The Cooper Union is one of the most prestigious — and most misunderstood — art schools in the United States. Its acceptance rate for the School of Art hovers around 9%, making it more selective than most Ivy League programs. A central reason for that selectivity is the Cooper Union Hometest: a multi-week creative assignment that applicants must complete and submit as part of their application. This post explains exactly what the Hometest is, why it matters, and how to prepare for it effectively.
What Is the Cooper Union?
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, located in New York City’s East Village, is a highly selective institution offering programs in art, architecture, and engineering. Unlike most art schools, Cooper Union charges a significantly lower tuition than comparable institutions — the annual tuition is approximately $44,550, but all enrolled undergraduates receive a half-tuition scholarship currently valued at roughly $22,275 per year, with additional need-based aid available for qualifying students.
This combination of prestige, selectivity, and lower net cost makes Cooper Union genuinely different from schools like RISD or Parsons — and the Hometest is central to why.
What Is the Cooper Union Hometest?
The Cooper Union School of Art Hometest is a required creative project given to every applicant after the application deadline closes. It is not something you prepare in advance — the specific prompts are different every year, and there are also separate versions for Early Decision and Regular Decision applicants.
How the Hometest process works:
- You submit your application by the deadline (Early Decision: December 1; Regular Decision: January 5)
- Approximately one week after the deadline, you receive the Hometest via email
- You have approximately 3–4 weeks to complete the assignment
- You submit the completed Hometest work, portfolio, and sketchbook together in a physical box of a specified size
Yes — the Cooper Union Hometest is submitted physically, not digitally. All work must fit in a box of the exact dimensions specified in the instructions. This is an important logistical detail for international applicants who must account for international shipping timelines.
What Does the Hometest Involve?
The specific prompts change every year, but past Hometests have included assignments such as:
- A composition of three unrelated objects from observation demonstrating a dependent relationship
- An extreme close-up view of a part of your body
- A self-portrait that avoids the face
- A piece that interprets a specific concept (memory, time, transformation) through visual means
- Furniture redesign based on the combination of existing objects
Each assignment typically involves creating finished artwork in response to the prompt, along with observational drawings, written responses, and sometimes process documentation. The instructions must be followed precisely — deviating from the specified requirements can disqualify your application.
At least two of the solutions must generally incorporate drawing. Work may be done in black and white or color, on paper, mat board, canvas board, or other appropriate flat surfaces.
Portfolio and sketchbook are also required: Along with the Hometest work, you must submit your portfolio (15–20 of your strongest recent works) and a sketchbook within the same physical box.
What Is the Cooper Union Hometest Evaluating?
According to Cooper Union’s own admissions materials, the Hometest is designed to show the admissions committee:
- Visual imagination — your ability to generate original ideas in response to a prompt
- Concept development — how you take a prompt and develop it into a meaningful visual response
- Hands-on making — the physical quality and craft of your work
- Direction-following and time management — your ability to complete a defined assignment within a specific time frame
Unlike RISD’s Hometest (which focuses primarily on observational drawing) or the Parsons Challenge (which involves developing an existing portfolio piece), the Cooper Union Hometest is more open-ended and conceptually driven. It rewards students who can respond imaginatively and intelligently to unfamiliar prompts — not just students who draw accurately.
How to Prepare for the Cooper Union Hometest
Since you cannot prepare the specific Hometest work in advance (because you don’t know the prompts), preparation focuses on developing the underlying capacities the Hometest evaluates:
1. Practice responding to unexpected prompts. Set yourself creative challenges regularly: pick a random object or concept and give yourself 30 minutes to sketch three different visual responses to it. This builds the improvisational creative thinking the Hometest rewards.
2. Develop observational drawing skills. Despite the Hometest’s conceptual orientation, many prompts involve drawing from observation. Strong observational skills are foundational.
3. Keep and develop a sketchbook actively. The sketchbook is submitted with the Hometest. It should show evidence of ongoing creative thinking — sketches, notes, experiments, ideas in development. A sketchbook that looks like it was assembled the week before submission is immediately obvious and unappealing. Start your sketchbook practice now and maintain it consistently.
4. Read the instructions carefully and follow them exactly. Every year, applicants lose consideration by not following the Hometest instructions precisely. Box size requirements, labeling requirements, submission deadlines — all must be followed to the letter.
5. Plan for physical submission logistics. International applicants must account for international shipping time when planning their Hometest completion. Budget at least 5–7 business days for international shipping to ensure materials arrive by the submission deadline.
A Note for Korean Students
Cooper Union is not as widely known among Korean students as RISD or Parsons, but it is worth taking seriously for students who are strong conceptual thinkers in addition to skilled technical artists. The lower net cost (relative to other top art schools) and the prestige of the BFA program make it a compelling option.
The physical submission format is the biggest logistical challenge for Korean applicants. You will need to ship your completed Hometest work, portfolio, and sketchbook from Korea to New York within the submission window — which typically means you have approximately 2–3 weeks to create work and another 5–7 days for shipping. Plan accordingly: begin work immediately upon receiving the Hometest, and research international shipping options in advance.
Korean applicants who are admitted to Cooper Union tend to share certain qualities: genuinely original creative thinking, strong conceptual range (not just technical skill), and the ability to work effectively under time pressure with unfamiliar prompts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Cooper Union Hometest the same as the RISD Hometest? No. Despite the similar name, they are quite different. The RISD Hometest is primarily a timed observational drawing test (typically two drawings completed in two hours). The Cooper Union Hometest is a multi-week project involving several creative assignments with new prompts each year, submitted physically along with your portfolio and sketchbook.
Can I see past Cooper Union Hometest prompts? Past prompt examples are occasionally shared on art school forums and blogs, but Cooper Union changes the prompts every year and uses different versions for Early Decision and Regular Decision applicants. Studying past examples is useful for understanding the style and scope of prompts, but you cannot prepare specific work in advance.
Is the physical submission format a barrier for international students? It adds logistical complexity but is not a barrier for determined applicants. Plan your shipping timeline carefully and use a reliable international courier. Confirm the submission deadline and ensure your package is sent with enough lead time for international transit.
Does Cooper Union offer financial aid to international students? All enrolled undergraduates receive the half-tuition scholarship. Additional need-based aid is available for US citizens and eligible non-citizens through FAFSA. International students on F-1 visas have more limited access to need-based aid but receive the half-tuition scholarship automatically upon enrollment.
What GPA and test scores does Cooper Union look for? The average GPA of admitted students is approximately 3.75. SAT and ACT scores are considered but not required. For the School of Art specifically, the creative work — portfolio and Hometest — carries the greatest weight in admissions decisions.
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