Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

Date: Mar 08 2010
Major: Art & Design Department (This Major's Salary over time)
Cooper Union has been the worst school/art experience in my life. I have never gone to a school and hate doing what I love. The classes are shorter than the average art class. You basically go in with your assignment, get murdered ( unless you do something similar to what the teacher is doing) and then get handed another assignment. If you want to do a certain process or technique then you better find out how to do it on your own. Don't expect to get any help from your teachers and if you are stuck with a class of students who are self-absorbed ( most cooper students are since they buy into the whole

I got into Cooper so I'm a genius

deal. If you are a natural ass kisser who wants to climb to the top even if you have to step on a few poeple ( natural in NYC) then this is the place for you. If you genuinely love your work and aren't all artsy fartsy then this isn't the place for you.

What's more is that although Cooper students talk crap about other schools ( especially MICA) they are the same only smaller. There are hipsters of a different breed and have the same arrogance and self importance ( I don't care if you are good or not…arrogance is still arrogance). All the art is abstract and conceptual and basically its hard to learn anything different than that what you're good at. I wasn't expecting any of this before I came but I wish that someone would've told me. Too many poeple are caught up with Cooper's prestige but the truth of the matter is that it's just like other schools and worse because you have all the snob assholes in one small tight place.

Not to mention that the free tuition doesn't mean squat because you still have to pay for random art supplies that range from nothing to hundreds/ rent ( you'll be lucky to get a good size place for 700 but don't count on it cause you'll probably be in brooklyn unless you plan on cramming a bunch of poeple into a small place)/transportation/and school fees. This brings it to being close to 30,000 depending.

Also the career development is a joke. If you don't have initiative then don't count on getting a job when you leave unless you go to Grad school or try your luck at becoming an artist.

Overall my experience at Cooper has been an absolute nightmare. I am transferring and won't miss this place at all.