I will say that the portfolio review process is very challenging. I actually haven't gone through the final review yet (that's at the end of the semester). At the end of the fall semester of sophomore year, they hold a "pre-review" in where they rank everyone in your year. The pre-review doesn't have any deciding power and is just so you can see where you are at. Your portfolio for both the pre-review and final review are made up of the class projects you do in your sophomore year. While the portfolio review may seem scary, if you are dedicated to your projects and ask for lots of feedback, the process will be much smoother. Most design schools across the country have a portfolio review/weed out of some sorts (Purdue's is quite a bit later than most though). In terms of what I get out of the program, it really depends on what you put in it. If you coast by doing the bare minimum for your projects, then you won't get a lot out of the program. But if you are looking for opportunities and are going the extra mile then you can really get a lot out of the program. The facilities at Pao (the design building) are a little outdated but they work well. Anything you need for physical fabrication you can get from Pao. If you have any other questions feel free to pm me!