Preparing for an architecture degree

When preparing yourself for a career in architecture, there are a few things that need to be considered before you can apply for your architecture degree. Consider your background, if you are still in high school, take courses geared to make your candidacy stronger. Take art, IT,  physics, mathematics, English, Communications and social sciences. Architecture is a discipline that blends art and creativity with strong technical skills and precise planning. If you are already out of high school, try doing research at your local college, attend workshops and speak directly to professors in architecture for best practices for your situation. The internet, along with the continued rise of social media, now makes contact with not only local professionals possible, but also with people around the world.

What universities are looking for

• Any candidate considering an architecture degree should be well rounded. You want to start building up a strong portfolio early. You want to show variety and creativity that will set you apart from other candidates in this highly competitive arena. Each school may have different requirements, programs and interview process, so you want to develop a short list and research what specific process each school demands and follow them accordingly. As well as spending time developing your portfolio, you want to spend considerable time learning new things and knowing about many places, aim to be worldly and develop an extensive vocabulary with strong communication skills.

Explore all available options

• Research a few top architectural firms in your city, see if you can intern and develop contacts that may recommend you for specialized programs. You want to show admissions programs, your extensive background, consider joining school clubs and engage in extracurricular activities that will boost your application. In a highly competitive field, you want to show creativity and outside the box thinking that you will need in such a creative and innovative field. Always be learning, try participating in group projects and employ various techniques to show versatility. You want to show evidence in your portfolio of your development to date and make sure the architecture admissions committees see your full potential in such a demanding field.