INTRODUCING
COOPER UNION
The founder of Cooper
Union, Peter Cooper, had a vision to offer an education that was “as free as
water and air.” Established in 1859, Cooper Union is the “only private,
full-scholarship college of higher learning in the United states dedicated
exclusively to preparing students for the professions of architecture, art, and
engineering.”
Cooper Union sits in
the heart of the East Village of Manhattan and offers more than an exceptional
classroom education to its students of art, architecture, and engineering. The
institution's campus is New York City, a city alive with the sounds, smells,
and events of the culturally, ethnically, and racially diverse population. It
is not uncommon for a professor's assignments to extend outside of the
classroom and incorporate different aspects of the city. During my freshman
year, the assignments for my engineering design class were to design an
effective system to allow for subway transfers on one subway line in lower
Manhattan. Architecture students are often given assignments of photographing
buildings and bridge for class. Art students frequently take class trips to
view different installations in the plethora of great museums, studios, and
galleries of Manhattan.
From helping in local
soup kitchens, to the sorority's annual scavenger hunt, to dinners in
Chinatown, the various student organizations also offer students the chance to
experience New York City. Cooper students become a part of New York City by
giving back to their community; it's not uncommon for a student organization to
sponsor a volunteer outing or a food/toy drive to benefit New York City
residents. After September 11, students organized a "penny drive,"
which raised over five hundred dollars for the local fire company. Aside from
having its students explore the city, Cooper brings the city's culture to the
school with various lectures in its historic Great Hall and Wollman Auditorium,
and art and architecture exhibits in its galleries.
The education in each
of the three schools-Engineering, Architecture, and Art-is stellar. The
professors succeed in bringing out each student's creative problem solving
abilities in different ways. At Cooper, it wasn't only what I learned, but how
I learned, and how I learned to think and analyze. The professors and
administration actively reach out to their students. It's not uncommon for a
professor to help a student in the evening or for faculty to attend a
basketball game or a student performance. After my four years, I realize that
the professors and administration really care; they are an integral part of the
Cooper community.
Peter Cooper's legacy
lives on as Cooper Union continues to provide students with the unique
opportunity of attending a distinguished full-scholarship small institution
with all the benefits of the wonderful big city.
ADMISSIONS
REQUIREMENTS
Admission to Cooper
Union is highly selective. Most students, albeit bright, intelligent and
talented, when asked why they think they were accepted, will most likely say
they fell through the cracks! However, deep down, we Cooper students know that
each one of us want hand-picked for our special talents in our chosen field.
The key to being accepted to Cooper Union is showing that you posses the skills
and qualities necessary to excel in this first-rate academic institution,
skills and qualities that range from talent, to intelligence, to motivation to
dedication. Admissions requirements for each school vary; however, all
applicants must take the SAT or ACT, complete sixteen to eighteen high school
academic credits, and graduate from an accredited secondary school. In
addition, engineering applicants must take SAT Subject Tests in mathematics I
or II and physics or chemistry. Applicants must also complete an application
with essays that enable them to describe themselves to the admissions
committee. Art and Architecture applicants must complete a home test that shows
their unique abilities to the admissions committee.
ACADEMIC
LIFE
Cooper Union is
comprised of these schools Engineering (The Albert Nerken School of
Engineering), Architecture (the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture), and
Art, each offering an Unparalleled undergraduate education. Cooper Union grants
the following bachelor's degrees: B.S., B. Arch., B.E., and B.F.A. the
engineering school also offers a master's program in some areas of study. The engineering
school has B.E. degrees in chemical, civil, electrical, mechanical, and
interdisciplinary engineering. The art school offers a B.F.A., which provides
both a general visual arts education and focused preparation for future artists
and designers. The architecture school offers a five-year program leading to
the Bachelor of Architecture, the first professional accredited degree. Cooper
Union's engineering school is ABET-accredited, the architecture school is NAAB
accredited, and the art school is NASAD accredited. It is quite a challenge,
although not impossible to switch between schools so you should choose wisely,
and knows that whichever schools you study in, you are getting a first-rate
education.
SOCIAL
LIFE AND ACTIVITES
It's true that the workload
at Cooper Union is challenging, but Cooper students do know how to have a good
time. I can honestly say I was never bored at Cooper between academics, campus
organization, and exploring Manhattan, every minute was occupied.
Athletics
Cooper students play as
hard on the field as they work in the labs and studio. As Dean Baker puts it, Cooper
students have: "No gym. No courts. NO fields. No pool. No time. No money.
No EXCUSES!!" Yet, year after year, Cooper receives many accolades for its
athletic programs; Cooper teams and players have been featured in the New York
Times, ESPN Magazine's The List, Glamour Magazine, and on HBO's "Real
Sports with Bryant Gumball."
There are both
intercollegiate and intramural sports. There are five intercollegiate men's
teams and two women's teams. There are twelve intramural coed teams. The
basketball team makes its annual trip to California to play Caltech. Some home
basketball games hour a graduating senior, and these games are followed by food
and festivities. The soccer and tennis teams also draw small crowds of cheering
fans.
FINANCIAL
AID
Cooper Union is a
private institution: however, thanks to Petter Cooper who believed education
should be as "free as water and air," Cooper is tuition free. All
U.S. resident students are admitted under a full scholarship, which covers the
$27,500 tuition. However, there is an additional student fee that must be each
semester. Students must also pay for housing (dorms or off-campus apartments),
food, books, and expenses.
The financial aid
counselors really help to ensure that students receive the most aid possible so
that they can attend Cooper without having to worry about how they will finance
their education. In fact, almost held of the incoming freshmen receive
financial aid, and a substantial number of upperclassman receive aid. The
average financial package is approximately $3,712. (Remember, each student also
receives a full-tuition scholarship.) Aid is offered in the form of
scholarships and need-based grants, loans, and work-study programs.
Approximately one-quarter of the students work part time on campus, and some
also work off campus. The average financial indebtedness of the 2006 graduate
was $10,743.
GRADUATES
Students graduating
from each school pursue different paths, but what's true for graduates from any
major at Cooper is that upon graduation, they have attained the necessary
skills in their field to conquer anything the future may bring. Cooper provides
the basis for which all future possibilities are endless. Some students
continue their education at Cooper and pursue a master's degree. Others enroll
in other prestigious universities to pursue higher-level graduate education in
the arts or engineering fields. Others enter medical school or law school. Much
return to school for M.B.A.s after working for a few years. Some students begin
applying their newly acquired skills and find jobs in the "real
world."
Those who do not find
jobs right away may travel and explore new and exciting areas; others apply and
receive Fulbright scholarships, twenty in the last six years alone. Some join
various organizations helping others. One engineering student in my graduating
class went to teach English in Japan.
As I said, for Cooper
graduates the possibilities are endless.
No comments:
Post a Comment