Hi - as a pretty uninformed parent in the BFA acting realm I am wondering what everyone’s thoughts are on the UK vs. US schools. My daughter has a guaranteed offer at Royal Welsh and a reserve offer at Royal Scottish. She also has offers from some decent programs in the US (Pace, Michigan, Hartt) and is still waiting on her top (but super long shot) choice CMU. Even though she made the first callback round at Juilliard but not the second, we know her odds at CMU are really low just due to the odds, so she has said her first choice right now would be one of these UK schools. I used to live and work in the UK, so I have no issue with the ‘long way from home’ or ‘out of the US’ factor, but am wondering 2 things: 1) What’s the thought on advantages/disadvantages of those two schools (Welsh and Scottish) vs. the US ones and 2) Anyone know anything about Welsh and Scottish - is one better than the other, etc.? Thanks so much.
From what I’ve heard, if you decide to go to Scotland or Wales, it would mean you want to work in Scotland or Wales. Those schools have great reputations in that area, but even with the top British schools, it might be tougher for the American students to come back to the states and get work. If your daughter wants to have her career centralized in Scotland or Wales (or even in Great Britain as a whole), then I would definitely say go for it, but if not, see what type of jobs their American alumni are getting specifically. Again, this is only from what I’ve heard, so feel free to take this advice with a grain of salt.
As I understand it - the reciprocity rules for union work make it VERY difficult for american (citizen) actors to work professionally in the UK. Therefore I wouldn’t think studying in Scotland/Wales would lead to a better chance of working there. UK training can be fantastic (and it is generally 3 years rather than 4- right?) but it doesn’t mean you get a work visa there
One advantage is possible tuition savings because it is a three-year program and not a four-year. Also check and make sure what the housing situation is and the budget for food. UK schools typically require students to prepare their own meals in a shared kitchen, and often times, there is not a true residence hall (although independent student housing complexes seem to be plentiful).
Along with what frostyagain mentioned, if your D chose a graduate program in the US, it would mitigate the working in the US vs. UK situation. Of course, that is additional time and expense.
If @connections is around they may be able to shed some light on these questions.
My son audition for Lamda on January 31st in Los Angeles. He was told callbacks would be announced the first week in March. Has anybody heard anything
No on Lambda here too. My D auditioned in January at Unifieds and was told 3 weeks till the callback list. Nothing so far. Bizarrely bad communication
My son has friends who received rejection emails and one received a callback and still we have been sent nothing.
I would take the fact you haven’t heard from LAMDA as a positive sign. My D was on the wait list last year. She didn’t find out she was on the list till the very end of March/maybe even April and it was by snail mail.
@dennehy – My daughter auditioned in Los Angeles as well. She has heard nothing also, but she has a friend who auditioned in NY and got a rejection today. We’re wondering if they’re sending out emails in waves based on audition dates/cities. Did your son’s friends audition in L.A., too? Just curious. 
These are his classmates in Los Angeles; one flew to NY last weekend for her audition and received the no go today
the other 2 auditioned on the same day as my son in LA; one is called back and the other not. From the audition materials:
'After the audition, applicants receive one of the following letters within 2-3 weeks of the audition, although this may vary throughout the year:
Notification of a second audition or;
Notification of a recall or;
Notification of selection for the wait list or;
Notification of an unsuccessful audition.
We’re baffled. We’ve heard nothing.
Received the ‘no’ this morning. Oh well that saves us a bunch of money.
Bummer, sorry.
We also got a ‘no’ on Lamda but my D was not surprised. She thought the audition was very strange. Royal Welsh continues to be at the top of her list, pending a decision at CMU.