MS - Historic Preservation

[kiwibird]

Acceptance from Columbia yesterday. Waiting to hear about funding. Also still waiting to hear from SAIC. They are taking soooo long, which is a bummer because now the two schools I am in would like to know my decision soon. I just wish I had the full picture with acceptances and funding!

[michpc]

I just wish I had the full picture with acceptances and funding!

Tell me about it!!

and congrats on Columbia!

Edited March 16, 2011 by michpc

[mamaramarama]

congrats on colombia! and thanks. nope, i only applied to U of O. all my eggs in one basket. thanks god it worked out.

[michpc]

Conditional acceptance to U of O for me. I'm guessing this is based on my less than stellar undergrad GPA.

[mamaramarama]

conditional? what does that mean? do you have to do something?

Conditional acceptance to U of O for me. I'm guessing this is based on my less than stellar undergrad GPA.

[michpc]

conditional? what does that mean? do you have to do something?

It means I have to maintain a 3.0 or higher GPA the first semester until I am "officially" admitted.

did the director call you or was it in a letter? He called me today and left a really nice voicemail.

oy vey, you've already been accepted across the planet, but might i add that there are a million preservation jobs on the west, as opposed to a million preservation schools on the east

I got a letter in the mail today; no phone call as of this late hour . And I know...I'm totally humbled by this; I honestly didn't think my chances were that great, so to be accepted at all these amazing programs is just surreal for me. I just signed up for the PennDesign open house (my little sister would LOVE for me to go there as she's a phD student at Temple, haha) and now I have to convince Vermont to give me some more time to think things over since they want a decision on the same day as that open house, wee! I'll [hopefully, if weather agrees with our flight plan] be visiting Charleston next Friday as well.

Lots of preservation jobs out west, you say?

[mamaramarama]

yeah you totally have a lot of decisions to make! oh so that makes sense, keep a 3... i was so worried about my gpa too but somehow i managed to bring it up from a 1 something to a 3.16. keeping a 3 would be a piece of pie.

and from what i understand, more preservation opportunities in the west. but i know the field as a whole is expected to grow pretty steadily.

It means I have to maintain a 3.0 or higher GPA the first semester until I am "officially" admitted.

I got a letter in the mail today; no phone call as of this late hour . And I know...I'm totally humbled by this; I honestly didn't think my chances were that great, so to be accepted at all these amazing programs is just surreal for me. I just signed up for the PennDesign open house (my little sister would LOVE for me to go there as she's a phD student at Temple, haha) and now I have to convince Vermont to give me some more time to think things over since they want a decision on the same day as that open house, wee! I'll [hopefully, if weather agrees with our flight plan] be visiting Charleston next Friday as well.

Lots of preservation jobs out west, you say?

[kiwibird]

Conditional acceptance to U of O for me. I'm guessing this is based on my less than stellar undergrad GPA.

Congratulations! You have quite the list to choose from

[michpc]

Congratulations! You have quite the list to choose from

HELP! haha.

[kiwibird]

congrats on colombia! and thanks. nope, i only applied to U of O. all my eggs in one basket. thanks god it worked out.

I don't know what track you plan to follow for your MS, but if you get a chance, I highly recommend taking a class from Don Holtgrieve. He teaches in geography but there are two classes he offers that are part of one of the tracks- North American Historical Landscapes, and one called Field Studies in Human Geography. The latter is a summer course and is four Fridays spent in the field. He is an amazing wealth of knowledge and all of the field trips are spent at historic sites throughout the state and discovering the history of rural and urban Oregon. Congrats again on UO! This forum has made me miss Eugene.

[kiwibird]

HELP! haha.

I only know a bit about a few of the schools, but I would say it is important to consider the architecture of where you want to study because a lot of your work in classes will be focused on that. Not to say that you won't study other types of course, but obviously, geography is important. With that in mind, consider what your specific career goals are because each school is very different, I think, in how their curriculum is structured. A lot of them sound similar, but if you look closely at the classes and electives, you might find differences that are very important. Think too about the types of internships available and how that will prepare you for work. That's all probably really intuitive, but sometimes it helps to hear it. I like to make lists (maybe compulsively)- seeing it all laid out helps me. Obviously, if you got funding anywhere or there is potential for funding, then that plays a big part. I know at UO there are GTF positions and I believe you can apply for them second year if you don't get one at first. I have a friend that has a GTF and she has all tuition paid plus a 5000$ per term stipend, the benefits of a union, and health insurance. This might vary from department to department.

I don't know, for me, I think the most important factor is the architecture and the experience I can get from a place (both employment/internship wise and personally). Again, depending on your concentration, consider other departments as you will probably take cross departmental classes for electives. For me, I would want to be sure the school also had a strong planning department, for example. Good luck with making a decision and if you want to know anything more about UO, I can at least answer those questions!

[michpc]

I only know a bit about a few of the schools, but I would say it is important to consider the architecture of where you want to study because a lot of your work in classes will be focused on that. Not to say that you won't study other types of course, but obviously, geography is important. With that in mind, consider what your specific career goals are because each school is very different, I think, in how their curriculum is structured. A lot of them sound similar, but if you look closely at the classes and electives, you might find differences that are very important. Think too about the types of internships available and how that will prepare you for work. That's all probably really intuitive, but sometimes it helps to hear it. I like to make lists (maybe compulsively)- seeing it all laid out helps me. Obviously, if you got funding anywhere or there is potential for funding, then that plays a big part. I know at UO there are GTF positions and I believe you can apply for them second year if you don't get one at first. I have a friend that has a GTF and she has all tuition paid plus a 5000$ per term stipend, the benefits of a union, and health insurance. This might vary from department to department.

I don't know, for me, I think the most important factor is the architecture and the experience I can get from a place (both employment/internship wise and personally). Again, depending on your concentration, consider other departments as you will probably take cross departmental classes for electives. For me, I would want to be sure the school also had a strong planning department, for example. Good luck with making a decision and if you want to know anything more about UO, I can at least answer those questions!

Thanks for your insight; I'm definitely trying to take these things into consideration. I'm hoping I'll have some sort of clicking feeling in the coming weeks. My sister enlisted a professor of hers in her campaign, who is apparently familiar with Penn preservation (she works at Temple), so I've asked my sister to see if she can get any more information from her. Could be really useful to get info from a someone who is a colleague but also works for a different university. This prof. also said that the other programs were great too, though, so that's not much help, haha! I can't help but shake this "impostor syndrome" that others speak of though. It's a little overwhelming.

[revitalist]

Congratulations to the folks above.

I'm choosing between Columbia, Cornell, and Penn and wondering if Columbia's and Penn's reputations in the field are notably stronger than Cornell's (which is how it seems to me as a layperson)? In regards to any of the programs, has anyone heard anything particularly limiting or problematic about any of these particular programs?

[michpc]

Congratulations to the folks above.

I'm choosing between Columbia, Cornell, and Penn and wondering if Columbia's and Penn's reputations in the field are notably stronger than Cornell's (which is how it seems to me as a layperson)? In regards to any of the programs, has anyone heard anything particularly limiting or problematic about any of these particular programs?

Unfortunately, I'm no help; I'm in the midst of decision hell also! I can say that I think Cornell has quite a good reputation, actually, and that it's a well-established program. Will you be attending Penn's open house?

[preservationista]

I'm deciding between Penn, Columbia, and University of Maryland. As to your question, I think Penn and Columbia are better for conservation than Cornell but all three are strong for preservation planning, etc. Columbia seems to be very New York City focused so if that's where you want to work, it's the natural choice. Do you intend to attend the open houses?

Congratulations to the folks above.

I'm choosing between Columbia, Cornell, and Penn and wondering if Columbia's and Penn's reputations in the field are notably stronger than Cornell's (which is how it seems to me as a layperson)? In regards to any of the programs, has anyone heard anything particularly limiting or problematic about any of these particular programs?

[michpc]

I'm deciding between Penn, Columbia, and University of Maryland. As to your question, I think Penn and Columbia are better for conservation than Cornell but all three are strong for preservation planning, etc. Columbia seems to be very New York City focused so if that's where you want to work, it's the natural choice. Do you intend to attend the open houses?

preservationista, I will be attending Penn's open house on the 4th. I took a peak at their fall open house agenda, and if spring's is the same, it seems pretty comprehensive. Any thoughts on Clemson/College of Charleston and UVM?

[revitalist]

Thank you for the feedback. I am drawn to Cornell's curriculum, small size, and planning focus but I haven't had a chance to visit the program nor have I met anyone who has attended. So, for what it's worth, it's reassuring to hear its program lauded on this message board.

I will be attending all three open houses so, to blow my annonymous online identity, I'll see you folks there as the sole male from Boston (at least based on my experience in the fall, this will be the case). Should be an exciting and tiring next two weeks. If anyone needs a lift from Ithaca to Philly, shoot me a message.

preservationista, I will be attending Penn's open house on the 4th. I took a peak at their fall open house agenda, and if spring's is the same, it seems pretty comprehensive. Any thoughts on Clemson/College of Charleston and UVM?

[altaverde]

Hi all - I'm trying to decide between the MSHP programs at Columbia and UPenn. I currently live in Manhattan and had my heard set on Columbia from the beginning. I went to the open house last fall and fell in love immediately - it was also the first open house I attended. I was worried that the Penn program is too conservation focused (I want to specialize in preservation planning/policy), but after attending the open house on the 4th, and talking to some people at Penn I discovered that only a handful of the 25 students each year go the conservation route. I was really surprised by how much I ended up liking Penn and they are also offering me a scholarship of $8K per year. Columbia isn't offering me any assistance and only has one scholarship that is need based, and it is for the entire GSAPP school. If anyone has any thoughts on whether Columbia or Penn is a better program for preservation planning, I'd love to hear your thoughts!! Have to decide by the 15th!!

Congratulations to the folks above.

I'm choosing between Columbia, Cornell, and Penn and wondering if Columbia's and Penn's reputations in the field are notably stronger than Cornell's (which is how it seems to me as a layperson)? In regards to any of the programs, has anyone heard anything particularly limiting or problematic about any of these particular programs?

[ddsdevil]

Hi everyone,

My wife is considering applying to the SCAD MA program. I see that some of you have had negative experiences there. However, she's interested in doing the entire program online and that's probably her only option. However, we are in the initial stages of researching programs.

My wife is interested in history and this seems like an interesting field for her. She would enjoy working in museums, libraries, doing historical tours, etc. However, she's a bit concerned because she's "not artistic". Is this an art based program? From my research,it doesn't appear to be. But the admissions application is asking for things that make her a bit nervous, designs, drawings, photographs, etc. That's not why she's interested in this degree. Is she looking into the wrong program?

Also, what's the acceptance rate like at SCAD?

Thanks everyone!

[TomEH!]

Its VERY quiet on this board- must be everyone knows where they are going!

I am on my way to Cornell MA HPP starting Fall 2011, and from the research and visiting of folks there I can say it looks like you could call it a "Not Artistic" program, so it might meet your interests better.

The difference may be between an MA degree and an MS Degree. At Cornell you can take classes ANYWHERE in the university in any subject, and tailor it to your interests as long as you cover the core programs.

The MA HPP Program at Cornell is one of the longest running in the world, and has a lot of international connections. I am told the employment rate is near 100% upon graduation. The program is not a competitive one but more of a collaborative one... which I am told is quite a contrast some other universities. No grades lower than the B level are accepted for credit toward your degree. The program folks really like to have contact with you during your application process. They only take 8 to 12 new entrants per year, so you need to put in a serious effort if you want to make it happen.

The questions is, how bad do you want it? Can you taste it? Then you can do it!

Ithaca is a fantastic place to be, and very culturally stimulating place to be (I've been around there on and off for awhile). You should check it out.

Best wishes!

-------------------------------------------

Hi everyone,

My wife is considering applying to the SCAD MA program. I see that some of you have had negative experiences there. However, she's interested in doing the entire program online and that's probably her only option. However, we are in the initial stages of researching programs.

My wife is interested in history and this seems like an interesting field for her. She would enjoy working in museums, libraries, doing historical tours, etc. However, she's a bit concerned because she's "not artistic". Is this an art based program? From my research,it doesn't appear to be. But the admissions application is asking for things that make her a bit nervous, designs, drawings, photographs, etc. That's not why she's interested in this degree. Is she looking into the wrong program?

Also, what's the acceptance rate like at SCAD?

Thanks everyone!

[emeryshores]

Hi everyone,

My wife is considering applying to the SCAD MA program. I see that some of you have had negative experiences there. However, she's interested in doing the entire program online and that's probably her only option. However, we are in the initial stages of researching programs.

My wife is interested in history and this seems like an interesting field for her. She would enjoy working in museums, libraries, doing historical tours, etc. However, she's a bit concerned because she's "not artistic". Is this an art based program? From my research,it doesn't appear to be. But the admissions application is asking for things that make her a bit nervous, designs, drawings, photographs, etc. That's not why she's interested in this degree. Is she looking into the wrong program?

Also, what's the acceptance rate like at SCAD?

Thanks everyone!

I wouldn't worry about the acceptance rate at SCAD. You wife would technically be receiving a Master of Arts from an Arts school so it is technically an art based program. She should get in contact with someone in the admissions department and they will essentially walk her through the entire process. But, I will warn you that once you give them your mailing address, the emails and physical mail will keep coming.

Unfortunately, I've heard more bad things about the program than good. Most of the professionals I encountered in the preservation field over the last few years encouraged me to look elsewhere. Apparently they've had a hard time keeping faculty there. I met an admissions person from SCAD at a Preservation Conference a couple of years ago and they gave me a card with a coupon code to waive the application fee. That was the first red flag for me. If online training is her only absolute option then I would say that she should go for SCAD. However, if she is able to physically attend a program I would definitely look elsewhere.

Here is a GREAT resource as to what's out there. It's a database of programs that grants degrees in Historic Preservation:

http://www.preserven...u/edu/ncpe.html

Sorry if these ideas are choppy. I don't want to flood you with information.

[emeryshores]

Hi everyone,

My wife is considering applying to the SCAD MA program. I see that some of you have had negative experiences there. However, she's interested in doing the entire program online and that's probably her only option. However, we are in the initial stages of researching programs.

My wife is interested in history and this seems like an interesting field for her. She would enjoy working in museums, libraries, doing historical tours, etc. However, she's a bit concerned because she's "not artistic". Is this an art based program? From my research,it doesn't appear to be. But the admissions application is asking for things that make her a bit nervous, designs, drawings, photographs, etc. That's not why she's interested in this degree. Is she looking into the wrong program?

Also, what's the acceptance rate like at SCAD?

Thanks everyone!

Also, any HP program at the Ivy League level is going to have a lot of international connections and more than likely will be situated in a "very culturally stimulating place."

Check all of them out.

[michpc]

I wouldn't worry about the acceptance rate at SCAD. You wife would technically be receiving a Master of Arts from an Arts school so it is technically an art based program. She should get in contact with someone in the admissions department and they will essentially walk her through the entire process. But, I will warn you that once you give them your mailing address, the emails and physical mail will keep coming.

Unfortunately, I've heard more bad things about the program than good. Most of the professionals I encountered in the preservation field over the last few years encouraged me to look elsewhere. Apparently they've had a hard time keeping faculty there. I met an admissions person from SCAD at a Preservation Conference a couple of years ago and they gave me a card with a coupon code to waive the application fee. That was the first red flag for me. If online training is her only absolute option then I would say that she should go for SCAD. However, if she is able to physically attend a program I would definitely look elsewhere.

Here is a GREAT resource as to what's out there. It's a database of programs that grants degrees in Historic Preservation:

http://www.preserven...u/edu/ncpe.html

Sorry if these ideas are choppy. I don't want to flood you with information.

Another option is Goucher College's program...it requires two-week summer sessions at the College, with distance learning the rest of the year. I haven't heard much about the program, but it may be worth looking into.

[emeryshores]

Another option is Goucher College's program...it requires two-week summer sessions at the College, with distance learning the rest of the year. I haven't heard much about the program, but it may be worth looking into.

+1

[ddsdevil]

I wouldn't worry about the acceptance rate at SCAD. You wife would technically be receiving a Master of Arts from an Arts school so it is technically an art based program. She should get in contact with someone in the admissions department and they will essentially walk her through the entire process. But, I will warn you that once you give them your mailing address, the emails and physical mail will keep coming.

Unfortunately, I've heard more bad things about the program than good. Most of the professionals I encountered in the preservation field over the last few years encouraged me to look elsewhere. Apparently they've had a hard time keeping faculty there. I met an admissions person from SCAD at a Preservation Conference a couple of years ago and they gave me a card with a coupon code to waive the application fee. That was the first red flag for me. If online training is her only absolute option then I would say that she should go for SCAD. However, if she is able to physically attend a program I would definitely look elsewhere.

Here is a GREAT resource as to what's out there. It's a database of programs that grants degrees in Historic Preservation:

http://www.preserven...u/edu/ncpe.html

Sorry if these ideas are choppy. I don't want to flood you with information.

Thanks for the info and response. What exactly have you heard that's negative about the program? We are definitely going to be living in GA so one positive that I can see is having some connections via SCAD with South GA. And yes, this is really her only option. I'm currently a divinity student in NC and I graduate in May '12. I encouraged her to apply to some of the schools around here (I think that UNCG has a program?) but she didn't want to commit another year to NC. She's ready to get back to GA! So it does seem that SCAD is her only option. But before sinking $30,000 into a program, I want to make sure that it will open some doors for jobs. It doesn't have to be the best program, but one that can get her foot in the door of HP.