Cooper+Union

[|Cooper Union] is a small specialty school in the heart of the East Village in Manhattan. The areas of study are: art, architecture, and engineering (chemical, civil, mechanical, electrical, and bachelor's of engineering). It is a free tuition private school. As such, the application process is very competitive and international. If you are looking for the typical college experience of a nice big campus, fraternity/sorority life, and partying...this is not the school for you. The campus consists of 4 buildings in greenwich village and you can never be bored. It is in close proximity to NYU and Cooper students have access to some of NYU's facilities. You are just a subway ride away from some of the world's best museums, historical sites and entertainment. Even during class breaks, people watching on the front steps is a fun experience. Because Cooper only has about 1000 students, class-size typically ranged from 20-30 students. I got a chance to really get to know and learn from professors who were working as engineers and conducting research. I also got to know all of my class mates very well and was able to form close relationships. Best of all, I earned a degree at a well respected institute and was not burdened by loans. This gave me a lot of choices and freedom to try and find my place after I graduated. ~Lori Miller