My name is xxx and I want to be an architect. Pratt Institute has everything that I've been looking for in a college. Even though my high school career has been one I've struggled through, I am confident I can continue my education successfully at Pratt Institute. Pratt's architecture program is extremely reputable; I am sure that the education I receive at Pratt will be unrivaled. With the combination of Pratt's artistic focus and the reputable architecture program, I know that I can create beautiful art and bring my ideas to life. With the large amount of resources at my disposal, the inspirational student body and community, and a highly ranked architecture program, Pratt is my ideal school to jumpstart my career in architecture and improve upon my artistic abilities.
When I started my college search, my mathematics teacher was the first to tell me about Pratt Institute. We discuss architecture and design all the time, so I knew he would probably know what schools would be
best to apply to. When I asked him where I should look into, instantly, he said "Pratt Institute". After further research, Pratt Institute's alumni impressed me the most; so many designers I admired have come out of Pratt Institute. Betsey Johnson, who plays on pop culture in eccentric, ironic ways, and Peter Zumthor, who uses organic materials and complex geometric shapes to create an industrial feeling in his design, both graduated from Pratt. During my visit to Pratt, I felt a connection; something was telling me that Pratt was where I was could pursue my career goals in an environment that would be perfect for me. I was extremely impressed by the diversity of the community. My biggest inspiration is other people, and Pratt Institute's creative and diverse student body is a great source of inspiration. I want to be able to contribute to this diverse community and possibly inspire others by sharing the sense of freedom and fun in my work. Creating art has always been a part of me, but I feel like there is a lot more left to see and learn; Pratt is the perfect place for me to start.
Pratt Institute is regarded as a highly reputable architecture school in the United States. My mathematics teacher recently informed me that Pratt's school of architecture was rated ninth in the nation by Design Intelligence magazine, a very impressive accomplishment considering the amount of architecture schools in America. Pratt's prestigious architecture program combined with the artistic focus of the school creates the ideal package I've been searching for in a prospective school. Other schools seem very focused on the technicalities of architecture, but Pratt seems to have the perfect balance of art and mechanics. I feel that Pratt's learning environment is the most ideal in order for me to unlock my true artistic potential and be able to combine the science and functionality of architecture with my artistic abilities to create beautiful architecture,
Architecture is a field that is in demand when the economy is good. With our current economic situation, I was worried about being able to find a job when I graduate. My parents warned me about this early, trying to coax me into possibly pursuing another career that could provide financial stability. After doing some research of my own, I found an alumni that assured me it was not hard for them to land jobs they were happy with since Pratt is such a well connected school. They assured me that Pratt's job placement services were amazing and that I shouldn't worry because I was in good hands. Continuing my research, I've found so much positive feedback among graduates regarding Pratt's placement program. The positive feedback I've received regarding Pratt Institute's reputable career services has definitely made my decision easier and help me rest assure that I could successfully peruse my passion at Pratt.
As someone who has mostly worked with graphic design for his whole life; I would like to expand my skills in other mediums. I've tried to do this in school, but with little facilities in school and in the community, proper resources are hard to come about. Pratt Institute's facilities are extremely impressive. During my tour I was able to see parts of the campus such as the wood and metal shops, the computer labs, and the studios. There are countless resources for students to bring their work to life. There are so many new techniques and mediums that I want to explore, but do not have the resources to do so in high school. Pratt caters to my every whim; with such great resources, I am sure that I can explore all my artistic endeavors freely.
I will be honest; for most of my high school career I didn't try in school or even take school very seriously. For the past two years, I've struggled to fix the damage I've done my freshman and sophomore year. It is still a major struggle today and it probably will be for a long time. Only during my junior year did I start taking school seriously. The transition from doing very little in school into taking on a strenuous workload has been a bumpy one, but I try my hardest every day and I'm starting to not settle for less than my hardest. I have, however, evolved immensely as an artist throughout my high school years and my struggle with academics has been my greatest inspiration. I've come to learn so much about myself in the past four years; I cannot say I regret any of it. Through high school, I've come to love the freedom of art and I am starting to be able to see the thought and beauty behind any type of artwork, regardless of technical difficulty, medium, or aesthetic. I want to be able to expand my knowledge and open myself to more new ideas and enhance my artistic abilities through my training and experiences at Pratt Institute.
In all, Pratt is my ideal prospective school. I believe I can thrive in such a creatively driven environment that is as competitive and prestigious as Pratt Institute's. Other schools just are not the same as Pratt, they lack a focus on creativity and artistic ability, a major factor in any great architect's work. Pratt is the perfect place for me to continue my career goals and follow my artistic endeavors.
Here are some things I need opinions on
-Should I include some information about my parents disapproving my career choice but I still choose to follow through
-Should I focus less on my bad academic record?
-Should I add anything else? Delete anything?
-Should i talk about how i will follow through with my passion regardless of the economic recession which could hinder job placement?
Thanks :)
What exactly is the prompt you are answering here? If it specifically asks you to explain adverse circumstances/poor grades/other factors you think the admissions people should know about, then the essay is good as is. Otherwise, then you most certainly should not talk about your bad grades. Never draw attention to any weaknesses in your application in any of your essays if you can avoid it, unless the essay is specifically meant to address them. The only exception would be if Pratt doesn't give you a specific prompt that allows you to do that, and you feel you absolutely need to explain a weakness in one of the other prompts.
Okay, the whole essay should be based on one central idea: Pratt is the perfect school for you to continue your process of becoming the professional you want to be. This is the idea that should be the focus of the first paragraph.
Take all that info about not trying hard in high school and move it toward the end of the essay. Then you can keep the essay focused on what is important.
Cultivate that idea in the first paragraph, and let the reader know that something meaningful is going on. You are in the process of achieving your dream, and Pratt has the resources to get you there.
I'd say you could probably eliminate most of paragraphs 1 and 5, neither of which add much to your main point, namely that Pratt is a great school for you. The rest of the essay is very thoughtful, and does a much better job of answering "Why X?" than most of the application essays I've read on here. Some grammatical points:
"a very impressive accomplishment considering the number of architecture schools in America"
"I'm starting to settle for only my best. "
