Cooper Union For the Advancement of Science & Art

Great school! Some of the hardest working, most passionate, and ambitious youngsters you could find in one congregated place. Almost gave 4 stars because of the infamous administration, though. But that wouldn’t be fair. Three cheers for Peter Cooper!

This relates to the Origami exhibit in the gallery.
This was one of the best exhibits I have ever been to, and I’ve been to A LOT. It educated and entertained without making my eyes glaze over. I left there being so inspired, not to do Tessellations-​wish I could but I am not a details type-​but to work 3d paper into my own artwork. The exhibit was inspiring. Too bad there is no CU near me, maybe a MOOC?
Please consider more exhibits like this that intersect math/​science/​art.

Being a NYU student has numerous privelages, including being able to go to the mostly quiet and seldom busy Cooper Union library to take out books and study. Though small, there’s a lot of great seating and everyone if pretty respectful.
Sometimes the security guards bother me, which is troublesome, but other than that this is a good spot at a great school.

A New York institution. If you get the chance to see a free lecture, go for it. Soak in the atmosphere. It’s something that everyone should experience at least once in his or her life.

I’m proud of my school; the «Occupy Cooper Union» movement is in full swing, and I’m all for it.
Because Cooper president Jamshed Bharucha announced about a week ago that Cooper was going to start charging tuition, ending a 150-​year tradition, militant students have been occupying the president’s office on the 7^th floor of the Foundation building. To be fair, the president has inherited a host of financial problems set in motion by the president before him, George Campbell, who not only sold off multiple parcels of land – he also took on massive debt with the construction of the New Academic Building. (There was such a lukewarm response to that, he couldn’t even get a big-​wig donor to name it after.)
So this current conflict has brought about a level of previously-​unseen solidarity among students, faculty, and alumni. More as this story develops.

*This Review is specifically for their school of Continuing Ed.*
Best $ 450 I’ve ever spent in one place. I decided to enroll in «Drawing for Absolute Beginners Class» here, since I wanted to be taught by the best of the best, and as I am approaching my final two weeks of class, I can’t help but wish this were a year-​long class as I have grown so fond of the instructor, my classmates, and the material itself.
So…the title of the course is somewhat misleading, since some of my classmates are by no means beginners, but the instructor presents the course in such a way that it is totally accessible to beginners (such as myself), and you basically get to dabble in the fundamentals of drawing over the course of 10 3-​hour weekly courses. You learn contour, gesture, composition, intro. to figure drawing, head portraits, and then move into some pastels, and by the end you really do get a sense of what to do and what you need when you sit down to draw on your own. The three hours of class fly by as though you’re in some kind of artsy time warp, and as you lose complete sense of time you begin to understand why famous painters such as Dali and Van Gogh became such psychos. You also learn about materials for drawing, and begin to understand the differences between different media, charcoal, pencils, and the like.
In addition to the educational and culturally fullfiling values that this course has provided me, I’ve met some really interesting New Yorkers through the class. The people who take these classes tend to be mostly young, curious, and culturally involved, often trying to learn new things in their spare time, and they’re genuinely really fun to hang out with both in and out of class. Now that this course is coming to an end, I am seriously considering taking some other Cooper classes, such as Photography, Painting, or Creative Writing.
One thing y’all should be aware of if you decide to enroll is that classes can’t really be made up, and you will end up spending probably over $ 100 total on supplies in addition to the course fee itself.

It has been over 20 yrs since I graduated from Cooper Union (engineering school). I appreciate Cooper more and more as time passes. Those who are fortunate to attend are given a full-​tuition scholarship, top notch education and training, and great opportunities for jobs and a productive career.
For potential students reading this review, be aware about the following:
1) Cooper students are smart and extremely hardworking, most came from top 5% of their classes, and the workload is tremendous, so prepared to work your butt off and also don’t be surprised to struggle when you get Bs or Cs for the first time in your life.
2) This place is best if you have a good sense of your calling (in engineering, art, or architecture). If one is undecided, this place can be daunting as there are just not many options to explore and try out and switch into.
3) There isn’t much of campus life — basically the east village is the campus, most students commute, and don’t expect the rah rah college campus life.
4) The years you spend there will be tough but keep in mind of brighter days after graduation when you can get a job and have no college debt to pay off.
All in all, Cooper is a unique institution and if it fits your profile, it will provide you with the best college education at any price.

the continuing education school — as much as it is a mess to navigate from their website is pretty cool, I think.
Ive taken a couple of photography classes here and the teachers are quite helpful, not to mention that the courses are cheap. I have had nothing but good times in their programs!
I have heard of teachers who are not worth your time though — so tread carefully.

What a great place.
They also have a lot of lectures and events open to the public. Even though the Great Hall has a lot of columns that block the view of the stage center, this place is a significant historic institution and building. Also, check out their new building that is more contemporary in style just south of the main building.

good convenient affordable continuing education classes. ive taken two classes here (pastels one and two) and would recommend this to friends interested in art. i want to try the lecture series just havent gotten around to it.

Haha, I can’t believe I can review this. Yes, full tuition is nice. but I have given them my soul/​free time/​sanity in return.

Dammit! Why didn’t I know about Cooper Union and their full-​ride-​scholarships-​for-​all (read: free tuition) policy? I guess I just wasn’t smart enough to go here. But thanks Daddy Cooper, for making a free yet competitive and classy post-​secondary institution. And a building that runs circles around Cal’s Enviro Design building, Wurster. Sometimes the Left Coast really isn’t the Best Coast, folks.

I attended an event here (it was my roommate’s Teach For America «graduation» after completing her two-​year commitment), and it was a lovely place for a ceremony. Easy to get to, beautiful architecture, cool sense of history.
One star is deducted because the auditorium has these huge columns that make some seats get a bad view. Otherwise, the acoustics were great, and the space lent a classy atmosphere to the event!