If you were unsuccessful in gaining a place at a conservatoire this year, all is not lost! There are a few things you can do now to improve your chances in the future.
- Reapply to UCAS Conservatoires next year – see if the conservatoire can provide any feedback as to why you were unsuccessful. Please remember that conservatoires audition everyone and often have thousands of applicants to audition, so don’t take it personally if they are unable to provide you with specific feedback. Here are three things you can do to strengthen your application if you choose to reapply:
- Try new audition pieces – the ones you chose before might not have suited your style. Try a few different pieces to find ones you’re comfortable with and can talk about. Then practise them until you know them back to front. You can never practise too much! The more prepared you are, the more relaxed you’ll be on the day. Check out our audition advice to make sure you know what to expect.
- Redraft your personal statement until it's perfect – you can write and rewrite your personal statement over and over again until you’re 100% happy that it sells you as the ideal student. Remember to show your enthusiasm for the course and for conservatoire study, and make sure you describe all your relevant experience.
- Get some experience – why not see if you can volunteer at a local school or youth club? Make sure your experience is in the specialism you want to study, whether that’s at a local drama club, or helping out in a school’s music department. This will improve your practical skills and understanding of the specialism, and will really make your personal statement shine.
- Talk to your teachers – there may be steps you can take to improve your skills in your chosen specialism.
- Make sure you fully understand and can meet any offer conditions – this could include things like English language tests for international students, or any academic requirements.
- Think about applying to UCAS Undergraduate – university courses are structured differently but you may find one that ticks all the boxes for you.