Your guide to NYU Summer Programs for high-schoolers.

Academically bright children and those who are highly driven are always looking out for opportunities to expand their horizons. For them, an idyllic summer break is one that is spent being productive. Yes, they do find time for rejuvenation too. But, their idea of rejuvenation is not limited to Netflixing or video-gaming. Having recharged basking in the sun and lazing around, they start with fresh zeal to take up worthwhile activities that they don’t get time for after hectic school hours.

If you are a high-achiever and a highly-motivated highschooler we believe you too must be thinking about doing something meaningful during the summer break – something that will add value to your college application alongside helping you hone skills you’ve always wanted to acquire. Then, how about joining a summer program?

There are numerous summer programs to choose from. However, you certainly want to be a part of the best.

If you were to ask us, for those high-school kids who have always excelled in academics and want to graduate only and only from an Ivy League college, it makes a lot of sense to enroll for any of the summer programs that these colleges offer.

We would be remiss if we don’t mention here that colleges like Harvard, Yale, and Brown don’t just want you to be an academically brilliant student with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Good grades alone don’t speak anything about your preparedness for college or about your caliber towards excelling at a subject of choice.

College admission officers are happy even if your transcript shows average grades but your college application reflects brilliantly on how involved you are toward your chosen area of study. So, if you have scored really well in your tests and competitive exams, plus you have pursued a summer program from a preferred Ivy League college, there is every possible chance of you getting through a college of your choice. The only reason that your application may stand rejected, even then, is in case you aren’t able to pen your achievements into an impressive essay.

We understand if you aren’t good with words. Not everyone is. That’s where our essay editing services come in. If you think your academic and extracurricular profile is solid enough to get you a seat in the New York University or a college of equal esteem, but you would need help with drafting your essay prompts, feel free to reach us.

Getting back to summer programs for high-schoolers – almost every Ivy League college offers summer programs for high-schoolers who are contemplating applying with them. For example, the Harvard Summer Program, Simons Summer Program, and more. However, in this post, we would be focussing on NYU summer programs for high-schoolers.

Getting to experience what studying at this top globally recognized university feels like sounds exciting, doesn’t it? Pursuing any of the NYU summer programs, say the pre-college program at NYU can be your ticket to living that experience! Also, if you are serious about graduating from NYU, these programs bring you a few steps closer to fulfilling this aspiration of yours. With this, let’s take a quick look into how you can benefit from enrolling in any of the NYU Summer Programs of choice.

A Glimpse in NYU Summer Programs for high-schoolers

NYU is reputed as one of the most competitive Universities across the globe. Both science and arts aspirants look up to those who have graduated from NYU, and dream of following in their footsteps.

Irrespective of the course or field you wish to pursue as a part of your summer program, be assured that you’ll be presented with tremendous opportunities to wear your best ‘creative’ and ‘innovative’ hat on. Each of the NYU summer programs is reflective of the culture of NYU’s various schools and colleges. The coursework is rigorous. But it’s not like you’ll have to spend all your time engrossed in books or attending never-ending lectures. Be ready to get pushed out of your comfort zone as learning at NYU is all about demonstrating the best of your abilities beyond grades. Your deep desire to excel and make valuable contributions to your field of study will be tested with each assignment or project that you take up while pursuing any of the NYU summer programs.

Additionally, getting to stay on-campus during the entire duration of your summer program is something you can draw on to determine if NYU is actually providing the kind of experience that they’d want in their future college. If you’ve never ever stayed away from home this opportunity can help you break the shell. In a nutshell, participating in any of the NYU summer programs of choice is a smart decision if you wish to experience college life first-hand. Exposure to having pursued a course that fuels your passion at this phenomenal university will speak volumes about your preparedness for college. That’s one precious feather in your hat that will unfailingly draw attention to your college application. Not to forget, some of the NYU summer programs can also earn you college credit! This is great just in case you are falling somewhat short of college credits you may have earned from AP exams and courses.

The year 2020 is an exception to the usual process of attending summer programs. Many universities have taken their courses online, which is a great way to propel the much-needed learning during high school, even in the wake of a raging pandemic. It’s sad that students will miss out on having a taste of on-campus life. However, that’s a minuscule price to pay.

The kind of learning that online classes provide is sure to be equally exciting and challenging. You’ll still be working on some brilliant projects in teams, and be presenting your ideas to fellow attendees. You’ll still be attending mind-boggling debates and discussions. Only that, it will all take place virtually.

Having summed up the benefits and the kind of experience in store for those who plan to attend any of the NYU summer programs, let’s look at some of the courses offered.

NYU Summer Programs for high-school students

We’ve rounded up nine summer programs offered at NYU, which we’ll be covering one-by-one. We’ve also categorized these under main heads like ‘Arts, Science, and Career Prep. Let’s roll!

a) NYU Summer Programs – Art

A summer program in arts from NYU could be the perfect pathway to a career in film making, photography, writing, or music. Each of the NYU summer programs is brain-soaking and immersive. Go ahead and enjoy every minute you spend in your creative pursuits. Listed are the programs you can consider enrolling for.

1.Tisch Filmmakers Workshop

Have a knack for directing stories and scripts? The Tisch Filmmakers workshop can serve as your stage to portray your talent. High school students attending this summer program will work with emerging artists on visual storytelling projects. From directing to shooting videos to editing short films – you’ll get hands-on with every aspect of film-making, under the guidance of a renowned Tisch instructor. The cherry on the cake – you’ll have the unparalleled opportunity to work with fellow attendees who are splendidly creative, and many of whom may go on to directing award-winning films in the future.

2. Urban Journalism Workshop

Drawn to the world of media and journalism? If yes, the Urban Journalism workshop could be a solid launchpad to your career as a reporter or news anchor. This workshop is one of the most popular NYU summer programs that impart high-school students with skills that the school curriculum fails to cover. You’ll be given the chance to produce their own multimedia stories, under the guidance and using valuable inputs from reputed NYU faculty as well as visiting professionals. This intense 10-day summer program or workshop will also be your once in a lifetime chance to meet New York’s most prestigious newsrooms and top journalists – a dream come true for anyone eager to become a top-notch journalist.

3. Tisch Photography

Students having attended this course as their preferred subject offered by NYU summer programs have spoken impassionedly about their learnings and experience. Nicole Motta, for example, states, “Even if you are at any level of photography or what focus you are on, you leave after those four weeks with such a feeling. Personally, after this experience, I felt as if I could go through a course like this, I could do anything.” The course is for anyone who has befriended the camera lens and wants to learn to grow with it for life. Taking this summer program will help you understand how to bring out your personal creative expression through photography and imagery.

4. Tisch Writing

Attending a summer program in writing is undoubtedly a must for any student who envisions writing plays, scripts for theatre or movies, or authoring books. If you are one of those rare gems who can spin stories even out of, say, a conversion that happened over hot brewed coffee, or out of everyday life happenings, you must not try your best to get accepted for this program. Through the program, you get to explore in-depth the basic principles of dramatic action, the relationship between character and circumstance, and other such interesting concepts that make stories come alive. As a part of your project assignment, you will be required to present your writings that will be reviewed and critiqued. Your instructors and faculty at NYU may require you to re-write or re-do some of your scripts, and this way of ‘critiquing’ will help you create one of your finest works ever – something that’s worth winning you a Scholastic Art and Writing Award!

b) NYU Summer Programs – STEM

The world – at large – is backed by science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Sadly, studying STEM at school, believe us, isn’t enough to prepare students for a career in any of those fields. And, that’s a key reason why we need bright, brilliant minds to be trained by the best faculty and subject experts in these subjects. NYU summer programs in these subjects, as well as some other STEM program summer programs, have been designed to underpin real-life skills in these courses, which go beyond bookish knowledge and grades. Some of NYU summer programs in STEM are listed as follows. Take a read.

1. Coding for Game Design

Crazy about code? Gear up for pouring your heart out at creating games and apps at this summer program held by NYU. At the summer program for Coding and Game design, students will be introduced to languages like C++ and Unity scripting. You may be required to work in teams as well as independently on different projects.  For your project, you may be required to create 3D Unity games or games using the design principles that have been taught to you by professionals at NYU.

2. Internet-connected devices

Internet-connected devices are the new world’s fuel. If you’ve ever read about smart homes you’d know how technology is now helping us gain more control over our lives. Out enjoying your time at the poolside? Smart, internet-connected devices, will inform you if you forgot to switch the lights off before leaving. And then, you can leave a voice message for your IoT device to do it for you. Easy-peasy! That’s an over-simplified example of how IoT has transformed lives. And, if you wish to explore this subject extensively consider pursuing a summer program in this subject. The course will unravel the scope of IoT, familiarize you with the underlying principles and architecture of IoT networks, and throw light on the existing as well as potential security challenges of IoT networks and devices. Just like all other NYU summer programs this course too will focus on learning by doing. So, yes, you will be preparing an IoT device using your learnings. Exciting, right?

3. Math for young scholars

A note to those who wish to apply for this program – Math for young scholars is a non-credit program. So, if you really don’t need those extra credits on your college application as you are already academically ahead, and want to pursue this course to be able to dig deeper into the subject’s specialized streams, we’d say, take it up. Rigorous lectures and studies will be followed by problem-solving sessions. Students will be required to work on projects that utilize their knowledge of mathematics to solve presented situational problems. The Math for Young Scholars is, however, not all about serious studies. You also get to work on your skills through games and puzzles, which are extremely engrossing. And, just in case you haven’t taken the Art of Problem Solving classes, the program holds equal weightage.

c) NYU Summer Programs – Pre-college and career preparation

We’ve already covered that pre-college summer programs allow high school students to get a taste of college life. They are, in a way, a preview of the culture and life at their dream college. In addition, through these programs, you get to learn in-depth about the area of study you want to pursue higher studies. As such, having attended pre-college programs fully prepares you for college years ahead.

Let’s read in detail about NYU precollege NYU summer programs that not only give students an academic-edge before joining college but certainly also boost make them highly eligible for candidates to seek admission into some of the most competitive colleges.

1. Pre-college programs

NYU pre-college summer programs are academically stringent. Your days at an NYU pre-college program will require you to challenge your limits, be intensively involved in various activities and events, and alongside, completing classroom studies as well as homework assignments in time. Charting out a daily timetable will come in handy for navigating through the challenge of having to accomplish a lot in twenty-four hours. Studies and coursework will undoubtedly be rigorous. You’ll find yourself busy with one assignment or another round the clock. Nonetheless, it won’t ever feel boring. Interactions with fellow students around and with the brightest of professors in NYU, you will feel even more involved in your field of study. Other than the pre-college program you also have the option to attend free workshops that may help you up to your knowledge and skillset, as well as look good on your college application.

2. Career Edge

If you’ve already thought about a career you wish to pursue, taking up this program from NYU will help you experience what it’s like to be ‘on the job’. The idea of this program is to better prepare students to tackle predicaments better when you meet them on their path to success.

Be it marketing, event planning, financial management, human resources, or even medicine – NYU Career Edge summer program shows you all sides of taking up these specializations as higher studies and career choice. You get an insider’s view on the scope, the challenges, and the opportunities you will come across in your day to day life as an engineer, doctor, nurse, financial analyst, etc. Additionally, as a part of your summer program, you’ll also be required to come up with solutions to deal with hurdles you may face when on the field, deployed in your chosen line of service or profession.

Concluding words

Haven’t decided which summer program will be the best for you to enroll in? Given that there are too many courses to consider it is quite understandable how confusing it can be to narrow down your list to one or two options.

Allow us to do a through-and-through evaluation of your skills, interests, and academic strengths. Based on the outcomes of this analysis we advise you to enroll in only summer programs that will be in your best interest, match your career goals and aspirations, and reflect positively on your college application. Additionally, we can also help you navigate the daunting summer program application process for NYU summer programs. Get in touch to know more!