The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture

Admissions Process

*Please click here to view the requirements for transfer students to the School of Architecture. Admission after three years of high school will be considered for exceptional students. See below for more information.

EARLY DECISION: If The Cooper Union is your first choice, you may consider applying early decision. If admitted via early decision you must accept our offer and withdraw your other college applications.
STEP 1	Submit the first part of your application online by Monday, December 2, 2019.
STEP 2	You will receive a confirmation email.
STEP 3	You will have to prepare and submit by Monday, December 2, 2019. Your official high school transcript or GED certificate (required for all applicants) Any official college transcripts (sent directly from the college or university) Recommendation letter (1 strongly encouraged) Your SAT or ACT scores (must be sent directly from the College Board and/or ACT) Official TOEFL, IELTS, or DET scores, if applicable* Send all materials to: The Office of Admissions 30 Cooper Square, 3rd Floor New York, NY 10003 or you can email them to: admissions@cooper.edu.
STEP 4	You will receive the Studio Test via email on Monday, December 9, 2019. You will have approximately one month to complete the test. The Office of Admissions must receive the Studio Test and all application materials no later than Wednesday, January 8, 2020. Extensions are not permitted unless in the case of extenuating circumstances. We highly recommend adding admissions@cooper.edu to your email address book in order to prevent important emails (like your Studio Test and admission decision) from going to spam! Please follow all instructions carefully. For First Year applicants, no additional portfolio material should be sent.
STEP 5	You will receive an admission decision by Saturday, February 1, 2020.

REGULAR DECISION:
STEP 1	Submit the first part of your application online by Monday, January 6, 2020.
STEP 2	You will receive a confirmation email.
STEP 3	You will have to prepare and submit by Monday, January 6, 2020. Your official high school transcript or GED certificate (required for applicants) Any official college transcripts (sent directly from the college or university) Recommendation letter (1 strongly encouraged) Your SAT or ACT scores (must be sent directly from the College Board and/or ACT) Official TOEFL, IELTS, or DET scores, if applicable* Send all materials to: The Office of Admissions 30 Cooper Square, 3rd Floor New York, NY 10003 or you can email them to: admissions@cooper.edu.
STEP 4	You will receive the Studio Test via email on Monday, January 13, 2020. You will have approximately one month to complete the test. The Office of Admissions must receive the Studio Test and all application materials no later than Monday, February 10, 2020. Extensions are not permitted unless in the case of extenuating circumstances. We highly recommend adding admissions@cooper.edu to your email address book in order to prevent important emails (like your Studio Test and admission decision) from going to spam! PLEASE NOTE: If you submitted your application after January 6th, your Studio Test is due Friday, February 28th, 2020! Please follow all instructions carefully. For First Year applicants, no additional portfolio material should be sent.
STEP 5	You will receive an admission decision by Wednesday, April 1, 2020.

Calculus is a required first-year course for all architecture students. Entering first-year students must have completed Mathematics (including Trigonometry, Algebra II and Pre-Calculus). Any student who has not completed Pre-Calculus in high school must do so during the summer before enrollment, and must submit an official transcript documenting successful completion of the course.

*Undergraduate applicants whose native language is not English and who have not graduated from a secondary school in a country with English as the official medium of instruction are required to take one the below exams.

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), IELTS (International English Language Testing System), or DET (Duolingo English Testing) Scores per the below requirements. Scores must be submitted directly by the testing service to admissions@cooper.edu.

Click here for more information regarding International Applicants.

Deferral of an Offer of Admission- Architecture: Due to the small size of the programs, the deferral of an offer of admission to the Bachelor of Architecture (undergraduate) and/or Master of Architecture II (graduate) program is not permitted.

Admission After Three Years of High School

Candidates of exceptional merit may be considered for admission after completion of three years of high school. Engineering applicants must have excellent high school averages and test scores. Art and architecture applicants must have excellent high school records and exceptional ability. A recommendation from the high school principal, at least one recommendation from a teacher and an interview will be required. In accordance with the regulations of individual states, a student may or may not be eligible to receive an Equivalency Diploma after completion of a specific number of credits in appropriate subject areas at The Cooper Union. It is the responsibility of the applicant to investigate his or her state regulations in this regard.