Announcing Uniquely U

The application is now closed. Recipients will be announced the week of April 3rd. 

Calling all visual artists, performing artists, creative writers, and nature & sustainability enthusiasts!

  • Are U an artist?
  • Do U live in NYC or Long Island?
  • Are U in kindergarten to grade 12 this school year?

Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts is kicking off the sixth year of our annual scholarship search — Uniquely U — and we want YOU to apply.

Uniquely U is a celebration of creativity and self-expression. Show us what makes you U, and you could be selected to receive a full 8-week scholarship including busing (valued at $8,500) to Usdan for the Summer 2023 season (June 26 to August 18).

But, it doesn’t end there! For every consecutive summer following that they are eligible to attend, Uniquely U recipients receive a 75% scholarship.

Instructions & Application

Read on for application instructions and click the “Enter UU” button to apply.

From January 17 to February 27, we will be accepting submissions across the following Usdan Departments:

  • Usdan pink art logo

    Visual Art

  • Usdan Black Music logo

    Instrumental/Vocal Music

  • Usdan pink dance logo

    Dance

  • Usdan yellow pencil logo

    Creative Writing

  • Usdan Blue Theater Logo

    Theater

  • Usdan green laurel logo

    Nature & Sustainability

How do I apply?

Kindergarten–Grade 1 (22–23 school year, must be age 5 to attend Usdan)

  1. Fill out the entry form.
  2. Submit a video that answers one of the below prompts:
    • Prompts include:
      • “Share an artwork you have made that is important to you. Explain what makes it meaningful to you.”
      • “Create a new piece of artwork about a magical moment that you have experienced. Tell us about the moment and what questions it left you with.”
    • To start the video, applicants should state their name and grade.
    • Videos can be up to but no longer than 3 minutes.
    • Along with your video, submit the artwork that you are sharing in one or multiple of Usdan’s disciplines of: Visual Art, Creative Writing, Dance, Music, Theater, and Nature & Sustainability.
    • Parents and caregivers are welcome to help their child through this process.

Grade 2–12 (22–23 school year)

  1. Fill out the entry form.
  2. Submit a video that answers the following question: “What Makes You Uniquely U?”.
    • To start the video, applicants should state their name and grade.
    • Videos can be up to but no longer than 5 minutes.
    • Uniquely U applicants should also share with us one or multiple art forms that they are most passionate about. On their entry form, applicants are asked to tell us at least one and up to three Usdan Departments in which they would like to Major this summer. Should they receive a scholarship and enroll, they will be asked to Major in at least one of these Departments for at least four weeks during their eight weeks at camp.
      • Applicants sharing Visual Art can submit up to 5 images from their portfolio.
      • Applicants sharing Music, Theater, and/or Dance performances are encouraged to include examples of their work as part of the same (up to) 5 minute video.
      • Applicants sharing Nature & Sustainability submissions can submit a video, photo(s), artwork, and/or written work about the student’s work with and connection to nature and sustainability.
      • Applicants sharing Writing submissions can submit up to 2,500 words or a video of them reading selections of their work.

Deadline EXTENDED!

Submit your application by Monday, February 27, 2023 at 11:59 pm ET. Unfortunately, incomplete entries can not be considered. A panel of assessors will review all entries.

Criteria

The Uniquely U scholarship recipients will be selected based on the following criteria:

  • Passion (a unique ability to communicate your love of the art)
  • Creativity (a uniquely individual approach and style to your work with a high level of impact on the audience)

SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP

The school/institution yielding the most “Uniquely U” applications will receive the School Scholarship, giving them the opportunity to choose a student to attend Usdan for eight weeks this summer — full tuition paid

For every summer following that they are eligible to attend, School Scholarship Uniquely U recipients receive a 75% tuition scholarship.

Mark your Calendars

  • January 17: Program kicks off
  • February 27: DEADLINE EXTENDED! Submission period ends
  • Week of March 27: Usdan notifies Uniquely U scholarship recipients
  • Week of April 3: Usdan announces recipients via media, website, and social media