Foundation courses

[paulears]

When they don't get a place at uni on a BA but get offered a foundation course something they have was weak. You need to know if it was their physical performance standard or the academic. Some degrees are heavy on practical work and need their students to be able to already cope with the research and written elements as they don't teach basics. A good actor or dancer who struggles with the core writing is at a disadvantage. Many units effectively waste year one delivering these basic skills, other don't. Always worth asking what prevented access to the BA. A few units have a fairly tough business module that has to be passed. Somebody with poor maths or English can really mess up the system. Guess what their foundation course has lots of?

[nigelben]

Thank you so much for your kind words Dorothy and I so sympathise with you both. That is such bad luck for your DD, having an injury at this time, hope the physio is helping. I have also shed more than a few tears for DS, horrible when they are so enthusiastic to be knocked back with a standard email after getting so close, also like you say with your DD, he can see that some who get in are no better than him, and from what he says I can understand why he thinks this.

I think it shows maturity in them both not wanting to do a course that they really don't want and looking at the financial side.

When does your DD have Central Dorothy? DS is there on Monday for acting, but I know they can be recalled for any of the disciplines. One of DS friends also got a recall last year for GSA MT but this year nothing, just shows how unpredictable it is.

Thanks for your thoughts paulears. All DS auditions have been for practical BA Acting courses so really the academic side hasn't been tested as he has had auditions, but he does have decent A level results which they would know from his applications.

[dorothy]

DD is at Central on I think 3 April for MT although as you say they consider for both. Its MT that she really wants though. Luckily at Central they don't do much dancing at the first audition unless they have changed it this year. Hopefully her foot will be okay or at least be a bit better for then. She is not supposed to dance for another 2 weeks .

Good luck for ds on Monday. They probably don't have too many places left though

[sapphire]

Good luck to both DCs for their Central auditions ... DD didn't audition there until the very last date available and got a recall so I think there will still be places left ... she loved it there and found the audition really useful ... hoping things fall into place for them both ... there's still time!

[dorothy]

Good luck to both DCs for their Central auditions ... DD didn't audition there until the very last date available and got a recall so I think there will still be places left ... she loved it there and found the audition really useful ... hoping things fall into place for them both ... there's still time!

Thanks Sapphire

[tara1]

Hello everyone,loving this site and it makes some interesting reading.
I have a dd who is currently on a foundation course at Lipa (acting and musical theatre) and i can't comment on other foundation courses but this really has shown itself to be worth every single penny as dd has had a much more successful time auditioning.She's had 3 offers and 1 recall (which she's yet to do).
I must also add to this that we're not high earners so we've had to make sacrifices along the way and if it had been a foundation in london then it would have been out of the question as accomodation and cost of living is so much higher.

[Hecouldshine]

Hi tara1 and welcome to NAPM

Well done to your dd for her offers and the recall Where are they for?

Do you mind me asking about the foundation course at LIPA? What has the level of dance training on the course there been like?

[katkit]

Hiya, DD didn't want to accept either of her 2 foundation offers last year. However she knew her weaknesses were dance and that was preventing funded offers. she's improved greatly in dance, fingers crossed she'll get an offer with funding this year. It's a bit of 'taking a gamble' that requires huge financial sacrifice (for us anyway).
I will say that he boys on foundation in her college are all getting good offers, but don't know about funding yet.boys generally have an advantage, at least in MT, due to the amount of girls auditioning, compared to boys.
Good luck to everyone during this nerve wracking time!!!

[tara1]

DD does around 7 hrs a week in dance just jazz and ballet so not masses of dance but alongside the acting,voice and singing lessons a nice balance.
She's had offers from London college of music,Arden and Chichester and a recall at Gsa (which we know is a long shot but its her favourite place by a mile).
She has only applied for the 4 courses this year (all mt).
On that note i must add to anyone reading this a foundation course is very full on and the students are in 5 days a week all day and some late nights too,this really is not a soft option,it prepares the student well

[Hecouldshine]

Thanks tara1. That's really helpful. Ds probably heading to uni but keeping the option of a foundation year as a gap year up his sleeve

Good luck to your dd for her GSA recall. Hope she gets it if that's where she wants. Keep us posted

[nigelben]

Thanks everyone for your comments re foundation courses. I was very impressed as DS emailed Drama Centre asking if he could have any feedback from his recall and they came back to him on the same day with his mark sheet which was very encouraging and I would say he wasn't far off an offer for the BA Acting course, so he felt a lot happier.

MT foundation courses sound very intensive and a great preparation, does anyone have any information re acting foundations especially at East 15? DS has had an offer there and it's one of the few places he can get a student loan for the foundation course.

[katkit]

Hi Nigel, well done to your son, sounds like excellent feedback for him!

An ex colleagues son went to East 15 about 6 years ago which set him up for a full time 3 year degree drama course in London. I remember her saying that his experience was very positive at East 15. I'm afraid I don't know anymore than that.

My DD is doing a MT foundation this year, and although we are awaiting the outcome of 3 auditions, she's heard back from 3 others and has had 2 offers