Auditioning for 2016

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cluelessmum
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Re: Auditioning for 2016

Post by cluelessmum »

With regards to GSA - my dd made her offer (lots of blood sweat & tears involved). But last year a friend of hers did not make their and was totally rejected. This year she knows of a few that were so talented that they got unconditional offers. She also knows of a few people who were able to negotiate a missed offer successfully and a few who were literally just offered a place from the waitlists.

I don't know why the academic standards at GSA were so high but it definitely was talent first and then grades/UCAS points later. My dd was an IB student and the difference between last years requirements and this years was more than a 10% increase! With so many people hoping for a place I felt like they were almost trying to see how hard my dd would work to secure her space.

Urdang however even though she wrote to them and spoke to them and rejected her place on UCAS still has her on their list of students for the degree! She has written to them yet again as they keep emailing her as they think she will attend even though school has started there!

Good luck to all trying for 2016 but I wouldn't write any school off - as you never know - they may think your dd/ds is so talented that they warrant an unconditional offer.
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nextinline
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Re: Auditioning for 2016

Post by nextinline »

My ds applied to lots of places and visited them all. It definitely helped as he developed a clearer idea about what he wanted to specialise in. He had been torn between musical theatre and acting. In the end he is doing a degree that covers acting, writing, directing, producing, screen work and setting up your own theatre company including the financial side. This is now the plan: study hard and work for himself. He will keep his band interests going and continue to sing and dance. In the process of going to each place he was advised that many actors do now diversify in these ways. So, the long trawls around each institution were worth it. Good luck to everybody auditioning this year. We will be thinking of you :D :D
francescasmum
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Re: Auditioning for 2016

Post by francescasmum »

Nextinline, the course your DS is doing sound just the sort of thing my dd would be interested in, what is it called and where is he doing it?
She is currently writing a musical on the lines of We Will Rock You and American Idiot based on James Blunt songs. She is really enjoying and showing a real talent for it, even though she is only 12 she has gone in to great depth with character and plot - I've been quite amazed.
bop2thetop
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Re: Auditioning for 2016

Post by bop2thetop »

With regard to the high grades required for GSA I can completely see both sides. My DD was lucky enough to get a place there and is now about to start her 2nd year. She got 3 A's at A level. But my DS won't be auditioning there when it's his turn because he hasn't got the same academic ability. By the way the kids are all extremely talented. They definitely get a place based on talent, they just have to be very academic too. I think that's because they are linked to Surrey Uni and have to keep in line with the grades needed for all other courses. I agree it's not fair but I don't think it's GSA's fault. Their hands are tied. Like I said I would have loved my DS to have a chance to audition there but he won't be able to. It's a shame because financially it's much more viable than other options.
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Welsh Mum
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Re: Auditioning for 2016

Post by Welsh Mum »

Still seems odd that you need lower grades fir Adult Nursing or Mental Health Nursing than MT !! (University of Surrey require 3 B grades for both courses ).
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bop2thetop
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Re: Auditioning for 2016

Post by bop2thetop »

Welsh Mum wrote:Still seems odd that you need lower grades fir Adult Nursing or Mental Health Nursing than MT !! (University of Surrey require 3 B grades for both courses ).
For Surrey Uni? I thought all course needed the same grades. If that's right then that makes it all very strange. I always thought it was Surrey Uni that stipulated the grades. If it isn't them then I don't know why GSA make their grades so high. Unless its because they want to cut down on numbers auditioning
lynne
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Re: Auditioning for 2016

Post by lynne »

Hi
As the wife of someone who works in a University ( although not in MT!) and helps to set grade boundaries I thought I would shed a little light on the topic! Universities set the grades required based on a combination of things:1) The level of academic ability they think is required for the course. 2) The popularity of the course and 3) To attract the correct numbers for the course.
So, if a course is very popular they will increase the grades required otherwise they will have more candidates than they can offer places too. If the course is not filled then they will often lower the grades during clearing until they have the required number of candidates. It is dangerous for a popular uni to offer low grades as they may have too many candidates and not enough space/facilities/teachers for them. Hence they urge on the side of caution until clearing! Hope this helps!
:D
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Welsh Mum
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Re: Auditioning for 2016

Post by Welsh Mum »

bop2thetop wrote:
Welsh Mum wrote:Still seems odd that you need lower grades fir Adult Nursing or Mental Health Nursing than MT !! (University of Surrey require 3 B grades for both courses ).
For Surrey Uni? I thought all course needed the same grades. If that's right then that makes it all very strange. I always thought it was Surrey Uni that stipulated the grades. If it isn't them then I don't know why GSA make their grades so high. Unless its because they want to cut down on numbers auditioning
Yes Surrey University - 3 B grades fir Nursing, higher than MT!
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Welsh Mum
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Re: Auditioning for 2016

Post by Welsh Mum »

lynne wrote:Hi
As the wife of someone who works in a University ( although not in MT!) and helps to set grade boundaries I thought I would shed a little light on the topic! Universities set the grades required based on a combination of things:1) The level of academic ability they think is required for the course. 2) The popularity of the course and 3) To attract the correct numbers for the course.
So, if a course is very popular they will increase the grades required otherwise they will have more candidates than they can offer places too. If the course is not filled then they will often lower the grades during clearing until they have the required number of candidates. It is dangerous for a popular uni to offer low grades as they may have too many candidates and not enough space/facilities/teachers for them. Hence they urge on the side of caution until clearing! Hope this helps!
:D

I can understand this for other courses, but they audition all applicants anyway for MT. I know than unis have discretion as well - several of my students had unconditional offers ( where they didn't have to get any grades) for very academic courses.
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lynne
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Re: Auditioning for 2016

Post by lynne »

Hi Welsh Mum
If they get unconditional offers it is usually because they definitely want the student, but that does not mean that all those students with an unconditional offer will take up the offer.The problem with unconditional offers is that the student has to commit to accept the offer before results come out! It is a way of trapping good students to a lesser uni/college. The heads of school set the criteria for their departments not the chancellor of the university! Guildford does not have the same requirements for all courses, for example electronic engineering last year required A A A for M Eng. Maybe the MT course at Guildford has a certain amount of academic requirements which cannot be assessed in an audition.
So ,yes the heads of school do have discretion as to who they let in but it has to be seen to be fair and it has to conform to their requirements to numbers. It is also important that the students that they do take are up to the course requirements!
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Welsh Mum
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Re: Auditioning for 2016

Post by Welsh Mum »

lynne wrote:Hi Welsh Mum
If they get unconditional offers it is usually because they definitely want the student, but that does not mean that all those students with an unconditional offer will take up the offer.The problem with unconditional offers is that the student has to commit to accept the offer before results come out! It is a way of trapping good students to a lesser uni/college. The heads of school set the criteria for their departments not the chancellor of the university! Guildford does not have the same requirements for all courses, for example electronic engineering last year required A A A for M Eng. Maybe the MT course at Guildford has a certain amount of academic requirements which cannot be assessed in an audition.
So ,yes the heads of school do have discretion as to who they let in but it has to be seen to be fair and it has to conform to their requirements to numbers. It is also important that the students that they do take are up to the course requirements!
I am aware of what an unconditional offer entails (should have said I have been a Gead of Sixth Firm for 20 years). The point I was making that universities do not have to such rigidly to entrance criteria. In fact most of them don't. The MT course is vocational with minimal written work, hence why I think their grade requirements don't make sense. Most other voc courses attached to unis don't . Having had 2 DD, one of whom did a very academic degree the other who did Acting degree there is absolutely NO comparison between them regarding academic ability required. I think that GSA was being disingenuous sticking to the graded offer, many many students get onto courses without making the requirements. One if my students was a grade down for Dentistry this year and got in!! It smacks of GSA making a mess if their offers and making too many of them. That does happen.

Don't think your comment about lesser unis is accurate either. My students had unconditional offers this year from Reading, York and Exeter..........
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Re: Auditioning for 2016

Post by lynne »

Hi Welsh Mum
You appear to be very angry! I was only trying to give you insight from the universities point of view, If you choose not to accept what happens then that is really up to you. I am also in education and have much experience of the UCAS system. As I said earlier my husband is in charge of setting the grade boundaries and in charge of lowering them if needed for his school at his university so I do have insight into what really happens! It is obvious that if a university chooses to not lower their grades then they have enough students already! They can only take the quota agreed by the university, as they have to have enough teachers to do the job properly. If a course is very popular they have to distinguish between students somehow, obviously they feel that a one day audition does not distinguish between students enough.
Regarding the unconditional offers, there is always (bar one) a better university as only one university can hold the top ranking per subject!
I am going to finish this conversation now, as I can see it turning into an argument and I do not want to be involved in that.
jaybeeyellow
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Re: Auditioning for 2016

Post by jaybeeyellow »

GSA have 2 rounds of auditions. One short audition , then a second recall audition.Surely, they should not feel the need to then look at the academic abilities of theses students as well. It is vastly unfair that some are admitted with 'just' a BTEC, and others have to get really high grades. This is an unlevel playing field.As someone has already said, there is a vast difference between the Btec and A levels.
Also Surrey is not a Russell group uni. My other daughter is studying law at a red brick, with similar entry requirements to Those asked for by Surrey. She would never have considered going there though, because, it is not Russell group, and has no reputation. Therefore, future employers would not consider her. Simple as that.
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Welsh Mum
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Re: Auditioning for 2016

Post by Welsh Mum »

lynne wrote:Hi Welsh Mum
You appear to be very angry! I was only trying to give you insight from the universities point of view, If you choose not to accept what happens then that is really up to you. I am also in education and have much experience of the UCAS system. As I said earlier my husband is in charge of setting the grade boundaries and in charge of lowering them if needed for his school at his university so I do have insight into what really happens! It is obvious that if a university chooses to not lower their grades then they have enough students already! They can only take the quota agreed by the university, as they have to have enough teachers to do the job properly. If a course is very popular they have to distinguish between students somehow, obviously they feel that a one day audition does not distinguish between students enough.
Regarding the unconditional offers, there is always (bar one) a better university as only one university can hold the top ranking per subject!
I am going to finish this conversation now, as I can see it turning into an argument and I do not want to be involved in that.
So sorry to have made you feel defensive. It was not my intention but I see poor behaviour from universities on a regular basis and was trying to put the point of view of the students. You clearly have lots of inside info from your husband, many others don't. The thing is vocational courses have a history far longer than their recent association with universities and I know many in the profession are worried about the negative impact this association is having - such as the way GSA behaved this year.

Sorry if you thought I was arguing. That's what putting a different point of view is like. Those of us who have been on the forum for many many years may not have always agreed but this is a forum to express views
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jaybeeyellow
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Re: Auditioning for 2016

Post by jaybeeyellow »

Unfortunately, students are already being advised not to apply for GSA. I doubt whether this will have a detrimental effect in the long run, but I wonder if GSA are aware of this?
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