2012 DRAMA SCHOOL APPLICATIONS

[angelam]

Hello everyone, I have been following posts for the last couple of years as my dd has been gaining experience slowly in this wonderfully addictive industry. She is keen to apply for drama school next year when she is old enough (currently doing A levels). Wanted to get talking with you guys again about drama school application and see how the land lies with the current rounds. So how are you dd's and ds's surviving the process this year so far.
I have continual admiration for our young people who demonstrate so much courage, skill, determination and focus in such a difficult arena.

[Welsh Mum]

Just want to wish your DD good luck. Having had a DD who has been through this I know how stressful it can be for them and us!! Where is your DD applying?

[sapphire]

DD is applying for Acting courses. She has already auditioned for Acting at Bristol Old Vic, ALRA, and Man Met. Got no from all of them, very positive but not right for us feedback from ALRA and asked to reaudition for a theatre course at Man Met but she is not interested in that at the moment. She has her audition for LIPA (her first choice at the moment) on Saturday and then RADA in February and CSSD in April. She has noticed that people kept back after the first round are generally older and applying for the second or third time and is very much treating this year as a rehearsal for next year. To be honest it is hard to juggle preparing for auditions with A level course work and modules!!! I know she would also really like a year off and a chance for a proper break from full time education before full time vocational training! I will keep you posted. Where is your DD thinking of applying to and what course does she want to do?

[Welsh Mum]

The first year my DD auditioned she got 5 recalls and one reserve list but no offers. A few places said they felt she was rather young. So she had a gap year - earned some money - and re-auditioned. That year she was offered places on 3 courses as well as 2 reserve places. So going back the following year can make a huge difference.

PM me if you have any specific questions about the auditon processes in different colleges as my DD applied for lots

[JTBmum]

Just starting to wonder about next year..........

[angelam]

Just want to wish your DD good luck. Having had a DD who has been through this I know how stressful it can be for them and us!! Where is your DD applying?

Yep, well as I say it is early days but she has her eye on the London schools - exciting and daunting!

[Genevieve]

The first year my DD auditioned she got 5 recalls and one reserve list but no offers. A few places said they felt she was rather young. So she had a gap year - earned some money - and re-auditioned.

As some of the Acting Course are applied for via UCAS now, therefore these schools know that the applicants are going to be 18 when applying (usually) why are they telling them they are too young for the course ? It is coming across that students are being put off going through UCAS for the few drama schools that you can apply this way, paying the large fee to audition as well, when they are only taking a very very small number of 18 years olds onto their courses !!

[JTBmum]

Have realised ds could apply this year as he's 18 in August. He's getting a bit fed up with schoolwork! However this would mean he wouldn't finish A Levels which is probably not a good idea in case he decides to do an academic degree at any stage. I only checked RADA and LAMDA - who said they did not require any academic qualifications. Ds isn't really sure what he wants to do. His school have not really encouraged his acting a great deal being more interested in academic results (and probably league tables). He is a bit unsure about drama school or University, or both, or which way round. I notice some actors do University then drama school, but ds agent said once that he would be at a disadvantage if he did that because of the competition and starting out older.

[sapphire]

It's too late to apply for drama schools through UCAS this year and application deadlines for many of the non-UCAS affiliated schools are fast approaching (RADA is 1st March) so you would have to get your skates on if your DS did decide to apply this year! Let us know what you decide to do!

If thinking about uni and then drama school, it's worth remembering that postgrad drama courses are generally not eligible for funding via a student loan so you would have to find tuition fees/cost of living yourself! And you would still have a large debt from the original degree as well

[pg]

Hi

Genevieve, I think there are a few of things to note about the "too young" thing

1. The schools do take some 18 year olds straight from school (DS was 18). I think each is assessed individually. Some 18 year olds come across as very mature and some don't. (To be honest I wouldn't have said that DS was one of those who seemed much older than his years, but still...)

2. Feedback is fraught with difficulties and reasons for not getting in are many and various. I have a feeling that the "too young" reason can just be a convenient and believable reason to give. I don't mean that the schools don't really mean it, it's just that the reasons for not accepting someone are often difficult to quantify and "just because" is never going to be very acceptable as feedback! The "too young" reason may only be part of it.

3. I don't think schools would ever want to say that they wouldn't see 18 year olds. All schools compete for the best students, as well as students competing for the best schools, and so schools wouldn't want to miss out on a particular young talent.

4. Despite getting in at 18 and enjoying it, DS did say that he thought he would probably have benefitted from a year out.

[Welsh Mum]

The first year my DD auditioned she got 5 recalls and one reserve list but no offers. A few places said they felt she was rather young. So she had a gap year - earned some money - and re-auditioned.

As some of the Acting Course are applied for via UCAS now, therefore these schools know that the applicants are going to be 18 when applying (usually) why are they telling them they are too young for the course ? It is coming across that students are being put off going through UCAS for the few drama schools that you can apply this way, paying the large fee to audition as well, when they are only taking a very very small number of 18 years olds onto their courses !!

I think there is young and young!! Not all 18 yr olds 9or, 19, 20, yr olds etc) are the same in terms of maturity etc. This is what can come across, particularly in the interview part. So they will see them first then make their minds up. There were 18 yr olds on my DDs course when she started: they were felt to be more ready than she had been the previous year.

[angelam]

Thanks everyone for your input and reflections. This is such a supportive network. Thanks.
Would be interested to hear on the differences between the various schools in terms of the audition process and also anyone's input on the various 'flavour' of each school in terms of theatre/film/tv and routes ahead. Much appreciated.

[Welsh Mum]

2 useful sites we found are:

http://www.btinternet.com/~simon.dunmore/

http://www.ncdt.co.uk/

I would also recommend (again) the book So You Want to Tread the Boards by Jennifer Reischel.

[JTBmum]

Hadn't thought about the cost aspect of second degree. On reflection, the older and more mature, probably the better. I imagine when they are older they loose a lot of that teenage inhibition and concern about appearance.

[angelam]

2 useful sites we found are:

Thanks Welsh mum.
So I think I read before that your dd/ds is studying. Where is that?