About

The Tisch Summer High School Dramatic Writing Program at New York University Tisch School of the Arts is an intensive four-week residential summer experience for high school sophomores and juniors focused on dramatic storytelling across plays and screenplays. For 2026, the program runs from July 5 to August 1. Students engage with core elements of dramatic structure, character development, and dialogue while earning 6 undergraduate credits. The curriculum mirrors the undergraduate curriculum in the Rita & Burton Goldberg Department of Dramatic Writing, blending craft analysis with iterative writing and staged readings. Participants live in NYU’s Greenwich Village residence halls, drawing creative inspiration from the surrounding New York City artistic environment.

Admission is highly competitive and based on a holistic review of a creative résumé, a personal statement, unofficial transcripts, one recommendation, and a writing sample. For the 2026 session, the application deadline was December 1, 2025, with notifications sent on January 28, 2026. Accepted students must submit a $1,500 enrollment deposit by February 20. Total costs for 2026 include $12,012 for tuition (6 units), $1,820 for housing, $824 for a mandatory 10-meal-per-week plan, and a $354 ticket fee for professional theater and film events. A limited number of need-based scholarships are available for those who submitted the scholarship form by the December 12, 2025, deadline.

Instruction emphasizes both the theory and practice of dramatic writing. Students divide their time between Summer Screenwriting and Summer Playwriting, exploring how dramatic action arises from the interplay of character and circumstance. The playwriting component culminates in a ten-minute play performed by a repertory company of students, while the screenwriting workshop results in a full-length screenplay outline and partial script. Faculty and visiting practitioners provide rigorous feedback, cultivating the professional discipline required for stage and screen careers.

Participants conclude with a portfolio of original dramatic work and transferable college credits. As a residential credit program grounded in Tisch’s storied pedagogy, it situates artistic practice within a rigorous academic framework. Graduates leave with a clear understanding of the professional writer’s path and a concrete body of work suitable for college applications.