<p>Maryland, I am glad to see you are realizing there is an exciting world beyond the six hour drive from Maryland!!</p>
<p>If you are considering Guildhall, it’s worth also having a look at the other major London drama schools, such as RADA, LAMDA, and Central.</p>
<p>All of these of course nowadays have websites where you can get a lot of the information.</p>
<p>British colleges and unis have COMPLETELY DIFFERENT admissions criteria then U.S. ones. Nobody in the UK is going to care one bit about your GPA, whether it is high or low. When you are looking at the information for these schools, make sure that you find the information specifically for “International Students”.</p>
<p>You can save some money because in England a bachelor’s degree only takes three years instead of four. This is because English colleges and unis have higher standards for admission, basically they expect folks to already know what Americans learn in their first year of college.</p>
<p>On the other hand, living in London is very expensive. If it is “England” rather than “London” that you are in love with, consider schools outside of London (Bristol Old Vic comes to mind).</p>
<p>Have you actually lived in England before, or does your love of England come completely through books, movies, and TV?</p>
<p>I got to travel to England senior year of high school. I LOVED it there. I got to tour so many wonderful places! London was my favorite, followed by Birmingham, then Bristol. Thank you for the additional list of schools, BTW. Will they really not care about my GPA?</p>
<p>P.S. What do I do about parents who don’t like my choice of majors, and probably - okay, DEFINITELY - wouldn’t support my choice to study in England if I do so? I don’t need their permission, I know, but it’d be nice to have their support…</p>
<p>" I could probably pay $10,000 out-of-pocket, but my parents can’t give any aid. Our EFC is kind of skewed since it doesn’t take into account past unemployment/debt acquired because of it."</p>
<p>A challenge that you may have are financial constrains to studying full time either in US or abroad.</p>
<p>Unless you are 24 or older, or meet other criteria for independent student status as far as FA goes, you will be considered a dependent for FA (and in many states for IS tuition purposes… meaning they will consider your parent’s residence yours for tuition purposes) which means even if your parents will not be able to contribute anything (or a only a small amount) to the cost of your education their income and assets will be taken into consideration when calculating EFC. In this case you will only be able to take out a small federal loan on your own unless you parents are willing to co-sign a private loan.</p>
<p>Even with an EFC of 0, most schools do not meet full need, so you would still be responsible for paying a large portion of the cost of attendance. </p>
<p>If your family is not supportive of your choice of major, and is not able to contribute much, if anything, to your college costs, you will need to be creative about how you go about pursuing your training. </p>
<p>A college degree is not necessary to be an actor, you may choose to work to save money for a conservatory program (either in US or abroad), or for individual training courses/ coaching while working and auditioning. Or, if you have completed a degree at a CC transfer to an instate university with a threatre program that you can complete in two years while commuting, or etc… </p>
<p>There are many paths to a career in the arts!</p>
<p>I teach in a university training program, and completely support that route for students who seek it! :-)</p>
<p>If that is the goal, identify a few academic/ financial safeties you can apply to. UMBC may fit that bill. So may Towson… Also look for schools that will give you guaranteed merit for your stats… although those are more difficult to find as a transfer student (which I believe you are?). Then add schools that could offer you competitive talent or merit money. Also look to see if their are any programs in the Academic Common Market that offer the major. I think Coastal Carolina might for MT for students from MD, not sure about BFA Acting. Run NPC on websites… an expensive school that gives no merit/ talent money and where COA is out of your price range may not be worth adding to your list. </p>
<p>Some schools where I believe merit/ talent money have brought the COA down for families I know… although, I do not know how low, and most of these were freshmen admits, not transfers… Rider (NJ), UArts ¶, Wagner (NY), Muhlenberg ¶, Illinois Wesleyan (IL), Webster (MO), University of Hartford (CT).</p>
<p>UArts is a little less expensive, overall, than many private colleges. Their “Artist Grant” is usually $12k per annum, and they award quite a few of them. Combined with a Stafford loan, the immediate cost could be brought down to something close to $30k per annum. Philly is much more affordable than NYC, and so most students can save by moving off campus. There are lots of attractive housing options within walking distance. </p>
<p>Rider offers at least one full scholarship, by audition, for theater majors. </p>
<p>Montclair State has a superb auditioned BFA Theater program, along with a very solid BA. You have to be admitted to the college before you audition, and so the BA is available as a backup. Although they are less expensive than private colleges, the out-of-state tuition will be higher, and they award very little aid to students from outside of NJ.</p>
<p>It’s probably worth applying to a few expensive private colleges (but only a few), just to see whether they offer you aid. Your parents might come around eventually. Goucher has a well-respected Theater program. American University has an auditioned BA for accepted students. You have to audition for acceptance into the Acting major, but you can audition at any time between your senior year in high school and sophomore year in college.</p>
<p>Coastal Carolina is a bit farther than you were talking about driving, but there are a number of students from Maryland in the program. IF you have any interest in a degree in Physical Theatre, then CCU would be great option to look at. Through the Academic Common Market, you would qualify for in state tuition (that only applies to BFA Physical Theatre and Musical Theatre majors, not BFA Acting majors.) Plus, the PT majors spend their senior year in Italy. Might be worth looking into, depending on your interest.</p>
<p>GPA is such a religion among ccers that it can be hard for people to realize that not everyone in the world is an adherent of GPA.</p>
<p>GPA is something very American, and has nothing to do with the UK educational system. UK colleges and universities simply don’t care what your GPA is. British applicants to college come from schools that don’t have GPAs. Most British people would have no idea what a “GPA” is.</p>
<p>I’m not just talking about theatre or drama programs either. British colleges and unis across the board, in ANY subject, don’t care about your GPA. Not even Oxford and Cambridge.</p>
<p>They look at completely different criteria.</p>
<p>I think it at least worth LOOKING at some of the places I suggested, and maybe some other UK acting programs. You may be VERY surprised how different their admissions requirements are from the USA.</p>
<p>KEVP, your remarks may be a little hard for a high-school student to interpret; while GPA may not be the specific number they’re looking for, the British universities do look very carefully at the applicant’s transcript. We have had several students who weren’t accepted until summer as the UK universities were waiting for AP score results before they made the final decision. What they don’t care about is the “intangible” side–extracurriculars, etc.–but the quality and rigor of coursework and the earned grades are important for admission to UK universities (not referring to acting programs specifically).</p>
<p>If you are really able to do 10,000 per year, then the in-state schools are really worth concentrating on. Sure, apply to the others, but just know that the in-state options that you have are within reach financially, and if an out of state or private option ends up being your best deal, then that is gravy. </p>
<p>UMD and UMBC are at about 19,000 per year tuiton, room and board. If you do the guaranteed student loan (Stafford Loan) for 5,500, and add in your 10,000, you are looking at coming up with 3,500 dollars in the worst case scenario. Depending on your fafsa and maybe some other factors (not sure what the maryland schools have in the way on grants and scholarships) there is a possibility that you will get grants and scholarships that may make that 3,500 difference disappear and may make it so you don’t have to spend 10,000 out of pocket each year. You also might be able to get a work study job if eligible, and even if it is fifty bucks a week, that’s a couple hundred extra a month. Also, if you are independent enough to live off campus, you might save more with that option.</p>
<p>Also, the only dumb questions are the ones you don’t ask. When you get accepted to a school and receive a financial aid package, contact (in person, if possible) the financial aid office and ask them for more money if you need to. They’ll either work with you, or they won’t. Usually if they won’t it is because their hands are tied, not because they don’t want to help. They want to get accepted students into their school and they will work to do it within limits. No harm in asking. </p>
<p>There are many different paths to take. It all comes down to work ethic and your desire.</p>
<p>I am definitely looking harder at English schools - BCU is Birmingham City Univ. That list of schools was awesome, KEVP! Thanks again! I’m looking at them for sure!</p>
<p>KatMT, thank you as well for that list of schools! I’m definitely looking at them!</p>
<p>austinmtmom, I will look at CCU! Thanks for the suggestion!</p>
<p>stagemum - I hadn’t considered those schools! Which one would you say is the best?</p>
<p>When I say “GPA” I mean “GPA”. I apologize to anyone who isn’t used to people who say what they mean.</p>
<p>MOST British colleges and unis considering American applicants will indeed look closely at AP tests, or SAT subject tests.</p>
<p>So what this means is, if you are someone who struggles to get their GPA, by which I mean GPA, up, but still do well on these sorts of exams, you can certainly consider UK colleges and unis.</p>
<p>But even having said that, since we are talking specifically about theatre/drama/acting programs, a couple of the best Bachelors degree programs for actors in the UK don’t look at these exams either, their admissions are based ENTIRELY on the quality of your audition. Many others have a balance of audition and exams.</p>
<p>This is the sort of educational heresy practiced in this strange country the UK, where they don’t care about GPA. It’s probably connected to some of their other strange practices, like giving all of their citizens free health care and not letting them own guns. Obviously, if you go to college or uni in the UK you may get exposed to these bizarre un-American values, and so this alone may make it inappropriate for most Americans.</p>
<p>Haha, looks like I’m gonna be “un-American” (well, hopefully, anyway!)! I think I’m going to apply to Birmingham City University (1st choice), UMBC, Towson, CCU, UArts, and CSM! Thanks again, everyone!</p>
<p>KevP: loved your take on the UK v American value system!!! Thanks for making me smile as I sit in my hotel room in London as my D auditions for Guildhall today and LAMDA on Thursday. She’s already committed to Mason Gross in the US but loving her experience in London and at callbacks.</p>
<p>RKEVP – who exactly in this thread did not understand what you meant by GPA?</p>
<p>If you are referring to Time3’s post, she certainly didn’t misundertand what you meant by GPA. In fact, she says specifically that GPA number per se is not something they would be particularly interested in. All I read her point as saying is to make sure students applying don’t think that there aren’t other data points schools are looking at such as test scores. Given she has previously indicated she’s involved in advising kids on colleges, why wouldn’t we all want her to clarify that UK schools will look at test scores even if they don’t pay that close attention to GPA?</p>
<p>ActingDad is correct, and the reason I emphasized the point about GPA is because increasing numbers of American colleges are telling us that they have so many applicants now that they don’t even bother recalculating GPAs–since there are infinite ways that high schools weight their grades–and therefore that particular number is losing importance in the overall application process. The transcript itself, always crucial, is becoming the primary “gatekeeper.” Grades and rigor of coursework are the point, not the GPA, but people often use the term “GPA” to mean a general level of academic achievement, especially since the actual number can be calculated so many different ways (e.g., “my son is a 4.0 student”). This is what our college counselors and administrators have been told this spring by admissions deans from colleges of all types. And it’s why an admissions officer may be more likely to ask whether you have any C (or B-, or whatever) grades on your transcript than to care about your GPA per se. </p>
<p>We have had several good students whose admissions were deferred till July by UKAS schools until they could see AP scores that would help them qualify for admissions. These were kids with grades ranging from B- to A- with some honors/AP classes.</p>
<p>I believe everyone is aware that there are a range of admissions practices for acting/MT programs, varying greatly among schools, and that for many–perhaps the majority–the audition is the primary consideration, no matter where the school is located.</p>
<p>I’m posting these comments, which are based on direct in-school experience with current or recent applicants and college admissions counselors, in hopes of providing useful info. I have no agenda with respect to politics or other cultural issues, and I’ve had several students and advisees who thrived in the British system–and a few who found it wasn’t their cup of tea, so to speak, once the novelty of being abroad wore off. As with absolutely every school you apply to, it’s important to get current, detailed information about the admissions requirements. Good luck!</p>
<p>I really don’t think ANYONE didn’t understand what I meant by “GPA”.</p>
<p>Times3 was the one who wrote telling me that there were “high school students” who wouldn’t understand that when I said “GPA” I meant “GPA”. So just in case there are such people, I wrote my post clarifying that by “GPA” I meant “GPA”.</p>
<p>All across College Confidential there is this expectation that the best life plan for a young person is to get as high a GPA as possible and then get admitted to the “most prestigious” college or uni you can. When I was in high school, this was pretty much drummed into me. And I agree that this plan works for a lot of people (it worked for my parents when they were young). But when this plan didn’t work for me, I thought my life was over at 17. Because nobody had told me that in fact there are many, many, many other options. For many people (like me) one of these other options may well be a much better choice. So my “agenda” here is to try to tell people about these other options, to maybe help someone who is going through what I went through when I was 17.</p>
<p>But as I said, this seems to be considered “heresy” by a lot of ccers.</p>