Frequently Asked Questions

It’s a two-part process. First, apply to NYU using the Common Application. Second, schedule your artistic review. Details can be found here.

The artistic review process allows us to determine if our program is an environment in which you will thrive, grow and progress toward achieving your goals in the theatre and in the world.  



It’s a little more than just an audition. In addition to the artistic evaluation, all artistic reviews include a conversation with your evaluator. It's a chance for us to get to know you.

For Acting candidates, the artistic component consists of an audition. For Musical Theatre candidates, we'll add some singing and dancing to your acting evaluation. For Directing candidates, it's an audition and a portfolio review. For Production & Design candidates, it's a portfolio review.   

You will submit your photo, résumé and artistic review materials through the Drama Artistic Review portal.

Please use the proper formats and follow the specific guidelines for your discipline when providing us with this information.

PHOTO:  A snapshot is preferable, as long as you are recognizable in the photo. The file must be in JPEG format and must not exceed 2 MB in size.

RÉSUMÉ: Your résumé should contain all of your performing arts-related experience, in addition to community service, non-theater extracurricular activities and academic honors. The file must be in PDF format and must not exceed 5 MB in size.

ARTISTIC REVIEW MATERIALS
Acting, Musical Theatre and Directing candidates must provide the following information about each monologue:

Play
Playwright
Character

Musical Theatre candidates must also provide the following information about each song selection:

Song Title
Musical
Composer/Lyricist
Character

Directing candidates must provide the following information about the portfolio presentation:

Theatrical event description

Production & Design candidates must name two areas of interest:

Scenic Design
Costume Design
Sound Design
Lighting Design
Stage Management

When you schedule your artistic review session, you will be asked to select one of four disciplines: Acting, Musical Theatre, Directing or Production and Design. 

In Slate, you will provide us with the following artistic review materials:

1. Photo
2. Résumé
3. Information about your monologues, song selections or portfolios

All applicants are required to submit a photo and résumé for their artistic review.  A snapshot is preferable, as long as you are recognizable in the photo.

Your résumé should contain all of your performing arts-related experience. You may include show credits (high school and college only) – onstage, backstage, design, directing, writing and producing; extracurricular, summer or community theater work; summer theater camp; vocal, dance or musical instrument training; competition participation or awards won; related arts work and accomplishments. You may also include community service, non-theater extra curricular activities and academic honors. Please use the proper format for a performing arts résumé. However, as this résumé is part of your college application, it may be longer than one side of a page.    

Your evaluator will not accept additional material beyond the photo and résumé.  Please do not send DVDs, CDs, scripts, portfolios or any additional material to Tisch Drama.

For in-person auditions, Early Decision I and Early Decision II candidates must audition in New York City.

Regular Decision candidates have the option of attending in-person artistic reviews in New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

In-person Transfer candidates must audition in New York City.

If you plan to attend a regional artistic review session, please be sure your discipline is being offered in the city of your choice before making travel plans.

Digital submission is an available option for all decision periods.

Yes! If you cannot attend an in-person artistic review, a digital artistic review may be submitted. You are welcome to use the digital submission option if you cannot make it to one of the artistic review locations for an in-person artistic review or in the event that all available appointments have been filled. Please see HOW DO I SUBMIT MY ARTISTIC REVIEW DIGITALLY? below for more information!

If you cannot attend an in-person artistic review, a digital artistic review may be submitted, but you must follow specific guidelines. Submissions that do not strictly follow the digital submission guidelines will not be considered.

You are welcome to use the digital submission option if you cannot make it to one of the artistic review locations for an in-person artistic review or in the event that all available appointments have been filled. You must submit your NYU application before you will be permitted to upload your digital artistic review material. A couple of days after you submit the Common App, you will receive an email from NYU with a personalized link to the Drama Artistic Review portal. Learn about the application process here.

MUSICAL THEATRE, DIRECTING and PRODUCTION & DESIGN CANDIDATES:
After you submit the Common App, you will be required to upload your singing and dance videos (if applicable) or your portfolio material (if applicable) to the Drama Artistic Review portal. 

RESERVING YOUR ARTISTIC REVIEW
When scheduling a digital session, you will choose a date and a 3-hour session time during which you will perform your monologue(s) and songs, if applicable, and have a brief conversation with your evaluator via Zoom.

At the start of the session, we will connect with you on Zoom and engage you in a group meeting with the other digital candidates in your session to answer any questions you may have. After that, the evaluator will begin to contact each candidate one by one for their individual artistic review.

Yes. We should begin by saying studio placement is done by the Department. Tisch Drama has six acting studios and one musical theatre studio that provide primary artistic training for our incoming students. If you choose a Musical Theatre artistic review, we will consider you for placement in the musical theatre studio first. If we feel you are a good fit, we will place you there. If not, we will automatically consider you for placement in one of the acting studios.

When you book your artistic review session online, we will ask you if you would like to be considered for placement in all studios or only in the musical theatre program. If Tisch Drama is your overriding objective, choose ALL STUDIOS. If you plan to pursue an undergraduate course of study solely in musical theatre, you might consider choosing MUSICAL THEATRE ONLY. Please keep in mind, however, that if you choose MUSICAL THEATRE ONLY but we do not feel you are a good fit for the musical theatre program, you will not be considered for any acting studios nor will you be accepted into NYU. 



Tisch Drama offers a range of programs where musical skills are viewed as an essential element of an actor’s expressive vocabulary. Our most concentrated musical theatre program is offered through the New Studio on Broadway, but students attend voice, music and dance classes throughout the Department and participate in full-length musicals at other studios, including Playwrights Horizons, Strasberg and ETW. At least one musical is traditionally chosen as a core element of the Department’s produced season and the departmental curriculum offers cabaret classes, which culminate in produced final projects. Also, countless musical theatre and cabaret performances are staged by Drama students both in student-produced productions and as part of the directing program at Playwrights Horizons Theater School. 

For the singing evaluation, we will ask you to perform your selections live on Zoom with your evaluator, as well as upload videos of them to your Drama artistic review portal - simply as a back-up.

For the dance portion of your digital artistic review, you will learn a combination by watching a teaching video and then record yourself doing the combination. 

Click here for details on the digital artistic review process.

* A note on song videos: These videos are being uploaded for backup purposes only. These videos are not for a pre-screening process. Every Musical Theatre applicant will be required to sing their song selection(s) live via Zoom. Only in cases of technical difficulties will the evaluators be asked to consult the videos provided by the applicant. Uploading videos is not a replacement for completing the live singing portion of the Artistic Review.

For the audition portion of the artistic review, please choose material appropriate for you. Our concern at the audition is your natural ability as a performer and how it would be served by the training we offer. Therefore, select monologues carefully (with characters that are close to your age and experience) to allow yourself to shine through the material. Opt for material that you are passionate about – that moves you emotionally or intellectually.  

The Department requests two contemporary monologues. We define “contemporary” as anything written from around the turn of the 20th century to now. Be sure to read the entire play from which your monologue is taken. Monologues must be from published plays—no film or TV scripts or original material. Each monologue must be under 90 seconds in length.  

You will have an opportunity to converse with your evaluator immediately after presenting your monologues. This is your time to tell us about yourself–your background, interests, professional and academic goals. Be yourself!

No.  You may only choose one discipline for your artistic review. 

If you participate in an Acting artistic review, you will be considered for placement in one of the six acting studios for your primary training. You will not be considered for the musical theatre program at the New Studio on Broadway, our most concentrated musical theatre training.    


If you do a Musical Theatre artistic review, you will be considered first for placement in the musical theatre program at the New Studio on Broadway. If we feel you are a good fit, we will place you there. If not, we will consider you for placement in one of the acting studios. 

No.  Early Decision and Early Decision II candidates receive a final decision from NYU. If you are not accepted, you may reapply as a Transfer candidate the following year.

No–but you can, if you'd like! Tisch Drama is test-optional. When submitting your Common Application, standardized test scores are not required. Please rest assured that you will not be disadvantaged in the application review process and will not be penalized if you choose not to submit them.

NYU only requires one letter of recommendation, and it is not required that it be from a teacher or counselor. We want the letter to be substantive and to speak to your potential in a college setting, and we realize that limiting who can submit the letter of recommendation presents an obstacle to some students. Of course, teacher and counselor recommendations are still welcome, but we wanted to broaden your options in case another person in your life can better speak to your accomplishments and aspirations.

No. Tisch Drama does not arrange for prospective students to watch classes. Studio work is of a sensitive nature and is not set up for observation.

Yes! Happily so! Tisch offers a variety of summer high school programs, including one in Drama.

The first thing you need to know is that we enthusiastically welcome international student artists to join our Tisch Drama community!

If you are unable to travel to the United States for your artistic review, you are welcome to submit a digital artistic review.

For information for international students regarding the NYU application, visit the website of NYU’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

If you are planning to visit NYU and Tisch Drama, you must register for a Prospective Student Information Session. The Department hosts these sessions twice a week throughout most of the year on Mondays and Fridays at noon.

In addition to the Tisch Drama session, we recommend that you attend an NYU Undergraduate Admissions info session and campus tour.

Lastly, Tisch Drama also conducts multiple virtual information webinars. These one-hour sessions will cover all of the same information we provide in-person, but allow you to join from the comfort of your home!

More information on how to register for all of these events can be found here.

You can view a budget here that approximates the current cost of your education for the academic year, which includes the amount of tuition and fees, room and board, books, supplies, and other related expenses. To be considered for financial assistance, NYU requires the CSS Profile application (for all new freshmen and returning international students, to be considered for institutional [non-government] financial aid), the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) (for eligible new freshmen and continuing students, to be considered for federal financial aid), and, for residents of New York State, the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) application.

Freshman and new transfer applicants apply for financial aid by filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for federal aid review and the CSS Profile for scholarship consideration. Deadlines are strictly observed.  

All students who file the FAFSA and CSS Profile are automatically considered for federal, state and NYU scholarship aid. Returning students must file a new FAFSA (but not the CSS Profile) every year to maintain eligibility for federal financial aid.

More information on paying for your Tisch Drama education can be found here.

For questions, please contact the Office of Financial Aid.