Drama school applications: When your hobby becomes what you actually want to do

[Biscuitsneeded]

Posting here as opposed to Higher Ed, as I suspect there will be more parents in the know here than there. DS is nearing the end of Year 12 and is very sure he wants to apply to drama school. We know it's unlikely at 18. I am very unclear about how it all works, how it's paid for, which ones you can apply to through normal UCAS route etc. He wants acting as opposed to musical theatre. Does anyone have recent experience of DC applying, or is anyone else contemplating this same journey over the next 12 months? I think I feel anxious because my friends' kids of same age are all starting to head off to Uni Open Days, and I feel like we should be doing something, but really there's very little point going to look at a school and loving it if the chances of getting a place are about 0.00005 %. Would appreciate all advice or companionship!

My eldest is the same year as your DS, but on the normal uni front. His younger sibling however is Y9 and is very much looking towards drama school. Potentially performing arts colleges/schools for sixth form. So I'll be watching this with interest and welcome any advice on that younger, 16yo front.

I know of at least two members from the other thread with Y13 children who have successfully applied for drama school across the last few months, I know they will have useful advice for you, having just navigated it!

I am very unclear about how it all works, how it's paid for, which ones you can apply to through normal UCAS route etc.

How much time have you and your son spent going through the individual websites of every drama school, and every relevant section of the UCAS site? Once you’ve done this, perhaps two or three times, you’ll have a more secure understanding of everything.

But I think you’re being unnecessarily negative about the process and his chances. (I don’t have children applying but I am very familiar with drama schools and know many students and staff.) Yes, it’s hugely competitive and everyone else will have an equally impressive CV - but everyone at drama school applied. The ones who didn’t apply aren’t there!

And yes, it’s not at all unusual to meet people who are on their second or third re-application - their determination is impressive. The thing is, there can’t be a better preparation for a drama school audition than taking a drama school audition. If he tries next year and doesn’t get in, he’ll have the advantage next time of knowing what to expect and how to improve. And in the intervening year he’ll be able to enhance his CV / portfolio with as much work as possible.

You’ve mentioned this is a hobby at the moment. How personally ambitious is he? It really will be up to him to push his career forward.

Be prepared for a bumpy ride!

If you haven't already have a look on the notapushymum training threads. The current year thread has some parents of straight actors (my dd is musical theatre) . The thing I will say is that often for straight acting it can take several attempts to get in, so have a Plan B as to what your child will do if they need to take a year or two out.

Know your finances. Learn the difference between a drama school degree that is accredited by a different university where there are top up fees payable, and one franchised out where there are no top up fees. Decide whether or not studying on a Level 6 Trinity Diploma with potential Dada funding is feasible (that's how my daughter studies). Don't get too hung up on the fact it isn't a "proper" degree, a one year distance learning top up to a full degree is possible alongside working.

Arts University Bournemouth has a fantastic acting course- worth considering alongside drama school applications. Easier as can apply for student loans.

Argh - I'd written a really lengthy post explaining all the funding structures and th website glitched.

One thing to look for at any drama school/acting course is whether they are Spotlight/equity accredited and whether they hod an agent showcase.

It is really difficult to break into the industry but even more so without these.
My daughter’s college had both but covid meant that agent showcases were cancelled and it has made life a lot harder.

With regards to fees & funding, there are several different types of courses/institutions.

I will attempt to summarise.

Degree awarded by a drama school/conservatoire with its own awarding powers eg RADA, LAMDA, LIPA
These are funded in the same way as a normal university degree. You take out a loan for the fees and are eligible for a maintenance loan dependent upon family income.

Degree awarded by a university but franchised out to a drama school or where the dram school is part of the university eg GSA, East 15.
Funded in the same way as above.

Degree conceived and taught by a drama school but accredited by a university eg Arts Ed, Mountview.
They have their own fee structure which are often a lot more but you can only take out a loan for a maximum £6k leaving a substantial shortfall. Maintenance loans can be applied for.

Level 6 Trinity Diploma taught by a drama school eg Arts Ed, Oxford School of Drama. Not a full degree but you can do a one year academic top up by distance learning. Fees are often higher than a degree. You audition for a place and then you auditon again to be given a Dance & Drama Award. This is not a loan and is paid direct to the drama school for fees. Low income families will get all fees paid, higher income families will have to top up on a sliding scale.

The scale is here www.gov.uk/government/publications/dance-and-drama-awards-income-scales/dance-and-drama-awards-income-scales-2018-to-2019-academic-year

There are no maintenance loans available.

You cannot be awarded both student loan finance AND a DaDa.

@TottersBlankly thank you for replying. I know if we sit down and read everything all this will become clearer. I think I am just daunted by all the different ways the schools operate. We can't afford anything that isn't covered by student finance so that will narrow things down. DS is completely serious. He's done NYMT several times, is doing NYT this year. I don't mean to be negative about his chances - he has a decent chance of getting in somewhere at some stage, but at 18 he has been told it's unlikely because the colleges prefer them to be older. And DS looks young. But we still need to do some applications this year and at least have some practice, if nothing else!

@Comefromaway has cover most things in great detail.
I would add that a foundation course can greatly improve chances of getting into the degree or level 6 diploma.
Looking young is not necessarily a disadvantage certain colleges are known for their 'fresh faced grads' what they are looking for is a mature attitude. Staff in a foundation course would be giving advice about where to apply.
My DD is MT, but is very much the fresh faced look and she's short - at 18 she still meets the casting criteria for school of rock. She deliberately applied to places who are know for her look. She got a place at Conti - famous for fresh face grads - so many cbbc and cbbeebies presenters have come through Conti.
It is tough, they need to be very emotionally resilient to go through the application process. The whole self tapes thing has made it even harder you sometimes send in tapes and her nothing for months and then just get a rejected on UCAS.

You need to be prepared for audition costs and the costs of deposits to hold places. These range from about £200 to £1000.
With the level 6 diploma if you get an offer you then have to wait to see if you get a DADA.
One of DD's friends (very talented boy with unusual casting type) had multiple offers very early, but didn't find out till last week if he had a DADA for his first choice.

I'm in a very similar boat to you. My daughter is in Year 12 now and she/we are gearing up for a roller coaster. She's a bright girl and her school have put her under a bit of pressure to go to University but she is absolutely committed to trying to get in to drama school. She knows the odds are silly but somebody has to get in! I think she'll find it tough when her friends head off to University in October and the chances are she won't have got into drama school first time. But her eyes are open, she knows it might be a bumpy ride but it's all she's ever wanted to do. I tried to edge her towards doing drama at University but she wasn't interested and I've since been told that if it's acting that is you're solely interested in then drama school opens a lot more doors. We'll see. Right. Seat belt!

@somewhereinsomerset you hit the nail on the head. It's the knowledge that most friends will head off to university next September and in all likelihood DS won't be going. People who aren't in this world don't really understand and I think it might be somewhat demoralising for DS. I think they are both right to eschew university if what they want is to act. Please keep me updated on your DD's progress. It would be nice to hear from someone at the same stage!

Happy to keep in touch. Yesterday DD had a day at school that was all about UCAS and applying to University. It's so odd to me that after years of studying and mocks and stress and exams and grades... you can get into RADA without a single qualification! She is in the process of writing a folder on her chosen drama schools - 7, I think - with their different processes and dates and audition requirements. Then spend the summer sorting out her monologues. There's a lot of support from her school if you want to go to Oxford or be a dentist but almost none for her. They simply don't have the experience to help. I think some of her friends and teachers think drama school is somehow an easy option but it's certainly not - all day everyday attendance, weekends, strongly advised not to get part-time jobs because of their acting commitments etc. So it's a pretty lonely road to take - but potentially incredibly exciting, I guess.

My daughter is just graduating. She has been fortunate enough to secure an agent, and is in the process of being submitted for various roles.
I think I can safely say that she has auditioned in the majority of drama schools, so I/ she is familiar with the audition requirements.
Hers is an interesting journey. She was initially accepted on a Foundation course and really enjoyed it. She was not however offered a place on the main degree course. Apparently she just did not fit the vibe.I think it’s important to understand that an offer for a foundation course is not an offer for a subsequent degree course. At most only a handful of places are offered. Many of the schools do have a type.
This, for her was were things became interesting.
She was on the reserve list at Bristol Old Vic, and was so disappointed not to get in. However another well known school offered her a place late in August, as she had been placed on their reserve list too. She decided to take this offer and not try the following year at BOV. I’m not going to name the school, but things did not work out. She basically suffered a breakdown due to circumstances at the school, and ended up
leaving. She had to return home and worked various jobs for the next two years until she felt strong enough to try again.
She got two offers and ended up going to a school a little closer to home. By this time she was almost 22, and I do think that she was much more able to cope with training than at the age of 18/19. The training can be intense, and some aspects of it I found troubling. I would advise not being too disappointed if your son doesn’t get in first or second time around, those extra years will stand him in good stead.
I would also advise doing your research carefully, as there are often issues under the surface in drama schools that people are not aware of. Remember they are not really regulated and many of the teachers have been there for years, often using “unsafe” teaching methods.
Having said all that, we are very proud of our daughter for getting back in there and following her dream. Now she just needs that dream role!🤣🙏🙏

Thank you so much for this, very interesting. And kudos for your daughter in having the courage and resilience to go back and succeed. I get The Stage and it's rare for a week to go by without some scandal or issue of abuse, big or small, at our drama schools. How acting is taught now and how fit for purpose that training is in such a rapidly changing industry - stage and screen - is one hell of a question.
The age question is interesting, too. There was a session from BOVTS online yesterday and the principal said "they are NOT students, they are professionals in training". Pretty tough on an 18 year old straight out of school. My experience of university was waking up at lunchtime, reading a bit of Jane Austen, and waiting for the pub to open!

Yes, it’s tough and not easy in any way.

Thank you @FANTINE2 for sharing your DD's experiences. Well done to her for finding the self-belief to go back and get her training. She's clearly very talented to have done so well and got an agent at the end of it all. I'm sure you're right, and being that little bit older makes you not only a better actor but also more able to cope with the rigours of the course. DS knows this could be a 2 or 3 year process, but he may as well try now and get used to the auditions procedures!
@somewhereinsomerset my DS was on that BOVTS zoom yesterday too! I didn't get involved, as it's all up to him now, but by chance he knew one of the students presenting. Apparently it took her three years of trying, to get offers. Clearly you need to be very resilient - but the industry will always require that, so maybe it's no bad thing to experience rejection, and to have to be patient and really examine your commitment.

BOV only take around14 per year, or they did when my D auditioned. It was her dream school, and she got close. When you audition initially it is v quick process and if you are successful you are straight through to the final round. This was my daughter’s experience for her first attempt, but the second time she didn’t get through to the final round. She was the last in on the day, and just felt it didn’t feel right. She said it just didn’t feel comfortable and was the opposite of the first experience she had there.
I think that you very quickly learn how subjective the whole process can be with auditions. It can be disheartening when you have spent a fortune on train fares etc and you are literally in and out in 5 minutes.

Drama/Musical Theatre are not the only courses who view their students as professionals in training. As a Vet my experience of Uni was 9-5 every bar Wednesday when we finished at 1 and were expected to go and play hard at sports. My friends who are doctors and nurses had similar experience - vocational degree training is tough.
As an 18 year old if this is your burning dream you stick with it, if you waver your fall by the wayside. My year group started at 115 and ended at 99. So I don't think drama/MT is unique.

That's interesting @FANTINE2 because DS doesn't like the fact that first rounds next year are likely to be self tapes. He definitely does better in the room. However, as his parent I can see that not losing money on train fares etc just for an unsuccessful 5 minutes might be preferable! It's good to bear in mind that it is always subjective. I actually doubt they ever get many people auditioning who are completely wooden and unable to act, so once they've weeded those out they must still have huge numbers of talented young people to somehow sort through. I do wonder if persistence pays off. Do they remember who has auditioned from year to year and think 'oh let's give them a break because they are good and clearly they want it?'. Or if not that, do they look at an 18 year old and think this person is good, but rather than take them now let's see if they come back next year...?

This was pre Covid of course, so all her auditions were in the room.
BOV had a policy, not sure whether they still do, that if you got to the reserve list (prior to this you were on the short list) then if you revauditioned the following year you went straight to the final round. Unfortunately my D was still not well enough due to her bad experience to take this offer up. She had to start from the beginning.
I think the first round is looked at by a random staff member, so unlikely they would have known or remembered her. I know she could have tried again, but by this point she was 22, and she decided to take the offer from her present school rather than risk rejection again.
She has enjoyed her training, but I know she looks back with disappointment on her rejection at BOV.
It is so hard to second guess what schools are looking for. I think persistence at somewhere like BOV does pay off however, but sometimes circumstances just defeat you.

@FANTINE2 it really sounds as though your daughter has come through a lot and has triumphed. Once you have an agent and fingers crossed some work, I imagine where you trained becomes less and less important as your CV grows. You must feel very proud of her.

Yes, I think where you train d does become less important, but the big agents still seem to gravitate towards the RADAS etc, so these types of school are still very sought after.She is discovering that possibly the most important factor when an agent submits you for a job is your Spotlight profile and in particular your headshots! This is what casting directors look at before they ask you to tape. She was asked to tape recently for what would have been an exciting role. The request basically came because of her”look”. She hasn’t heard anything so is assuming it’s a no, but she was chuffed to be asked!
We are proud of her for fighting through, but it’s not an easy road as I’m sure you will know. She is now about to graduate, but has to find some sort of job so that she can continue to pursue her acting. Reality is now beginning to set in, and as I say she has had a few tapes through, but no success yet.
Good luck to your son!😊

This is all so helpful thanks all

dd has just finished GCSEs so we need to start thinking about all this

i guess there are open days? Or do they not do that so much for drama schools?

is it any advantage if a kid is academic? Or is it all about the monologues and interviews?

There are Open Days, yes, but as far as DS can tell, not for all of them. I guess competition is so fierce they don't need to sell themselves. My understanding is that the DC need to pass some sort of qualifications at 18 but entry to the courses wouldn't demand particular grades as long as they pass them and have reasonable GCSEs including maths and English. That said, an academic person will no doubt find some aspects of the course easier. A lot of them are now doing applications initially by self-tape, or at best by zoom. So if you don't get past that stage, which is statistically the most likely outcome (sorry to be doom and gloom!), you may not visit the institution at all. I have said to DS that if he gets to an in-person recall stage for any of them, then one of us will take him and do the whole checking out the city business then!

that makes perfect sense biscuits thanks

does anyone know if any of the drama schools are particularity good at comedy acting or is it more serious/classic stuff?

Does anyone know anything about the Bristol School Of Acting? www.bristolschoolofacting.com
It looks almost brand new but has some seriously good people involved in it and is housed in the Tobacco Factory. Interestingly, they do an intense two year course (same teaching hours as a conventional 3 year course) which saves the students an extra year in fees etc. It's so new I'm struggling to find anything much about it online.