<p>Hey guys- so I know a bunch of you just got accepted, and I remember I had a lot of questions this time last year, so I thought I'd just reach out to see if you have any I might be able to answer.</p>
<p>Just a few things about me, I'm a Drama major in the Strasberg studio. I'm from Dallas, and I've really loved my first year here so far. So I'd love to answer any questions you guys have , and I'll try to give you my truly honest opinion.</p>
<p>Congrats again!</p>
<p>Hey Alexxmichele, thank you so much! That’s so kind of you! I was accepted for drama yesterday, and I have just a few questions:
<ol>
<li>The performance opportunities at Tisch are actually quite broad- even for a Freshman who is not allowed to audition for “official” Tisch shows. There are many different clubs that perform musicals and plays that generally allow freshman to audition, and there are also countless numbers of Film students who need actors for their projects. Going into my sophomore year, I’m already receiving emails about auditions for next year- which is pretty exciting now that I’ll actually be able to audition.
Then of course your studio will have it’s own individual shows- so there will always be something to audition for once you are an upperclassman.</li>
<li>I think auditioning outside of school becomes more prevalent as you get older, but I definitely know quite a few people who have done auditions outside of school. It’s New York so they’re everywhere. I haven’t yet, just because I’ve been so busy this year, and I really don’t think I could take on another project, but I plan to next year.</li>
<li>No actually. I’m in a suite of 6, and only one other girl in the suite is in Tisch. I also room with two CAS kids and two Steinhardt kids. I really liked doing that just because it helped me branch out outside of my studio. (You’ll be with kids in your studio 24/7, so it can be nice to have friends who aren’t Tisch kids, or at least not in your studio. You’ll get more of a well-rounded college experience out of this too.)</li>
<li>From what I understand, yes. I haven’t looked into yet since I’m only a freshman, but NYU is HUGE about studying abroad- I think the rate of kids who study abroad is something insanely high like 95%. The tuition is the same for studying abroad, the only cost difference is housing, which is nice. I’ll probably look into studying abroad next year- NYU has an amazing program with RADA in London that I’d love to look into.</li>
<li>It depends completely on the major. I’m planning to double major in Psychology, and in order to do that you have to have a Stats Credit and an Intro to Psych credit- both of which I got in high school from AP, so Psych is actually a pretty easy double major for me. I’m not really sure about the other majors- but usually a double major in CAS is what is easiest. </li>
<li>It’s definitely up to you. You definitely will have the time to if you want to; I hang out with my roommates and their non-Tisch friends quite frequently. But my very best friends are in my studio, so I hang out with Tisch kids by choice.</li>
<li>Tisch’s reputation is unmatchable. We produce an insane number of successful actors and actresses that go on to incredible careers in film and theater. The alumni list is definitely one of the main reasons- I feel like if THAT many people have been successful coming from Tisch, it must be a pretty damn good education.
Also, I loved the idea of living in NYC (and love it even more now that I actually live here.) There is no place in the world that is better for doing theater and being an acting major than in NYC. I see at least two Broadway shows a month typically, I live in the best city in the world, and I am surrounded by opportunity.
I really liked that Tisch focused on academics as well, because I think you need to be a well rounded & educated individual in order to be a successful actress.
I also really love the studio aspect of Tisch- 95% of drama majors I know love their studio and are so happy where they are. The fact that Tisch is really able to tailor your education to your needs is so unique and amazing.</li>
</ol>
<p>Let me know if you have any other questions! Hope this helped!</p>
<p>Hi Alexxmichele,</p>
<p>My daughter was accepted to Tisch dance this week and she is now researching the dorms. I’ve heard it is hard to get your first choice and that you need to rank them all. They all seem pretty far from the dance studios. Do you have any recommendations?</p>
<p>Hi ATXMom,
Well first, congrats to your daughter! That’s awesome!</p>
<p>I can’t really speak on dorms in relation to dance studio location, considering I’m not sure where the dance studios are. However, the freshman dorms are the most conveniently located of all the dorms, with most either on Washington Square or within a few blocks. The farthest freshman dorm from “campus”- aka Wash Square, is Third North, where I live, and it’s only a 15-20 minute walk. </p>
<p>And from experience last year, I think most people I know actually ended up getting their first choice dorm. I did not, but did what NYU calls a “bed for bed exchange” before the semester started, and was able to switch into my first choice, Third North. So even if she doesn’t get her first choice, I wouldn’t worry at all, because it’s very easy to do a bed-for-bed.
You do need to rank them all, but I think that’s just so they can place people where they would most like to be if the dorms start filling up. For example, I didn’t get my first choice, but I was assigned to what I had put as my second.</p>
<p>As far as recommendations go, it depends on several factors, since each freshman dorm is so vastly different, whereas all the upperclassmen dorms are fairly similar.
If cost is a factor, you may want to consider looking at one of the dorms that offer Low Cost Housing, which i believe for freshman includes Rubin, Third North, Weinstein, and Hayden. </p>
<p>Third North is the only apartment style freshman dorm- and I LOVE it. I love having a common room and a kitchen, though our bedrooms are quite a bit smaller than that of the other freshman dorms.The location from campus hasn’t been a problem for me, considering my studio is only three blocks from 3N, but even on days when I do have class on campus, the walk isn’t bad, and I actually look forward to it. </p>
<p>One factor that may also be important is proximity to a dining hall. Most of the freshman dorms have dining halls in them (Third North, Hayden and Weinstein) or are within a block or two of one (Goddard, Founders). Rubin does have a dining hall in it as well, but most people avoid it like the plague because the food is so awful. Most people I know who live in Rubin end up going to one of the other dining halls for dinner.
Brittany is the only dorm I’m not too familiar with- it was not open to freshman this year because they have been renovating it this semester. Whether this will be a good thing or not will be up to the class of 2017. It doesn’t have a dining hall either and is closest to Rubin, so if she lives there she may have to walk to get meals, which isn’t bad, but I personally love being able to just go downstairs and get dinner.</p>
<p>Overall, I would probably recommend Hayden and Third North as the top two Freshman dorms, with Founders following close behind.</p>
<p>Founders is the newest NYU dorm (it opened in 2009) and is by far the nicest of all the freshman dorms and the rooms are HUGE compared to any other dorm room. It’s a good dorm to live in if you want to live somewhere where not a lot is ever going on- people never congregate in founders and it’s usually pretty quiet.
Hayden on the other hand, is the polar opposite of Founders. It’s extremely old, and something is ALWAYS going on at Hayden. Some of my best friends live there and they love it, and I love visiting them. Hayden is just a fun dorm- and the age shows in places like the bathrooms, which are super dated, but for the most part, Hayden has pretty nice size rooms, it’s conveniently located, and it has a dining hall.</p>
<p>Hope I helped!</p>
<p>Hayden sounds like a good choice… I heard great things about Founders and Third North but I don’t know that I can afford those! The initial giddiness of my acceptance has worn off I guess, because upon inspection of my FA package and the actual cost of going to Tisch, I’m realizing I can’t freakin’ afford this school, despite it being my absolute dream school and biggest reach :/</p>
<p>68k per year? Gosh hahaha. I got 18k scholarship but still, I seriously cannot afford 50k a year… I have an older brother graduating school next year with a good 130k in loans to pay off, a twin sister who’s going to Cornell next year and will be paying about 30k a year, and I’m the theater major that wants to graduate with 200k in student loans… I wish FA counselors would take massive debt into account, and also be more allowing for people with college-bound siblings, because my parents, despite 200k + income, cannot afford to pay the mortgage and all of our interests next year…</p>
<p>Anyway, sorry, I’m rambling! Questions:</p>
<p>What are the cheaper halls?
I’ve heard awful things about Rubin and Weinstein, but I have to afford this somehow… Is Hayden pricey?</p>
<p>Does FA change through your college years?
I see that they have specific aid years – will my FA go down after my freshman year? And is there anything I can do to make it go up?</p>
<p>How are Tisch people able to afford this?
Are they all just loaded or are a lot of them freaking about about being a starving artist?</p>
<p>SnoozeButton: So sorry you’re having such a rough time with the financial stuff! NYU is definitely not one of the cheaper schools to say the least.</p>
<p>As far as low cost stuff- both Hayden and 3rd north have low cost housing options. 3rd north would be the most expensive of the low cost housing though.
As far as Weinstein & Rubin, they are not NEARLY as bad as everyone makes them out to be. Everyone says Weinstein can feel like a jail because of the cinder block walls- and although I do see where people are coming from, if you decorate it, you’ll be absolutely fine. The rooms are decent size and it’s a pretty good dorm. People don’t really talk about it though just because there is nothing inherently great about it. It does have a really good dining hall (make that two- upstein and downstein!) though, and it’s right on the square so it’s convenient.</p>
<p>As far as Rubin goes, one of my best friends lives in Rubin, and he has a really nice room. A little known fact about Rubin is that if you don’t do low cost at Rubin, you’ll end up with one of the corner suites, which has by FAR the biggest rooms in all of NYU housing. It has hardwood floor, great views, and is actually pretty nice.
The low cost rooms aren’t bad at all though- they’re nice size and it’s probably the best space for 3 people to fit comfortably in one room.
The only major downfall of Rubin is the lack of air conditioning- which will bother you up until about October. For me, the lack of air conditioning was why I threw Rubin out- I love the cold and I have a hard time sleeping in rooms that aren’t cold. Also Rubin does have a dining hall, but it’s really crappy, so that may be a negative for you. Most people I know that live in Rubin walk to other dining halls when they want food, and I’ve never heard of someone who doesn’t live in Rubin eating their dining hall food.</p>
<p>As for FA changing throughout college- I’m not sure how it is if you are already given it and how that might change, but I do know that you can reapply for more every year. As far as I know, I don’t think it goes down- but I would check with someone else about that.</p>
<p>And yes, Tisch is crazy expensive. It’s a constant joke/lament among everyone who goes here. “We’re paying 66k a year and we can’t get refills?”
But everyone’s situation here is different. Some got scholarships, some are expecting enormous student loans, and then there are definitely a large group of people who are on no financial aid. But regardless, for the people at Tisch, they are aware of the “starving artist” future that awaits them. You’ve got to remember that for most people here, it’s not themselves that are well off, but rather their parents. And most people here aren’t trust fund babies or are planning to live off their parents income once they graduate.</p>
<p>Well that’s good to know that I wouldn’t be alone in my looming poverty haha. I knew going into this that NYU was gonna be expensive, but I was shocked to find out Tisch was more expensive than all the other schools in NYU (it’s like some ironic sick joke, because we are the least likely to graduate with a job, let alone one that pays! And people tell you to follow your dreams…sorry, haha I’m getting a little angsty).</p>
<p>And I’ve heard the same stuff about Weinstein being like a prison, which would have put me off if it weren’t for the fact that I think most colleges have cinderblock dorms anyway, and the fact that they aren’t miniscule is a plus (I need to breathe a little haha).</p>
<p>The fact that Hayden has low cost housing is also very comforting! Is it difficult to get low-cost housing, though? I’d think everyone would be after that!</p>
<p>I also heard about the AC thing at Rubin and I found that actually pretty horrifying, because I wouldn’t get any sleep September or May – like you, I gotta sleep cold :)</p>
<p>I’ll probably be all over FA counselors at the NYU on the Square event thing about FA questions and changes, but I would fight absolutely tooth and nail to keep my FA at least stable… I’m not too sure what I can do to achieve that though haha, but it’s good to hear that it wouldn’t go down… could academic achievement or, idk, volunteering help me jack it up a little when I next apply? Honestly, idk how they determine this stuff.</p>
<p>Do you know of any Tisch students working to try and pay for some of this? I would want to attempt to do that but I imagine that would be hard to do, what with studying and long hours at the studio, not to mention trying to get out there and perform.</p>
<p>And now that I’m on a roll, how are you liking Strasberg? I don’t know too much about that one, I was kind of interested in Meisner, Atlantic, and Playwrights Horizons (although I heard about some weird stuff going on in there, particularly about getting naked…?). I auditioned MT but I’m almost certain I did not get into the New Studio (they practically told me that at the audition). I’m pretty much just hoping I wasn’t placed in ETW… as much as I’m all for expression and art, I don’t want to deviate too much from learning how to act in… normal stuff. What kind of people get into ETW anyway? I’m not sure what kind of monologues would be experimental enough haha, mine was a little odd.</p>
<p>Last question, what ever happened to that study abroad program where you could write plays in Dublin? That sounded friggin awesome when this girl mentioned it at the audition info session, but I can’t seem to find anything about it on the website… have you heard anything about it at all? Maybe it was canceled a while ago…</p>
<p>Thanks so, so sooooo much for your help Alexxmichele, you’ve been very helpful and I’m really grateful for taking the time to answer my tedious FA Qs haha</p>
<p>No Problem!
And if yeah if you are coming to weekend on the square, that is definitely a fantastic time to get all your FA questions answered! They’ll have a bunch of people you can talk to- and they’ll also have some of the freshman residence halls open for you to be able to tour, which was super helpful for me last year!</p>
<p>As far as working and doing studio- it’s definitely possible. I’ve got quite a few friends who have been working, and I’ve definitely been considering getting a job. It wasn’t possible for me considering how my academic classes were laid out last semester, but if you schedule your academic classes so that you get them out of the way and you can work in the afternoon, you can definitely do that. I also have a friend who only works on weekends. Adding a job into the schedule is a lot of work, but it’s doable. </p>
<p>And I absolutely LOVE Strasberg. NYU does a really fantastic job of placing you into your studios; most people I know are really really happy with their studio placement. Strasberg is extremely emotionally based, and is the foundation of “method acting” which is not at all what people think it is. All method acting is, is the technical term for the style of acting that Lee Strasberg created. It uses sense memory and relaxation to recreate senses to help you bring imaginary situations to life. It’s all about creating the characters reality for yourself, which I love. I hate fake acting and people who try to force acting, so Strasberg has been perfect for me. It’s also a very well rounded training; as are most of the other studios as far as I understand, but if you auditioned MT and don’t get in, there’s a good chance you’ll get put in Strasberg. We have singing and dancing classes, whereas the other studios either don’t, or aren’t as intense as ours. Strasberg wants to prepare you for any audition.</p>
<p>As far as Playwrights kids getting naked… that’s not a thing haha. If there’s any stereotype about a sexualized studio, it’s ETW, but that’s not an actual thing either. It’s not unusual in any of the studios for people to take their shirts off (still in bras/underwear) for a scene if thats what the scene calls for, but I haven’t heard of people being stark naked in playwrights.
And ETW is actually one of the really cool studios- my roommate is in ETW and the “Experimental” part of ETW is more expressed in their shows. What it means more so is that it’s more of a physical based studio. They have a lot of movement classes and such. But they have normal acting classes and stuff haha- their goal is to still be able to get you a job. </p>
<p>And no I’m sorry, I’ve never heard of that program in Dublin:( Maybe it’s a Dramatic Writing program? That seems like what it would be… Maybe ask around at weekend on the square?</p>
<p>Will do 
thanks! I don’t know that I can afford all this even if I can get into low-cost housing and get the cheapest meal plan, etc. But maybe I’ll commute next year… I live an hour away in an NJ suburb and I guess I could get a bus pass or go up with my mom (she’s an elementary school teacher in Manhattan and commutes every morning). At least until I can find some really cheap apartments in/near the village and some friends to rent with. And hopefully I can make friends as a commuter haha!</p>
<p>@snoozebutton, My D stayed in Weinstein over the summer and she was happy with the living conditions. You and your roommate will have your own private bathroom. Also the location of the dorm is very convenient. Good luck to you.</p>
<p>@SnoozeButton- I wish you the best of luck! I hope everything works out for you and I hope I’ll see you around campus next year!</p>
<p>@muf123 Definitely agree - nothing bad about Weinstein. But if I had to pick between Hayden & Weinstein which you can get at the same price, I’d pick hayden, as would I think most people.</p>
<p>Alexxmichele. My daughter was accepted to the BFA in Drama and was super excited. However, when we found out that the only financial aid she received were loans, we were quickly sad and disappointed. To take $60,000 in loans per year seems like a crazy thing to do, no matter how great the school. My question is, do you know any Drama student who is relying 100% in loans? Is it worth it?</p>
<p>@Chairo- that’s a tough one. I do know people who are relying 100% on loans and who didn’t get any financial aid- myself included. I actually know quite a lot of people who are like that just because NYU is so stingy with what money they give out.</p>
<p>For me, I’m fortunate enough that my parents told me to get into the best school I could get into, and they would find a way to pay for it, and NYU has been my dream school since I was a little girl, and it is truly an incredible school. I feel blessed every day that I am able to go here. However, it is really expensive and it is a struggle for a lot of people to be able to go here.</p>
<p>I also may wait and see what studio your daughter gets placed into- that should be a deciding factor if you aren’t sure, because each studio is so vastly different, and being here (though I am biased) I don’t think that each studio will provide you with proper training or that they each will prepare you for a career. </p>
<p>For me, the tuition is worth it. I’m in love with my studio, my classes, my teachers, my friends, where I live- I’ve never been happier and I couldn’t imagine my life any differently. But it’s different for everyone. I’d recommend doing a lot of research and weigh your other options, and I’d be happy to answer any other questions you or your daughter may have! Best of luck!</p>
<p>Alexxmichele. Thank you very much for your feedback. Which studios do you believe will provide my daughter with the best education (not musical). You mention that you really like yours. Thanks</p>
<p>Alexxmichele – thanks as well. Sorry if there is a simple answer to this question that I cant find, but for Tisch drama, can you talk about class size? I noticed the total enrollment to Tisch is around 2,300 across all the schools, but would you happen to know approximately how many of those are in drama? And then … at the other end of the spectrum … how many freshman entrants were there in your studio this year? Do the freshman tend to get equally split up across all the studios, or do some have more than others?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Chairo – to your last post, you can pretty readily find information about most of the tudios with a little googling. Or, you may want to wait to see which one your daughter is assigned to join, and then check in to that. The studio assignments should be out very soon now!</p>
<p>I heard that there aren’t any “bad” studios, although I suppose NYU would have to say that and people in their studios can’t really compare theirs to a stronger one.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone. I guess we’ll wait and see which studio my daughter is assigned to and then goggle additional information to see if it is the right match.</p>
<p>First I’ll address RMKA’s question because it’s a bit easier and more straightforward- While I’m not sure how many people are in Tisch Drama in total, I do know that they are not spread out evenly and that the class sizes are different among each studio.
Like I know that Strasberg & ETW are about 30 people per class size right now
Playwrights is a bit bigger (but they also include directors) at about 70 per class
I’m not sure quite how big Stella Adler is- but I know they are quite a bit larger as well
as is Atlantic & New Studio MT</p>
<p>I want to say New Studio Acting is a bit smaller like Strasberg & ETW though</p>
<p>And I’m pretty sure Meisner is the smallest per class size</p>
<p>These are all relative since no one is really sure except for their own studios- but I do know for sure that Strasberg, ETW, Stella, & New Studio split their students into smaller groups for the actual classes- and I’m sure Meisner & Atlantic do as well.</p>