Transfer Students Testimonials

Zachary Pearson

Transfer Student Summer 2014 – Hudson Valley Community College
Rensselaer Architecture Class of 2018

I was looking for a highly ranked architectural school with a strong engineering department for the possibility of a co-terminal degree.

Study abroad was also a consideration. I already had two Associates degrees in CAD and Architectural Technology, so a key decision point for me was the acceptance of transfer credits and the ability to start as a second year student in the 5 year B. Arch program. The summer intensive program for transfer students that compresses some of the first year coursework into a 12 week period sets the stage for the level of work that will be expected for the following four years.

Now, in the middle of my third year, I have found some additional reasons that I would have chosen RPI. The faculty is a mix of practicing architects who are teaching part time (some of whom commute from New York City) and tenured professors who are passionate about teaching. The variety of experience and the diverse backgrounds of the faculty are especially evident during critiques, where professors from other classes quickly grasp the student’s design intent and make connections to other architectural projects and to broader context like art, science, history and psychology.

RPI has over 160 campus clubs and sports. I’ve found time to choreograph a show for the RPI Players and compete with the Ballroom Dance team, but my other extracurricular activities have been focused within the School of Architecture as an editor of the website, a member of the publications staff, a Mentor for new students and an Ambassador for prospective students.

I have also had the chance to do undergraduate research, helping a doctoral candidate with her study of the brain’s response to different light sources. When you read the school’s Morning Mail, you find that there is groundbreaking research being done in departments all over the campus. It is exciting to be in a place where so much is happening.

 

Krystal A. Tyrrell

Transfer Student Summer 2014 – Onondaga Community College
Rensselaer Architecture Class of 2018

Originally attracted to RPI’s determination and mindset to do hard things, I saw Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as a perfect enabler to one who wanted to change the world. I’m not one to shy away from a challenge. Whether it be solving a five page long structures problem or world hunger. RPI would be the place for me to challenge the problems that face society and culture in a unique way. The studios within RPI SOA are a place of discovery and innovation allowing one to pursue solutions in a materialistic and experiential way.

 

Catherine Walker

Transfer Student Summer 2013 – Hudson Valley Community College
Rensselaer Architecture Class of 2017

I am a current 4th year transfer student at the RPI School of Architecture from Hudson Valley Community College, where I received my Associates Degree in Architectural Technology. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s School of Architecture was my first choice for numerous reasons; it is one of the most well known schools in the capital region, and in the United States.

With the school’s success rate and high standard, there is a high percentage of employment right after graduation, both locally and worldwide. Everyone who graduates has an expansive understanding of the industry, both practically and conceptually. The School of Architecture has an extremely talented faculty, in which everyone brings something unique to the table. Coming from Hudson Valley where the majority of our work was done by hand, I wanted to apply to a school that was digitally advanced, and at RPI that is the case. Day one of my academic career at RPI I was introduced to numerous different digital tools. One aspect of the curriculum that attracted me is the progression of studios from first year to final project in fifth year. The beginning is very conceptual and about process and is utilized to get students to think differently in a creative way.  The idea of “normative buildings” isn’t really in the picture. As the years progress, practical techniques get introduced with the integration of numerous building systems. The combination of these two aspects has helped develop my creativity, expanded my knowledge and has given a better understanding of the role of design.

 

Faith Marro

Transfer Student Summer 2014 – Hudson Valley Community College
Rensselaer Architecture Class of 2018

When I began looking at transferring schools in 2014, I wanted to be surrounded by an environment, which in my opinion was conducive to learning and had a respectable reputation around the country. Rensselaer gave me the opportunity to build upon my understanding of art and science and their effect on the various places where we live and work. The integration of art, history, science and engineering within architecture expanded my academic knowledge while still pursuing a personal human endeavor. The architecture program fully prepares students for the future and encourages them to think outside of the box and to change the world in a new and exciting way. Rensselaer’s architecture program creates a culture among the students that strives to encourage and enable new ideas and innovative designs to flourish, allowing for independent creativity to broaden throughout the years. The class sizes of studios allow for a personalized and focused experience, by some of the most respectable and well known professors in the field, which was important to me when applying to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The architecture program at Rensselaer made transferring an easy and stress free process while being integrated into the program.