Andrea Simitch - Cornell University

Professor: Andrea Simitch

Department: TBD

College: Cornell University

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ARCH5116
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Simitch is the most vitriolic personality I have ever witnessed. She is generally disrespectful, mean, and full of herself. Takes pride in making people feel small. Narcissistic. Bitter. Some people like it. Do not allow her to take the joy out of architecture because if she can, she will.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ARCH5116
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Was generally terrible to her students, had a sort of mothering tendency, but not in a good way.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ARCH3101
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

For what Andrea Simitch lacks in intellectual capacity, she compensates through the intimidation of her students and a suffocating and often necessary workload. Simitch puts each student in a box and has great difficulty learning new technology - "do you still use Zip-A-Tone?" It is no wonder that she drove her competition studio into the ground.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ARCH2101
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Amazing! One of the best professors I've had at Cornell. Tough, critical, to the point - Andrea will not beat around the bush, but also won't let students bullsh*t their way through presentations. Highly recommended. Although she has a reputation for being scary, she is just very blunt and opinionated. She is however, very open to student's ideas.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ARCH201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Best Cornell Arch professor I had. Definitely tough, but architecture school HAS to toughen you up. She had a clear agenda of what to teach even if some people don't realize it. She makes a difference in the Cornell education.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ARCH5116
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Great professor for undergraduate students. HORRIBLE professor for graduate architecture students. Teaches grad students like kids with no architectural foundation. Could not connect with the studio. In short, take if you're an undergrad, DO NOT take if you're a grad student, unless you enjoy rolling your eyes for 4 hours three times a week.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ARCH2101
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Great, super intense. Tough love.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ARCH101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Andrea is amazing. She has inspired me. She is tough but I have the utmost respect for her and all she did for me.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ARCH2102
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Thought I was having the worst semester of my life with andrea until it was over and I realized I learned more about architecture and myself as a designer than any of the other professors combined. She is almost impossibly demanding, but it works out for the better.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ARCH201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Andrea was always unprofessional in class and a classic bipolar personality. Sometimes happy, most of the "intimidation part of the fun of teaching". This is a direct quote from her with witnesses. she played favorites for to the popular, attractive students and ignored the rest. Her crits were funny, because she would just repeat what Val said.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: STUDI101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Very poor communication skills. And enjoys to uselessly intimidate students.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: DRAW101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

By far the best professor I've ever had. I am now a professor myself and often reach back to my experience in Prof. Simitch's class for reference. I'm happy when my students call me 'tough'. Makes me feel like I'm living up to good standards.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: DRAWSECT
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

worst class I have taken in my entire life. I feel like I am worse for taking it. teacher is negative and does not exhibit skill in this area.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ARCH101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Professor Simitch is tough, but very good. in reviews, she provides very good constructive criticism. her advice is direct, which can be hard and frustrating at times but often very helpful.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ARCH101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Amazng professor, you will learn so much. Very critical, very sharp, frequently sees right to the crux of your project with no problems. Expects huge amounts of work-- won't settle for less. Also fairly sympathetic for an arch professor, will make projects due before break to pace you.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ARCHSTUDIO
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

graduated several years ago and now licensed despite doing horribly in her class. Still the worst professor I have ever had. jaded and self-absorbed.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ARCH
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

DO NOT TAKE HER. She just have no idea about architecture, therefore she just cant get what you are up to and she turns it back to you. She would tell you to do stuff that don’t make any sense for your project because she don’t know what else she can tell you. Just avoid her.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ARCHITECTURE
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

No Comments

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: 151
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

greatest teacher ever, you learn so much.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ARCH151
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

AVOID AT ALL COSTS!! Incredibly disrespectful to students. Talks down to everyone. Thinks she is the queen of the world. If you have any self respect do NOT take classes with her.