The Cooper Union Impossible?

**Jriddim** · February 9th, 2006, 07:28 PM

Hello Everyone, I am new to this forum, I was looking into art schools for a while now and I was wondering if you know anything about the cooper union as far as how difficult it is to get into compared to other great art schools. Any info would be greatly apreciated!!!!

thanks

Joe

**Lianna** · February 9th, 2006, 09:24 PM

Haha, did you do their home test yet? =) I applied [to please my parents] but have no intention of going there.. they want 6 pieces for home exam and 5 more original pieces.. ouch.
Supposingly, CU is tough to get in because it's well known and free, but you chances increase by going to their Saturday Outreach programs and getting interviews. Your SATs and academic grades must be high!

If you're not a senior, I suggest you apply for the Sat. Outreach Program.. it's free but you must be interview and selected to be in the program. It's great to take these programs cause you can get a sense of how CU is and it may influence whether you will want to spend the next 4 years there. [It's through the program in which I realize I'd never want to go to CU. No offense to CU people there!] =p

Hope this helps..

**winjer** · February 9th, 2006, 09:44 PM

Originally Posted by Jriddim

I was wondering if you know anything about the cooper union as far as how difficult it is to get into compared to other great art schools.

cooper union isnt a great art school....

**Jriddim** · February 10th, 2006, 05:40 PM

I just thought it was great because of it being free. Why do u say it isnt great? im really interested please respond!

thanks!

**Pixeldragoon** · February 10th, 2006, 06:38 PM

Yeah, just popping in to say it's not good isn't very helpful. If you were trying to persuade, you didn't do too well.

**winjer** · February 10th, 2006, 08:32 PM

its not a drawing and painting art school. its a faculty of relics from the 70s conceptual art movement who refuse to let their dogma die. someone i knew went there and she didnt even have a model for her drawing or painting classes and spent most of her time working on projects involving gluing large slabs of cardboard together. they also had a herpes outbreak because they are all dirty bastards there.

**Denart** · February 10th, 2006, 08:58 PM

Originally Posted by Jriddim

I just thought it was great because of it being free. Why do u say it isnt great? im really interested please respond!

thanks!

Free as in being to do whatever you want? Why the fuck do you go to an art school to do whatever you want?!! You can do that at home and save the tuition money!!! School is about restrictions and working at the restrictions to solve the problem and still whip out a kick ass piece

I love Winjer's latest reply

**winjer** · February 10th, 2006, 09:26 PM

its free in that it costs no money, but expensive in that it costs you a future in any kind of representational art

**Storyboard Dave** · February 10th, 2006, 09:41 PM

Originally Posted by Jriddim

Hello Everyone, I am new to this forum, I was looking into art schools for a while now and I was wondering if you know anything about the cooper union as far as how difficult it is to get into compared to other great art schools. Any info would be greatly apreciated!!!!

thanks

Joe

I have no idea how far you are away from CU but I'd recommend you go and physically check the place out (I'd recommend that of ANYONE thinking to apply anywhere). Obviously they've served some students very well there or they wouldn't be still around. They've probably served some students some disservice as well (as seen by winjer's remarks here). No school is ideal for everyone but who knows? This place could be ideal for you but you've got to go there to see if it's a fit for you. Don't be afraid to ask the counselors there all of the hard questions either. Ask where their recent grads are working (and not the percentage either) & where are their alums working. See the work currently hanging in the hallways- is it impressive? Is that something you aspire to??

All these are questions you need to come to grips with regardless if it's CU or any other art school. Good luck.

**Jriddim** · February 10th, 2006, 09:53 PM

Thanks very much!... ewwwww a herpes outbreak? god damn

**Denart** · February 10th, 2006, 09:59 PM

that college is FREE?? I don't get it....

**Storyboard Dave** · February 10th, 2006, 10:03 PM

Originally Posted by Denart

that college is FREE?? I don't get it....

That's what happens when the school has one helluva huge endowment.

http://www.cooper.edu/administration/about/history.html

Yale's music school is the same. Someone donates a huge chunk of change to the place and the institution lives off the endowment. Not a bad gig if you can get it in my estimation.

**oglopy** · February 14th, 2006, 08:47 PM

I'm Remy, (also new to the forum), and I just applied to cooper union. I honestly don't know a lot about the school, except that it's free and in new york city so I figured, why not. The home test is due the 22nd, and I've only done 3 out of the 6 assignments yargh! I've looked everywhere for cu student art, but no luck, so I have no idea if I stand a chance. guess I've got nothing to lose (except my time and 55 bucks)

**eliot** · February 17th, 2006, 12:50 AM

okaay wow...
i was jsut about to start my test, but i seriously have no idea if i should, but then it'd be a waste of money ach...

does anyone know much about their architectural program?

**timpaatkins** · February 17th, 2006, 06:03 AM

Just about to start? Its due wednesday dude.

**eliot** · February 17th, 2006, 09:45 AM

yeah... i realized haha

i've gotten 0 sleep this past couple weeks, so hopefully its just a precursor to college. thats why im wondering whether its going to be worth trying if its
a) very unlikely that i'd get in and
b) from what im hearing not the best school.

erg.. i mean... could i be getting a better education elsewhere? because everyone i've talked to personally say its one of the best schools simply because its free

**Elwell** · February 17th, 2006, 09:52 AM

Originally Posted by eliot

does anyone know much about their architectural program?

Architecture and engineering depts are supposed to be excellent. Art dept is very fine-arty.
Acceptance rate is around 10-15%.

**jrr** · February 17th, 2006, 11:11 AM

the chrysler building pays no property taxes. instead they pay cooper union for the students.
i was talking to a friend a while ago about her experiences in cooper, and she really enjoyed it. but she's not really into the representational art that i'm into. it's like art school confidential.

**MadSamoan** · February 17th, 2006, 12:04 PM

During my senior year in high school, I attended a portfolio day held at a hotel where you could talk to art school reps from across the country. I met with a CU representative and it was one of the most humiliating experiences I've ever had. Admittedly, I didn't have any life drawing experience at the time and hadn't even discovered kneaded erasers yet, but then again how many high school students have had decent training at that point? A simple "You need to take figure drawing classes" would have sufficed, but what I got was pretty brutal and unnerved me for several months. Either way, I found my own path to getting the training I was after. I don't resent the school though and I'd like to visit the place next time I'm in NYC simply because they have a history that goes as far back as the Art Student's League.

**Jriddim** · February 18th, 2006, 01:03 PM

Damn I don't even know if I want to apply now, I don't really have much from life experiance, my strong side is really illustration. Im confused now ahaha
maybe its worth a try, but for $50+?