Auditioning for 2024 entry

[Hilltop]

Has anyone heard if there has been any offers from GSA MT reserve list as yet? My DC is waiting and curious to know if there has been any offers / no's yet?

Someone at my DD's college was offered a place last week from the reserve list.

I wonder if our Daughter's are at the same college Hilltop, I was going to say the same! Is it a boy?

Yes, it’s a boy. The second boy from the college to get a GSA MT offer this year, which is crazy considering the college is very small!

[lawn]

Someone at my DD's college was offered a place last week from the reserve list.

I wonder how that happens when they haven’t done all their recalls yet?

I imagine once they see someone they know they want they offer them the place. They will know who has been selected for the rest of the recalls - they might not be seeing any more brown haired altos or blond baritones and will select that ‘type’ from those they have already seen. The students in each year group are quite distinct from each other - my DS says they are all different casting types. This is a large factor. My DS is quite distinct and got offered very quickly after his audition a couple of years ago. I would imagine the hardest ‘type’ to get selected is a brown haired female soprano - lots to choose from!

Yes this. It took me a while to get my head round it but auditioning for drama school isn't the same as being in a dance/drama comp. It's not just whoever performs the monologue the best 'wins' the place. The skill set and type are taken into account too.

[Cam12345]

Someone at my DD's college was offered a place last week from the reserve list.

I wonder if our Daughter's are at the same college Hilltop, I was going to say the same! Is it a boy?

Yes, it’s a boy. The second boy from the college to get a GSA MT offer this year, which is crazy considering the college is very small!

Then I definitely think they are at the same college were you at the cabaret evening last week?

[Harry2003]

Yes this. It took me a while to get my head round it but auditioning for drama school isn't the same as being in a dance/drama comp. It's not just whoever performs the monologue the best 'wins' the place. The skill set and type are taken into account too.

It’s a tough one isn’t it?! The job market’s going to be even tougher! They do often have a ‘look’ or a ‘type’ in their head and if you don’t fit that, no matter how fabulous you are it’s not going to happen.

[Hilltop]

I wonder if our Daughter's are at the same college Hilltop, I was going to say the same! Is it a boy?

Yes, it’s a boy. The second boy from the college to get a GSA MT offer this year, which is crazy considering the college is very small!

Then I definitely think they are at the same college were you at the cabaret evening last week?

Yes!

[Cam12345]

Yes, it’s a boy. The second boy from the college to get a GSA MT offer this year, which is crazy considering the college is very small!

Then I definitely think they are at the same college were you at the cabaret evening last week?

Yes!

Very well done to your daughter for her place at IAB!

[lawn]

Yes this. It took me a while to get my head round it but auditioning for drama school isn't the same as being in a dance/drama comp. It's not just whoever performs the monologue the best 'wins' the place. The skill set and type are taken into account too.

It’s a tough one isn’t it?! The job market’s going to be even tougher! They do often have a ‘look’ or a ‘type’ in their head and if you don’t fit that, no matter how fabulous you are it’s not going to happen.

Agreed. Last year my DD got to the final round of a very prestigious school for acting. She auditioned in May and then she heard nothing. A friend was in the same position and emailed about it. The drama schools response was that they were making their final decisions about what cohort worked best. Friend then got a rejection, DD still didn't hear. It was July when she got rejected. Daughter has seen this particular school's 1st years students on their SM. There's someone who looks very similar to her on the course. They were never going to take them both, just the other girl had something that meant they wanted her more than they wanted DD.

[K8t]

DD had an offer from PPA, reserve for their BA MT with foundation. She was also asked to a recall audition for BA Acting for Stage and Screen, although she hadn’t gone for this.

Holding out for GSA, but I thought it may be worth auditioning for the other course. Acting is her forte.

So we wait.

Thanks for the insight on how they choose students. I read it out to DD.

[Ditzi]

Congratulations to your dd on the offer, it certainly helps to have some positive news and takes some of the pressure off. I think not hearing from GSA is promising, she hears soon.

Dd is about to start her recalls, she applied later than originally anticipated. She has Central audition on Monday and 2 recalls next week. 2 recalls booked for April, waiting to hear on a recall date for another school and the outcome of first round self tape for which she only applied for foundation. So far she is enjoying her gap year and is convinced taking a year off was the right thing to do, although not easy to start with. We’ll have to see how this year works out.

[biscuitsneeded]

@k8t Congrats to your DD on her reserve offer from PPA. That's an interesting one - I hadn't really heard of it until recently but suddenly a few people seem to be going there. Could be good to somewhere when it's on the up?

Re no news from GSA, I'm not clear what stage things are at. Is it for MT degree? Did your DD do a UCAS application and just never hear anything, and UCAS remains unupdated? Or did she submit tapes and then get no more news? Or did she get invited to a recall in person and then get no more news? If it's one of the first two, I'd be inclined to get her to email just in case something has gone astray. If it's the latter, and the recall went well and she got an interview, but since then has no news then she may indeed still be being considered. But do triple check nothing has updated on UCAS in case an email has got lost somewhere! Fingers crossed it's good news!

[lawn]

My daughter was offered PPA acting foundation then changed to degree in 2021. She had auditioned online due to the lockdowns and accepted without visiting because that wasn't possible. When she later attended the open day she didn't think it was the right fit for her so when a last minute offer came elsewhere she took that instead. We had heard vaguely heard of PPA prior to this. My understanding is it's been running some years and I think initially had connections to GSA running as a separate body for foundation (not sure if GSA ran their own back then) but when GSA became part of the Uni of Surrey, PPA wasn't included and so set up as a drama school in it's own right. PPA is occasionally mentioned on old threads on here. I think in the beginning funding was difficult. Not sure if it's the same now but when DD was due to go though you could borrow the full £9250 tuition fee from student finance, there was an additional £1250 per year to pay directly to the college. There was also quite a large deposit to hold the place of £500 (which we lost) . In comparison I'm aware that IC was charging £300 deposit that year. The year after DD decided to go elsewhere I noticed PPA being mentioned a lot more, so yes quite possibly 'one to watch' and not yet on everyone's radar but if finances are tight look into the aspects I've mentioned re costs/deposits.

[K8t]

Thank you. I will check funding out. She’s actually saying she wasn’t that impressed.

GSA is foundation, she went and had an inperson audition, getting through to interview. By all accounts she felt it went well, she really enjoyed it too.

UCAS is showing nothing and logging into the GSA account, it says ‘decision pending’. She did email last week, but hadn’t had anything back.

Still waiting in IC and Mountview tapes.

[Sahara]

Does anyone have any info/thoughts on the merits of the Trinity Laban and Emil Dale Cert HE (foundation) MT courses? DD has been offered both, as well as the degree plus foundation year at PPA, and a recall for foundation at Mountview.
She has recalls at GSA and Royal Welsh still to do, as well as Urdang initial audition. Also still waiting on outcome from Conti tapes. Thank you!

[K8t]

My daughter was offered PPA acting foundation then changed to degree in 2021. She had auditioned online due to the lockdowns and accepted without visiting because that wasn't possible. When she later attended the open day she didn't think it was the right fit for her so when a last minute offer came elsewhere she took that instead. We had heard vaguely heard of PPA prior to this. My understanding is it's been running some years and I think initially had connections to GSA running as a separate body for foundation (not sure if GSA ran their own back then) but when GSA became part of the Uni of Surrey, PPA wasn't included and so set up as a drama school in it's own right. PPA is occasionally mentioned on old threads on here. I think in the beginning funding was difficult. Not sure if it's the same now but when DD was due to go though you could borrow the full £9250 tuition fee from student finance, there was an additional £1250 per year to pay directly to the college. There was also quite a large deposit to hold the place of £500 (which we lost) . In comparison I'm aware that IC was charging £300 deposit that year. The year after DD decided to go elsewhere I noticed PPA being mentioned a lot more, so yes quite possibly 'one to watch' and not yet on everyone's radar but if finances are tight look into the aspects I've mentioned re costs/deposits.

Thank you alerting me to this. With PPA it looks like the Foundation year is privately funded £9,250, so we have to pay, but the 3 year BA has access to student finance.

[Sahara]

My daughter was offered PPA acting foundation then changed to degree in 2021. She had auditioned online due to the lockdowns and accepted without visiting because that wasn't possible. When she later attended the open day she didn't think it was the right fit for her so when a last minute offer came elsewhere she took that instead. We had heard vaguely heard of PPA prior to this. My understanding is it's been running some years and I think initially had connections to GSA running as a separate body for foundation (not sure if GSA ran their own back then) but when GSA became part of the Uni of Surrey, PPA wasn't included and so set up as a drama school in it's own right. PPA is occasionally mentioned on old threads on here. I think in the beginning funding was difficult. Not sure if it's the same now but when DD was due to go though you could borrow the full £9250 tuition fee from student finance, there was an additional £1250 per year to pay directly to the college. There was also quite a large deposit to hold the place of £500 (which we lost) . In comparison I'm aware that IC was charging £300 deposit that year. The year after DD decided to go elsewhere I noticed PPA being mentioned a lot more, so yes quite possibly 'one to watch' and not yet on everyone's radar but if finances are tight look into the aspects I've mentioned re costs/deposits.

Thank you alerting me to this. With PPA it looks like the Foundation year is privately funded £9,250, so we have to pay, but the 3 year BA has access to student finance.

I don’t think PPA are running a standalone foundation course in September, even though it’s listed in the Fees section of their website. They are running degree plus foundation year now for MT and Acting, and the foundation year is fully funded. Still a top up fee for the degree part though.