An NYU Tisch student club table reading.

The Tisch School of the Arts building is a beehive of student activity. During the school year, students constantly buzz about while on their way to class, while meeting up with friends, or while finding a spot in the Riese Lounge to do homework. At first, the energy can be intimidating, and the prospect of finding a place where you belong can be daunting. However, Tisch student clubs and organizations provide welcoming spaces new students can call home.

How to Find Tisch Clubs and Organizations

Gif of a woman searching.
Courtesy of Giphy
The Tisch Website

Visit the Tisch website to find the list of Tisch sponsored student clubs and organizations that you can join. In total, there are 22 current Tisch clubs. The offerings range from improv troupes to advocacy groups. The site also provides information on the Tisch Undergraduate Student Council, along with guidance on how to start your own club!

Tisch Club Fair

At the beginning of every year, Tisch throws a huge club fair in their main lounge on the 1st floor. This is a great chance to see every club in one room and talk to their representatives! Most tables at the fair will have a sign-up sheet, so if you’d like to receive further information, you can sign up for their email chain.

Student actors in “Legally Blonde” the musical.
“Legally Blonde,” 2019, courtesy of Tisch New Theatre
An NYU studen acapella club singing.
Courtesy of N’Harmonics

Getting Involved

The next step, showing up, is the hardest. You signed up for the email chains and received flyers for a club’s next meeting or event. Now it’s time to actually go. Most clubs and organizations hold meetings on a monthly basis if not more frequently. You’ll not only meet cool new people by showing up but also join a community within Tisch.

It is also important to note that some clubs or organizations might audition or interview students who are looking to join. For example, clubs or organizations that are performance-based, such as the NYU N’Harmonics and Shakespeare in the Square, audition prospective members. Other clubs, such as Tisch New Theatre, interview those who are looking to help backstage at performances.

Group of members in the NYU All Asians Artist Alliance student club.
Courtesy of All Asian Artists Alliance

Reasons to Join Clubs and Organizations

Getting involved in a Tisch student club or organization is rewarding in so many ways:

  • It is like joining a family. You’ll find support and friendship among like-minded people.
  • You’re able to meet so many other people outside of your major or studio.
  • You have the opportunity to learn so much and gain valuable experiences through these organizations.
  • You can network through these groups. Having an expansive array of relationships outside of your major and within your major can be really valuable.
  • You’ll have fun doing something you love.

The NYU Tisch School of the Arts can be a daunting place to find where you belong. But getting involved in student clubs and organizations is one way (of many) to make Tisch feel like home. I hope you find a community you feel will foster your growth during your time at NYU and Tisch.

Now get out there and get involved!

Gage Thomas is a third-year at NYU in the Tisch School of the Arts, where he studies Drama in the New Studio on Broadway. Gage also is working towards double minoring in the Business of Entertainment, Media, and Technology, and Producing.  Outside of his schooling, Gage works as an Admissions Ambassador with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, and in the Scene Shop at the Tisch School of the Arts. He likes to volunteer his time helping his school as an Artistic Representative and Orientation Leader. During his free time, Gage likes to relax with friends and family, explore the city, and watch movies and plays. He is looking forward to sharing his voice with the NYU community, and the readers of Meet NYU.