ARCPREP: WORK IN PROGRESS

The impacts of the ArcPrep program over the past ten years are both far-reaching and difficult to capture in full. The program has seen hundreds of students graduate from its semester-long curriculum. Sister pipeline programs have since been established at Cornell, Princeton, and University of Southern California. A growing ecosystem of former students and fellows have forged long-term connections and professional support networks, far outlasting their relative tenure with the program.

Just as a final review provokes understanding through dialogue, the following piece reflects on the evolving legacy of the ArcPrep through open conversations with ArcPrep alumni. As a former Michigan-Mellon Design Fellow, some of these alumni are students I myself taught, others from before and after my tenure as an instructor. The resulting conversations describe students’ personal experiences as they matriculate into higher education, become emerging professionals, and navigate their future, revealing profound if less tangible impacts of the program that can’t be measured through tracking and metrics alone.

More than anything, these conversations prove the ArcPrep program to be much more than just an aspirational exercise, but a dedicated conduit for changing the future of architecture – its study, a profession, and cultural relevance.