'Best fit' schools/colleges post 18?

A place to talk about full time schools and post 16 training.

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Robin64
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Re: 'Best fit' schools/colleges post 18?

Post by Robin64 »

GSA & Central (marmite college it seems) would be on my list in your situation. Arts ed and mountview too expensive if you need student finance but may be worth a look to compare - I don't know if they do scholarships? We discounted MV due to cost. The degrees need significant top ups if you are paying with student finance. I would say that places like Bird and Urdang definitely value triple threat and might improve your DS dance skills if he would value that. Plus the good actor singers stand out and can tackle lead roles in college performances. Look at Rose Bruford too.
biscuitsneeded
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Re: 'Best fit' schools/colleges post 18?

Post by biscuitsneeded »

Thanks Robin64. I had heard that about Central! Can I ask what some poeple don't like and others do?
islandofsodor
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Re: 'Best fit' schools/colleges post 18?

Post by islandofsodor »

We found that the CDET conference (now called the Council for Dance, Drama & Musical Theatre) was very useful. It was much less of a jojo bow sales event and a more of a serious these are the colleges, take part in a few class/workshops to get a feel for the type of training & while we’re at it let’s sit your parents down and talk auditions, finance & employment with them event.

https://cdmt.org.uk/advocacy/cdmt-careers-conference
biscuitsneeded
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Re: 'Best fit' schools/colleges post 18?

Post by biscuitsneeded »

Thanks, that's also very helpful.
Robin64
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Re: 'Best fit' schools/colleges post 18?

Post by Robin64 »

biscuitsneeded wrote:Thanks Robin64. I had heard that about Central! Can I ask what some poeple don't like and others do?
I am no expert but there seems to be really different reactions to Central. My DD enjoyed her mt audition but my nephew hated it when he went for an acting one. It is big and has very professional facilities. Maybe it doesn't have such a family feel like some colleges. There were some student led protests about diversity there - last year maybe? I think it has a particular ethos / style that not everyone likes but parents didn't go in with auditionees so I can't speak personally. It does have a strong reputation on the acting side but I guess you would have to see what you thought when auditioning. I'm not sure if they have an open day. There might be NAPMs that have a DC there to give an insight.
Ditzi
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Re: 'Best fit' schools/colleges post 18?

Post by Ditzi »

Emil Dale Accademy have introduced a degree course starting from this year, with access to student finance. It’s triple threat with syllabus written specifically for them. Definitely worth considering.
biscuitsneeded
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Re: 'Best fit' schools/colleges post 18?

Post by biscuitsneeded »

Thanks Ditzi, we are watching that one carefully too!
DGtherunner
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Re: 'Best fit' schools/colleges post 18?

Post by DGtherunner »

My DS has just started at Italia Conti on their new Musical Theatre degree programme. He auditioned at Arts Ed, GSA and Mountview, as well as a few more local colleges. The auditions were all similar, with dance classes, prepared solo singing and some pitch type tests and acting classes that were a mixture of prepared monologues and improv classes. Conti was the only one he had to do a dance solo. My DS is probably strongest as a singer, he's grade 5 ballet, but hadn't been going to classes regularly over the last couple of years.

He's loving the course which is balanced across all three areas. There is a lot of dance, but there are some (mainly boys) on the course who have never done ballet or tap before. Hope that helps.
biscuitsneeded
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Re: 'Best fit' schools/colleges post 18?

Post by biscuitsneeded »

That does help, thank you. :D
2leftfeetmyself
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Re: 'Best fit' schools/colleges post 18?

Post by 2leftfeetmyself »

Hi we started in year 9 or rather dd did, she had a summer school for her birthday (summer birthday) every year at a different summer school and that helped enormously. She did week long Italia Conti, Urdang, GSA and Arts Ed musical theatre and NYT acting summer school one summer as well, also shorter day workshops several places and then went to see the college end of year shows as well. Those she couldn't attend, she researched everything they did on you tube and she noted where the cast trained in every programme of every show we went to see. Go to all the Open days you can and go a year early for fear of clashing dates in the year you actually apply. We did this and it paid off for us.

Trinity Laban Open Day, book early (at least 6 months early) is my tip also. We ve spent a fortune travelling to end of year shows especially and seen some lavish productions where my dd has been underwhelmed by the actual performance and some basic in terms of set and costume college shows where we've been blown away by the standard and professionalism of the dancing. It really is an eye opener and it helps make up your mind because its the training you are after.

It's not too soon to have a frank conversation with yourself and each other about finances either because we had to discount three colleges completely simply for financial reasons especially as she is one of four children and we need to be fair to them all.

In the end we had 3 top choices all first choice for different reasons and all best fit for dd and us and several more second choices. Previous investments paid off for me as she's been offered one of her top 3 choices so I've saved audition fees on the rest :D

Good luck to you
biscuitsneeded
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Re: 'Best fit' schools/colleges post 18?

Post by biscuitsneeded »

Congratulations to your DD! It sounds as if all the very thorough research and preparation has really paid off!
2leftfeetmyself
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Re: 'Best fit' schools/colleges post 18?

Post by 2leftfeetmyself »

biscuitsneeded wrote: Sun Dec 16, 2018 11:55 am Congratulations to your DD! It sounds as if all the very thorough research and preparation has really paid off!
Thank you, we are very lucky, we know.

Good luck to everyone applying especially those waiting on results before Christmas, its the waiting part that is the worst.
DebbieDOos
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Re: 'Best fit' schools/colleges post 18?

Post by DebbieDOos »

Just wanted to add in case you have not spotted but from 2019 GSA have do not have any academic requirements.
When we visited they said that 25percent did not even need any qualifications and the remaining 75petcent just needed to have attended higher education so basically BTEC/A level grades don’t matter.
arianadrama
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Re: 'Best fit' schools/colleges post 18?

Post by arianadrama »

Yes GSA are now saying MMM(merit) for BTec and CCC for A Level re academic entry requirements but you must have passed Maths and English GCSE - this is a huge change in policy for University of Surrey! Saw one of their 3rd year shows Pippin last month and was blown away by the standard.
For what its worth Biscuits our top schools for MT are Arts Ed, Mountview, GSA for balanced triple threat training, Bird and Urdang for dance emphasis and Central for Acting focus (only 25% of their course is singing and dance). This is just DS's view from researching the backgrounds of every (almost) principal and ensemble performer in current Westend shows!!! Equally he has many extremely talented friends who are at Rose Bruford, Trinity laban, Italia Conti etc. Look carefully at the published stats on the percentage of alumni in work post degree - as thats whats its all about at the end of the day!!!
2leftfeetmyself
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Re: 'Best fit' schools/colleges post 18?

Post by 2leftfeetmyself »

Time will tell whether GSA has done the right thing with the "no writing whatsoever" course. I was quite shocked to be honest on the open day to hear this and when I tell people, they simply don't believe me.

It is true though. Brand new practical only. No writing whatsoever and no more AAB or DDD or similar to get in.
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