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Cooper Union

School of Architecture First-Year Application Process

Architecture Studio

Architecture Studio

Our fall 2025 application is now closed. The fall 2026 first-year application will open on August 1.
 

Dates and Deadlines

Early Decision
  • Application Deadline: December 1
  • Studio Test Live: December 9
  • Studio Test Submission Deadline: January 6
    (both physical and digital submissions are required)
  • Decision Notification: February 1
Regular Decision
  • Application Deadline: January 5
  • Studio Test Live: January 9
  • Studio Test Submission Deadline: February 6
    (both physical and digital submissions are required)
  • Decision Notification: April 1 

Application Instructions

These application instructions are for first-year applicants only. There are alternate instructions for transfer students.

Application Steps

 

  • A completed application which includes a writing section, the Common Application (for first-year applicants), the Cooper Application (for transfer applicants)
  • Letters of recommendation (one for first-year applicants, two for transfer applicants)
  • Official high school transcript or GED certificate (include mid-year report if currently enrolled in school)
  • Official college transcripts for ALL schools attended, sent directly from the college or university
  • SAT/ACT (test optional)
  • English language proficiency test (if applicable)
  • $75 application fee or fee waiver (if applicable)
Required Supplemental Materials
  • After you submit your application, you will need to complete a Studio Test. The Studio Test allows us to observe how you think and create, how you follow direction and manage time, as well as your problem-solving abilities.
    • Studio Test instructions will appear in the applicant portal once the test is released (approximately one week after the application deadline)
    • In addition, an instructional email communication will be sent to you regarding the Studio Test 
English Language Proficiency Requirements for International Students

Undergraduate applicants whose first language is not English and who have not had at least 3 years of English at a school where English was the official medium of instruction, are required to take one of the exams below. Please ensure that the name on your passport matches the name on your application and on your language scores.

English language proficiency test results are valid for two years only. 

Test for English Language Proficiency Minimum Score Requirements
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

600 (paper-based test)

100 (internet-based test)

MyBest® scores are not accepted
IELTS (International English Language Testing System)
 		 7.0 
DET (Duolingo English Test) 130 


We do not accept results from the following exams: IELTS Indicator, TOEFL ITP Plus for China, TOEFL Essentials, and PTE Academic Online.

High School Graduation Requirements

High School Graduation Requirements

If you have questions about our undergraduate application process, please attend an info session, check out our FAQs, or email us at admissions@cooper.edu.

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.