Spotlight on The Cooper Union

The Cooper Union isn't typical of the schools I'll be spotlighting, for it frequently does appear on national lists of top engineering schools. Still, I'm always suprised by how many people aren't familiar with the school, probably because of its undergraduate focus. The big name research universities -- MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, Caltech -- always steal all the attention. Also, The Cooper Union is small with under 1,000 students, and it's easy to miss in the busy streets of Manhattan.

If you don't know The Cooper Union, be sure to take a look at the profile. The school has a rich history dating back to 1859, and its Great Hall was the site of an important speech by Abraham Lincoln (and just recently Barack Obama spoke there). The Cooper Union has excellent undergraduate programs in engineering, architecture and art. And perhaps the school's most impressive feature of all, every student at The Cooper Union receives a full tuition scholarship.

If there's a school you'd like me to spotlight, please make your recommendation in the College Admissions Forum. I'd love to draw attention to those hidden gems and exceptional values that might be off the radar of prospective college students.

photo by maocirpdsp / Flickr