SwaybackSapphire Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Hi I am pretty new to the forum, and have had some great advice. Was wondering if anyone thought if auditioning as soon as dates come out for vocational schools is better to get it done, or to wait until Jan/Feb to get extra practice in? Any advice would be appreciated!! Thanks X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZooZoo Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Is this for year 7 or later? I left it later to get some more practise in for my son (and due to lack of organisation!). In hindsight there was a lot to do in Jan/Feb and places like Tring were, I believe, pretty full on boarding places by then. In hindsight should have probably done a couple in the Autumn term. However, leaving it late meant that I did not have the dilemma of paying say, Tring, a deposit (and then losing it when we were offered WL). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwaybackSapphire Posted July 21, 2014 Author Share Posted July 21, 2014 Hi ZooZoo This will be for year 10, I did think about the deposit for Tring which is quite hefty I believe and not something I think I can write off! Caught between a rock and a hard place! X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifeafterballet Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 IMO I don't think that a couple of months makes that much difference ! It's all on the day ! In my experience leaving it to January/February increased stress levels due to weather and traveling arrangements ! Then there's the GCSEs looming for some !! I aim to get it all over and done with as early as possible so DC can concentrate on academics ! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Its her Life Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 A couple of other things to bear in mind is if you have an audition in early Jan, then depending upon your school, you may possibly have had 2 weeks off training over the Xmas! Also, if you leave it til the last preliminary audition and then something goes wrong, ie injury or illness, then there are no alternative dates to fall back on. I knew this to happen to a couple of dancers. And yes, the weather can play an enormous part too ..... I haven't forgotten driving up the M40 in a blizzard to get to Elmhurst & also having our Tring audition postponed due to thick snow. Thankfully I'd made a transferrable hotel booking. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harwel Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 We auditioned this year for year 10 entry - Tring only - and we had a prelim audition in January. Things to consider are; possible weather conditions if you are travelling far, lack of classes over Christmas, present dance school commitments up to Christmas (we had anual dance show), not so long to be waiting if you go a bit later - it really feels like it's never going to end, yet it was only 2 months from first audition to results of funding audition. At Tring, no decision was given out about places on funding audition until all the other prelim auditions were finished. However, I understand that those who auditioned pre Christmas were offered places on funding audition before. I also think the process is different if you do not require funding ie no waiting, you are either straight in, on reserve or not in. Those on the last prelim only had to wait a couple of weeks at most. There must be a limit to how many spaces they have on the funding audition, but they seemed to be going on all day, so get the feeling any child they are interested in will not miss out by being in a later audition. I don't think at this age it makes a big difference when you audition, even at 13/14 they are looking for someone they can train, not perfection, a couple of weeks off over Christmas isn't going to alter a child's potential. You must just do what's right for you, and your DC, for us it had to be a time where stress was at its lowest (after the show and after a nice relaxed holiday). Good luck with the process!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afab Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 When my DDs auditioned for Tring, both in January but on different dates, they were offered a place (unfunded in both cases at we don't live in the UK) but one got a boarding place and the other one didn't! Pretty obvious to me that even if we had had the money, being a day pupil at 11 in a foreign country was a no-go... But anyway, my point is boarding unfunded places go really quickly... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2dancersmum Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 For year 10 entry you perhaps ought to talk to your DD's current academic school also. GCSE exams may be at the end of year 11 but there are points during both year 10 & 11 when science practicals, oral language assessments and controlled assessments are done for other subjects and her school might wish her to avoid certain weeks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I would go for earlier. It seems for some schools more student at earlier auditions get a call back. For later auditions they may not want to see as many for call back as they will already have a large number of candidates to see? In the end it won't matter because schools will eventually select the right students for their schools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bailarin Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 We are doing all ours as early as possible. I want all the stress over asap!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DancingDays Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Hi SBS, Ultimately this year we were glad that we did them early - it was great finishing for Christmas knowing that DD had already had 2 offers and to be able to secure a place in advance of going back for funding audition. The flip side is that it seemed an awfully long time between the offers and the funding rounds...but equally as Afab says, by the later couple of audition dates (at least at Tring) there were only beds left for the funded places. Also, even getting an early "no" from Elmhurst in November was actually great in hindsight because it was one less to worry about so I'd definitely advise trying for the pre-Christmas dates rather than the post- Christmas dates. I agree with 2Dancersmum as well - I'm sure your DD's normal school would rather she do them before Spring term so less interruption leading up to assessments and exams at school. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miracle Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 When my dd for a yr9 place and ds for a yr7 place for Sept 2012 entry auditioned for classical course at Tring we did the 2nd to last audition day in late February. Both children were offered boarding bed and funding final. So I would recommend going with your gut feeling. Interestingly my ds only showed dance no singing, instruments or Drama to get to funding final. X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwimum6 Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I would go early as ds was offered mds place to start in Jan at his Dec prelim. You never know.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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