University offers for 2017 start (Part 2)

[EnormousTiger]

Continuation of the original thread which is now on to 40 page maximum.
Original thread (part 1) here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/2759621-Uni-offers-for-2017-start?

Most offers now received. My twins have had offers from their 4 and are currently deciding which will be firm and which insurance. One twin
( possibly two of them) is going to an offer holders' day coming up at Bristol next month with his friends from school.

Drama schools / acting schools are incredibly hard to get into, aren't they? That is a really tough decision.

Ds had an email saying there was a 25% chance of getting several halls but they were none of his favourites, a 50% chance of his favourite and an equal chance of the others.

Thank you everyone for your lovely support.

I haven't slept a bloody wink ( unlike DH who snores all frigging night ).

The choice is absurdly enviable. Drama school is the top one ( she got a late offer when someone pulled out). University is also excellent but they don't offer drama so she has a place on an English degree.

The trouble is she wants to go to university and have that experience. She won't get it at RADA. It's a tiny cohort where she'll be very much the youngest, training every day. No halls of residence( although it looks like she can have a place at a neighbouring university halls - they offer RADA students a room).

But if she takes the uni place she won't do any drama/theatre studies. I mean, lot of productions go on, but there's no training and she won't be with her tribe ( it's unashamadly academic and that's what students are there for - drama is a secondary hobby).

In terms of the long run, obviously the degree in English has more secure outcomes. A degree in acting is never going to help you become a lawyer.

She would like to write, direct, produce, act as a career.

I really don't know what to advise. She's still not even 18.

I'd suggest drama school - she can always go to uni later.

Getahair, that's difficult. First it should be her decision so she does not blame the family later for pushing her in the wrong direction. Secondly perhaps assess if she has much chance at acting - most people fail, earn badly and end up waiting tables in that sector. If she really is very good and might make it then even then I would still be assessing it based on the university place. Eg if the university has great Drama and we all know those who have started at Cambridge footlights etc and done really well then university in my view is the better option.

If the university is not very CV enhancing in terms of status anyway and she is very keen on the drama school then I would go to the drama school.
However who really knows? I probably should have tried Oxbridge where my younger siblings all went but no one had ever been from my school. Or Durham - I put Manchester above that. I probably could have got a choral scholarship and really loved that as I sing every day, sung a lot at unviersity etc but no one even mentioend to me they existed so I ended up in the very trendy drinking Manchester cool place when I was the opposite of that. It all worked fine. I won law prizes, did moots, sang in teh chamber choir, graduated a teetotal virgin....... but with hindsight I suspect Durham or Oxbridge might have suited my personality better. On the other hand I might not have got in adn my life has all been fine. I was 17 even at university. My head said i was too young to apply to Oxbridge which was silly as Ruth Lawrence was 12 when she went so I sure we could have managed my being 17. Basically things tend to work out okay in the end whatever choices me make.

if it were RADA or Cambridge I would choose Cambridge. If it were Rada or an ex poly I would pick RADA. IN other words I would pick based on the status of the institution.

Thread 3 is here as we are about the run out of space on here
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/3009333-Its-real-now-leaving-home-to-go-to-uni-part-3?watched=1

RADA 100%. It's a opportunity of a lifetime. She can do a degree at any stage of her life.

Agree with Horsemad - drama. Much easier to get a place at uni than drama school.

If she goes to drama school now and it doesn't get her anywhere - nothing lost, she can then do a degree.

If she chooses uni now she may always be wondering what drama school would have led to.

Well she's up and I'm stopping myself from pouncing on her and shouting 'well? What have you decided?'

Instead, I'm calmly shoving croissants into the oven... bang, crash.

Congratulations to your dd GetAHaircut. Amazing news.

What is the university? How long is a RADA course? Could she do university afterwards?

It's a three year degree in acting at RADA ( I do wonder what the hell you can be learning about acting all day every day for three years).

Alternatively, she could do an academic degree then apply for an MA at RADA in acting or directing or whatever.

If it's RADA, she absolutely should go. She can always do university and an English degree later. Lots of second chances. Probably not for RADA.

Also not necessarily true she'll definitely be the youngest. A few years back, two girls got in from our small city (one from ds's school). They were both 18 and straight out of school. They're both working professionally now, on stuff you'd have seen.

Absolutely her choice, though. Unenviable but also enviable. Talented thing!

Oh I see. I think she will probably end up choosing RADA. Hard to pass that offer up.

She can get into uni next year or in 3 years if she changes her mind. She won't get another shot at RADA.

Is there any rush to decide Carl? And what happened to your quiet pragmatism?! I'd be inclined towards the uni provided it was top end but then I frequently go against the flow.

The rush is primarily because DD is very stressed by the uncertainty. She wants to know what she's doing and start preparing and looking forward to it.

I'm stressed because I hate to see her like this.

Secondary issues include practicalities. We need to sort out accommodation etc.

And last, someone else is waiting for that place at RADA/uni. I'll admit I'm not so selfless that this is a big issue though, just a small consideration.

Yes I agree with the last point. I've always taken that line with my own DC if it comes to holding on to a place others might want more than them.

But you can help her by simply listing the objective pros and cons. She must have turned this over in her mind before Thursday though, and while I'd maybe inch towards uni for mine, earlier in the year you made the RADA thing sound as though it was that above all else and incredibly close to her heart, so what's given her second thoughts? I'd be asking her what her reservations are about RADA now, and what's sparked them. Also, just curious, but don't RADA ask for minimal grades - so surely she's known that was in the bag since June (or whenever they dish out the offers). It sounds a good position to be in though, so I'd also be telling her that if you have to stress, It's lovely to be able to stress about nice things!

Also, surely accommodation isn't relevant in her circumstances?

She didn't get an offer from RADA after the fourth round. She was put on the reserve list. So she received it quite late in the day ( presumably after Simone had dropped out).

And of course she didn't know she had secured her university place until Thursday. TBH she assumed that it probably wasn't an option until she saw her results.

Accommodation is an issue because the inter collegiate halls of residence in London won't hold a room open for her for very long. They're like hot cakes.

Carl you need to channel your inner Pollyanna! If it's a good uni course she can't go wrong whatever she chooses. Clearly acting is open to her either way. You do also have the good fortune to live in London, if inter collegiate places are gone.

I'm actually horrified at how many UCL DC from independents seem to own their own flats while at uni. Different world to mine, but an option for some. Anyhow, obviously quite a few opt not to live in the halls.

I'm not underestimating the difficulty of the decision from your 17yr/18yr old DDs point of view incidentally, just thinking how I might bump one of mine along in the same situation.

I'm trying, honestly I am.
And yes she can live at home and go to RADA but she'd rather go into halls ( and I'd much rather that).
Next year she'd probably share with friends who are studying elsewhere in London or her RADA peers.

Anyhow, she's gone to walk the dogs with her brother who know doubt will offer sage advice such as 'which course starts later each day' 'where will the food be better' 'are the girls hot at RADA and you can introduce me.'

BTW getting this all out here is really helping me.

I haven't even alluded to it with DD. Not a word.

Also I think I'm still on edge from Thursday when DS firm offer made him wait all day to hear if they'd take him.

Hugs Carl, it is a stressful time all round, even without extra complications.

Re the halls thing, even if she didn't start off in Halls, she would probably get in sometime after, as there are always people leaving and rooms coming free.

I still think she'd be better doing RADA, or at least trying it to start with.

It's a dilemma, but a nice one to have.