i've asked around a lot about this (i'm applying for transfer this year) and it seems that it weighs very heavily on the home-test. transfer acceptance, from what i gather, depends about 70% on the home-test, and 30% on your portfolio. i don't personally know anyone who went there that was not a transfer, so i can't say too much about first-years, but i do know, directly from administration, that the home-test carries a LOT of weight.

and yea, the acceptance rate really freaks me out too sometimes.

Their acceptance rate is a little deceiving. For 2007 they had 578 applications and accepted 23 people (4%) for architecture. However only 348 applicants returned the hometest, from which the 23 were chosen, generating a 7% acceptance rate - see, just a little deceiving.

It's all about the hometest. Other fun facts about Cooper Union admissions data: http://www.cooper.edu/administration/registrar/pdfs/F07_Admissions_Summary.pdf

how do you find out about cooper union anyway? i'd never even heard of it until i went to architecture school.

sometimes you get lucky and the right guidance counselor will have something in their office, but if you are interested in architecture and you are doing your homework, perhaps the school will come up....and yes hometest, hometest, hometest.....if you are a transfer.

What is the home test anyway?

thanks guys
you guys really claim me down
appreciate for the responds

Gyo, I'll fight you online for admittance!

hahaha
if i have this honor

i'll say it's heavily based on the home test for freshman out of highschool. grades are pretty important, but the final decision comes down to the home test. they aren't looking for the right answer to a question, they're looking to see if you have enough capabilities to think creatively. it's sad to say, however, that i've seen/heard of a lot of home tests that are overly gimmicky in replacement for actual talent.

and the acceptance rate thing is kind of odd. there are about 9 transfers out of 28 in my class. there also has to be a ratio of students from new york, and those are usually the ones who have been to the saturday program at coop.

Danny, I have been in the student council when I was there and my very good friend was the student rep in the admission committee. There is no ratio for students in the city or the Saturday Program. It seems that way because the Saturday Program kids are taught by cooper union students for a whole year at least and it shows in their home tests.

But I agree with you that it is based primarily on the home test and every thing else you say.

The only other thing I might mention here is that even if you put in a gimmicky home test in place for actual talent it will show up when you actually get there. Getting in the door doesn't mean that you have won the lottery ticket and you are home free. The rate at which people get thrown out are almost as astonishing as the acceptance rate.

Gyo, when you get the home test, think about what those questions mean to you. There is no wrong or right answer. Express those meaning in the most visually outstanding way you possibly can. You are competing with a lot of talent. It might also be wise to include a sketch book with your thoughts and sketches as you develop a response to those questions.

If you are serious about getting in take time off from all your other commitments and work intensely on the home test as soon as you receive it. Make models, draw, create, document, critique it, and rebuild it. The biggest mistake you can make is to get freaked out by the admissions rate and apply with the attitude that you probably wont get in anyway. A lot of very talented people do that and put in a half hearted effort and it shows.

Good luck. Cooper Union is a great place to be.

i guess that came out wrong.. the majority of the new york students are from the saturday program, by just merely coincidence.

gyo, i would really think what it is you want to do, because architecture is such a broad term in itself. these schools, even if you heard they were really good schools, each teach you something completely different. the schooling is really about yourself, and not a name or place. find which school best adjusts its perpective with yours, and go with it..

good luck.

Danny or annalee, how many international students are usually admitted to first year?

thanks annalee and danny...really big help

hope have future support from you guys too

there are about 5-6 out of 28 in my class.