6th form funding query

[Jellybeans]

is there a "hierarchy" of offers for 6th form places in the same way as there seems to be for lower school places?

 

for example, I assume the classical schools that offer Dadas offer a DaDa to those they perceive to be the most talented, then put the next level down on the waiting list for one. Do they also offer places straight away without the offer of a DaDa, i.e. to those that they would never consider for a DaDa? Are those on the waiting list for a Dada able to take up a place if they can afford the fees even if the offer of a DaDa never comes?

 

how are offers made in the schools that qualify for student loans? Do they just offer places to the most talented and waiting list places to the next level and it is up to the families to sort out the financial side of things? do these schools also offer scholarships etc to the most talented? Obviously everyone can apply for a loan but whether everyone can afford the balance is different and presumably for many it is still too much.

 

I know that funding is changing at the moment and this question isn't about the intricacies of the funding or how it may change but rather about the way in which the offers are made.

[Tulip]

I know at Northern it is done on a point system. Throughout the first audition each student is marked on each exercise. A letter will then be sent to say that if there is a DA DA available then your child will be awarded one, depending probably where they were on the scoring system. The director of dance during the talk was very clear how their system worked, she said we will get a letter saying yes with the top section of candidates with a DADA if available. They know from experience that some students would turn the DADA's down to take up offers of other schools therefore leaving their DADA to someone else. The other letter was a no, they didn't say anything about a waiting list. Northern was a lovely school but my daughter chose another school where she is so happy.

[Jellybeans]

tulip, do you mean, therefore, that it is either yes or no to a place and some of the yesses will get DaDas? could all the yesses therefore theoretically attend, even if they didn't go on to get a Dada?

[Tulip]

I think so, but Northern audition throughout the year so they are only taking students with potential. I know for Central this year(which is student loan), people on the waiting list were asked to come in and re-audition, giving the students a second chance to shine on the day. When will your daughter be auditioning jellybeans?

[hfbrew]

Basically the "best" students get the first offers for dadas,scholarships mds, or whatever the funding options are.

 

Many students do get accepted onto courses but don't get funding offers or are on waiting lists.Basically a yes is a yes and if you can afford it you can go! Incidently I know of at least two families who could afford it but their dds were unsuccessful despite being advanced standard. This goes to show that places are indeed awarded on merit but sadly there are not enough grants to cater for everyone.

 

Some places ask you to fill in an income statement so that in the case of two students tied on points for a DaDa, the one least likely to be able to pay is awarded the grant.

 

I've known students get offered funding midway through courses and they ve not necessarily been on the waiting list.

 

Do bear in mind that different places look for different things- I've known students offered DaDas for some places on the day but not even get an invite to finals at others. The schools will pick those who they think will best suit their style of training.

[primrose]

hfbrew what you say is so true. I know a friends dd was offered places for Royal (where she is now) and ENB and other places, but not even a second audition for Elmhurst. The schools dont always get it right, they can only go by what they see during the snap shot that the student is there for audition. I also know of another girl at Central who came off the waiting list to then go forwards and shine and is now one of the top students there. Funnily enough the girl I mentioned earlier was offered a place at Elmhurst there and then when she attended their summer school that year. She declined politely. I also know of students currently at Elmhurst who were not offered places after the final audition but were then suddenly attending come the September. I dont know how that comes about, but talks between the schools and students teachers must take place.

I think that basically the students the school deem best are offered the funded places, some will be offered places without funding, some on waiting list without funding and some will be offered a place and on the waiting list for funding. ALL students offered places are good enough to attend and definately not because they can pay. The schools have reputations that the must maintain and are observed by many people within the dance world.

[KathyG]

We know of one student at a musical theatre 6th form who wasn't offered a DADA went on a scholarship and then half way through 2nd year she was offered a DADA. We also know of students who weren't offered any funding who then started in the September with funding.

 

I sometimes wonder in these tight times that schools may find they still have awards left at the end of the audition process for one reason or another who then then take another look at those who they didn't give places to to see if there are any who still may fit the schools criteria then offer a place. There will still be some very talented dancer's out there waiting for a place.

[meadowblythe]

I wondered if anyone had worked out how the Dadas are working from September - now the schools have more discretion will this affect how funding is allocated? Also, how does the maintenance element work?

 

From the Tring Park website

 

"awards for new students will however now be income assessed for both school fees and maintenance on the basis of a national scale – with students from lower income families contributing less and those from higher income families contributing more. "

 

Does this mean that a school, given it controls its DaDa budget, will be more inclined to take a student requiring less funding?

 

Of course I may have completely misinterpreted this!

 

Meadowblythe

[Jellybeans]

Thanks, that gives an insight on what to expect - it all looks rather complicated. It is encouraging to hear that places are always awarded on talent at 6th form level.

 

My dd will be auditioning for 2014 entry if she decides to go that route.

[spooky]

Would be good to know what the national slinding scale for contributions will be so we can work out if it is even worth applying (no point even auditioning if we can't afford it even WiTH a dada!). Has anyone been able to find anything?

[Tulip]

As far as I understand places at all the schools from year 7 upwards are all allocated on talent and potential alone. It is so hard to get into any of these schools without that potential and talent. Some youngsters may have missed out on a financial award but that does not mean that they are less talented, sometimes it is a case of watch this space. How many youngsters have we seen go through the audition process year after year without a MDS award to suddenly cometo 6th form auditions and then get into one of the top ballet schools.

[Jellybeans]

I don't want to get into any heated debate about this, but there is one school that normally offers almost everyone that applies for lower school a place. Of these, 50 or so of the most talented CLASSICAL dancers are asked to attend an audition for funding and a very small few will be then offered an MDS. I asked my original question because i was keen to find out if this also happened at 6th form level and it seems that it does not.

[hfbrew]

Just wanted to say that if you got a place where funding is via student loan (eg Central) then yes you do have to do have to sort out the financial side of things.

 

Incidentally if you can't afford to go even with funding then its worth being aware that sometimes a very talented student may be discreetly offered extra help from a hardship fund or trust connected to the school that they've been accepted into. But I stress that this happens only rarely and only at schools discretion to students they really, really want. Nonetheless its a fact worth being aware of.

 

Its always worth auditioning at places that you really want. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Sometime helps comes from the most unexpected sources!

Edited October 7, 2012 by hfbrew

[Tulip]

Good luck to your daughter if she auditions in 2014 Jellybean and fingers crossed that DADA's will still be available.

[taxi4ballet]

Its always worth auditioning at places that you really want. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Sometime helps comes from the most unexpected sources!

 

Off to buy a Lottery ticket RIGHT NOW!