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Attendee Information – Playwriting

Congratulations!

You are attending the 2026 Playwriting Intensive, and we are so thrilled! Please bookmark this page as a helpful resource as you prepare for the summer.

 

To Do List: See details further down

  • Student Account Activation (ASAP)
  • Submit Final Payment (ASAP)
  • Read the Information Packet
  • Email a photo/headshot (by May 29)
  • Complete Registration Forms (by May 29)
  • Submit Elective Preferences (by May 29)
  • Read Summer Plays
  • International Students: Obtain US Cell Service & B2 Visa

About 1 week after you’ve accepted your spot in the Institute, we will send your NetID and a validation code, as soon as we receive them from the IT department. Your validation code expires one week after we send it to you.

  • Keep an eye out for those emails, and plan to activate your student account as soon as you receive your NetID and Validation Code.
  • Be sure to check spam/junk/promotions folders.
  • The NetID and Validation Code emails are sent to both the student and the parent. We encourage you to set it up together if possible, due to Northwestern’s security standards.
  • Your NetID will be your username, and the validation code will be your password for the first login. You will then be prompted to create a new password and set up security questions.
    • If your code is not working, check in with your student/parent to see if they have already validated and set a new password. Otherwise, you may need to clear your browser’s cache before validating.
  • Once your account is activated, you’ll need to set up Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) in order to log into any Northwestern System. Please do this immediately after activating your account – you will be prompted to do so when logging into CAESAR for the first time. Northwestern uses an MFA app called Duo Mobile. Please download this app as it is the only approved multi-factor authentication that Northwestern allows. Here are instructions for setting it up.
    • You must complete the MFA process once started; if you exit before registering a device, the student will need to call or email IT to gain access using a bypass code. IT can be reached at (847) 491-4357 or consultant@northwestern.edu.
    • If you receive a message stating that you are not enrolled in Duo, please follow the verification steps on this page to get enrolled. 
    • Once you’ve registered the first device (parent’s) for MFA, you can register another (student’s).
  • If you have activated your account but you’re not sure what your password is, you can test it or reset it here.

There is no deposit required to hold your spot, but your full balance ($5,000) is due as soon as your account is active. Any delay in submitting payment after May 29th may jeopardize your spot in the program.

  • Log into CAESAR, Northwestern’s platform for student billing. You will log in using your NetID and the password you set when validating your NetID
    • Students can setup a guest account for their parents to pay their bill, but many parents simply log in as the student.
  • Instructions for submitting payment- You will need to manually enter the payment amount if paying before your bill is posted, or before your aid is applied – otherwise you can wait to see your final bill before submitting payment.

Your Student Handbook is your guide to the summer.  Everything from arrival information, to packing lists, to important policies are included. Familiarize yourself with its content, and you should have a very good idea of what to expect this summer.

Access the 2026 Info Packet Here

These forms are required to consider your registration fully complete. We must receive these forms by May 29, 2026. Any major delay may jeopardize your spot, so please communicate any questions or concerns you have with us early and often.

  • Health Record Form
    • Please click the link above to fill out and submit your Health Record Information, Vaccine History, Allergies, Dietary Restrictions, Medication List, etc.  You should allow approximately 30 minutes to complete this form. The privacy of our students is our utmost priority.  This information is shared only with the NHSI Director, Division Director, and Dorm Director who directly cares for your student.
  • Signed Agreement Forms (sent via DocuSign)
    • Both the student and the primary parent will receive unique links via DocuSign to sign these forms. You must both access the forms via those unique links in your email, just like you did for the acceptance letter.
      • Standard Operating Procedures and Rules
      • Permission to Treat and Transport
      • NM Consent for Minors
      • Photo & Likeness Approval
      • Communicable Disease Parent Waiver
      • Communicable Disease Student Agreement
      • Community Guidelines
  • Roommate Form
    • The roommate survey helps us facilitate your room placement. Our goal is to assign you a room with someone you will be compatible with.
    • If you have any questions or concerns about room assignments, please be sure to note this on the form, or you can send us an email.
    • Students can request to room with someone they know; HOWEVER, both students must request each other on this form, and that request is not guaranteed to be granted.
  • Summer Program Dietary Needs Form (Only if you have severe medical or religious dietary restrictions. Vegans/Vegetarians and those who avoid red meat should NOT submit this form.)
    • This link takes you to a form that goes to the campus dietician within Residential Services.
    • Please submit this form if you have any dietary restrictions due to allergies or religious affiliations that are not already accommodated as outlined in the student handbook – do not complete this form for vegetarian/vegan dietary restrictions or avoiding red meat as those are already accommodated at every meal.
    • If you would like to speak with the dietitian ahead of your arrival, please request that in the comments/questions section on this form.
    • The NHSI does not receive your responses to this form, so please be sure to include any dietary restrictions in your Health Record Form as well.

We require a headshot or photograph of yourself. The faculty will use this to learn your name ahead of the program. This is also due May 29.

  • If you do not have a professional headshot, it is not necessary to have one taken for this. A high-quality selfie is fine
    • “High quality” is defined as a clear photo of your face in good lighting. I.E – make sure it is not fuzzy or pixilated
  • Please submit this to us at nhsi@northwestern.edu, and be sure to include your preferred first name, last name, and pronouns in the body of the email. This is what the faculty will use to learn who you are before your arrival!
  • We can accept JPEG, PNG, Word, or PDF files
    • Please do not send .HEIC files; this is most relevant to iPhone users.

Prior to your arrival, you will need to read the below plays. You can read them at the links provided. If you choose to purchase copies of each play, we ask that you purchase the same editions/translation, so that your page numbers will be the same as the copies provided.

You do not need to understand these plays, we just want you to read them and think about them. All three will be heavily referenced in your classes, and you should print copies to bring with you.

Students receive the Elective Catalog & Preference form, so that you can review what courses will be offered to you this summer and submit your preferences. 

  • The preference form require a timely response, so note the deadline that is sent with this form.
  • The faculty aims to place you in at least one of your top choices for elective classes, however, you are not guaranteed to get into your number 1 choice.

 

The ability to communicate with our international students and families is paramount to your success and wellbeing in the institute. Please ensure you and your family are prepared with the below items.

  • Contact Information
    • Student Cell Phone
      • Students must have a cell phone with service in the US while on campus. You cannot rely on WiFi. You will be asked to confirm your phone number when you arrive to check into the program. 
      • WE CANNOT CALL AN INTERNATIONAL NUMBER, even if it has service in the US. If you do not have a US Cell phone number, here are your options: 1) You can purchase a cell phone and a temporary service plan in downtown Evanston at any of the mobile stores, Target, or CVS OR 2) You can download the app WhatsApp, and provide us with that phone number. 
    • Parent/Guardian Contact
      • We must be able to reach a parent/guardian in case of emergency.
      • If you as the parent/guardian do not have a US cell phone number, please download WhatsApp and provide us with that contact information on the Health Record form or via email.
    • Emergency Contact
      • If, while attending the NHSI, a student is experiencing a medical, psychological, or other health-related concern that exceeds the NHSI’s ability to ensure their safety – or the safety of other NHSI students or staff – the student’s parents/guardians will be notified and will need to arrange for an adult to check the student out of the program within 24 hours.
      • You must provide us with a contact in the United States who speaks English that can be reached in case of an emergency of this nature. Please provide this contact information on the Permission to Treat & Transport form and on the Health Record form.
  • Health Insurance
    • All international students are automatically enrolled in Northwestern’s Visiting Scholar Plan, the cost of which is $7.93 per day. Once enrolled, you will be billed for this plan through your student CAESAR account. Coverage is applied June 28-July 18. Students cannot check into the Institute until their Health Insurance balance is paid in CAESAR.
    • The Visiting Scholar Plan ensures that students have health insurance coverage that will be accepted at all local clinics and hospitals should your student require any medical care while they are on campus.
    • Students must also carry a credit card or debit card to cover incidental medical costs (such as co-payments required at medical visits).
  • B-2 Tourism Visa
    • All NHSI programs are taken as non-credit. International students only need a B-2 Toursim Visa, which covers “Enrollment in a short recreational course of study, not for credit toward a degree.”
    • Neither a Student Visa nor an I-20 are necessary.