Bloomingdale High School Counseling Department

Tuition is no longer free at Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. But if you manage to get accepted into this technical institute, you get a half-tuition scholarship and some of the nation’s finest academic offerings in architecture, engineering, and art. With cool and funky Greenwich Village in the background and rigorous studying in the forefront, college life at Cooper Union may seem to be faster than a New York minute. Whatever the pace, though, no one can deny that a CU education is one of the best bargains around—probably the best anywhere. The only complication is that the number of applicants is booming and its acceptance rate is comparable to the Ivies.

The school was founded in 1859 by entrepreneur Peter Cooper, who believed that education should be “as free as water and air.” With hefty contributions from J. P. Morgan, Frederick Vanderbilt, Andrew Carnegie, and various other assorted robber barons, the school was able to stay afloat in order to recruit poor students of “strong moral character.” 

In place of a traditional collegiate setting are three academic buildings and one dorm plunked down in one of New York’s most eclectic and exciting neighborhoods. The stately brick art and architecture building is a beautiful historic landmark. Built of brick and topped by a classic water tower, the dorm blends right in with the neighborhood. The Great Hall was the site of Lincoln’s “Right Makes Might” speech and the birthplace of the NAACP, the American Red Cross, and the national women’s suffrage movement. Wedged between two busy avenues in the East Village, Cooper Union offers an environment for survivors. A LEED-certified academic building opened in late 2009—the first academic building in New York City to achieve LEED Platinum status, the highest and most rigorous level of certification. A new residence hall is expected to open in late 2014.

The academic climate is intense. “Although the courses are difficult and the coursework is challenging, the students are more than willing to cooperate with one another and collaborate when studying,” says one freshman. The curriculum is highly structured, and all students must take a sequence of required courses in the humanities and social sciences. The first year is devoted to language and literature and the second to the making of the modern world. In some special circumstances, students are allowed to take courses at nearby New York University and the New School for Social Research. The nationally renowned engineering school, the first in the nation to have a female dean, offers both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical, electrical, mechanical, and civil engineering as well as a bachelor of science in general engineering studies. “Architecture and engineering are the most acclaimed, but then, these occupations are more mainstream, and graduates get big money and success,” reflects an art major. “It’s harder to measure success in the art school.” The art school offers a broad-based generalist curriculum that includes graphic design, drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, film, and video. The architecture school, in the words of one pleased participant, is “phenomenal—even unparalleled.” Requirements for getting into each of these schools vary widely—each looks for different strengths and talents—hence the differences in test-score ranges.

Classes are small and, with a little persistence, not too difficult to get into. While teaching quality is hit or miss, students report that professors are generally engaging. “I’ve received excellent teaching,” a chemical engineering major says. A professional counseling and referral service is available, as is academic counseling, but the school’s small size and its rigorously structured academic programs set the classes the students take and eliminate a lot of confusion or decision making. Students “tend to talk to other students, recommending or insulting various classes and profs around registration time,” notes a senior.

Strong moral character is no longer a prerequisite for admission, but an outstanding high school academic average most certainly is. Prospective applicants should note, however, that art and architecture students are picked primarily on the basis of a faculty evaluation of their creative works. For engineering students, admission is primarily based on a review of the high school record, SAT scores, and the SAT IIs in mathematics and physics or chemistry. The admissions office also carefully reads student writing and considers extracurricular involvement before finalizing admissions decisions.

CU students “range from being complete geeks who love math, science, and gaming to artsy and out of this world,” one student says. Fifty-five percent of the students are from New York State, and about half grew up in the city. Most are from public schools, and many are the first in their family to attend college. Forty percent of the students are from minority groups, most of them Asian Americans (25 percent); 6 percent are African American, and 9 percent are Hispanic. One student attests that diversity is not an issue at CU: “We are a racially mixed student body that stays mixed. There’s no overt hostility and rare self-segregation.” The campus is home to ethnically based student clubs, but, according to one student, membership is not exclusive: “In other words, you can be white and be a member of Onyx—a student group promoting black awareness.” According to one senior, CU is a very liberal place: “If you can’t accept different kinds of people, you shouldn’t come here.” Students must pay for room and board; those who demonstrate financial need receive help with living expenses.

Students love the dorm, a 15-story residence hall that saves many students from commuting into the Village or cramming themselves into expensive apartments. It is noteworthy that housing here is guaranteed only to freshmen, thus only 20 percent of the student body resides on campus. The facility is composed of furnished apartments with kitchenettes and bathrooms complete with showers or tubs and is “in great condition and well maintained,” states one resident. A less enraptured dweller notes, “Rooms are barely big enough to fit a bed, a table, and a clothes cabinet.” Still, each apartment does have enough space for a stove, microwave, and refrigerator. So you can cook for yourself or eat at the unexciting but affordable school cafeteria or at one of the myriad nearby delis and coffee bars.

The combination of intense workload and CU’s location means that campus social life is limited, though the administration contends the dorm promotes more on-campus social activities. “The social life here is centered around the many clubs and activities offered on campus,” says one student. “This is where most people find their crowd.” Five percent of the men belong to professional societies.  McSorley’s bar is right around the corner, the Grassroots Tavern is just down the block, and nearby Chinatown and Little Italy are also popular destinations. The heart of the Village, with its abundance of theaters, art galleries, and cafés, is just a few blocks to the west. The Bowery and SoHo’s galleries and restaurants are due south; all of midtown Manhattan spreads to the northern horizon.

Cooper teams compete in the Division III Hudson Valley Athletic Conference, and the most competitive teams include men’s and women’s tennis and women’s cross-country. The intramural sports program is held in several different facilities in the city, and the games are popular. Students organize clubs and outings around interests such as soccer, basketball, skiing, fencing, Ping-Pong, classical music, religion, and drama. “Professional societies are very active at Cooper (American Society of Civil Engineers),” notes a senior.

Getting into Cooper Union is tough, and once admitted, students find that dealing with the onslaught of city and school is plenty tough as well. But most students like the challenge. “The workload, living alone in New York, and the administrative policies force you to act like an adult and take care of yourself,” explains a senior. Surviving the school’s academic rigors requires talent, self-sufficiency, and a clear sense of one’s career objectives. Students who don’t have it all can be sure that there are six or seven people in line ready to take their places. That’s quite an incentive to succeed.

 

Cooper Union: Early decision: Dec. 1. Regular admissions: Jan. 1. Financial aid and housing: May 1. All students receive half-tuition scholarships. Application fee: $70. Campus interviews: optional, evaluative. No alumni interviews. (Portfolio Day strongly recommended for art applicants.) SATs or ACTs: required. Subject Tests: required for engineering (math and physics or chemistry). Apply to particular program. Essay question.