Aleeya Khan
A Journey from a conservative Pakistan to the cutting edge program of Columbia GSAPP
- Arch. School Attended: Columbia GSAPP, M.Arch. Program
- Began working with ASR: During her senior year as a college student at NYU
- Design Background: 2 Art courses in college
- Interest: Architecture, Urban Design, Design/Computation
- Today: Columbia GSAPP M.Arch. Graduate, practicing architecture in her hometown of Islamabad, Pakistan
“As an international student with a lot of passion for architecture and virtually zero design background, I was pretty lost. I needed someone to help me manage my application and help me build a successful portfolio.
The process that they use at ASR is very free-associative, but at the same time well-structured and defined by clear objectives and milestones. When I began working with ASR, we began with an evaluation of my work and profile, as well as some design exercises.
We worked hard on the strategy and ended up with something really strong. I think it really represented who I was at that moment. We then developed everything, including the portfolio, essay and the rest of the application. The result was a well balanced application, which communicated well integrated ideas forming my personal story and establishing my unique identity as a candidate. I enjoyed the whole process a lot, which is something I did not expect, and I managed to learn a lot about myself.
