in?

Where did you apply? Have you heard back from any schools yet? I am currently enrolled at SCAD in the historic preservation MA and it is TERRIBLE. I applied to Pratt and SAIC this year. Still waiting to hear from SAIC.

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Where did you apply? Have you heard back from any schools yet? I am currently enrolled at SCAD in the historic preservation MA and it is TERRIBLE. I applied to Pratt and SAIC this year. Still waiting to hear from SAIC.

yikes! Sorry to hear about your experience at SCAD. Mind if I ask what you don't like about it? I've applied to 8 schools, and have heard back from Clemson & Charleston, Delaware, and Vermont. Still waiting to hear from the rest. I'm scared about decision time!!

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New to the forum but watching a bit - only applied to Tulane rather last minute for their Masters in Preservation Studies program...I was under the impression that notifications were to be sent out via e-mail today - yet still no word! Ugh...anticipation...anyone else apply to Tulane's program and hear back yet??

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I applied to one school... U of O, decision date is the 15th of March and not a single word yet!!! The GTF was going to email/text me when a decision was made, and now I'm afraid that he doesnt want to tell me I was rejected. He also said 40 applicants, and out of that 40 there would be a 60-70% acceptance, which seems pretty high to me. Maybe they are just taking their sweet Oregon time.

I've been freaking out for days.

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I applied to one school... U of O, decision date is the 15th of March and not a single word yet!!! The GTF was going to email/text me when a decision was made, and now I'm afraid that he doesnt want to tell me I was rejected. He also said 40 applicants, and out of that 40 there would be a 60-70% acceptance, which seems pretty high to me. Maybe they are just taking their sweet Oregon time.

I've been freaking out for days.

I haven't heard anything from Oregon either. Having a low undergrad GPA and being 5 years (when I start) out of undergrad, I applied to 8 schools because I was scared I wouldn't get in anywhere...now I have the opposite problem...I actually am going to have to make a decision! ha! I wish I'd just get something back from the rest soon enough so I can really hunker down and make this final decision. Do you know if Oregon does their notifications by email, snail mail, website, etc?

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ohthankgod. i have a low gpa too. i heard snail mail, but i also heard phone calls from the director, so i dont know. i dont think they do the email thing.

my fingers are crossed.

I haven't heard anything from Oregon either. Having a low undergrad GPA and being 5 years (when I start) out of undergrad, I applied to 8 schools because I was scared I wouldn't get in anywhere...now I have the opposite problem...I actually am going to have to make a decision! ha! I wish I'd just get something back from the rest soon enough so I can really hunker down and make this final decision. Do you know if Oregon does their notifications by email, snail mail, website, etc?

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ohthankgod. i have a low gpa too. i heard snail mail, but i also heard phone calls from the director, so i dont know. i dont think they do the email thing.

my fingers are crossed.

Well, whatever way we find out, good luck to you!

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you too! may i ask... did you get rejected at any schools? what is your undergrad degree in?

not yet! However, I'm pretty sure Penn is a reject as others were contacted last week by the program directly, and I'm awaiting the website results. So not officially, but very probably. I may be waitlisted at Cornell (waiting to hear back on an email I sent as I got an invite to the open house cryptically saying that I should have been notified of my waitlist status, yet I have not received any such email). My undergrad degree was in history of architecture, but I spent 4 years working as an admin for an investment firm, lol. I think my saving grace has definitely been that I took some grad classes at BU's Preservation Studies program and did really well, but ultimately decided I wanted to leave Boston (and not pay BU tuition!).

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not yet! However, I'm pretty sure Penn is a reject as others were contacted last week by the program directly, and I'm awaiting the website results. So not officially, but very probably. I may be waitlisted at Cornell (waiting to hear back on an email I sent as I got an invite to the open house cryptically saying that I should have been notified of my waitlist status, yet I have not received any such email). My undergrad degree was in history of architecture, but I spent 4 years working as an admin for an investment firm, lol. I think my saving grace has definitely been that I took some grad classes at BU's Preservation Studies program and did really well, but ultimately decided I wanted to leave Boston (and not pay BU tuition!).

well congrats, thats amazing! i seriously put everything i had into my app... im a photographer and i handmade a portfolio out of reclaimed wood from a tannery that was on the national register, have been volunteering with preservationists, and even drove the 2 hours to drop off my app. so this wait is really devastating for me. i feel like i took all the right steps...

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well congrats, thats amazing! i seriously put everything i had into my app... im a photographer and i handmade a portfolio out of reclaimed wood from a tannery that was on the national register, have been volunteering with preservationists, and even drove the 2 hours to drop off my app. so this wait is really devastating for me. i feel like i took all the right steps...

It sounds like you have a really strong application! Hang in there, hopefully notifications go out ASAP. Waiting SUCKS.

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I went to U of O for my undergraduate studies and they do send out responses later than a lot of schools (as do all Oregon schools). I have been on the planning thread as well and no one has heard from UO or PSU as of yet. On a side note, I studied geography there (human and cultural) so I have some experience with professors that cross teach in preservation. I think it is a pretty good programme, although Eugene lacks a lot of the architectural character one might expect to find when they are studying. A lot of really cute old houses mixed with brutalist concrete buildings in an empty downtown. There is something sweet about Eugene, though, don't get me wrong. Anyway, I digress. I wouldn't worry too much about not hearing yet!

I applied to one school... U of O, decision date is the 15th of March and not a single word yet!!! The GTF was going to email/text me when a decision was made, and now I'm afraid that he doesnt want to tell me I was rejected. He also said 40 applicants, and out of that 40 there would be a 60-70% acceptance, which seems pretty high to me. Maybe they are just taking their sweet Oregon time.

I've been freaking out for days.

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I don't mind if you ask what I don't like at all, in fact, I would like to share my experience with as many people as possible so they are not stuck in this position. I will try not to be long winded with this- there isn't much I like about the school! Basically, the programme is either understaffed or under-regulated (maybe a combination of both). In many instances, the teachers are sub par professionals that work in some aspect of the preservation field but are not even that highly educated (one of my teachers only had a BFA!!!). Some of the classes are only offered online, which is not an appropriate teaching method for this subject (I am doing the all online programme which is part of my mistake). I have heard from others that I have talked to that do combination online/on campus classes that the on campus classes are better, but not much. I have complained to the administration about teachers that disappear from the online courses for weeks at a time with no feedback, grading, etc. and they seem to think it is just how it is and they can't do much to help. I have gone to two deans and a chair and no one cares that I am unsatisfied (or that other are- there are a group of about five of us that have been formally complaining since October). In addition, the material is not challenging at all. One of my classes this term has a 50 page book and that is it! Totally unacceptable for graduate level work. The lectures for this class don't add much either- maybe about 30-45 min per week of additional information. For the most part, the classes are not well laid out and the lesson plans and deadlines are determined not by the teacher, but by whoever designed the course. Often times we are given tests with information that was never covered. When I have complained, the teachers remove the wrong answer from the grade books because, as I have been told by three of them, they don't write or see what is on the test until after they are taken. It's mind boggling and these are just a few of the issues I am dealing with. It is impossible to connect with teachers and admin (expect to spend about an hour each day making calls and writing e-mails demanding a response), and even when you do no one cares. They blame other departments or other people in the administration and when I talk to them they blame someone else. No accountability and no desire to give students their $3500 worth per class. One of the reasons I wanted to go to SCAD was a study abroad programme in France. I began enquiring immediately after my first term started and they got rid of the programme for graduate students this term! They said it had ceased a while ago and when I enquired as to why it was still on the website they gave me some excuse about how they are reorganizing the programme and just hadn't removed it.

The whole experience has soiled my love for the subject matter and I am now at a point where I feel like I need to re-evaluate my chosen path. I applied to Pratt and have been accepted and am waiting to hear from SAIC, but I am honestly not that excited about doing this at an art school. There are very few public institutions that offer this as a master's and the ones that do are really amazing schools like Columbia, Cornell, etc. that I would never get into. I feel a little stuck at this point, especially having just wasted nearly $40,000 at SCAD and feeling like I have learned absolutely NOTHING. OK, maybe a few things from extensive research I do outside of class to try to learn, but I can't give any credit to the school. It feels more like a first year undergrad class- lots of busy work, quizzes, discussion points, and no real critical thinking. At this point in my education I expected to be doing a lot of long papers, critical thinking, and so on. Sorry for the rant, but I hope that gives you some idea of what is going on here.

yikes! Sorry to hear about your experience at SCAD. Mind if I ask what you don't like about it? I've applied to 8 schools, and have heard back from Clemson & Charleston, Delaware, and Vermont. Still waiting to hear from the rest. I'm scared about decision time!!

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Just curious about everyone's stats and where you all have applied (something to pass the dreadfully slow wait time). Here are mine:

BA University of Oregon, Geography with a minor in Environmental Studies

GPA: 3.15 overall, 3.72 in major

Currently working on MA at Savannah College of Art and Design and running away as quickly as possible

GPA: 4.0

Applied to:

Pratt (historic preservation): accepted, waiting on funding

SAIC (historic preservation):

Columbia (non degree post-bac short programme in urban design):

University of Toronto (archives and records management):

Would love to hear about the rest of you!

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I went to U of O for my undergraduate studies and they do send out responses later than a lot of schools (as do all Oregon schools). I have been on the planning thread as well and no one has heard from UO or PSU as of yet. On a side note, I studied geography there (human and cultural) so I have some experience with professors that cross teach in preservation. I think it is a pretty good programme, although Eugene lacks a lot of the architectural character one might expect to find when they are studying. A lot of really cute old houses mixed with brutalist concrete buildings in an empty downtown. There is something sweet about Eugene, though, don't get me wrong. Anyway, I digress. I wouldn't worry too much about not hearing yet!

hey thanks alot, that really helps! I'm already in Portland, have been here for a few years, and yeah coming from S. Cali I can say that they architecture in the Pac NW is more, shall I say, homey. But i LIKE homey, and sweet, (and Brutalism), and mid c modernism. I have a toddler so my whole life is sweet, and eugene will be perf for my little monster. :) I'm also more interested in adaptive reuse, and the green aspects of the practice, and I can say that Portland is a good spot to study it (a lot of their design studios take place in PDX).

oh and thanks again for your reply, very soothing.

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Oh, Portland. I miss Portland so much. I grew up there and lived about 22 of my years there. I must say, of all of the places I have been, there is no place like Portland. I wish I had looked into UO's programme a little more now. I didn't realize the studios took place in Portland. I think I was anxious to get out of Eugene after living there for five years. I wanted a new and more exciting adventure, but I must say, I miss the simple and, not slow, but moderately paced life I had there- gardens, bikes, Spencer Butte hikes. My interests are like yours- adaptive reuse and sustainability. I originally applied to PSU last year and was rejected for urban planning. I didn't plan for that at all and applied nowhere else and that is how I ended up doing distance ed at SCAD. I am considering an urban design certificate at PSU through their urban planning department as an option as well for this fall. I missed all of the deadlines again this year, having not realized how truly horrible the instruction at SCAD is until mid January (my second term). I wanted to give it a two term chance but now it looks like I might take the next year off or do a certificate. Anyway, I have rambled on once again. Good luck and keep us updated on UO!

Oh, if you haven't heard of an organization called the Architectural Heritage Centre in Portland, I highly recommend. They put on some really interesting events, including an annual tour of homes (or maybe kitchens, but the owners show all), of different eras that have been preserved as is or restored to match their original period. There were some amazing mid century homes last year. I think it is coming up in the next month or so.

hey thanks alot, that really helps! I'm already in Portland, have been here for a few years, and yeah coming from S. Cali I can say that they architecture in the Pac NW is more, shall I say, homey. But i LIKE homey, and sweet, (and Brutalism), and mid c modernism. I have a toddler so my whole life is sweet, and eugene will be perf for my little monster. :) I'm also more interested in adaptive reuse, and the green aspects of the practice, and I can say that Portland is a good spot to study it (a lot of their design studios take place in PDX).

oh and thanks again for your reply, very soothing.

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hey all, good way to pass the time, and glad to see other HP people on here :).

I did my BA in History of Architecture at Syracuse. Honestly, it wasn't the best program as it was tossed around between Arts & Sciences and Architecture. Seems to be improving now as they've appointed a full-time director for the major who was an awesome professor when I was there. However I loved it there anyway, met amazing people, and wouldn't have gone anywhere else (though if I had to go back I'd try to do a better job of being less shy and connecting with faculty!) Cumulative was 2.98 (thank you freshman year Physics, etc!) and I think 3.41 in my major.

Between 2006 and now I took a few classes at BU, with 3.67 for those.

In addition to the programs you see in my sig, I'm waiting to hear from Oregon, of course, E Mich, and George Washington. Really, no idea what I'm going to do at this point! Glad to hear good things about Oregon, but I'm not entirely sure I could handle the weather! I knew it was a rainy winter and dry summer, but when I saw over 8" average precipitation in Eugene for December, I nearly fell out of my seat. But I guess we'll see how things go!

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Speaking of SCAD, one of the reasons I didn't apply there was because when I requested information, I just got a generic grad program booklet. It made me feel better when schools sent program-specific information and/or a letter from the program director, rather than just mass mailings sent out from a main admissions office. I think Savannah would be a cool place to learn in, but that threw up at least an orange flag for me.

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Everyone is always a little freaked out about the rain, but I have to say honestly, it is not that bad. First off, it is so mild (temperature wise) that you can be outside year round without freezing or having it hurt to breathe like it so often does during the east coast and midwest winters. Additionally, the rain brings the most beautiful green springs and summers and the fall season is to die for. I loved walking around Eugene in the fall- the fresh, crisp air and the leaves. And you can't beat being an hour and a half from either the beach or mountain depending what you feel like! The winters can feel a bit drab toward the end, but it can feel that way anywhere. I live in Toronto now and I have cabin fever like I have never felt before simply because it just isn't hospitable to be outside for long periods of time. Don't let the weather scare you away- it's a great place :)

hey all, good way to pass the time, and glad to see other HP people on here :).

I did my BA in History of Architecture at Syracuse. Honestly, it wasn't the best program as it was tossed around between Arts & Sciences and Architecture. Seems to be improving now as they've appointed a full-time director for the major who was an awesome professor when I was there. However I loved it there anyway, met amazing people, and wouldn't have gone anywhere else (though if I had to go back I'd try to do a better job of being less shy and connecting with faculty!) Cumulative was 2.98 (thank you freshman year Physics, etc!) and I think 3.41 in my major.

Between 2006 and now I took a few classes at BU, with 3.67 for those.

In addition to the programs you see in my sig, I'm waiting to hear from Oregon, of course, E Mich, and George Washington. Really, no idea what I'm going to do at this point! Glad to hear good things about Oregon, but I'm not entirely sure I could handle the weather! I knew it was a rainy winter and dry summer, but when I saw over 8" average precipitation in Eugene for December, I nearly fell out of my seat. But I guess we'll see how things go!

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I see someone got notification from Oregon today, congrats if it's one of you on here! Still no word for me, but if the person who received theirs is in Oregon, that makes sense! Really hoping to hear from the rest of mine this week.

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I see someone got notification from Oregon today, congrats if it's one of you on here! Still no word for me, but if the person who received theirs is in Oregon, that makes sense! Really hoping to hear from the rest of mine this week.

it was me! stoked!!! and super relieved. you should get your letter tomorrow or the next day.

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