This Week’s College: The Cooper Union, New York, New York
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art was founded in 1859 by inventor and industrialist Peter Cooper who believed that “education was the key not only to personal prosperity, but also to civic virtue and and harmony. The school famously charged no tuition so that it could bring in the most talented students regardless of income, and accepted women from the beginning, recognizing that talent could come in any gender. Knowing that many might not be able to enroll full time, Cooper created large reading rooms filled with journals, newspapers, and anything people needed to know about their world and then opened it to the public. Many important people came to speak at Cooper Union. As an abolitionist and a believer in universal suffrage, Peter Cooper welcomed the likes of Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Cooper saw the endeavor of the Cooper Union as one where education was the key that would unlock the barriers for all times.
Today, while some things have changed (students now pay ½ tuition of about $21,000/year), many things have not. Cooper Union still believes that education should be accessible to everyone regardless of race, religion, gender, or economic status (which is why they also provide financial aid and scholarships). The school has produced Nobel Laureates, Macarthur grant winners, Guggenheim winners, Rome Prize winners, as well as a Pritzker Prize and several Thomas Jefferson Prizes for architecture. Students here are super smart, super driven, and diverse: 20% of last year’s matriculating class was Asian, 13% was Black or Latinx, 8% were multi-ethnic, 31% were White, and 10% did not identify themselves by race.
Cooper Union offers an unusual education. There are multiple schools there and each specializes in certain academic pursuits. The Irwin Chanin School of Architecture produces award winning architects in their 5 year program as they expose students to expert practitioners, world famous buildings, and hands on work. Students go on to careers that synthesize esthetic, functional, green, and technological skills to create new buildings, restore old ones, and refurbish everything in between.
The School of Art offers a 4 year Bachelors of Fine Arts where students will study multiple different forms of visual arts in order to create artists who are not just technically gifted but also students who seem themselves as members of a community where their art says something, participates in a dialogue with others, and communicates to the world. Students do not only spend time in the studio. They also spend time on criticism, art history, humanities, philosophy, and other classes so that they have both the artistic skills and the intellectual chops needed to be an artist today.
The largest of all of Cooper Union’s schools, The Albert Nerken School of Engineering, enrolls about 450 students each year. By now you should come to expect that this is not your conventional school. Students in Cooper Union’s engineering program create their own programs (there are requirements and parameters within this of course!), but the choices are up to them; biomedical engineering, computer science, robotics, environmental engineering, mechatronics, energy, or entrepreneurship are all possibilities. Students can graduate with a Bachelors of Science in Engineering in 4 years or can do a 5 or 6 year program and leave with a Master’s Degree as well.
Science can tell you how to clone a T Rex, but humanities can tell you why it’s probably not a good idea. Cooper Union is clear on this and they take their Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences seriously as well. All students are required to take classes in these areas no matter what school they are in. These classes provide the ethical, humanist, and civic understandings that are crucial to supporting our young people as they go out into the world. The critical thinking skills inherent in the study of humanities, the communication skills, ability to empathize, be compassionate, and collaborate are all things they must do out in the world. And it starts in the humanities.
Speaking of cloning dinosaurs, Cooper Union has some pretty amazing research going on there (and no, raptors are not actually involved). The CV Starr Research Foundation funds research programs and projects by professors and students and some are amazing. The SociaLite program challenged first year students to create a safe and easy lighting source for rural Ghana. The Interactive Lighting Studio creates and inspirational and interactive learning space for students from the American Sign Language and English Lower School. SEA²M³ is a forum for students across disciplines to come together to create environmentally friendly ways to solve problems across the world like potable water, food, and energy. If you can think of it, you can do it at Cooper Union.
There is a first year dorm at Cooper Union. It’s at 29 3rd Ave and it is apartment style: two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom. It houses four people and gets folks ready for off campus life. Like many schools in Manhattan, housing is not guaranteed all four years. First priority goes to freshmen of course.
There are sports at Cooper Union. You can play soccer, basketball (M+W), volleyball (W+M), and tennis. These sports were all student initiated so if you miss something out you can ask for it. There is a Student Council, various religious groups, ethnic groups, Greek organizations, honor societies, and literary and performance groups. Again though, this is quite a small school, so none of these are going to be very large groups in most likelihood.
There are a lot of events going on at Cooper Union. People come to speak, gallery exhibits are on display, The Great Hall is still a place of free speech, films are shown, museums have openings. Plus, Cooper Union is in the heart of New York, so there is a ton to do there besides study. It’s a place that encourages an active and curious mind.
Is Cooper Union for you? First you cannot be afraid of big cities. New York is a serious city and you have to be down with that. You have to be a self starter because you need to be willing to be curious, eager to learn, and driven. Finally, you have to have the self-confidence to admit that learning is something you love and then you have to be comfortable with people for whom that is also true. If you are? Then yes, yes it is.
Pros:
Cons:
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art was founded in 1859 by inventor and industrialist Peter Cooper who believed that “education was the key not only to personal prosperity, but also to civic virtue and and harmony. The school famously charged no tuition so that it could bring in the most talented students regardless of income, and accepted women from the beginning, recognizing that talent could come in any gender. Knowing that many might not be able to enroll full time, Cooper created large reading rooms filled with journals, newspapers, and anything people needed to know about their world and then opened it to the public. Many important people came to speak at Cooper Union. As an abolitionist and a believer in universal suffrage, Peter Cooper welcomed the likes of Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Cooper saw the endeavor of the Cooper Union as one where education was the key that would unlock the barriers for all times.
Today, while some things have changed (students now pay ½ tuition of about $21,000/year), many things have not. Cooper Union still believes that education should be accessible to everyone regardless of race, religion, gender, or economic status (which is why they also provide financial aid and scholarships). The school has produced Nobel Laureates, Macarthur grant winners, Guggenheim winners, Rome Prize winners, as well as a Pritzker Prize and several Thomas Jefferson Prizes for architecture. Students here are super smart, super driven, and diverse: 20% of last year’s matriculating class was Asian, 13% was Black or Latinx, 8% were multi-ethnic, 31% were White, and 10% did not identify themselves by race.
Cooper Union offers an unusual education. There are multiple schools there and each specializes in certain academic pursuits. The Irwin Chanin School of Architecture produces award winning architects in their 5 year program as they expose students to expert practitioners, world famous buildings, and hands on work. Students go on to careers that synthesize esthetic, functional, green, and technological skills to create new buildings, restore old ones, and refurbish everything in between.
The School of Art offers a 4 year Bachelors of Fine Arts where students will study multiple different forms of visual arts in order to create artists who are not just technically gifted but also students who seem themselves as members of a community where their art says something, participates in a dialogue with others, and communicates to the world. Students do not only spend time in the studio. They also spend time on criticism, art history, humanities, philosophy, and other classes so that they have both the artistic skills and the intellectual chops needed to be an artist today.
The largest of all of Cooper Union’s schools, The Albert Nerken School of Engineering, enrolls about 450 students each year. By now you should come to expect that this is not your conventional school. Students in Cooper Union’s engineering program create their own programs (there are requirements and parameters within this of course!), but the choices are up to them; biomedical engineering, computer science, robotics, environmental engineering, mechatronics, energy, or entrepreneurship are all possibilities. Students can graduate with a Bachelors of Science in Engineering in 4 years or can do a 5 or 6 year program and leave with a Master’s Degree as well.
Science can tell you how to clone a T Rex, but humanities can tell you why it’s probably not a good idea. Cooper Union is clear on this and they take their Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences seriously as well. All students are required to take classes in these areas no matter what school they are in. These classes provide the ethical, humanist, and civic understandings that are crucial to supporting our young people as they go out into the world. The critical thinking skills inherent in the study of humanities, the communication skills, ability to empathize, be compassionate, and collaborate are all things they must do out in the world. And it starts in the humanities.
Speaking of cloning dinosaurs, Cooper Union has some pretty amazing research going on there (and no, raptors are not actually involved). The CV Starr Research Foundation funds research programs and projects by professors and students and some are amazing. The SociaLite program challenged first year students to create a safe and easy lighting source for rural Ghana. The Interactive Lighting Studio creates and inspirational and interactive learning space for students from the American Sign Language and English Lower School. SEA²M³ is a forum for students across disciplines to come together to create environmentally friendly ways to solve problems across the world like potable water, food, and energy. If you can think of it, you can do it at Cooper Union.
There is a first year dorm at Cooper Union. It’s at 29 3rd Ave and it is apartment style: two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom. It houses four people and gets folks ready for off campus life. Like many schools in Manhattan, housing is not guaranteed all four years. First priority goes to freshmen of course.
There are sports at Cooper Union. You can play soccer, basketball (M+W), volleyball (W+M), and tennis. These sports were all student initiated so if you miss something out you can ask for it. There is a Student Council, various religious groups, ethnic groups, Greek organizations, honor societies, and literary and performance groups. Again though, this is quite a small school, so none of these are going to be very large groups in most likelihood.
There are a lot of events going on at Cooper Union. People come to speak, gallery exhibits are on display, The Great Hall is still a place of free speech, films are shown, museums have openings. Plus, Cooper Union is in the heart of New York, so there is a ton to do there besides study. It’s a place that encourages an active and curious mind.
Is Cooper Union for you? First you cannot be afraid of big cities. New York is a serious city and you have to be down with that. You have to be a self starter because you need to be willing to be curious, eager to learn, and driven. Finally, you have to have the self-confidence to admit that learning is something you love and then you have to be comfortable with people for whom that is also true. If you are? Then yes, yes it is.
Pros:
- Amazing, interesting, and unique education
- Small school with very individualized instruction
- New York City
- Engineering with a liberal arts touch
Cons:
- Specialized learning
- Small school (about 900)
- New York City
- Not your normal Greek Life/Sports School