The Tisch Summer High School Program: NYU In Bite-Sized Form

I took two three-credit courses in the Tisch Summer High School Program: Summer Screenwriting and Summer Playwriting. Both classes met once a day, five days a week, for four weeks. Throughout the summer, I wrote short films, an outline for a screenplay, a monologue series, and a one-act play. Additionally, our monologues were workshopped by professional actors. The program also culminated in a festival of our produced plays. We also created a pitch for an original television series and outlined an original episode of an existing series. Both classes were taught by full-time Tisch faculty, who each brought industry experience to the classroom. 

The Tisch Summer High School program is residential, meaning all students must live on campus. Students lived in Founders Hall, one of NYU’s 10 first-year residence halls, during my year. This is a residence hall that I still recommend to this day. In addition to amazing views of lower Manhattan, Founders also has a courtyard perfect for studying and meeting new friends. I also developed a relationship with my Resident Assistant who ensured that everyone properly adjusted to their summer at NYU. With a program-mandated meal plan, I also dined at NYU dining halls. Here I developed an early affection for the Marketplace at Kimmel, one of NYU’s most beloved dining halls.   

Outside of the classroom, there was never a shortage of activities. We received complimentary tickets to see innumerable Broadway shows (To Kill a Mockingbird was my personal favorite). There was also a plethora of pre-college seminars hosted by current students and admissions representatives. These delved into safety in the city, healthy college habits, and the Tisch-specific application process. One panelist suggested we print out our application instructions and tape them above our desks. This is advice I’ve since given prospective Tisch applicants myself.