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Architecture Internship Experience Essay: How to Find and Apply for an Architectural Internship



Lea Scholze is from Switzerland, and is currently interning at an architecture firm in Chicago, IL. We recently checked in with her about her experience on the program thus far, and wanted to share her insightful responses!




Architecture Internship Experience Essay



I had a fairly unique internship experience: I traveled to the Virginia Beach area in August of 2017 to visit some good friends and network with local professionals. One visit led to another, and before I knew it, I was making arrangements to move to Virginia for an entire semester. Over the spring and summer of 2018, I managed to intern under both the private and public sectors of landscape architecture. My work week consisted of training with the Planning, Design and Development Division of Parks & Recreation three days a week, while interning with a private planning firm on the other two days. Comparing and contrasting these experiences proved invaluable to me and allowed me to explore my own strengths and preferences as I prepared to transition into the fully professional realm of landscape architecture.


Whether you are a future intern, a current intern, or maybe a professional who is considering hiring an intern of your own, I believe there are universal beliefs, values, and attitudes that are true of any design profession as far as internships are concerned. Recognizing these internship truths can help you prepare for an internship, acclimate to an existing internship, and recognize the mindset of incoming interns to any design office. Through reflecting on my experiences, I intend to share with you five major takeaways I derived from the overall internship experience.


From my experiences and the experiences of many of my peers, the most fulfilling internships consisted of symbiotic relationships in which the intern received invaluable professional experience, and the office was able to push creative boundaries using ideas and skills brought in by the intern. As a college student, I am currently receiving the most up-to-date technology and training in the field of landscape architecture, including SketchUp, Land F/X, and Lumion. Being a current student working with multigenerational coworkers, I had abilities and skills that I was able to share with, teach to, and use to support my coworkers and their projects. While working with Parks and Rec, I had the opportunity to create my own tutorials for basic Photoshop and SketchUp use, and present these tutorials to the Planning, Design and Development Division.


Lastly, you should expect your architecture internship to teach you about your real strengths and weaknesses. No other place can teach you to honestly evaluate yourself and your skills quite like an architectural firm during your internship.


MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE applicantsDescribe why you are interested in architecture as a professional field and explain how UVA School of Architecture will help you meet your goals. Include any work, volunteer, or internship experiences that have prepared you for this field of study as well as your research interests and career aspirations.


MASTER OF URBAN + ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING applicantsDescribe why you are interested in planning as a professional field and explain how UVA School of Architecture will help you meet your goals. Include any work, volunteer, or internship experiences that have prepared you for this field of study as well as your research interests and career aspirations.


MASTER OF URBAN DESIGN applicantsDescribe why you are interested in urban design as a professional field and explain how your disciplinary background and UVA School of Architecture will help you meet your goals. Include your educational background, work, volunteer, or internship experiences that have prepared you for this field of study as well as your research interests and career aspirations.


Applicants should consider the resonances of Mr. Barnett or Ms. Spencer-Horsley's legacy and students may apply for one of our DEI scholarships by responding to the following essay question in their graduate application: How would your lived experiences, interests, and aspirations continue these transformative legacies and contribute to building more equitable and inclusive futures in and beyond the School of Architecture? (250 word limit)


Sean Joyner is a writer and essayist based in Los Angeles. He formerly worked as a full-time Editor and Staff Writer at Archinect. Sean's essays and articles typically explore themes spanning history, pop culture, and philosophy and how they connect to the field of architecture, though his topics ...


Graduates of both programs are able to find work in architecture and related fields, but BSArch students have significantly more design studio experience, which means they are more likely to be hired in design-focused roles.


Yes. You will need to write two essays as part of your application. One essay will be in response to a broader prompt related to your reasons for applying to the university, and one essay will be related to the program you are applying to specifically. This program essay is especially important to our admissions committee: this is the place to discuss your individual interest in architecture and your educational and professional goals in the field. We read these essays closely for insight into who you are as a creative student.


No design experience is required here, just an interest in learning. Students in ninth through twelfth grade who take part in the BAC Summer Academy will gain a deeper understanding of fields like architecture, interior design, and landscape design while participating in hands-on building and design projects. At the completion of the program, students will have developed a digital and physical portfolio suitable for design school applications.


This four-week immersive pre-college program allows rising high school juniors and seniors to explore the fields of architecture, urban design, and city planning. Participants develop technical skills while taking college-level work and building their design portfolio for college applications. No prior design experience is required to take part in this program.


Architecture Essay Prompt: Why are you determined to study architecture? Could you please elaborate on your past experiences and how they have motivated you to apply to Rice University and the School of Architecture in particular? (250 words max)


Architecture Essay Prompt: Please expand on relevant experiences and motivations outside of your academic trajectory that have inspired you to study architecture, focusing on aspects that are not accommodated by other prompts in the application. (250 words max)


#4 Architecture Essay Prompt: Why are you determined to study architecture? Could you please elaborate on your past experiences and how they have motivated you to apply to Rice University and the School of Architecture in particular? (250 words max)


#5 Architecture Essay Prompt: Please expand on relevant experiences and motivations outside of your academic trajectory that have inspired you to study architecture, focusing on aspects that are not accommodated by other prompts in the application.(250 words max)


While the University of Texas at Austin does not require letters of recommendation, the SOA encourages you to include up to two letters of recommendation from teachers, coaches, band directors, etc. The letters may give our faculty selection committee more information about you as a person and as a participant within a larger group; they do not necessarily have to mention architecture or interior design. Your essay and short-answer items may demonstrate your understanding of what it is like to major in architecture or interior design, your creativity, or your personal observations of good design.


Over the summer of 2019, I spent eight weeks interning at an architecture firm in Barcelona, Spain. This year was ideal for me to expand my horizons within the industry, as it was just before completing my third year of University at Coventry. An internship at an architecture firm presented an exceptional opportunity to strengthen my proficiency in my field of study, before returning to the UK to complete my final year at and land a graduate job in London.


ESSAY QUESTIONS:(1) Describe one example of your experience that demonstrated your interest in working in ADB. (2) Highlight your qualifications that will help accomplish this internship assignment (e.g., coursework, research, work experience, etc.).


The below report is created to evaluate the work and internship experience of the author in the management field. The business, professional and personal development of the author have been recorded and documented in the form of weekly and midterm reports. The findings, observations and personal reflections are summarized and the learning objectives are re-assessed in the light of the development plan followed in the summer term. The internship experience is unique on its own, as I attempted to apply the skills learned in my course to my own business, started 13 years ago. Therefore, I had to take on the role of a supervisor and apprentice at the same time. This created a challenge of reflecting on my own development, skills and management approach with a critical eye of an outsider. Still, I believe that making an attempt of applying management skills based on the theories I learned within my own company has been beneficial and successful.


One of the positive aspects of the internship was that the effectiveness of approaches and business management principles learned were tested. Indeed, it was a positive experience to simplify processes, learn new skills and improve communication skills, essential in any type of business. I have also discovered that there are many organizations and professional bodies offering training, help and advice for companies like A+ Professional Painting. The support provided by two organizations in particular: Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Disadvantage Business Enterprise (DBE), was extremely valuable, and my acquaintance, Ryan has motivated me to succeed as well. I have also improved my professional confidence and called Stefanie from McGough Construction to set up a meeting with her to gain help with my MBE, DBE apps 2ff7e9595c


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