<p>Does anyone have any experience with this program or any insight they can share?</p>
<p>My son auditioned in february and got his acceptance in an email this morning. It is a three year BA Acting program and the last four graduating clases had 2 -3 Americans in them. The acting class has 24 students. Unfortunately they give thier acceptances soooo late that most students have decided and made plans. My son is already communicating with his roomate at Roosevelt for this upcoming fall. I believe it is well regarded but would love for someone to jump in and enlighted us.</p>
<p>What would you like to know? I have really good friends that go there. The heads of the department come to my school every year to do master classes and to audition kids, and they talked a lot about the program.</p>
<p>Overall, it sounded amazing! Good exposure in the West End. Great training! If you have any specific questions, I could try to answer.
Also, I know there have been some posts before about Royal Scottish, so you could search those.</p>
<p>tnactorsdad, </p>
<p>A former CC member who has not posted in a while has a son who would have just finished his freshmen year at Royal Scottish Academy. They are from Alaska and the boy attended Interlochen Arts Academy and had gotten into other BFA programs for acting. I have not spoken to the mom in a while and I don't know if she regularly reads CC any longer but if you click on the name FROZENCHOSENAK and where it allows you to EMail the member (rather than PM the member), I suggest you do that. You can tell her that Susan from College Confidential (and a fellow Stagedoor Manor parent) suggested her as a contact. Her son is friends with my niece from Alaska who attends another BFA in Acting program now.</p>
<p>It's generally a well regarded programme but do keep in mind that you will have to leave Europe and work opportunities there once your student VISA expires as an American. It is pretty much impossible to stay on in the UK unless you marry an EU citizen, I have seen so many people try. My one qualm with the Royal Scottish would be that London agents won't see you in your final year shows (except for your 3 mins in the end of course showcase, which I believe they hold in Scotland as well as down in London) and you are generally quite far removed from the hub of the capital and audition opportunities there you could attend during your final year of training. But in your case this wouldn't matter, as you would have to return to the States anyway and look for work and representation there.</p>
<p>I believe someone said on Theater/Drama that RSAMD has an American showcase, but I would definitely check on that. Another thing to look into is the financial situation of the school. I heard something about one of their programs - not the BA Drama - having its funding cut and the other major Scottish program being closed down altogether because of funding cuts. You should definitely check on that. However, if those considerations check out in the positive and the financial situation will work out, I would be all over it if I were tnactorsdad's son. Not to diss the other programs to which he was accepted, but I would rate RSAMD several steps up from those in name recognition and prestige. Some really good actors have come out of there. Not to mention being able to study in Glascow for three years with the potential to have a Masters in MT if you stay a fourth ... How cool is that? Congrats!</p>
<p>Yeah. Definitely take a hard look at the school's financial situation. This article is mainly about the program at Queen Margaret being closed down, but there is mention of funding cuts at RSAMD, too ... University</a> drama turns into a crisis - Scotsman.com News</p>
<p>"I believe someone said on Theater/Drama that RSAMD has an American showcase, but I would definitely check on that."</p>
<p>True - many UK drama schools now hold showcases in New York for US graduates.</p>
<p>Personal opinion encouraged after interesting recent conversations with professional actors who have trained and worked in MT in both New York and the UK: For MT training I would always stick to the US schools - if from the US and eligible to work there.</p>
<p>^ But what about for acting? Tnactorsdad's son's acceptances were all for acting. :)</p>
<p>For acting my (very) personal opinion is that the general standard of acting of the classics and similar (Pinter, etc.) is higher in the UK. Training wise - I would have to enquire but I would learn towards the UK as well from what I have heard.</p>
<p>All:</p>
<p>Your comments and insight have been valuable. We are in the midst of our due diligence and appreciate your help. We will keep you posted.</p>
<p>When you graduate from RSAMD you get a 2 year worker's visa in the UK!</p>
<p>The program that got shut down, was CPP (contemporary performance practice). None of the funding from the drama side is being threatened.</p>
<p>One of many americans from my school that went to RSAMD, was Alexandra Silber, who, in her 3rd year there, had a masterclass with a big casting director from London. From that masterclass he asked her to come to London to audition for Andrew Lloyd Webber. She subsquently got cast, opposite Ruthie Henshall, in Woman in White. Then right after that she got cast in 1408 with John Cusack, and now she's doing the big London production of Carousel.
Just goes to show, if you really want to work on the West End, miracles can happen haha!</p>
<p>Yes but for every Alexandra Silber there are hundreds of others who don't get that chance. ;)</p>
<p>"When you graduate from RSAMD you get a 2 year worker's visa in the UK!"</p>
<p>Do you have a weblink for this? I have never heard of this and would like to enlighten myself.</p>
<p>I don't know where to view this on the web. But Hugh Hodgart, the head of acting, told us this as one of the perks to graduating from there. I heard this in January, when I auditioned!
You're right "for every Alexandra Silber there are hundreds of others who don't get that chance", but isn't it like that for all endeavors in the professional theatre world?
And I do know of a few others, who took their 2 years in the UK and didn't do anything big, so moved to NYC or LA and had to basically start over.</p>
<p>I would get that VISA statement in writing. I would think it's legally impossible to guarantee every single graduating non EU student a 2 year work VISA once they leave. I have never heard that being possible. Once you do have a link or a written statement do let me know, as this would be very interesting information for my book.</p>
<p>You may want to read this: </p>
<p>It says nothing about international students being able to obtain a 2 year work VISA once they graduate.</p>
<p>Here is a link that I think may clear up some of the mis-understanding regarding work after UK degee. My guess most Americans will go to either New york or LA once graduated to begin thier careers. That is what my son plans to do.</p>
<p>Students</a> (INF 5)</p>
<p>Thanks for that.</p>
<p>"If you successfully complete a degree level course or above, awarded by a Scottish institution, you may be able to apply to live and work in Scotland for up to two years after achieving your qualification under the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland Scheme."</p>
<p>So it applies to Scotland only, which is not that useful as most of the work happens in England, particularly in London - this is also where all the tours cast.</p>
<p>I also read the permit free employment guidelines - and there are quite a lot of things to take note of, like having an established rep as an artist before you start the course at Royal Scottish. Which is hard to prove if you have just left high school and are just starting out. Also, they want you to be mainly involved in producing original work - which is not applying for a job in a play or musical (unless it is a new work obviously). They also want proof that you have supported yourself for at least a year without public funding - again, impossible if you just left high school. </p>
<p>Most importantly, it states "... be able to support yourself and your dependants from your own income without working." This means that you will not be able to temp, waitress, etc to supplement your income and be expected to make a living solely off acting - impossible for most drama schook graduates for the first year or so. Unless you get into a West End show or similar. Which you would most probably not be allowed to take up anyway, as it's outside of Scotland and most probably, not an original work. </p>
<p>NOTE: In this section the word "actor" or "singer" is not mentioning, which states to me that this particular line of work is not included in the work permit anyway.</p>
<p>I would definitely check up on this if you plan to stay in the UK after graduation.</p>
<p>He has no plans to stay in UK or Scotland at this point. He wants to get classically trained and head to LA where sister is in the business on the production and writing side.</p>
<p>Did he decide to attend and not go to Roosevelt?? Or still in the research/decision process?</p>