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With close to 80 faculty members and 500 students, SCI-Arc is committed to shaping student experiences as they pursue undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate degrees. We receive applications from prospective students from all over the US and around the world and we believe your experience at SCI-Arc will prepare you not only to perform well in the profession, but will also lead you to take the discipline in new directions, as you re-think assumptions, create, explore and test the limits of architecture.
Please review the information on this page before starting the application process. If you have further questions, you can use our ONLINE INQUIRY FORM or contact us directly at admissions@sciarc.edu or 213 613 5320.
What You'll Need to Do
Step 1: Complete Online Application
All students applying to SCI-Arc must complete the online application form before submitting the additional required materials. To apply online, use the link in the upper menu, or click here.Step 2: Submit Additional Application Materials
(descriptions of each item are listed below)
If you are a First Year Undergraduate applicant, having no previous architectural design studios completed, you are required to use SlideRoom in order to submit your materials to us electronically. Please click here to access SlideRoom.
If you are applying for B.Arch Advanced Placement, M.Arch 1, M.Arch 2, SCIFI or ESTm, all additional application materials must be printed and then submitted to SCI-Arc by mail.
** If you have any questions about which level of the B.Arch program you should apply, please contact the Admissions Office at 213-356-5320**
Step 3: Login to the my.sciarc.edu website to check the status of your application materials
Login information will be emailed to you once we have processed your online application.Additional Application Requirements
Below is a summary of the documents and materials you will need to prepare and submit to be considered for admission to a degree program at SCI-Arc:- $85 Application Fee: This fee may be paid electronically when you initially submit your online application form. If you decide to pay later, you will then either need to mail in your payment to SCI-Arc directly. Checks (or money orders) should be made payable to "SCI-Arc."
- Statement of Purpose: This one-page essay should describe your educational and/or professional background and explain your desire to study architecture, and in particular, why you wish to pursue an architectural education at SCI-Arc.
- Resume/Curriculum Vitae: All applicants are required to submit a resume or curriculum vitae. This information should list all of your professional experience, academic and artistic achievements, and/or published works.
- Letters of Recommendation:Applicants must submit three (3) letters of recommendation, which should attest to your academic achievements and/or creative abilities, or professional experience. We recommend that at least two (2) letters come from past or current instructors. Applicants with extensive work experience may submit professional references. For every letter of recommendation submitted on your behalf, please print out the Letter of Recommendation Form, and submit the form to the person writing your recommendation letter. Each recommender will need to complete the Letter of Recommendation Form and submit it to us along with their letter of recommendation. Each letter of recommendation should be written on school/organization letterhead and must be accompanied by a completed Letter of Recommendation Form. This Letter of Recommendation Form can be found below. Letters of recommendation should be mailed or delivered directly to SCI-Arc's Admissions Office.If you are applying for the undergraduate program as a First Year applicant, your recommenders will need to submit their letter of recommendation form electronically using Slideroom and will NOT
need to complete the letter of recommendation form.
Download the SCI-Arc Letter of Recommendation Form >>.
- Academic Transcripts: Official transcripts from ALL schools attended are required, regardless of credits received or courses completed. These records should include course work through the most recent term completed at each school. Applicants in the process of completing their degree will be required to submit final transcripts that indicate the degree completed and the date received. Official transcripts should arrive in a sealed envelope directly from each school.
- SAT I or ACT: Only undergraduate applicants who have completed less than twenty-four (24) units of college credit are required to submit test results from either the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT I) or the American College Test (ACT). For more information on these exams, please visit www.collegeboard.com or www.act.org. SAT School Code: 1575; ACT School Code: 0423.
- GRE: Applicants to the M.Arch 1 or M.Arch 2 programs are to submit test results from the Graduate Record Exam General Test (GRE). The GRE should be taken no later than January of the same application year. For more information on the GRE, go to www.ets.org/gre. GRE School Code: 2781.
- TOEFL/IELTS: All students applying from non-English speaking countries are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The minimum score requirement is 90 on the internet-based TOEFL, 583 on the paper-based TOEFL, or a 6.5 band score on the IELTS. Students should plan on taking the exam no later than January of the same application year. For more information on these two testing systems, please visit www.toefl.org or www.ielts.org. TOEFL School Code:7802
- Portfolio: All applicants are required to submit a portfolio of creative work. If you have no formal architectural education or experience, you should include work that demonstrates your visual design sensibilities, sense of form and space, experience with different materials or media, craftsmanship, and imagination. This work may include, but is not limited to: drawings/sketches, photography, painting, sculpture, ceramics, or wood and metal work. Applicants with a background in architecture are expected to present appropriately documented architectural projects in place of or in addition to other creative work.
Portfolios larger than 10x13 inches or smaller than 5x7 inches will not be accepted. Submissions must be printed and bound. Please do not submit originals - your portfolio should contain scanned images, or photographs of the original work. Only printed and bound portfolios will be accepted for the B.Arch Advanced Placement, M.Arch 1, M.Arch 2, SCIFI and ESTm programs. Your name and the program to which you are applying must appear clearly on the front of the portfolio. If you would like your portfolio returned, include a self addressed envelope with sufficient postage. Postage should be in the form of stamps only. Unclaimed portfolios will be discarded at the end of the year.
For Admission to the Design Immersion Days (DID) Program
- $25 application fee (non-refundable)- Online application form
- One-page statement of purpose
- Financial Statement & Scholarship Application Form (where applicable)
For Admission to the Making + Meaning (M+M) Program
– $25 application fee (non-refundable)– Online application form
– Statement of interest (one-page)
– Two samples of creative work (submissions must not exceed 8.5 x 11 inches; please send only reproductions of your work)
– Resume or curriculum vitae
Mail application materials to:
SCI-Arc Admissions Office960 East 3rd Street
Los Angeles, California 90013
T: 213.613.2200 x320
admissions@sciarc.edu
Admission to SCI-Arc
Notification of acceptanceGraduate applicants will be notified of their admission status by mail in early April; undergraduate applicants will be notified on a rolling basis between the months of April and June. Students who accept SCI-Arc's offer of admission are required to submit a non-refundable deposit, which reserves them a place in the entering class. This deposit is applied toward tuition for their first semester at SCI-Arc. International students are required to submit an additional tuition deposit in order to begin the I-20 process. If the enrollment deposit is not received by the appropriate deadline, the applicant may forfeit their place in the entering class.
Waiting list placement
Applicants placed on the waiting list will be notified as positions become available in the entering class. Portfolios belonging to applicants on the waiting list may need to be retained after the notification date for admission purposes.
Admission deferment
Admission deferments are granted on a case-by-case basis for up to one year. Applicants must petition the school in writing to defer their admission. Petitions are reviewed by the Admissions Committee and the applicant receives written notification of the decision. If an applicant fails to enroll in the following year, he or she must reapply for admission.
Admission appeals
Applicants who wish to appeal an admission decision or studio placement must make their requests in writing. Appeals should be addressed to the Admissions Committee and should include applicable support materials (additional portfolio work and/or an additional letter of recommendation, résumé, etc). Appeals are reviewed by the Admissions Committee and may require a personal interview with one or more committee member. The applicant receives written notification of the decision.
Reapplication for admission
Reapplication within two years: Students wishing to reapply to the program within 2 years of their initial application must submit the following:
- New application form
- New portfolio (with recent work, if applicable)
- At least one new letter of recommendation pertaining to work or study done since the last application was filed.
Reapplication after two years: If an applicant wishes to reapply for admission after two years of absence from the program, he or she must resubmit all application materials specified for the initial application.
Contact us at 213.356.5320, admissions@sciarc.edu or
REQUEST INFORMATION
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