Hello everyone, I'm a student applying for transfer into NYU's Tisch School of the Arts Film and Television program (I'm currently a freshman, so I'm applying to get in my sophomore year), and I had a question, about their admissions process. One of the requirements of the portfolio which you must submit is "A Dramatic Essay (no more than four 8 1/2" x 11" pages, typed). Dramatize an unforgettable actual event in your life. This event can be dramatic and/or comedic." And I was wondering if any students who got into Tisch's Film program would be comfortable enough to share their essay with me (not to copy of course, I just want to see a basic sample of what they look for). You could PM it to me on these forums, or my email is kphoover@gmail.com

Any help is immensely appreciated. Thanks for any response!

I just got into the program as class of '12.
I chose to write a serious piece about my experience with skin cancer because it contrasted with my film entry, which was a comedic piece. It just needs to be an essay format, no scripts or anything, just find a way to creatively tell the story. I wouldn't recommend reading anyone else's essay, that'll lock you into the track that they took.

Let me know if you need anything else.

I see. Thanks a lot!

One more question I had was, when you say "essay format" do you mean that you added an explanation about how that story affected your life, as most college essays do? Or was it simply all a narrative of the story?

I don't know if you've ready any of my previous posts, but I am a Tisch Film Grad from 1999. I was wondering if either of you would be willing to share with me why you want to go to Tisch and what you think you will get out of it.

I ask, because I wrote a book about my experience with the program. It's actually quite lighthearted, but critical. The experience most of my classmates and I shared is that the program does not really teach you how to become a filmmaker, nor how to navigate in the film business.

I know this may seem hard to believe because of the school's reputation, but if I felt compelled to share a comprehensive account of the curriculum so prospective students would have a better idea of what they have in store.

I'll simply mention this:

1. you don't touch a video or film camera your freshman year
2. only 10 students per narrative and advanced (upper level classes) class get to make upper level films (i.e. color film with sound and color) in other words, you may find yourself a junior in school, with a script you love, and get denied permission to make the film by your professor.
3. you have to pay for your films on top of tuition
4. consider your debt load after college. tuition is now $40,000 a year without housing.

Just some things to think about.

Seth
www.filmfooled.com

...does this not count as spamming/trolling?

I'm a senior in High School, and I got into Tisch for Film as well: class 2012. I know it may seem crazy to some, but I'm not going. NYU was my top choice school, but it's way too expensive to go there. I'd have to get 39,200 dollars in loans a year--and I got the highest merit-based scholarship they offer at Tisch: 9,000 dollars. I mean, if you have the money, I guess you should go, but according to what Sethjared said, it doesn't seem like Tisch is all that it's built up to.

If you're really wondering about the Dramatic Essay: it's not that difficult to write. I wrote a 3 and a half page essay about this incident, in which I went to kindergarten and--as a result of my mother's omission to tell me to take a bus to a child care service building--waited for my father to pick me up, but he never came. So I was about four years old, alone in a parking lot in front of my school. I basically talked about how my day went and used some existential ideas like Heidegger's theory of "Throwness" and making decisions in awkward situations. I even used some symbolism with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich--I won't go into it.

I didn't send a video in either, I wrote a 6 page script. So the portfolio isn't difficult. Just write about something very personal to you for the dramatic essay, and send in your best video or script. Also: It doesn't hurt to have good grades and SATs.

Good luck on getting in, and congrats on whoever did get in. I'm gonna look at other schools. I've sent out apps to Florida State, Drexel,and the University of Southern California. I plan on sending apps out to Temple and Emerson. If any body has any advice on where I should go that would be nice. Otherwise I'll wind up studying English at Rutgers University--which is nice, but not the career I'm looking for.

I applied to NYU last year. I wrote about this one time that I was climbing over this fence, but got stuck at the top (it was really tall, and I was a really small 10 year old), hanging upside down by the leg of my jeans, and then I fell on my head. I put in all this metaphor and stuff and lots of sensory detail, and drew conclusions and parallels to life and whatnot. I also sent in a 6 minute short, about this girl.. and life and nature, and it was just sort of transcendental, almost? Idk, but they must have liked it, because I got in despite my less than perfect SAT and grades. But in the end, I didn't end up going there because I didn't have the money for it. But good luck to you, i hope you figured it out.