Sheila here...

On Friday I met with my advisor Rasiel and I am so excited I could explode. Besides the standard fare that goes along with getting academic advise, I was given a tour of the studios and I was ableto see the work that FIRST YEARS were doing. It was mind blowing. Seeing the combination of landscape architecture, architecture, and interiors was eye opening. I am so glad I am getting into this. This is the story about it though:

I have been accepted into the Landscape Architecture Masters program at Florida International Univ. Yippee!

BUT

I didn't originally apply for the Landscape Architecture program. I applied to the Architecture program. Part of the application required a 10 piece porfolio displaying your creativity and it HAD to be on paper. As a web desiger that does several Flash projects, I was very disappointed to know that I would have to print out the websites and they wouldn't look great. Well I did my best and sent in my portfolio. I was expecting an answer by April 15th.

Well in the beginning of April, I got a letter saying that I had been placed on the waiting list and they'd let me know by the middle of May. I bawled my eyes out. I just leaned against my kithen wall and just bawled. This was going to be 7 LONG weeks of waiting. I tacked the letter up on my wall as a reminder to keep the faith and to KNOW that everything would work out. The second week of May I got anxious and called the grad advisor. He called back and spoke to Nick and told him that on May 10th they'd review the waiting list people and there'd be a decision at the lastest the beginning of June. He also told Nick that the waiting list was very short. So Nick and I were very positive. I put the issue of grad school aside and focused on the wedding. All through the honeymoon I was anxious about getting the mail when I returned to Miami though.

We returned from Vermont and there was no letter from FIU. I could just pass out. On Wednesday, June 8th, I called the grad advisor and he called back and spoke to Nick. He revealed to Nick that I had been rejected. Reason: my portfolio wasn't strong enough. (Side note: it is HIGHLY discriminatory to ask for creative people to apply to your program, but you make no effort to accomodate digital artists) Nick was determined to make me get into grad school. He then pressed the graduate advisor for some way I could get in (I would NEVER do this. I will fight someone to the death to get what I feel is RIGHTFULLY mine, but I am so wary of requesting that extra bit of something that someone would give if I'd just ask). The grad advisor told Nick that I could maybe get into the Landscape Architecture program. I'd have to talk to someone else.

Nick called and told me and why did I tell him I didn't want to call the lady. For one, I didn't know anything about Landscape Architecture really and I didn't want to ask anyone for anything I didn't think I'd get. Well I called Mimi and told her and she didn't press me to do it, but in her Mimi way, I knew she'd want me to at least explore the option. I spent a few hours on the internet finding out what landscape architecture was about and started gettign into the idea a bit.

I called the lady, she told me she'd see if they'd accept me. She called back and said she would, but I had already applied for architecture, so I'd have to get this other woman to hopefully change my application to landscape architecture. Mind you, we were about 4 months past the application deadline, so I am not hopeful at all. I emailed the lady and called the grad advisor really leaning on him for some info. On Tuesday I received both a rejection letter and an acceptance letter on the same day. If it wasn't for Nick I'd be just crying for not getting into any program and I am REALLY excited about this second option. Yay!

This is one of the reasons I married this man...for his HEART!

Tata!