You must submit the following items:
- Online Application
- Personal statement
- Creative résumé
- Passport (non-US citizens only)
- TOEFL/IELTS/PTE Academic results (non-native English speaking applicants)
- Onerecommendation letter
- Official university transcript(s)
- $75 non-refundable application fee
PERSONAL STATEMENT
Your essay must be a minimum of 500 words / maximum of 1500 words. Type or copy and paste your essay in the "Personal Statement" section within the online application.
Cinema Studies, Dramatic Writing, Film Production, Theatre Production and Design: Respond to this quote in essay form: "No one should come to New York to live unless he is willing to be lucky." — E.B. White, Here is New York, 1948
Photography and Imaging:
Introduce yourself and address the following:
- List the Photography, Art and Art History courses, if any, that you have taken at your High School.
- Do you have any other experience relating to your photo-based work that you’d like to share?
- If you have a website or blog you would like to share, please include the url.
- Write a brief statement about your submitted work. Discuss the primary issue that you want to discuss in your images and include what drives you to make your work.
- Describe a photograph or photographer that you consistently return to view and explain how this photograph or image engages you.
- In your opinion, what does it mean to make photo/image-based art in the 21st Century?
CREATIVE RÉSUMÉ
Your creative résumé should highlight creative and artistic work accomplished, activities and relevant employment. Your résumé should also include:
- Your full name and contact information.
- Any extra curricular activities or work in your community.
- Additional information such as awards, clubs, and activities.
PASSPORT (NON-US CITIZENS ONLY)
In the Attachments section of the online application, upload a clear, fully legible copy of your photo and biographical information page from your passport.
If you have more than one passport upload both.
US Permanent Residents: please upload a copy of your US Permanent Resident card.
TOEFL/IELTS/PTE ACADEMIC RESULTS
In the Personal Details section of the online application, non-native English speaking applicants are required to upload copies of one of the following English language proficiency examinations:
Exemption from English language proficiency testing will be given:
If your native language is English.
You already completed (at the time of application submission) at least 3 or more consecutive, full academic years at a school/university where the primary language of instruction was English.
- If you are currently matriculated in a full-time NYU degree program.
Exams should be completed before the application deadline, and results cannot be more than 2 years old. While we will consider scores received after the application deadline, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to wait for those scores to arrive before making an admissions decision.
We don’t have minimum score requirements, but competitive applicants will receive: 100 and above on the TOEFL iBT, 7.5 and above on the IELTS Academic, 70 and above on the PTE Academic, 191 and above on the Cambridge English Scale, or 125 and above on the Duolingo English Test.
RECOMMENDATION
Within the online application, please enter the name and email address of your recommender. The recommendation must be from a school representative. Ideally your recommendation should be from someone who is familiar with your interest in the performing or media arts.
Register your recommender early! You should allow your recommender 1-2 weeks to complete the recommendation. Recommendations must be received by the application deadline.
Once you submit recommender's information, they are emailed instructions on how to submit their online recommendations. If a recommender has trouble completing his/her online recommendation please have him/her contact our office. You will be emailed confirmation that the recommendation has been received. The subject of the confirmation email is “Tisch Application Reference Submission”.
TRANSCRIPTS
Request your transcripts early. You should allow at least 2-4 weeks for processing and delivery to Tisch Special Programs. Your official transcripts must be received (not postmarked) in our office by the application deadline. If we have not received your official transcripts by the application deadline, your application will not be considered for admission.
Official transcripts must be issued directly from the high school to Tisch Special Programs and should be sent via one of the following methods:
- Email: This is our preferred delivery method.
- Emailed transcripts must come from your school's email address or an official transcript service on behalf of your school. Our email address is tisch.special.admissions@nyu.edu.
- Fax: Our fax number is 212-995-4578
a cover page from school;
student’s name
student’s cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale
- Mail: Mailed transcripts must be sealed and issued directly from your school to:
Tisch Office of Special Programs
New York University
721 Broadway, Rm 1248
New York NY 10003
Need to convert your GPA to a 4.0 scale? Try CollegeBoard’s GPA Calculator.
Non-US/Non-English transcripts: Please note that you are required to submit both the official transcript and its English translation. If the institution you attend does not provide an English translation with the official transcript, you must obtain a certified English translation. Following these steps will ensure the validity of your transcript:
- Secure an official transcript from your institution in a sealed envelope.
- Submit your unopened official transcript to the translator.
- Ask the translator to prepare an official English translation.
- Ask the translator to provide you with one sealed envelope containing both your original transcript and its English translation. The back of the envelope must contain the translator's signature to reflect the unaltered, true contents.
ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS - PROGRAM SPECIFIC
Photography and Imaging Portfolio Requirements
Up to five images can be non photo-based. We encourage submission of sound, video art, and other “new media” based work. The Photography and Imaging deparment is committed to photography’s contemporary directions, yet anchored in the medium’s rich history. We are excited about quality work where content and craft are developed. We look for diversity in student thinking, experience, and media presentation.
Theatre Production and Design Portfolio Requirements
Please present a digital portfolio of the theater (and art) work you have done. Upload your portfolio in the Documents section of the online application under the category "Additional Documents."
If you are a scenery, lighting or costume designer this portfolio should showcase three or four theater projects of which you are especially proud. Please indicate with these images your job on the production and where it was produced. If possible please include both design drawings, drafting, renderings, sketches along with photos of the finished production. If you have taken other art classes – drawing, painting, 3D, photography, etc., please include examples of that work as well.
If you are a sound designer please include audio files along with descriptions of how those sounds were incorporated into a show.
If you are a stage manager, please create a .pdf version of a prompt book from one of your shows – you do not need to include every page from every section, just representative selections.
For your creative résumé, please include your theater work including the name of the show, performance dates, presenting organization and what job you did on the production.