• Application Steps

  Potential School of Art students who have received a preliminary review at National Portfolio Days, which occur after The Cooper Union’s regular admission deadline (see above), may be invited to apply after the regular admission deadline. All reasonable effort is made by the School of Art admissions committee to review these applications in a fair and timely fashion.

  • A completed application – (first-year applicants use the Common App); (transfer applicants use the Cooper Application)
  • Letter of recommendation (2 for transfers)
  • Official high school transcript or GED certificate (including mid-year report)
  • If transfer, official college transcripts for ALL schools attended
  • SAT/ACT test (optional)
  • English language proficiency test (if applicable)
  • $75 application fee or fee waiver (if applicable)

• Supplemental Materials

  • After students have submitted the required application, they will be asked to complete a supplemental Hometest (instructions to appear in your applicant portal once the test is released)
  • A portfolio and sketchbook (to be submitted with the Hometest)

• English Language Proficiency Requirements For International Students

  Undergraduate applicants whose native language is not English and 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 note that your English language proficiency test results are only valid for two years. Please ensure that the name on your passport matches the name on your application, and on your language scores.

  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)	120

  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

  Subject	Units* Required for Art
  English	4
  History and Social Studies	2
  Mathematics	1
  Science	1
  Other Electives	8
  Total Units* Required	16

  *A unit represents a year's study in a subject

  Students who apply while attending high school will be expected to supply transcripts of subjects studied during the first three years of high school (Grades 9, 10, and 11). High school graduates must supply the full four-year record. High school transcripts should be sent during the fall and winter months, but not later than January 18th if supporting a first-year application. Each candidate should make certain that the high school subjects required for his or her major are completed prior to graduation since The Cooper Union will not be able to verify his or her senior program until final transcripts arrive in June or July. This is too late to make up a missing required subject or to make plans for admission to another college. Students who have not fulfilled their application requirements may have their offer of admission rescinded.

For help with questions regarding the undergraduate application and admissions process, visit our online FAQ. Please email additional questions to admissions@cooper.edu.