Auditioning for Sept 2019

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jaybeeyellow
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Re: Auditioning for Sept 2019

Post by jaybeeyellow »

HI,
BOV do not offer any places until all the auditionS have finished. It will be the end of June/beginning of July before you will know for sure.
They do however recall after the initial audition. After the recall you can be placed on the shortlist. From this they make the final choice of 14. They also keep a reserve list.
My D made it all the way to the reserve list, but no place became available.
It's tough!!
VaguelyStagey
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Re: Auditioning for Sept 2019

Post by VaguelyStagey »

Oh that’s so tough Jaybeeyellow, has your DC got another offer or are they trying again? They must be so good to have got that far, it must’ve been a real kick to not get an offer :(
DD did a summer course at BOV last month and really enjoyed it, so it’s definitely on her list.
Rhymie
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Re: Auditioning for Sept 2019

Post by Rhymie »

VaguelyStagey wrote:Rhymie, was your DS experience the same for drama school, ie, apply early?
No actually this time round he went late which was risky. BOV actually have set recall days and dont make decisions about places until all those have been done in June. These are then filmed and a shortlist is created. Places offered in June.
Livvyvicky
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Re: Auditioning for Sept 2019

Post by Livvyvicky »

Another one booked in - Arts Ed..........
Lakeviewp
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Re: Auditioning for Sept 2019

Post by Lakeviewp »

Exciting times! After many years dipping in and out of this forum, (having started at the beginning of the 9-15 section!) we are now at the application stage - first one went in tonight! :shock:

This forum has been invaluable and I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has posted their experiences and knowledge in the past. Katymac’s college analysis a few years ago has meant we feel we are well informed about the options available, funding routes & diplomas vs degrees.

Our DS will hopefully meet some of your DCs at the auditions!

Good Luck everyone!

Xxx
Rhymie
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Re: Auditioning for Sept 2019

Post by Rhymie »

For straight acting its all changed a bit in the last couple of years, as some are in the Conservatoire which is applied through CUCAS and some are through UCAS and some are direct.
We always spread out a bit so applied from Nov - Feb when they close. most of the straight-acting courses are not concerned about Alevel results, they are just administered through the UCAS system as they offer student finance and degrees.
Most of these schools have a few rounds and all have at least one final round, these seem to have now all shifted to the May - July period. With so few places being offered 12 - 26 only per year per school, we thought it was better to go towards the middle to end of the audition period. Rather than the beginning.
We also figured out after the first year when DS auditions were all before December that he was with all the other A level students and would have been better waiting. My advice would be to audition in reverse preference order so you get better as you go along and are very audition practiced for your DD/DS favorite schools. hope thats useful :-)
amo185
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Re: Auditioning for Sept 2019

Post by amo185 »

Well we've booked an audition at dd's favourite for 6th form - Emildale. She loves the Sunday afternoon sessions there and it feels right for her although we have no idea how we will manage travel and finances. As they give places as they go along, she was very keen to be considered early on. We've also booked some open days at others and are keeping school and college options open. Good luck to everyone on this long journey and thank you to all previous posters for your words of wisdom!
Scarytimes
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Re: Auditioning for Sept 2019

Post by Scarytimes »

Lakeviewp wrote:Exciting times! After many years dipping in and out of this forum, (having started at the beginning of the 9-15 section!) we are now at the application stage - first one went in tonight! :shock:

This forum has been invaluable and I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has posted their experiences and knowledge in the past. Katymac’s college analysis a few years ago has meant we feel we are well informed about the options available, funding routes & diplomas vs degrees.

Our DS will hopefully meet some of your DCs at the auditions!

Good Luck everyone!

Xxx
Yes KatyMac has posted some excellent stuff. Just be aware that things are changing all the time both in terms of what each college offers and the audition/application processes too. For instance, GSA introduced dance into the first round audition for the first time (I believe) last year and the website explaining Urdang's process for recalls changed between us looking at it in the summer to the autumn. The same is true of funding and courses offered and ages taken of course. Laine students can now do the degree as a conversion within their third year whereas previously it was diploma only and the degree was a year part-time afterwards - or that was what we were told on the open day anyway.
amo185
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Re: Auditioning for Sept 2019

Post by amo185 »

You can definitely do a degree in Year 3 as we celebrated with a lad who got it, along with a girl who did it as a distance/part time option after she had graduated with her diploma. Trouble is you still need to fund the first two years I think and can only get a loan as part of year three - but maybe someone can clarify that? (lad we know was overseas student so he funded it himself)
Lakeviewp
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Re: Auditioning for Sept 2019

Post by Lakeviewp »

Scarytimes wrote:
Lakeviewp wrote:Exciting times! After many years dipping in and out of this forum, (having started at the beginning of the 9-15 section!) we are now at the application stage - first one went in tonight! :shock:

This forum has been invaluable and I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has posted their experiences and knowledge in the past. Katymac’s college analysis a few years ago has meant we feel we are well informed about the options available, funding routes & diplomas vs degrees.

Our DS will hopefully meet some of your DCs at the auditions!

Good Luck everyone!

Xxx
Yes KatyMac has posted some excellent stuff. Just be aware that things are changing all the time both in terms of what each college offers and the audition/application processes too. For instance, GSA introduced dance into the first round audition for the first time (I believe) last year and the website explaining Urdang's process for recalls changed between us looking at it in the summer to the autumn. The same is true of funding and courses offered and ages taken of course. Laine students can now do the degree as a conversion within their third year whereas previously it was diploma only and the degree was a year part-time afterwards - or that was what we were told on the open day anyway.
Thank you! Very useful to know. It’s a minefield with every college having a different application process and different audition requirements. I can see why you all used spreadsheets in the past! If nothing else this forum has taught us that we need to be patient. Even auditioning early with recalls and funding auditions it is likely to be May/June before we have any idea whether he has been successful. We followed all your journeys last year and are very excited for the DCs starting this month. Xx
Scarytimes
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Re: Auditioning for Sept 2019

Post by Scarytimes »

Lakeviewp wrote:
Thank you! Very useful to know. It’s a minefield with every college having a different application process and different audition requirements. I can see why you all used spreadsheets in the past! If nothing else this forum has taught us that we need to be patient. Even auditioning early with recalls and funding auditions it is likely to be May/June before we have any idea whether he has been successful. We followed all your journeys last year and are very excited for the DCs starting this month. Xx
Thank you. I really loved the 2017 thread when we were starting on the journey a year ago. Exciting times though I’m not sure I would want to go through it again. I’ve tried many weird cheap hotels in London and had sleepless nights there!

Good luck to all the new DCs setting out on the journey this year xxx
dancemom43
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Re: Auditioning for Sept 2019

Post by dancemom43 »

For those looking for London hotels for auditions and trying to do on the cheap please consider ones like the Premier Inn at Sidcup (close to Bird) the train station is opposite and you are in central London in 30 minutes. Costs around £49 a night (as opposed to £150 a night for a Premier Inn in the city). Im sure there are other similar towns on the outskirts near stations too.
We stayed for Urdang at the Easy Hotel which was £80 where as other hotels were £160.
Very basic but clean (owned by Easy Jet).
Take an extra pillar of your own.
Scarytimes
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Re: Auditioning for Sept 2019

Post by Scarytimes »

DGtherunner wrote:Hi,

I went through all this last year with DS who was applying for Musical Theatre post 18 courses. I found it a minefield with all the different audition requirements and funding options. I wrote a blog about my experiences to help some friends who were looking to apply this year.
https://dgtherunner.wordpress.com/2018/ ... re-degree/

Good luck. It is an exhausting few months, but fingers crossed your DCs will all find the perfect course for them.
Just read your blog DG. Excellent work. You have covered everything I would say in a very clear way. I would recommend that all those going for it this year have a read!
Last edited by Scarytimes on Tue Sep 18, 2018 9:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
DanceDiva
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Re: Auditioning for Sept 2019

Post by DanceDiva »

Can I make a few suggestions / handy hints too ?

Wherever possible get close to the college the night before !
DD auditioned, decided on Foundation so had to audition again the following year and it is the most stressful thing EVER !
You have a DD / DS pulling their hair out trying to get ready / remember monologue / looking for sheet music / losing leotard for jazz etc etc
Do not add the stress of roadworks / public transport to it - it really is worth every penny to get close to the audition ( we had an Audition Fund which we started early and added to when necessary - its now become younger DD Uni Fund ! )

Also Tesco Rewards have a partner in Red Spotted Hanky for rail tickets - simple to redeem Clubcard points and with a Two Together / 16-25 railcard you get massive savings. They also do hotel bookings too but we found Premier Inn a life saver after also being in some dodgy B&B with even dodgier clientele !!
Research where you are going and find something to do while DD / DS is at an audition day.
Sitting in a Costa with a book becomes tedious and expensive after the first couple of times. Drop them off and disappear - otherwise you will be looking at your watch every 4 minutes wondering how its going ( they never ring at lunch like they promise !! )

DD is coming to the end of her 3rd year at BW so its an endless life of auditions beginning soon but this time she does it alone.
Massive good luck to you all and try to enjoy it - you do miss it when its all over, I promise :shock: :shock:
Robin64
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Re: Auditioning for Sept 2019

Post by Robin64 »

If you can book London auditions for a Monday - Travelodge rooms are usually cheaper on Sunday nights. Travelodge farringdon is quick walk from urdang -5 -7 minutes walk. Travelodge in Sidcup is a short walk from Bird and next to Waitrose for stocking up on some food for audition day. They have some parking too. Also you can pop back to the hotel for a rest til 12 after they go for the audition and leave bags there all day. GSA was probably the most boring wait as I stayed in the cafe on campus. If you have a whole day in Sidcup and have a car there's the Horniman museum eltham palace and Greenwich not too far away. I enjoyed the shops near artsed even if we weren't keen on the college. Plenty to mooch round and lots of cafes etc. For Central auditions you can walk to Camden Lock easily for a look round. Good luck 2019 auditionees and parents x
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