Auditioning for 2021 entry

[StartingLate]

What is the etiquette around receiving an offer?
Especially when waiting on results from other auditions?
Should DD send an email to say she is delighted to receive offer and will confirm by a certain date? Or is no response expected until advises closing date. Some offers don’t give a closing date...
DD has some offers but still waiting on responses from her dream college.
We are very new to this and a bit clueless.

[amo185]

I think different colleges have different expectations. DD emailed one thanking them asking for more time to decide as she was in the middle of auditions and another said they didn't expect offers to be accepted until all UCAS offers were given, but she still thanked them. Some demand a hefty deposit and you lose your place if you don't pay (eg EDA). There must be a lot of changes over the next few months until all recalls are over and offers in. Good luck and well done on the offers so far.

[anastasia79]

That's just what I have said to my DD anastasia79 and I'm hoping colleges can allow that before final decisions are made. Happier times though!

I think even if they don't, driving to see where the college is and the ambience will help as well. Some people wouldn't want to be in the middle of a town, for example, whereas others love the hustle and bustle. Performers is in its own grounds with loads of car parking; Laine, for example, is in 2 buildings across the road from each other pretty much in the town centre. I'd get fit just from going up and down the stairs there!! I think one of the issues this year is that so many of them are through UCAS, and (I'm not sure of the exact date this year) usually UCAS decisions have to made by mid-May probably 3 days before the next stage where we can actually mix indoors. It is so much more difficult not having been and getting a feeling. Probably worth looking at the accommodation availability as well, and what that looks like. I do know that Performers accommodation can fill up quite quickly and late offers finds people struggling a bit with places to live. A car helps there but would be no use at all at Laine or Urdang.

On a whim a few weeks before any offers, I started looking at accommodation for Performers based on the feedback is read on here and I was so lucky to find a room in a houseshare 5 mins walk to the school in a lovely home. I’ve reserved it and I have until the end of March to make a decision. The challenge is that we definitely won’t know for sure until at least end April the results for Urdang until then. The landlord wants a full month’s rent at the end of March with a contract and direct debit agreed upon for a year which we’ll be liable to pay if she gets into Urdang. It’s between Urdang and Performers at the moment for DD, Urdang would be perfect especially as we are London based so can commute to school. I’ll have to keep my fingers crossed and see if I can ask the landlord to give us a 4 week extension to make a decision. If not, we’ll just have to hope something else works out if she chooses Performers.

That’s some good advice re travelling to the schools even if we aren’t allowed in so we can at least get a feel for location. I would not have considered that if you didn’t mention it.

[icantdance]

Hi StartingLate

You can accept multiple offers with colleges but don't accept them on UCAS until you are sure!! When DS accepted Bird he asked them if it was binding and they said they appreciated that people would accept places and then change their minds but it does give them an indication. Once you accept on UCAS then any other applications will be automatically withdrawn - so don't do that till you're sure!!

[amo185]

We checked on UCAS a while back after DD's Urdang offer after the advice on here about not feeling pressured to accept an offer. You can't accept a conditional offer on UCAS until all your offers are in. Colleges have to offer by mid May (20th I think). If you've already got A level equivalent and the offer is unconditional it becomes legally binding if you accept it. DD was told no UCAS college can insist on a deposit to reserve the place but they certainly seem to ask for it and if I felt DD would lose her place I'd pay that!
DD has an offer through UCAS conservatoires - we got in a right mess trying to get into their system. Hadn't realised UCAS combine the two accounts!
We are learning something new every day!

[2good2hurry]

Hi everyone

DD has been offered a waiting list place and not quite sure how this works. Would it be appropriate to enquire as to her position on the list or is that not the done thing? Also wondering if lists are dynamic and moving all the time or if they just move at the end of offers?

Many thanks

[Moonfaery]

We checked on UCAS a while back after DD's Urdang offer after the advice on here about not feeling pressured to accept an offer. You can't accept a conditional offer on UCAS until all your offers are in. Colleges have to offer by mid May (20th I think). If you've already got A level equivalent and the offer is unconditional it becomes legally binding if you accept it. DD was told no UCAS college can insist on a deposit to reserve the place but they certainly seem to ask for it and if I felt DD would lose her place I'd pay that!
DD has an offer through UCAS conservatoires - we got in a right mess trying to get into their system. Hadn't realised UCAS combine the two accounts!
We are learning something new every day!

Hi Amo185
My dd accepted her Urdang offer and we paid the £100 holding fee.
She is still waiting on other outcomes so it’s not definite she will go to Urdang but we had to pay the fee to hold the place. She hasn't accepted on UCAS site yet.
From what you’ve said it indicates we didn’t have to pay that?

[amo185]

Hi Moonfaery -DD got her offer on Jan 15th - it was so much earlier than we could have imagined. DD has had email exchanges with them. She'd be very happy to go there but wants to see if she gets her personal top choices. And that's all taking longer. Her place is still open and they'll email once they get to the point when they really need an answer. I guess at that stage we'd pay. They seemed very understanding.

[Moonfaery]

Hi Moonfaery -DD got her offer on Jan 15th - it was so much earlier than we could have imagined. DD has had email exchanges with them. She'd be very happy to go there but wants to see if she gets her personal top choices. And that's all taking longer. Her place is still open and they'll email once they get to the point when they really need an answer. I guess at that stage we'd pay. They seemed very understanding.

Maybe I should have tried emailing......she was offered the place in early Feb.
Oh well, it’s done now.
I figured that they wouldn’t hold the place for months so decided to pay.
It will be a while until all other possible offers come in.
She would be extremely happy to go to Urdang but still waiting on 2 others which were top choices.

[StartingLate]

Hi StartingLate

You can accept multiple offers with colleges but don't accept them on UCAS until you are sure!! When DS accepted Bird he asked them if it was binding and they said they appreciated that people would accept places and then change their minds but it does give them an indication. Once you accept on UCAS then any other applications will be automatically withdrawn - so don't do that till you're sure!!

Thank You, that is good to know. It’s re Diploma, so not UCAS.

[StartingLate]

I think different colleges have different expectations. DD emailed one thanking them asking for more time to decide as she was in the middle of auditions and another said they didn't expect offers to be accepted until all UCAS offers were given, but she still thanked them. Some demand a hefty deposit and you lose your place if you don't pay (eg EDA). There must be a lot of changes over the next few months until all recalls are over and offers in. Good luck and well done on the offers so far.

Thanks! I like your wording. I will tell DD to write a thank you along those lines. It is exciting and a great confidence boost to get an offer.

[dancelifemum]

Phew! Wish I had found this forum sooner....We have had a very stressed household! We have been lucky and had 4 offers....but we are still awaiting on Laines reply and it has been over 2 weeks but I am unsure how long to expect or if we should call? It is not top choice and would need to pay as the others are degree courses...but it would be nice to know outcome before making decisions.

[dancelifemum]

Hi everyone

DD has been offered a waiting list place and not quite sure how this works. Would it be appropriate to enquire as to her position on the list or is that not the done thing? Also wondering if lists are dynamic and moving all the time or if they just move at the end of offers?

Many thanks

I don't think Bird will tell you where you are on the list and they will not release those places until June I understand. I don't know how the others work but I think they move as people decline. Remember some are holding 5/6 offers and those extra places will all come back.

[dancelifemum]

We checked on UCAS a while back after DD's Urdang offer after the advice on here about not feeling pressured to accept an offer. You can't accept a conditional offer on UCAS until all your offers are in. Colleges have to offer by mid May (20th I think). If you've already got A level equivalent and the offer is unconditional it becomes legally binding if you accept it. DD was told no UCAS college can insist on a deposit to reserve the place but they certainly seem to ask for it and if I felt DD would lose her place I'd pay that!
DD has an offer through UCAS conservatoires - we got in a right mess trying to get into their system. Hadn't realised UCAS combine the two accounts!
We are learning something new every day!

Hi Amo185
My dd accepted her Urdang offer and we paid the £100 holding fee.
She is still waiting on other outcomes so it’s not definite she will go to Urdang but we had to pay the fee to hold the place. She hasn't accepted on UCAS site yet.
From what you’ve said it indicates we didn’t have to pay that?

We have done the same for Wilkes and paid the £200 deposit as they only gave a weeks grace and we still had others to film at the time, so we have to save the place.....Urdang was £100. Luckily Performers don't ask for a fee or confirmation, just accept via UCAS once decided before end of May.

[anastasia79]

Dancelifemum, your DD has had impressive results with 4 offers. Congratulations to her , you must be so proud! My DD is also waiting to hear from Laines, next Tuesday will be 3 weeks waiting. I found this page a few months ago and it has been a lifesaver for me. There are so many wonderful parents and lots of advice. Everyone’s experiences have helped me so much through this hectic audition process.