Doing drama at uni/drama school

[Bahamarama]

Dd wants to do acting and is thinking about maybe going to uni to study it. She is currently doing AS level drama and theatre studies but does not like the theory/ written side of things so much.

Is there any point looking at universities for this? Does anyone know of courses where its mostly performance based?

I think maybe drama school would be better but I don't think student finance is available for this and I can't afford the fees. Also she has not had any experience outside of school so drama schools might not take her anyway. Unfortunately we live in a small town in the north of England so there is not much opportunity locally to take things further so to get anywhere she will have to move away, hence the thoughts of uni.

Any ideas?

This is the first MN thread I have read where Cambridge is suggested as a backup path to Drama. Let me just remind everyone how hard it is to get into Cambridge!

My 2nd son has chosen Surrey, partly because it's a low essay high practical theatre studies degree and partly because of GSA facilities which are shared. I'll be able to say in a year how the course has been in reality. My son should score enough UCAS points likely to have gotten him into Cambridge or Edinburgh but he was against the idea of doing another degree just so he could join a university drama club. Neither of these unis do drama as degrees.

Jeanne 16,
With the greatest of respect to anybody who gets in to either Oxford or Cambridge, can I point out how hard it is to get in to the top Drama Schools in this country. They are the performing equivalent of Oxbridge.
Bristol Old Vic take 14 students out of 6,000 that apply.
RADA are similar.
My daughter is currently on the waiting list for BOV, and will re apply next year if she is not successful. She has excellent A level results, so she could apply to Cambridge, and has talked about the possibility.
Also, note that Guildford School of Acting, frequently reject students from their Musical theatre and Action courses, because they fail to achieve the grades, which are generally AAB. This is because GSA is governed by the Uni of Surrey.
Drama/Performing at the top levels is not an esay option.

Good friend is a central London agent and she visits all types of drama schools and universities on the lookout for new talent. I wouldn't necessarily discredit the less competitive options.

Conservatoire of Scotland auditions 3000 for 24 places on the acting course. I don't know how many apply and don't get an audition. That is way beyond the ratio of applications: places of universities. They actively encourage potential students to look at as wide a range of options as possible, either as preparation for further auditions (few students get in at the first attempt) or as an alternative.

Can I pick your collective brains?
What's the view/wisdom on the merits and differences between taking a drama degree, a musical theatre degree (both at university) or an acting course at a conservetoire/ specialist provider eg BOV?
DD looks to be heading down this route and I would appreciate help in better understanding the types of course, how well they are perceived, and the respective difficulties in getting an offer!

Error my DD got an offer at Guildford to do BA in Acting and an offer for the RADA Foundation. i.e. not their full drama course.

After heaps of thinking, she turned down the guildford offer and is going to RADA foundation in Sept.

Why? So that she can reapply next year to the top drama schools, and hopefully get an offer from one of them, being a year older and having the Rada foundation should also improve her acting.

Because where you train is so incredibly important in the performing arts and if you can get into one of the big five, then it's worth doing so, a million times. ALL the agents will go to RADA final year show, some will go to Guildford, a few will go to East15, for example. And Agents are Everything, apparently!

Doing an acting degree at a uni was simply not an option for my DD, she refused point blank. It would be like going in for a marathon with only one shoe - you might get to the end, i.e. paid work as an actor, but you're far less likely to than someone who went to e.g.
Lamda
Rada
Central
Guildhall
Bristol Old Vic

Error,
For what it's worth, this is my experience.
I would say that a Drama degree would not prepare you to find work as an Actor, but would probably be more suited to e.g. an eventual career in teaching/writing etc.
If your D is serious about becoming an Actor, she would really need to apply to a Drama School, of which there are many, but in reality, there are a handful that are considered to be the equivalent of Red Brick/Russell Group unis, iykwim. RADA and Bristol Old Vic, LAMDA, Central and Guildhall are extremely prestigious.
Getting in to any of these institutions is extremely difficult, and the younger you are, the more difficult it is. Musical theatre courses generally have a younger intake, but it is still difficult to get in.
If your D has aspirations to get in to any of the above institutions, she may have to be prepared to accept that she may not get in first time. On the other hand, she is almost certain to get an offer to do a Drama Degree.
My daughter has just been accepted at Central [one of 18] on her second attempt. She is also on the Waiting list for BOV. They have accepted 12 people this year out of 6,000!!. This gives you an idea how difficult it is, and I can tell you that it has been a long, hard for my D, with plenty of disappointments along the way.
A word of warning about Foundation Courses. They are by no means a guarantee of being accepted on to a 3 yr course anywhere. Very few are funded, and most , including RADA are outside of UCAS, therefore you have to fund them yourself, and they are expensive.
I point this out because my D has been on a funded Foundation course this year, but was not accepted on to the 3 yr BA Course.
Good Luck to your daughter in what ever she decides to do.

Bucking frolics and fantine - thank you both for sharing your experiences. Intellectually I knew it would be difficult, but I didn't appreciate quite how few places there are.
Can I ask if your DDs took A levels or performing arts BTEC (or something else) after GCSEs? DD is going into Y11 so she/we need to apply for sixth form courses this Autumn.

Hi there,
My daughter is academic. Lots of questions along the lines of, why are you doing drama etc.? She could have got in to any of the red brick unis.
She has 4+ A at GCSE and A's at A2 IN English, History and Drama. Also D D in BTEC [ Not a triple D BTEC due to the A2's]
So she could quite easily have gone to Uni, but her heart was set on Acting. As a family, we said we would support her in getting in to Drama School. However, we also suggested that after so many attempts, she would have to think seriously about something else. She was adamant that she did not want to follow the uni route.
We always thought that she had talent, but we are not experts, and she has had a fair few disappointments but she got there in the end.
There is no reason why your daughter could not follow the BTEC pathway if she is not particularly academic. If she is academic, she can still continue with her BTEC Course, whist still doing an AS Or A2.
In the meantime, maybe your D could get involved with Acting on a local basis?
Talent will always out, but it may take a few attempts to get there. She is still v young, so don't stress too much and let time do its job

PS It is true that there are few places in schools like BOV, Central, RADA etc. There are however, other schools that are also excellent, but that take more students. As your D develops more as a Performer you will know which schools are suitable for her.

Fantine - again thank you
Your DD sounds incredibly clever! 3xA2 and the BTEC as well. Did she study both simultaneously?

DD is pretty academic (school are predicting all As at GCSE) but she is also a good dancer (has a national scholarship for extra tuition each month in London) & does Stagecoach performing arts - though I know that's not always well regarded on mumsnet. However, her teachers are v good and the school has given her some great opportunities. In particular, they've done some straight drama rather than all musical theatre, and DD has really enjoyed this.
This year DD is looking to branch out and join one of the local AmDrams but I'm concerned she might be spreading herself too thin! Particularly as its GCSE year. And again, what's coming up is musical theatre & panto type stuff. DD has her name on the waiting list for a couple of groups in Bristol, but no knowing when a place will pop up.

I feel torn between encouraging and supporting DD in her ambitions while still ensuring she meets her academic potential so she has more options further down the line.

Plus I'm struggling to find any local sixth forms that offer both BTEC and A levels together.

My did not stay at High school to do her BTEC and A' levels. she went to the local 6th form college, which fortunately and a good reputation for Performing Arts. She did both strands simultaneously, but did not do the extended part oF BTEC due to the other commitments.
It is a good idea to get involved in am dram. My D joined a local group, and it was beneficial.
Your D is still young, and has plenty of time to develop and find which discipline she is most comfortable with.

Bristol Old Vic take 14 students out of 6,000 that apply
Just to mention that 3 of these places have gone to recent Cambridge graduates.
It's a long and expensive route though.

Cathy and Clare,
I presume they would have been for the MA or shorter 2 year course?
In theory my D is still on their waiting list and could yet be offered a place.
However, I don't think many people turn down the opportunity of training at BOV!

I think it's the three year, I thought the short courses were for foreign students. They just got offered off the short list -but DD just told me in passing, so I may be wrong.
They are all apparently excellent.

Fanzine, VERY well done to your DD, amazing to get on the short list and to get into CSSD.

Lol at autocorrect Fantine

I was very into youth theatre so as a consequence had lots of friends with ambition to work in the business.
Several went to Rose Bruford, others to RADA and Central. Some are many years later still making a living acting (a couple are well known enough you'd recognise them off the telly ) others into associate fields like theatre management or were well known on the TV but now teach drama (a plus point for a drama degree) but none of them got in just by acting in school plays. To have any chance your daughter needs more experience and a hunger for it .its hugely competitive and she needs more than having the lead in a few school productions ,she should at the very least be involved with youth theatre or even adult am dram which can often lead to extra work or even decent parts. Commercials is another avenue , really anything that gives her more to offer than "good in the school play". Drama schools and drama courses see that on every application and are looking for more than that to stand out at application stage.

If she doesn't have that drive and hunger then uni will give her more options and summer breaks and uni drama to try and build some experience.

A friend's child was a successful child actor and is slowly building a reputation as a young adult actor but it's tough even with a strong network of contacts he has cultivated over the years he has already worked. If she really wants this she needs to be much more proactive.

Hi Cathy and Clare,
Thank you for your kind words.
My D was on the shortlist, i.e. the list they draw up after the final recalls.
Then, she was placed on the waiting/reserve list. They reject a lot of people from the shortlist.
There were/are very few people not he waiting list, but BOV won't tell you how many or what position you are. My D was desperate for a place to become available, but when the Central offer came along she decided to take it. She could have found herself in the same position the following year. We know one girl who wagon reserve for 2 years before getting a place.