How to Apply - Graduate

Applicants are required to apply online. You must complete all required fields and upload materials prior to submission. Most materials can be submitted electronically via the online application. Any additional supporting documents that need to be sent electronically or by mail must include an Application Materials Cover Sheet. All supporting materials must be received before your application can be reviewed.

The application fee for U.S. domestic applicants and international transfer applicants is $50. The application fee for first-year international applicants is $75. Application fees are paid through the online application and are non-refundable. The New School waives application fees for those who meet the eligibility guidelines listed in the Application Fee Waivers section of our university-wide How to Apply page.

The New School's MFA in Contemporary Theatre and Performance seeks artists with the capacity for interdisciplinary practice, who prioritize innovation, collaboration, and social engagement in the making of art that is relevant to the world they occupy.  Please provide a personal artistic statement discussing your perspective on these themes, and addressing how these values inform your work. (600 - 750 words, to be submitted with Online Application)

Two letters of recommendation are required. Recommenders must submit their recommendations online. Instructions are included in the online application.

All applicants to the MFA in Contemporary Theatre and Performance are required to submit an Artist Portfolio. Competitive portfolios will provide evidence of:

• A high level of artistic practice
• A commitment to experimentation and collaboration
• Interest in or capacity for socially-engaged artistry, interdisciplinary approach, and/or technology-based innovation

An Artist Portfolio consists of 2-4 samples of artistic work. Each work sample captures an individual project, and must each include the following:

• Primary Document
  A primary document presents the heart of the work. This may be a video excerpt of a performance, production photos with accompanying process documentation, an original playscript, or something else entirely.
  
  Videos must be no longer than five minutes, and applicants submitting production photos must include a minimum of five images.
  
  Applicants are not limited to these document types. We are thrilled to see any concrete documentation of a project in whatever form best exhibits the work.
• Process Statement
  The process statement (300 word maximum) should briefly enlighten us to your way of working. How did you translate your project from idea to execution? What does this work and its process tell us about you as an artist?
  
  Please identify any additional collaborators and their role in the process described in your statement.
• Supporting Materials (if applicable)
  Supporting materials help illuminate the applicant’s artistic process and can include project research documents, source materials, annotated scripts and promptbooks, renderings, reviews, etc.

Actors
Applicants wishing to showcase their acting work may submit videos of two contrasting monologues as primary documents. Actors are still expected to provide a required process statement and supporting materials (if applicable) for each video to make them complete work samples.

Supporting materials for monologue videos may include script annotations and examples of dramaturgical research done in preparation for performance. A process statement should describe the applicant’s particular way of working as exemplified by the chosen pieces.

We invite you to take your own unique approach to interpreting these guidelines. The most important thing you can show us is your creativity, your craft, and your willingness to take creative risks.

Competitive applicants will submit at least one work sample that demonstrates experience with socially-engaged artistry, experimentation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and/or technology-based innovation.

The Portfolio Conference is a 25-minute live session with Contemporary Theater and Performance faculty panelists that is open-format by design. It is required for admission to the MFA in Contemporary Theatre and Performance program, and consists of:

10 Minutes of Performance and/or Presentation
Trust your intuition and focus on one or two projects that you are most excited about. Feel free to use the same material that you submitted in your portfolio, or come with something completely new. In-progress work is also acceptable.

If you identify primarily as a performer (actors and performing artists), the majority of your presentation time should be devoted to live performance.

Actors may use their performance time to present monologues, as one would in a typical acting audition.

Artists who identify primarily as dramatic writers can expect to spend the bulk of their conference in conversation, but are welcome to include a presentation or performance if applicable.

Applicants will have the ability to use the full functionality of the online meeting platform to present their work to faculty, including screen sharing and breakout rooms.

Q&A With Faculty Panel
All applicants will have at least 10-15 minutes for an informal dialogue with faculty panelists. Topics may include (but are not limited to) your work samples submitted; your live performance presentation; your professional goals and artistic obsessions; and your experiences with socially-engaged creativity.

Applicants will receive an invitation to schedule their conference after a complete Online Graduate Application and Artist Portfolio have been received.

During the 2020-2021 application cycle, all Portfolio Conferences will take place remotely, likely using Zoom.

All applicants must provide official high school and/or college transcripts from all institutions attended. Undergraduate applicants who have attended multiple high schools can submit only the graduating school’s official transcript as long as all prior coursework is listed on that transcript.

First Year Applicants
First-year applicants must provide official high school and/or college transcripts. If you are currently in school, submit transcripts for all coursework taken to date. Applicants who have attended multiple high schools can submit only the graduating school’s official transcript as long as all prior coursework is listed on that transcript. All academic credentials for homeschool students must be submitted as indicated in the Additional Information for Specific Applicant Populations section below.

Transfer Applicants
Transfer applicants must submit an official high school/secondary school transcript with graduation date or General Education Diploma (GED). Official transcripts are also required for each college or university you have previously attended.

Graduate Applicants
Graduate applicants must upload an unofficial transcript, mark sheet, or academic record for each institution—even if you didn’t receive a degree—in the Educational Background section of the online application.

All Applicants
All applicants who attended postsecondary institutions outside of the United States are required to have their transcript(s) evaluated by World Education Services (WES), by Education Credential Evaluators (ECE), or by another member of the National Association of Credit Evaluation Services (NACES). A course-by-course evaluation must be prepared for each transcript.

Follow all document requirements as outlined on the evaluation service providers’ websites. Evaluations completed by WES or ECE will be sent directly to us electronically by the vendor.

All other NACES provider evaluations should be mailed directly by the vendor to the address for Supplemental Materials. A copy of the transcript that was evaluated should accompany the evaluation in the same sealed envelope, or the official transcript should be sent directly to The New School by the issuing college/university.

Applicants with High School Equivalency Tests
Send official GED, TASC, and HiSET test score results via the testing agency. Upon review, applicants may be required to submit additional application materials.

How to Submit Electronic Transcripts
The New School accepts electronic transcripts only from our approved vendors:

• National Student Clearinghouse
• Parchment Exchange
• Credentials eScrip-Safe

We do not accept electronic transcripts sent directly by a student or school offices. All international academic credentials must be submitted as indicated in the Additional Information for Specific Applicant Populations section below.

The New School
Office of Admission
55 West 13th Street
New York, NY 10011

All applicants whose first language is not English must submit valid TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, or DET scores. Minimum required scores are:

• TOEFL iBT- 100
• IELTS - 7.0
• PTE - 65
• DET - 100

Our TOEFL institution code is 2501.

The New School does not require TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, or DET scores for applicants who have attended a secondary school for a minimum of three years at the time of application where English is the primary language of instruction. However, students who have taken any English as a Second Language (ESL) courses while in high school, regardless of how long they have been in high school, must submit TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, or DET results.

Successfully completed two full semesters of non-ESL college-level expository writing (transfer students only).

Earned a four-year degree from a U.S. college/university or from a university where English is the primary language of instruction, with a minimum of three years attendance (transfer students only).

After reviewing your application, the Office of Admission may require you to submit an English Language Proficiency test score to evaluate your candidacy. We accept test scores taken within the past two years. If your scores are older, you must retake the test.

All admitted students are considered for merit scholarship awards determined by the strength of their applications. International students are eligible only for merit scholarships. If you are a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, you must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid  (FAFSA) in order to be considered for need-based financial aid. The FAFSA is available each year on October 1. The New School’s federal school code is 002780. You don’t need to wait for an admission decision to apply for federal aid. Our Financial Aid staff are available to guide you through the process of applying for financial aid.

Applications become complete and ready for review once all required items have been received by the Office of Admission. You can check your application status in the Admission Hub.

Allow at least 14 days from the date you submitted your application for items to be matched and shown as received. Applicants are responsible for following up with schools and recommenders to confirm that transcripts and recommendations have been sent.

The Office of Admission will periodically notify applicants by email if their file is missing any documents and again when their file is complete for review. These notifications are sent to the email address provided in the online application.

If you need to change your email address, mailing address, or other contact information, email the Office of Admission.

Spring admission decisions are released on a rolling basis starting in November.

Fall admission decisions are released on a rolling basis starting in late March.

Fall transfer admission decisions will be released on a rolling basis starting in April.

In any given term, a student can apply to only one department or program within The New School. Applicants who file more than one application in a given semester will be required to withdraw one of the applications, and application fees will not be refunded.

All materials and documents submitted in association with The New School application become the property of The New School and cannot be returned to you or transmitted to a third party.

The MFA in Contemporary Theater and Performance cannot accept graduate transfer applicants at this time.

The Application for Readmission should be completed by students who wish to return after an absence of four semesters (fall and spring). If you would like to apply for readmission, review the readmission deadlines and requirements in the Readmission section of our How to Apply information.

While applicants are expected to show developed skill in one or more theatrical disciplines, no formal training in an individual discipline is required to be considered for admission into the MFA in Contemporary Theater and Performance. The program values all forms of theatrical creation that lead to original work.

We invite you to interpret this requirement in a way that best suits your artistry. Comedic, dramatic, classical or contemporary. From an extant play, or something original. We are looking for your unique creativity as it is displayed in your work, and that includes interpretation of criteria.

There is no preference given to those who have a creative technology background. However, the creative use of technology is encouraged in our program and those who already incorporate electronics and technology in their practice are encouraged to apply. There are numerous resources at The New School that tech-inclined students can take advantage of such as The Making Center at Parsons and The Equipment Center where one can access a wide range of professional audio and video production equipment.

Yes. The selection committee is interested in learning about a candidate’s breadth of work and how that work is conceived. Therefore, the committee is interested in work-in-progress materials as much as it is interested in final versions of works.