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I know this is always a subject for debate but can anyone shed any light on how worthwhile foundation courses are ?Ds has only done a couple of auditions so far for mt courses. He has a recall for one that he will be attending soon and presumed mountview was a blanket no. He has just been contacted to say that the panel thought he has great potential and has invited him to Audition for the foundation . None of his friends attending on that day have been offered this . Worthwhile or a waste of time? Your thoughts would be welcome .

Hi Oscar,
Afraid I can't help as dd won't be applying until next year, but I am interested in the answers. One of the questions I have is that do all schools automatically invite candidates they dont think are quite ready for degree courses to interview for foundation courses, or does one have to apply separately for foundation courses?
Thank you!

Honestly? I think it depends on the family's financial position.

I wouldn't bother unless you have lots of money. I'm quite sure that the students on foundation courses have a brilliant time and learn a lot of useful things - but they do generally cost a lot of money and they will not be regarded in the same light as degree or postgraduate courses by the people with jobs to offer (or by agents) in the profession.

I do know students who have done a foundation course and gone on to accredited courses and done very well. What isn't clear (of course) is whether they would have got on to those courses in any case and done just as well without the foundation course.

I think that there are many things that applicants can do to prepare them for another round of auditions that don't cost anything like the same amount - and will leave them free to earn some money during a gap year too.

Going on a foundation course gives no guarantee of getting on to a degree course - so I think applicants should only do a foundation course if the foundation course itself really appeals and if the money is readily available (bearing in mind that a lot more money is needed for the next stage of training).

Soda - I think with most schools they will consider inviting suitable applicants to take up a place on a foundation course if they have applied for a degree course. You can also, with most schools (as far as I know), apply just for the foundation course. The funding for foundation courses is normally very different.

You probably both know about this site: http://www.dramauk.co.uk/ but thought I would post the link for anyone who hasn't had a chance to look through it. It gives a good overview of drama and MT courses - plus links to schools' websites and information about funding.

DD did the auditions for foundation courses for more audition experience, but we could not afford the actual courses! She also found it gave her another chance to get an impression of a particular school. Since starting at drama school she thinks that people who did foundation courses or who were older probably do better in first year than those going straight from school (which is what she did), but as PG says that experience may come anyway with age without paying a fortune for it! There is no guarantee that a place on a foundation course will lead to a full time course the following year ... you need to remember, you are in effect auditioning for the full year!

Thank you all. It's early days in the audition process so who knows what will happen but just wondered what to rule in or out. What a roller coaster ride. Pg thanks for the link I didnt know about it.

Hi Sapphire

Yes ds thought he would have benefited from having a gap year - he went straight from school too.

I think also, for DD, the decider is what would she do if she didn't do a Foundation.

For us it was a BTEC at a non-specialist college - which would be like treading water I think, monotonous & not going anywhere.

Hy ds is in his final year of a Musical Theatre BA and there is not one student in his year who has previously done a foundation course. As pg says, if you have the time and money to do it then I am sure it will be a fantastic opportunity but will not guarantee anything.

We have been warned that foundation courses are a good money maker for the colleges and agree with what has been previously mentioned you have to have plenty of money to do them.

I agree MegMar, but if you add up everything I pay for here over a year it isn't that much different to the cost of a Foundation & ifI lived near to a college offering it it might be a good way to consolidate training.

TBH most colleges are training 'for the money' & if it wasn't cost effective they wouldn't offer the courses whether for A levels, BTECs, level 6 diplomas or Foundation courses

My DD graduated from Central last year and no one in her year had done a foundation course. I do think they useful in giving youngsters a taste of what vocational training is like. However, it is very expensive and could never have been an option for us.

I think that you need to be clear why you are taking the course. DD applied last year and it was clear that her technical dance ability was her major weakness. Her local dance school was obviously not cutting the mustard so some thing had to change quite quickly. DD now attends PPA in Guildford and is loving her time there. She has improved enormously and has just started to audition again. Only time will tell if the (considerable) gamble pays off but I wouldn't change our decision. I know that we are lucky to have this as an option but I do know that she wouldn't have been accepted this year without the extra training.
I don't want to upset anybody but I would say that, whilst talent and potential are the key factors for the boys - girls need to be trained to a higher standard due to the sheer numbers applying.

I'm very in favour of 'the right type' of foundation course for some as a possible route into this incredibly competitive industry.

I totally second Amandas post and it is reflective of my DD experience as well who is on a foundation course at Performers college. Technically in dance my DD has improved so much! It is with hope that the year will pay off and open a door for the right college for her to do her 3 year training at. (She had previously had 2 years with some success but no funding offer)

Also like Kaymac we weighed up how much it would cost to continue the local dance and singing lessons and yes it is costing me alot but I have found a means and a way which I wouldn't have thought possible. (Beans on toast are quite tasty)! haha, kidding aside, it is expensive, I am making great sacrifices, but I believe 100% in my daughter and had to give her this opportunity to get where she needed to be for her future training. She works hard and I see she is totally passionate about her dreams.

I strongly believe that a foundation year or 'fourth' year of study in this highly competitve industry would not be wasted.

Saying that I would be wary of some 'foundation' courses. Do your research, how much actual class time will they get. I heard from someone that Mountview was just partime, I may be wrong.

This is turning into an incredibly frustrating year for DS He still has 2 recalls to go Man Met and LAMDA(although they call it a second first audition) along with preliminaries for ALRA and Central. He has had 5 recalls, 3 offers of foundation, the latest being Drama Centre where he made it through the 3 rounds on the preliminary day, they were cut from 25 to 3 and then he was invited to a recall day. He has just received an email from them saying they can't offer a place on the BA course but recommends him for a foundation course, this was exactly the same email he received from them last year when he didn't make it to the first cut on the preliminary day, hard to understand as he was so happy with how he performed on his recall day.

There is no way we can fund a foundation at Drama Centre although he was offered one at East 15 and it looks like you can get a student loan for that one. He really doesn't want to do a foundation, he has looked on the websites and one of the main reasons to do one is to see if a 3 year intensive acting course is for you, he knows he wants to do nothing else. He has stated this in interviews as well.

Just so disappointed for him at the moment.

Good luck to everyone going through the same roller coaster ride of auditions at the moment!!

That is disappointing for your ds NigelBen. My dd is having similar frustrations this year also. She strained her ligaments in her right foot the week she had 3 auditions (the day before Trinity and 2 days before Arden) so rejections from them and and not even a recall at GSA this year (which was her favourite place last year) . She does have an offer from Chichester on the BA MT Triple Threat but in her heart I dont really think she wants to go there even though it seems a very good course. I know location shouldn't matter but I think she was hoping for Arden if not GSA or Trinity as that is nearer to home. She likes the course but its her decision and she has to be sure. Anyway she still has Central and if that's a no then she has to decide what to do. Wait another year and take the risk of nowhere next year or accept Chichester. I would like her to accept Chichester but understand if she waits another year as its so expensive and if she is coming out with debts of probably £40k with loans for fees and living then even if it may never get paid back she has to want to go there and she still believes in herself that she can get on one of the courses such as GSA or Central . She has done HNC this year in MT and I think she wishes she hasn't now as in a sense its the first year they have done it at her college where she did the B TEch and its been a bit disorganised and she has used up 1 year of study/funding so she only has 3 years left so she has to be really sure. If she hadnt done that I think she would definitely of accepted Chichester

She is still having physio on her foot and its still not right (after 5 weeks) so maybe it will do her body good to have a rest for a year and have a proper gap year, work for a few months and maybe go to see my sister in Australia for a few months. Anyway its certainly not as traumatic this year as last. She still gets upset with the rejections as I am sure
all our dcs do and I shed a few tears for her too and it is hard to accept especially when she sees others get offers whom she thinks she is as good as. Its such a lottery.

Anyway I really hope your ds gets what he wants (and any others auditioning) but I dont think a foundation course for him is the way forward unless you can afford it. Thinking of you/him and hope it works out.