General Questions

Colleges and Universities A-Z New York University
1

Hi, I’m a high school Junior just starting the touring process. I’ve looked at NYU, a few other city schools, Vassar, and Syracuse (weird mix, I know). I’m interested in either communications (for journalism/broadcast journalism, ideally in sports or politics) or something in the film industry (probably as a screenwriter or actor, but I’m open to anything).

The academics really impressed me. It seems like, with the size of the university, there really are classes for everything-- I can study just about anything I want there. My ideal school would be Tisch, so I was just wondering about the specific admissions there. I’m assuming it would be more competitive, but specifics would be appreciated. I also read that you have to provide a portfolio-- I haven’t really done any real dramatic acting since middle school. I’ve acted in short films with my friends, and to be honest, I’m fairly confident in my abilities (although I’m not an excellent singer and probably the worst dancer alive). I would mainly be interested in the screenwriting program, but I don’t exactly have the resources to produce feature films at my high school-- I haven’t really made anything other than dinky little projects with friends. I was wondering what the screenwriting portfolio could consist of.

Another main concern is the city atmosphere-- it seems like the city school of all city schools. I think I might be okay with that, but I would also probably prefer a more open campus with green space, etc.

Very important to me is the party scene (or lack thereof). I don’t drink or smoke, and I’d prefer not to be around that lifestyle at all (obviously not super likely on a college campus). My first impressions are that it might be fairly easy to avoid partying at NYU, compared to some other schools, but that’s honestly just a guess. I was wondering how much of a non-party social scene there is (being in the middle of a city, is it easy to meet people without partying? Will I find many like-minded nondrinkers there with me?)

I guess that’s it for now. Any responses are appreciated!

2

For Tisch, the admissions are really competitive, yes, but that doesn’t mean your portfolio has to be Oscar material. My ex-roommate got into Tisch Film and TV Production with absolutely no portfolio or prior experience, just some bomb essays. Tisch’s Dramatic Writing program requires [a cover letter, a statement of purpose, and three to four writing samples for the portfolio](https://tisch.nyu.edu/dramatic-writing/ugddwportfolio).

NYU’s campus is very open. There’s no border or gates to block us off from the rest of the city, and Washington Square Park is literally in the middle of campus. Union Square Park is just ten blocks up (it seems like a lot but it isn’t) and the Highline is about a ten minute walk away. If you want the green space to end all green space, Central Park is a ten to fifteen minute subway ride away.

The party scene at NYU is more kids with fake IDs going out to bars or going to parties in off-campus apartments, so you can avoid that if you want to. There are some parties that happen in the halls, but it’s more likely that people are “pregaming” before heading out to a bar/party. If you don’t want to drink, you don’t have to. In Rubin and Third North, there are “Choices” floors where the residents are committed to living substance-free and want to be surrounded with like-minded people. I have friends who aren’t into partying, and they’re having fun. There are so many different clubs and activities at NYU that it’s impossible to not meet new people.

3

Thanks for the info. Anyone else?