Hey Jorawar,

I have been checking online for colleges that have Heritage Conservation to offer, in Europe and
USA. I came to learn that Graduate School of Architectural Planning and Preservation, GSAPP,
University of Columbia offers an excellent Masters in Historic Preservation. And what I also learnt is
that University Of Columbia stands 8th in the world. That is like really big, isn’t it? One of my
acquaintances from Nagpur, Atreyee is a student there. Last week, I e-mailed her asking about the
admission procedure there. I will forward to you, the entire conversation.

Now I am going to be frank with you. I am in a real fix. I am confused about when or whether even I
should appear for GRE. A friend of mine tells me that the format of GRE changes in August. And
more than the States, I’d want to pursue my masters somewhere in Europe. Like I’ve told you
before, I want to waste no time after my Bachelors and want to leave immediately for further. So, I
think now is the right time to start gearing up.

You must be acquainted with the fact that we have a compulsory 6 months of training in the fifth
year? And like you’ve suggested, I should really be doing it abroad. So, tell me how I should start.
How should I start hunting architects? And where?

Help.

Riya

Atreyee di is good. :)

I am in third year right now.. I am looking forward to Masters right after Bachelors. And the subject I
want to pursue is Heritage Conservation. I have had, and hopefully would have considerable
exposure in this field. This April, I am interning under Ar. Debashish Nayak, a Heritage
Conservationist in Ahmedabad.

Checked online and went through colleges in Europe and US. I found that GSAPP offers masters in
Historic Preservation.. And I was looking for help, when I realized that you're a student there..

Di, I have absolutely nothing/no one who could guide me on in my college.. Could you, tell me about
the admission procedure, in a nutshell? I'm assuming that appearing for GRE would be necessary.
And I really don't want to be late for anything.

Could you give me any tips/suggestions? If any strategies in my fifth year internship could help? Did
you apply for any scholarship/stipend? My parents are willing to send me abroad. But my dad isn't
ready to spend a fortune on it. So he's like if you earn a scholarship or something, we could consider
sending you. Could you help? :-S

Dear Riya,
That was a very concise message. It is really laudable that you are thinking about your future right
now, because you have a comfortable two years for preparation and figuring things out before you
start your Masters.

Applying to US universities is pretty basic, but what you need is quality and belief in your application.
GSAPP, Columbia's Historic Preservation program is as famous as its other departments.

I think GSAPP only accepts new students in fall which starts in September first week. The admission
deadline is around mid-December the previous year. What you would require is a fairly decent GRE
score (this is an Ivy league university we are talking about), good TOEFL scores (you don't need an
IELTS for Columbia and most universities in the US but if you are applying to MIT you might consider
taking it... its not very difficult and actually quite fun as I found out!) You would require a very
convincing Statement of Purpose and good letters of recommendation from a professor and
someone you have worked with preferably. Depending on the program you would have to submit a
portfolio, resume and writing samples (all specific to your program - I had to submit all three) and
academic transcripts. Your SOP, resume, portfolio, writing samples and recommendation letters are
critical. It took me more than a year to be personally satisfied with my SOP. No time is early enough
to start it. I

nternships and/or any job experience will help. Papers published, if any would go a long way too.
You have to really convince them that you are passionate about your subject and why you want to
pursue it from the specific school.

About tips, I'd say that apply to at least 4-5 universities when you do. A couple high ranked ones...
dream ones. A couple mid-ranking ones and maybe one or two low ranked ones too to ensure an
admission and some choice. Geographical locations matter too, as does cost of living, duration of
program, proximity to friends/family, other opportunities, etc. I will suggest make an excel sheet to
help chart your preliminary research.

GSAPP doesn't give scholarships to international students but have some graduate and research
assistantships open. Its very competitive but with perseverance it is possible to land one. I applied,
but hadn't gotten any during my admission. However I got an assistantship after coming here and
meeting with everyone and basically pestering them a bit :) Cost is a big priority I know and my dad
had the same idea as yours. I should warn you that Columbia and New York is a horribly expensive
combination and it's crazy meeting ends. I was very skeptical coming here, because it is a big
financial burden... but then it was Columbia and for the program that I am doing, New York is the
best place on earth.

I wouldn't be able to help you much with applying to UK, but I hear its simpler getting into
universities and securing financial aid there. Also the programs are significantly smaller than
American universities'. But I'm not sure how much they are worth later. It will depend also on where
you see yourself 10 years later, countrywise, career-wise, family-wise, etc. I know its a huge thing to
think about at the moment but for example, if you know you will practice in India, a year-long MA
from UK would be more sensible than a two-year MS from the US. Its a matter of perspective.

I hope some of these points will help you move ahead. If you think of anything, any questions, any
doubts, about anything at all, feel free to contact me! Good luck with your classes and preparations!
Best,

Atreyee (I'd suggest cutting out the 'di' - I'm hardly three years younger to you!)