Applying for 2013

[sapphire]

Hope the snow doesn't cause you any problems ... good luck

[Tess]

Hi Amanda, GSA went well, although DS found it very different to the others as its just a short song to start with then call back for the main audition. Was a bit fed up when he came out, and not expecting a recall, but soon cheered up with food on the way home!

Then got news that he has been recalled for final recall for Central!

We are completely snowed in today, DS missing his A level exam as we couldn't get him there, although I am sure its divine intervention so he can catch up with everything.

Good luck today! let us know how you get on.

[Genevieve]

Good luck to your ds for final recall for Central - that's fantastic

[angelam]

Auditions update. My support goes out to all young people going through the process as it really can be quite stressful. My DD had described the process as brutal last week. She was cut from Guildhall first round feeling that she hardly been given a chance. Within a couple of moments of entering the room she found the panel of two quite uninterested and a bit rude. She has extensive experience of auditions is a good judge of her capabilities and limitations and its just such a shame that a young person's hopes are smashed with unprofessional conduct. There obviously has to be lots rejected at each stage but polite interest and encouragement costs no one.
But she had a recall (2nd round) at RADA this week which went reasonably well she thought. Would be fabulous if she gets further but it is so hard to tell.
Her final option in this years applications is a first audition at LAMDA at the end of Jan.
Good luck to all.
Keep us updated

[Welsh Mum]

My DD felt exactly the same at Guildhall - she felt that the process was so fleeting and also that there was little interest from the panel - a big contrast to the other auditions she had . She had very positive experiences elsewhere - I think BOV recall day was the best - she had a really good day there and loved it. It is very disppointing when you do not feel you hav had a chance to show what you can do.

Thinking of all of you going through this - I get flashbacks when I read this thread

[jasmine2]

How can they possibly assess what you are like in a couple of minutes?
One place that DD applied for almost laughed at her when she said she had been a full timer at a very prestigious theatre school, and the fact that she was doing a dance diploma and not A Levels...how rude!! (she got A* in her GCSE's!) Needless to say she did not get a recall for them, but was not bothered at all ...Good luck to all applying this year

[angelam]

Thank for the supportive comments. It certainly is a tough profession.

[TotallycluelessMum]

Hi there! Have been reading this thread with interest ( and fear!!! although Dd is still only year 11. ) For those who are applying for contrasting courses ( for eg, as mentioned, eng lit at Cambridge and acting at CSSD) how do you write the personal statement? Is it possible to sound equally committed to both highly competitive courses? I totally understand the logic ( and dd is also torn) but how do you convince the colleges?

Loads of luck to all applying and please keep us informed

[sapphire]

To be honest I think it would be very difficult to do a personal statement for Cambridge justice if applying for completely different courses as well .... I am not sure how well that would be received ... can school not advise you on this?

[TotallycluelessMum]

That's what I thought.. We're quite a way away from that stage, no idea where dd's going or what she'll be studying, I just saw (higher up the thread) that Livingthedream dd had narrowed her options down to those and thought she may already know how to negotiate that minefield!

Just being nosey

[sapphire]

LOL! DD was going to apply via UCAS for drama school and a couple of uni courses as a back up but when it got to the time, she decided just to go all out for drama school first time round. The alternative would have been to use UCAS for 'academic' courses and only apply to those drama schools which don't use UCAS but she really wanted to go to LIPA so that wasn't an option for her ...

[Tess]

DS had an offer from Arts Ed for their one year full time foundation course, which he has taken as a disguised "no thank you" and is suitably fed up, even though it ends with congratulations on your successful audition! Will no doubt bounce back pretty quickly after a 'scrape up and put back together' this evening!

Decided I'm going to wait until he is here with me to open envelopes in future, and not listen to take his 'go on open it over the phone'! Lovely to know I'm not the only parent going through this.......

[sapphire]

It is horrid getting the thanks but no thanks letters ... fingers crossed for better news after future auditions!

[Genevieve]

DS had an offer from Arts Ed for their one year full time foundation course, ..

not what your ds wanted, but it's such a confusing system. I've heard of a few very talented students who auditioned at 18/19, and are now on, 'foundation courses' , not what they wanted, but loving their training. But the conclusion was for some,that they'd felt their 'Shakespeare' was a weakness. But where one school offers you Foundation another could offer you a place. It's certainly not a reflection on how other audition outcomes will go ! and don't forget the three thousand, at least, all going for only 25 and far fewer places for each course. Harder than Oxbridge as regards ratio ! Fingers crossed for other auditions.

My DD had described the process as brutal last week. She was cut from Guildhall first round feeling that she hardly been given a chance.

Your dd should just forget about it, which is hard when there's so much build up and preparation involved, it all takes over everyone's lives for months and months ..and some schools just whizz through auditions and you wonder if you've had a chance to show what you can do But the school has to fit your dd too remember ! It's their loss I say ! Good luck to your dd.
This is Actor W's blog - very well written and interesting insight into his auditions process- from another thread, pg found it :
http://actor-w.blogspot.co.uk/

[nigelben]

Hi, my DS has applied to 6 acting/musical theatre courses and has auditions arranged for all apart from GSA, we had the email from them asking for the audition fee before Christmas which we paid straight away but still no date-this is for musical theatre. My DS has emailed and left a message on admissions answerphone but no reply as yet, just wondered if anyone else has had the same thing.