NYU Tisch Dramatic Writing 2024 - Who's applying?

Chris W

The night was sultry...
Staff member
Who's applying to NYU Dramatic Writing this year?

Deadline is December 1st!​

Our guide to applying to NYU is here:

NYU Tisch: How to Apply for 2024, Acceptance Rate, and What To Expect as an NYU Film Student

NYU Tisch: How to Apply for 2024, Acceptance Rate, and What To Expect as an NYU Film Student

As one of the best film schools on the East coast, the Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film & Television at New York University Tisch School of the Arts gives film students the chance to turn iconic landscapes into low-budget film shoots and connect with world-renowned industry players. In 2022...

How to apply


1. NYU Tisch Graduate Application: Submit these required materials by the deadline:
  • Two Letters of Recommendation:
  • Resume/CV
  • Personal Statement — Explain in 750 words or fewer why you want to attend the Dramatic Writing Department, your academic/professional goals, and your interests as a writer
2. Transcripts: Upload a copy of your unofficial transcripts from any applicable undergraduate and graduate schools to SlideRoom.

3. Creative Portfolio: Identify the medium of your portfolio (not equated to your concentration). Next, provide a single, complete work that reflects your best dramatic writing and tells a complete story. You must also be the sole creator. If your sample falls outside of the following major categories, address how it relates to dramatic writing in a short addendum:
  • 1. Full-length screenplay (up to 120 pages)
  • 2. Screenplay (90-120 pages)
  • 3. Original episodic pilot (25-60 pages

Full instructions here:


Read up on how last year's applicants did by reading last year's application thread:


Also, our application database has over 129 applications to the program. Remember to log your application once you apply so that we can improve all our statistics to the program such as notification dates and accepted GPAs.





Click the above link for even more admission stats to the program.


Good luck!
 
Last edited:
Hey I am a current student in the program. I know the application deadline has already passed...but feel feel free to ask me any questions or dm me if you feel more comfortable. To get to the first question I'll inevitably get asked...How do you get in? I don't have a good answer. My three pieces of advice are make sure your writing sample is strong and has an original voice. Secondly make sure your story is structured well. Thirdly emphasize during the interview that you are interested in or at least open to the possibility of doing screenwriting, playwriting, and tv writing. Honestly, the fact that you do all three makes you a better writer and is what makes it in my opinion the best screenwriting school in the country. I'm sure USC MFA students would disagree, but this is my personal experience.
 
Hey I am a current student in the program. I know the application deadline has already passed...but feel feel free to ask me any questions or dm me if you feel more comfortable. To get to the first question I'll inevitably get asked...How do you get in? I don't have a good answer. My three pieces of advice are make sure your writing sample is strong and has an original voice. Secondly make sure your story is structured well. Thirdly emphasize during the interview that you are interested in or at least open to the possibility of doing screenwriting, playwriting, and tv writing. Honestly, the fact that you do all three makes you a better writer and is what makes it in my opinion the best screenwriting school in the country. I'm sure USC MFA students would disagree, but this is my personal experience.
Hi! Thank you for being willing to answer questions! I do have a question: I just found a formatting issue with my sample: There is a period missing after each page number. I proofread my pilot many times and am very panicked about this. This is my first screenplay, and I just learned formatting through writing it. Will the program care about an issue like this? Will they expect applicants to be "professional" screenwriters? Is there anything else I can do? (I doubt there is.)

I know it's kinda stupid to look back at my sample once submitted. But I'm very nervous because the program is highly competitive.
 
Last edited:
Hi! Thank you for being willing to answer questions! I do have a question: I just found a formatting issue with my sample: I missed a dot after each page number. I proofread my pilot many times and am very panicked about this. This is my first screenplay, and I just learned formatting through writing it. Will the program care about an issue like this? Will they expect applicants to be "professional" screenwriters? Is there anything else I can do? (I doubt there is.)

I know it's kinda stupid to look back at my sample once submitted. But I'm very nervous because the program is highly competitive.
I know you aren't asking me, but I can't imagine a few missing periods in your formatting being more important than your story and potential as a writer. NYU is competitive, absolutely. Unless we have a secret admissions officer/current student in our midst, all jfjburns95 would be able to tell us is if they got in with any errors in their sample. I'm sure you're fine! Let's distract ourselves with some other fun scripts, shall we? Rooting for you! Write on! 💪
 
but I can't imagine a few missing periods in your formatting being more important than your story and potential as a writer.
Yes, while typos aren't ideal, I would agree that good story telling instincts are much more important than typos.
 
Hi! Thank you for being willing to answer questions! I do have a question: I just found a formatting issue with my sample: There is a period missing after each page number. I proofread my pilot many times and am very panicked about this. This is my first screenplay, and I just learned formatting through writing it. Will the program care about an issue like this? Will they expect applicants to be "professional" screenwriters? Is there anything else I can do? (I doubt there is.)

I know it's kinda stupid to look back at my sample once submitted. But I'm very nervous because the program is highly competitive.
Sorry for the late response. I think it’s much more about your voice and creativity than formatting things in your script. That being said if your script is riddled with errors that kind of sends the message that you don’t care. And the expectation when you submit a professional script to agencies or production companies is that the grammar/spelling/formatting is flawless. If you’re really concerned about it I would email nyu and ask if you can replace the creative sample, but if it’s just a few typos and formatting issues I wouldn’t worry about it.
 
I merged all of the NYU review pages into one single page:

NYU Tisch Kanbar Institute of Film & Television

NYU Tisch Kanbar Institute of Film & Television

As one of the best film schools on the East coast, the Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film & Television at New York University Tisch School of the Arts gives film students the chance to turn iconic landscapes into low-budget film shoots and connect with world-renowned industry players. In 2022...

All NYU admissions stats have been combined into one page as well:



But you can still filter by specific program:









 
I think they begin sending requests out closer to the end of February - last year's first interview request was on the 22nd.

It's the 23rd based on the database but 17th for all of NYU. See here for past data:




You can filter data by admission year and program using the pulldowns to see how the stats are different each year.
 
Hi all! Has anyone heard anything yet? I haven't and I'm all nerves right now. It's my first time applying. I sent in a full length play. Of course I'm second guessing myself now and thinking maybe I should've sent in a screenplay. Good luck everyone!!
 
Hi all! Has anyone heard anything yet? I haven't and I'm all nerves right now. It's my first time applying. I sent in a full length play. Of course I'm second guessing myself now and thinking maybe I should've sent in a screenplay. Good luck everyone!!
I wouldn't start worrying until the 23rd or so. Chris said that's when they began sending out interviews last year.
 
Log your film school application with our Application Database so that we can improve our admissions statistics.



Student Films Made at Film Programs


Latest Accepted Applications


Acceptance Data
For up to date Film School Acceptance Rates, including Minimum GPAs, Minimum Test Scores, After Interview and Off-Waitlist Acceptance Rates, Film Experience and Undergraduate degrees of accepted applicants, Age data, and other acceptance statistics for your film program of choice simply navigate to the Acceptance Rates tab on each film school's page in our Film School Database.

For example:
Log your own Application with our application database to help improve the site's acceptance data.

Latest Film School Reviews

  • USC School of Cinematic Arts
    1.00 star(s)
    Reviewed by: Current Student
    Degree: MA/MFA
    Concentration: production
    Useless video factory
    If you're a storyteller who believes that the most important aspect of filmmaking is the story, then USC is not the right school for you. I...
    • Anonymous
  • Columbia University's School of the Arts
    5.00 star(s)
    Reviewed by: Alumni
    Degree: MA/MFA
    Concentration: Screenwriting
    My Transformative Experience at Columbia
    Columbia University’s MFA Film Program has been a transformative experience for me, especially coming from UC Santa Barbara’s Film Studies program...
    • Zeno
  • Cal State Northridge (CSUN) - Department of Cinema of Television Arts
    1.00 star(s)
    Reviewed by: Alumni
    Degree: MA/MFA
    Concentration: SCREENWRITING
    MFA SCREENWRITING CSU NORTHRIDGE
    I had a friend who graduated from this institution's screenwriting MA Program and his work was used by his professor, JARED RAPPAPORT...
    • socalsun
  • American University - School of Communication
    5.00 star(s)
    Reviewed by: Current Student
    Degree: MA/MFA
    Concentration: Directing/ Writing
    Great MFA film and media arts program
    I am finishing up my MFA in film and media arts at American University, and I would highly recommend it for a smaller and more intimate, social...
    • Anonymous
  • International Film Institute of New York
    5.00 star(s)
    Reviewed by: Alumni
    Degree: Summer
    Best experience ever -- What a parent heard
    My daughter who is a high school senior attended the IFI summer program and she was thrilled to tell me so many positive things about her...
    • BYates

Latest Applications

Latest questions

Latest Articles

Latest Accepted Applications

Applications
Articles
Forums
Film Schools
Scholarships
Back
Top