@rspystudio hi and thank you! Great question! I applied to grad school in 2020 right when many programs stopped requiring the GRE due to Covid restrictions and testing center closures. That being said, no I was not required to take the GRE but I opted to take it for two reasons: 1. I hadn't been in school for many years and had a low undergrad GPA. I thought the GRE would show that I was serious and that I've continued to learn and grow outside the classroom. I also hoped my GRE scores would help me skirt prerequisites for MIT. 2. Studying for the GRE - practice essays, vocabulary, and basic math-- was a great way to get myself ready for grad school regardless of my final scores. Even if you don't take it...the free study tools are a great resource! I submitted my GRE scores to Rice, MIT, and YSoA.

@@brigittecarlos1766 I'm so glad! 💥

@@08HA28 hi there! Thanks so much! I used Adobe InDesign to create my portfolio!

oof that's a tough one but here are a few ways to tackle this: 1. Make sure all images in your portfolio are jpegs...pdf's greatly increase file size and ability to be compressed - This can be quickly checked in the "Links" dialog box 2. Under Edit > Export > Compression begin down sampling to a lower DPI...the default is 300 but try nudging the numbers closer to 200-225 - In special cases, I will re-export drawings from Illustrator at a lower resolution at medium quality 3. Take comfort in knowing that portfolios are viewed on screens and are often times vetted by students in the first round of review--they have hundreds to flip through so small details are never read for sake of efficiency. What I mean is that it's okay to have lower resolution images because our brains are remarkable at filling in missing information-- so the site photographs (or similar) can be a lower resolution. Let me know if this helps!

@@mirandakclark Thank you so much for your excellent tips on compressing a portfolio to under 10 MB! I was really struggling with keeping the image quality intact, and your advice has been incredibly helpful. I truly appreciate you taking the time to share such useful insights-it’s made all the difference. Thanks again for your help!

@phongquachhoai5177 you're welcome! I'm happy to help in any way I can....including new videos soon, but post-graduation life has been a wild ride. Keep the questions coming if you have any more!

Btw, adobe pdf compress does a really god job.. I mean, after all if your doc couldn’t fit the 10Mb cap.

Hi! the max page limit depends on the school and you ALWAYS want to follow the page limit (and file size) for your upload. I believe in my year of application, Tulane had the shortest portfolio requirement (and the first deadline) so that is what I submitted to each school with minor edits here and there. If there is no max limit, I would not exceed 60 pages or 30 spreads. The portfolio must be extremely curated and is only as strong as your weakest image. Best of luck!

@tjd04081 Amazing! I really appreciate that, and thank you for watching! Good luck this application season!

Ahhh thank you so much! I totally understand, but know your strength will always come from having a non-background! I'm currently working through a video about resumes/ cv's that will tie into overall formatting! Let me know if there is anything else I can make a video on that would be helpful! Best of luck on your applications and take time to rest (while enjoying the season)!

Absolutely! I'm so happy you found this encouraging! Best of luck on your applications! I'm prepping two new videos on my resume and personal statement if those would also be helpful!

@@mirandakclark Yes! excited to watch those as well! Thank uu

same!! applying this fall and good luck to you <33

@@mirandakclark yes pleasee

Hi! Great question! Here's a quick summary of my answers, but to preface-- these responses should come from you, your unique experiences, and passions. No idea is too small or irrelevant. Take your time to write and work through as many drafts as you can. These essays became the starting point of my research during grad school and something I returned to when I felt low. Boiler plate essays are easy to spot, so make them STAND OUT. Yes, I touched on hardship in my essays, but focused more on how I overcame them and found success. Schools are looking for students who won't waste the opportunities at the university and students who will make the most out of their three years (even when things get hard). YSoA had two essays with separate prompts when I applied. Prompt 1: Please describe a significant experience, idea, passion, or pursuit that has led you to apply to the Yale School of Architecture. This essay focused on my WHY for pursuing public art and how those opportunities eventually limited what I felt I was capable as a designer and how now needed the skills acquired in architecture school to grow in my field. I summarized a couple of opportunities that led me to this decision. I concluded with noting several courses that aligned with my interests and how I could contribute to the overall quality and collaborative nature within the cohort-- essentially what I had to offer as a candidate. Prompt 2: What excites you about the future of architecture and what would you like your role to be in that future? I used this prompt to really focus on hopes for my career and hinged this on comparing and contrasting relevant events that shaped the way I viewed public space and accessibility-- Hurricane Katrina (which I lived through in 2005) and Covid. I essentially summed up how architecture could either be for or against the public and how a new generation of designers (me included) need to practice grass roots, community engaged methods of development in order to keep our communities whole. I hope this helps and I would really love to make a video on this topic! EDIT: I focus on my YSoA essays because that's where I attended. My essays to each school slightly varied in terms of arrangement, but the topics stayed consistent.

@jasurjahongirov8456 thank you so much! The portfolio really makes it alllll come together!

You are so welcome! Thank you for watching!

Hi! That's so great to hear! Thank you! I knew that if this video could just encourage one person, figuring out how to make it would be worth it. Do you know where you want to apply yet? Let me know if there's anything specific I can help with!

It is a lot of work! But also debunking the idea of always having it together...design takes time! Thank you!

Hey! Thanks so much 😍 As for the lamps...they are basic swing arm lamps that clamp the tabletop. I would NOT recommend them though because they are hard to maneuver and never stay upright 🫠😅

@@mirandakclark Ah oof, I see. They still look cool though lol. Thanks anyway!

That's so great! Thanks for the watch and subscribe! I hope you end today with a stellar new desk!

Sheeesh not so much a mic problem, but a "me editing problem". I'm hoping to get better with each video! Producing a 30 minute video for my first full edit was definitely more than I could handle.

Thank you! I'm so glad too! 💫

Thank you! I'm still totally figuring out how to add music to create a more seamless narrative! This was a tricky one!

So kind! Thank you! Glad we're on the same brain wave 🎉

Ahhhh Illustrator did me dirty 😅

Yes! With midterms fast approaching, I need to store up any and all enthusiasm I have 😅

Thank you!! 🤞

I think so too!