Extracurriculars for architecture major applicant

Hi @Gygy

Thanks for your question. My dads an architect, so I asked him for his opinion.

First of all UC schools in California do not offer an accredited B.Arch (5 year) professional degree. So it will not serve your goals very much to think you are going to a UC school to study architecture. The best B.Arch schools in CA are Sci-Arc in Los Angeles https://www.sciarc.edu/

and CalPoly San Luis Obispo, College of Architecture

https://architecture.calpoly.edu/

For Graduate School, the best Arch. Program in CA is UC Berkeley

https://ced.berkeley.edu/work/architecture-100c-fall-2013

If you are serious about becoming an architect, this is a list of Top 10 undergraduate programs in the US. Cornell is always number #1 and has been for 50 years. My dad went to Syracuse which is easier to get into but just as rigorous with a high reputation.

1 Cornell University

2 Rhode Island School of Design

3 Rice University

4 Cooper Union

5 Syracuse University

6 Virginia Tech

7 Pratt Institute

8 California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

9 University of Texas, Austin

10 Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc)

Architecture is a multi-disciplinary profession. When you go to Architecture school you will be expected to take humanities classes like art/architectural history, engineering classes like structural systems which heavily rely on calculus, you'll be expected to be an expert at using rendering software like Revit, Sketchup, AutoCad etc, take classes in systems like HVAC, Electrical and a bunch of design studio classes where you will learn how to make buildings and use your oratory skills in defending your ideas.

https://soa.syr.edu/live/files/615-barch-curriculum-fall-2021-or-later

Therefore, a large component of besides your grades, course rigor, intellectual curiosity will be your portfolio. Your portfolio should show evidence of your creative expression in different kinds of medium. That can be painting, watercolors, pen and ink, pencil drawings, carvings, pottery, sculptures, 3D design work whether it is 3D printed, or knit work, or making your own furniture with a welding torch or glass blowing. There is no correct amount of pieces to showcase but all of your work should be your own, not a collaboration. One thing to avoid is submitting building designs like houses. You do not want to open yourself up to severe criticism since you are applying to learn how to design buildings. It's not like normal art or theater schools that want to see you dance if you are applying to a dance program or want to hear you sing or act if you are applying to a theater program. Architects do not want to see your poorly designed buildings. They would rather like to see how you use your tactile talents to express your artistic intention. From that they can gauge whether you have potential to learn how to apply your talents.

My recommendation for HS coursework if you are applying to a 5 year B.Arch program would be

AP Art- 2D, AP Art- 3D, AP Drawing

AP Physics 1,2 C

AP Calculus A/B or B/C

AP Art History

If you apply to a top school like Cornell, just remember they are looking for compelling interesting students so if you play an instrument, dance or play a varsity sport, that's always a plus. Richard Meier and Peter Eisenman, two of Americas most prolific architects went to Cornell and they were Cheerleaders in the 1950s. Not athletes, cheerleaders.

Good luck.