University of Houston, Houston Reviews and Ratings

• I found out about it through seniors via LinkedIn, who helped me with it. Monthly rent is around 350 for a 2b2b shared accommodation which most students prefer. It includes Central AC, Refrigerator, Oven and Dishwasher. Finding like minded roommates was the most difficult part.
• I think students similar to me should reach out to seniors to know about specific details, however joining what’s app groups would provide sufficient details. There are two main housing options where Indians live 1. Stratford Apartments where most North Indians live and Med Center where mostly South Indians live they are both around 45 mins away via Bus transport.

• There are many WhatsApp groups for master's students where people post the availability of accommodation. Even I got one through such a WhatsApp group. There are many challenges faced. The most common one is the roommates that you get. You have to be very careful since you have to live with them every day; make sure you do proper research. My recommendation would be to learn cooking before you come here since food is a very big part of life here and outside food is very expensive.

• I found out my accommodation using the online groups on Factbook and whatsapp.
• Monthly rent was around 650$ for a 2b2b including utilities and excluding electricity. It's an unfurnished apartment, you have a fridge and microwave in the kitchen.
• It was not a very big challenge, I already had friends here before who helped me in getting an apartment.
• I will say to join any online group for future accommodation, you will get someone who is looking for the same thing.
• My apartment is around 9 miles far from campus. Most of the indian students including me stay close to the texas medical center area.

• I opted for off-campus accommodation in a community. I got the through alumni from LinkedIn and the monthly rent is is 340$ and some other bills like water, electricity, and wifi are also there. By God's grace, I got my accommodation. a bit easier because of alumni. Would recommend using LinkedIn and groups for accommodation; mine is approximately 5 miles from the college.

• Through WhatsApp groups, I found people posting that they're looking for some more people so that they could sign a lease on.
• And the lease agreement was signed online. The process went easily as some of my roommates are already living here.
• But otherwise, you'll definitely need someone to lead you through all of the steps.

• I have opted for an Off campus accommodation named Stratford apartments which is approximately 45 mins away from the college.
• BUt the best part is the rent is very cheaper here where a 2bhk flat is almost 1400 dollars and can be easily shared by 4-5 people, all the indian student community is very strong here so it never feels away from home and the bus commute is also very good and has a frequency in every 10 mins

• Online platforms like Furnished Finder, WhatsApp groups, etc. helped me find accommodation.
• 680$, including utilities, was the monthly rent for my accommodation.
• I wish I had a vehicle to shift things, as it would have been easier.
• Upcoming students can use the Furnished Finder app or search the GISO UH page on Facebook.
• 6-7 miles away from the college. Most of the Indian students stay near NRG Stadium.

• University of Washington (Rejected)
• RISD (Rejected)
• MASSART (Accepted)
• Virginia Tech (Accepted)
• The reason why I got rejected from the colleges listed above is probably because I was trying to change streams when I applied for design and these colleges were offering more competitive courses that suited well for people who were already in the field or had some relevant experience. UW has a very focused HCI program, RISD is a hard-core design school. Both of these schools probably weren't suited for a novice designer like me.
• University of Houston offered me room to grow and discover myself as a designer as opposed to accept me as one. It was also a very good research-oriented approach to design which is more empathetic towards those who want to enter the design world.
• The admission process was very simple, first step of which is to apply online with all the required material (portfolio, GRE score, TOEFL score, recommendation letters, application fees and forms). Next was the most difficult interview that I ever had. They went through my portfolio in front of me through the call. They accepted me thereafter and then the regular process of applying to any other US college followed that involved the VISA process and paying the fees. There were no challenges as such except for the whole COVID backlash. Highlight was the interview because as nerve wracking it was, it was also something that gave me enough confidence that I can do it. GRE was just a formality, portfolio was the deciding factor. No minimum scores required.
• I applied for the FALL 2021 intake. I wanted to change disciplines and with COVID receding it was the right time to make the move. The admission (right from filling out the required forms and fees in the month of December) to getting an acceptance (March), it was a three month long process. I took the GRE and TOEFL in September, prepared my supplementary material by the end of December and applied then. Gave interviews in the month of February and then got acceptances in March. After which i began the VISA process.

The Master of Science architecture degree here had the sustainable architecture line, and that was something I was really looking forward to learning and leaning towards as an architect. It was fun and a great experience. Got to meet a lot of new people and was able to find help easily whenever I needed it. And loved the hangout spots.

It is a great experience. In my first semester, I been in a leadership program other than my own courses and next two semester, I have been in few clubs which helped me to socialize, build networks and finnaly made my experience unique compared to lot of other students.