Expert: Paul S. Brown, AIA - 5/3/2009

Question
Hi,

My name is Louis, and I am from Toronto, Canada. I have been wondering which career path is better between Urban Planner and Architect. I tried to apply for Waterloo architecture and I failed to get in. However Waterloo's urban planning program sent me an invitation because of the good marks I have. I did some research on it and I found out that Waterloo isn't the ONLY way to become an architect and I might just try again next year to other 10 universities across Canada. But then I did some research on their salaries and based on some sites I visited, architects do not gain that much after all, and the shocking thing to me was that urban planners actually gain more than architects! Is that true? However one of the site said that architects gain an average of 90k each year and some said 56k. That's a big difference, which one is correct?

I will talk a little bit about myself. I am a very good technical artist, and I do really well in mathematics and physics. At school I am known as the guy who can do arts and math. I was so confident that I could get into Waterloo this year that I did not pay attention to any other universities. Then I realized I failed the English entrance test. English is my third language, and French before that. So that English test, to me, is invincible barrier that blocks me from getting into the program, and I know I cannot compete with other English as first language people.

Is architecture something I should really look into? I never knew urban planning existed until now they sent me an invitation. When i think about it, it is not too bad. It might be fun to have the city in my hand instead of decorating a single building. However, architecture has been my dream career since i was little and it is quite shocking to me that I might change my mind all of a sudden to a path that I absolutely don't know anything about.

I thank you so much for your time.

Answer
Hi Louis:
Hmmm.  Tough question. This is really in the realm of a 'life advice' question.
Let's see:
Since you seem to have some time before you re-apply to schools, my suggestion would be to see if you could get a part-time internship working in both an architecture firm, and an urban design or city planning firm.  Even if you spent only 10 hours as an unpaid intern doing simple filing tasks or answering the phone, this would still be good exposure for you to the inner workings of each of these areas of interest.  Just by being in the office, you will absorb a lot of information about what a career in each field might be like.
Also, I would advise that you should follow your passions.  If your passion is architecture, then that is what you should do.  Suppose you went the other route?  Then on bad days in the urban design office, (and there are always bad days, not matter what choice you make) you will wonder "what if I had chosen architecture?".  If architecture is your passion and you stick with it, then on bad days in the future you will say to yourself, 'at least I am doing what I always wanted to do!'.
As for your skills: you seem to be well suited for either career path.  Your English seems excellent to me; perhaps another school won't use that as an excuse to narrow their selection field.
Good Luck!
PB