Admission to architecture at Indiana University and Columbia University


with a scholarship of $76,350

Student request:

Victoria is a talented architect with an ambitious mission: to preserve valuable architectural heritage by implementing sustainable, innovative, and fire‑resistant solutions. It was this motivation that led her to SelfStartGlobal. She was looking for a university that would help deepen her knowledge in the field of sustainable technologies, materials, and engineering solutions.

The work on the case took 3 years. During the preparation, Victoria faced health problems, which forced her to postpone her admission from 2025 to 2026.

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Profile analysis:

By the time she started working, Victoria already had an impressive portfolio: solid skills, personal projects, victories in competitions, and participation in local and international activities.

However, this wasn’t enough to get into top‑tier universities in the USA — she lacked a strong personal brand with a memorable story that would reflect the applicant’s motivation.

Work process:

Personal brand. Working as a content creator at Manders gave Victoria a unique perspective on the architectural industry from the inside — this experience became part of her story.

International recognition. During her career, Victoria has amassed an impressive list of achievements in relevant competitions: Winner — Innovation in Architecture Project Awards, Final Shortlist — NonA Award, Honorable Mention at the Tavertet Cliff-Edge Hotel and Building Material Essay, 3rd place at Green Roof, special jury award at the Volcanic Visitor Centre competition, and participation in dozens of other international competitions — from the Rammed Earth Pavilion to the SEALOEarth Global Essay Contest.

Education and internships. I completed courses on sustainable architecture, energy efficiency, and carbon balance, Forage internships in the areas of Sustainability and Climate Change, the Professional Development Programme from Larsen Architecture, courses at Parsons, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and TU Delft, as well as the Diploma in Revit Architecture — Advanced Techniques.

Own projects. Launched the Archipostcards project, developed my own course on sustainable materials, and published articles on sustainable construction and recycled plastic in The Non Architecture Journal and other publications.

Professional community. Volunteered at SCA-LAB, worked as a consultant on sustainable development, spoke at the “Wood in Architecture” forum and at the Zotov Center’s summer architecture school, participated in the Built for Health podcast series by USGBC.

Documents. We developed 6 essays, 3 letters of recommendation, a CV, and the rest of the document package — including the essays submitted to 6 universities.

Result:

Victoria received offers from two top‑tier US universities:

  • Indiana University
  • Columbia University

The total amount of scholarships currently stands at $76,350. Decisions from several other universities Victoria applied to are still pending — the amount may increase.

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