Offers at 18 compared to offers at 16

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Grace03
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Offers at 18 compared to offers at 16

Post by Grace03 »

Hi, I was wondering if anyone here has experience of auditioning at both 16 and 18?

My daughter received 3 offers at age 16.
Due to finances she couldn’t audition for the larger London based colleges. Her offers were for smaller (but still dada approved) colleges.
She received one offer of a partial scholarship and two other offers but without funding.

She turned these down and is now in the position of being able to apply for degree courses next year after an extra 2 years of training locally.

Has anyone else done this and managed to get much better offers? She has worked hard on her weaker areas but we’re not sure if we are being unrealistic. She was hoping to do some summer schools this year to get an idea of the expected standard but obviously these are not running now this year.
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icantdance
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Re: Offers at 18 compared to offers at 16

Post by icantdance »

Hi Grace03. My DS applied at 16 and was lucky enough to get 2 DaDA offers, but he decided he wasn't ready to leave home and stayed at school to do A levels instead. He's applying for both degree and diploma next year and at more colleges that he did last time. Obviously he has an advantage over your DD as he is a boy, and there's less of them! He's been doing lots of online classes throughout the lockdown so has been keeping up with all of his dance, and also has singing lessons (everything on Zoom of course).

However, nobody has been able to do face to face dance classes, so you're in the same position as everybody else, meaning your DD is not disadvantaged over others. Urdang and Performers are, I believe, running summer schools this year and Arts Ed are doing audition technique summer schools based at home 10-12 every day for a week (over Zoom naturally). DS was also hoping to do summer schools but that has had to be curtailed and may still be home based.

I think deferring for 2 years is a risk, but it's one that DS was happy to take at the time, and he knows that he will have to live with the outcome of that, whatever that is. Good luck to your DD in her auditions x
Grace03
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Re: Offers at 18 compared to offers at 16

Post by Grace03 »

Hi yes you are right, they are all in the same position. I have told her this to try to help her think more positively.
The disadvantage would be if a lot of the sept 20 intake defer their places until next year.
I think one difficulty is that she’s never been to the places she wants to audition and isn’t sure if she’ll feel out of her depth. We don’t want to waste her UCAS choices on unrealistic options.
Thank you and good luck to your son.
2littledancers
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Re: Offers at 18 compared to offers at 16

Post by 2littledancers »

I would definitely consider a pre audition course albeit on zoom . There are a few on offer . My daughter did the Urdang pre audition course last summer in advance of her audition in the November and found it invaluable. It gave her confidence in auditioning , helped with song choices and even small things such as giving the tempo to the pianist and taping your music . All this on top of the daily Jazz and Ballet classes .
islandofsodor
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Re: Offers at 18 compared to offers at 16

Post by islandofsodor »

The danger for some students turning down offers at 16 is that for many they are unable to access the amount and quality of training required to keep to audition standard. Going to college at 16 is often the only solution if you find that local schools don;t have the advanced classes available.

Your daughter however has been able to work on her weak areas so that, combined with the fact that she now has more options available not just diploma courses should hopefully mean she stands more of a chance.
Littleone
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Re: Offers at 18 compared to offers at 16

Post by Littleone »

My Daughter applied at 16 just to one college which was more local to us. She was offered a place but decided she wanted to wait until 18 when she could audition for degree and would feel more ready to move further away . She continued at school and did A levels whilst continuing her dancing at her local school . She auditioned again last year and is now a 1st year degree student in London. Waiting until 18 gave my DD far more options ..and being able to audition for degree was far better for us financially. It seems that degree intakes are increasing in size too ( at least at some of the colleges) which must also help :D . My daughter did a Pre audition course too which I think is useful both for feedback and for giving an idea of standards. From our experience at application/audition , the colleges seem to like that you've taken the opportunity to experience something of their teaching previously.

Best of luck to your daughter :D
Grace03
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Re: Offers at 18 compared to offers at 16

Post by Grace03 »

Thanks everyone.
She has some difficult decisions to make over the next few months!
lotsolaffs
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Re: Offers at 18 compared to offers at 16

Post by lotsolaffs »

Hi, my daughter auditioned at 16 and got offers at both places, it was a kind of just see what happens. After 2 years vocational training she was offered a Laine Dip, with Dada audition, GSA BA, Mountview foundation and ArtsEd foundation. Only one with no offer was Central, she really enjoyed that audition day and picked up lots of tips.

She met auditionees that had tried for 3 and 5 years, she met 6th formers who got into ArtsEd degree and GSA degree, 6th formers and those who did a gap year afterwards and got nothing, anywhere. She knows many who did two years vocational training and got nothing, gap years who got nothing. Believe me, she will see all capabilities.
Do a summer school if possible, my DD got a scholarship to an ArtsEd one and it was invaluable, she also did workshops at local dance schools and did acting workshops- it's very different for applicants this year, I expect many may be put off auditioning and there may be issues with funding.

After going through this as a parent I do feel now all you can do is give it a go, don't overthink it because it won't make sense how that girl who couldn't dance got into Laine and one boy got offered a place everywhere yet a boy who was so talented got nothing etc.
I wasted years worrying about should she do this or that - this forum has been great for support.
However it is sort of taken out of your hands at the end if the day,all you can do is prepare and be confident, that can be in lots of ways, not just in personality.
Good luck for auditions x
Grace03
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Re: Offers at 18 compared to offers at 16

Post by Grace03 »

Thank you. I think we just have to go with the flow for now! She is definitely needing a degree offer though so she needs to make her choices for auditions wisely.
lotsolaffs
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Re: Offers at 18 compared to offers at 16

Post by lotsolaffs »

There aren't that many that you apply to via UCAS, Guildford School of Acting, Central, and a few others but can't remember, some you apply through CUKAS , for example Trinity,others directly., Mountview, ArtsEd.
Anyway, I am sure you will find out loads on here, once you start sifting through the forums.
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riverdancefan
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Re: Offers at 18 compared to offers at 16

Post by riverdancefan »

My son is just finishing up his first year at ArtsEd on the degree pathway. He spent his sixth form at Emil Dale, well he did the old AS levels.
He started his A levels and was so unhappy it was quite heartbreaking. He saw his friends at PA colleges full time improving and felt he was stagnant. He struggled to keep his skill levels up out of the demands of long school days and academia.
We decided to apply for a scholarship place at EDA for their 6th form BTECH ,which imo is one of the best in the country and he was lucky enough to get some scholarship awarded. He was already 17 so ready and able to leave home and live initially with a host family.
EDA was fantastic. Full of creativity. A Nurturing place and he really improved there.
He says he would have found it difficult to keep up with the pace of Arts Ed without the preparation and support of EDA .
Possibly wouldn’t have even got a place at Arts..who knows.

I guess my experience is if those years 16-18 are utilised to the utmost ,in whatever way is best for your D.C. and your family, then it keeps them ahead of the game and at the skill level they need to be in this REALLY competitive college audition process.
"Tall and proud my mother taught me, this is how we dance" - RIVERDANCE
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