 Alfred intended to give his son the same education he himself had received . At age nine , Edward was sent to a day school in Philadelphia and in 1853 at the age of 12 , Edward was sent to the Friends ' Boarding School at Westtown , near West Chester , Pennsylvania . The school was founded in 1799 with fundraising by members of the Society of Friends ( Quakers ) , and provided much of the Cope family 's education . The prestigious school was expensive , costing Alfred $ 500 in tuition each year , and in his first year , Edward studied algebra , chemistry , scripture , physiology , grammar , astronomy , and Latin . Edward 's letters home requesting a larger allowance show he was able to manipulate his father , and he was , according to author and Cope biographer Jane Davidson , " a bit of a spoiled brat " . His letters suggest he was lonely at the school — it was the first time he had been away from his home for an extended period . Otherwise , Edward 's studies progressed much like a typical boy — he consistently had " less than perfect " or " not quite satisfactory " marks for conduct from his teachers , and did not work hard on his penmanship lessons , which may have contributed to his often illegible handwriting as an adult . 
