So You Want to Act?

When I started applying to drama schools in the UK, I thought the difficult part would be the audition. I quickly discovered that the application process itself can feel like a full-time project – especially when you are applying internationally. I applied to a wide range of schools and courses before eventually accepting a place at East 15 Acting School. Looking back, there are quite a few things I wish I had known before I started.
 

Start earlier than you think

My first piece of advice is simple: give yourself time. Some of my applications went through UCAS, which I found incredibly useful, but not every drama school uses the same system. I had to keep track of different portals, deadlines and requirements, as well as references, monologues, self-tapes and interviews. For East 15, I also submitted physical performance material because I was applying for Acting and Fight Performance, showing some of my background in martial arts, dance and weapon work. If I were applying again, I would organise every deadline and requirement before recording anything – and I definitely would not leave one of my favourite applications until last, which is exactly what I did with East 15.
 

Apply wider than you think

I applied for Acting, Musical Theatre, Foundation courses and more specialised programmes. Foundation training was something I had not really encountered in the same way in Germany, but many students I have met in the UK completed one before starting their degree. Applying broadly also helped me work out what I actually wanted. For me, that was Acting and Fight Performance. I came from martial arts and dance and wanted to combine physical performance with acting without giving up traditional actor training such as voice, movement, singing, accents and Shakespeare. East 15 offered exactly that combination.
 

Check the visa first

International applicants also need to ask one very practical question early: Can this school and course support the visa you need? I discovered that not every programme I was interested in would work for me because of its visa arrangements. You also need to budget beyond tuition. Applications, auditions, travel, language testing, visas and moving abroad can all add to the cost. It is not a reason not to do it – just a reason to plan ahead.
 

Self-tapes are a skill too

This is something I would prepare for differently now. At the time, I focused almost entirely on the acting. After studying alongside British actors and seeing how some of my classmates approached their applications, I realised I could have researched UK self-tape conventions much more carefully. Always follow the school's instructions, but also look at available guidance and ask someone you trust to watch your tape before submitting it. Eventually, you have watched yourself perform the same monologue so many times that a second opinion becomes very useful.
 

Audition in person if you can

My East 15 application was completed through self-tapes and an online interview, so travelling to the UK is certainly not essential. However, some of my favourite audition experiences happened in person. Compared with my previous experiences at German drama schools,I personally found many UK auditions surprisingly relaxed and welcoming. At one school, a later round involved almost a full day of workshops, monologues and working with tutors.

It taught me also that an audition is not only the school deciding whether they want you. It is also your chance to decide whether you want them.
 

Get comfortable with hearing “no”

Drama-school applications involve rejection. I did not progress at every school, and several years earlier I had already applied to acting schools in Germany without being accepted. For a while, I thought acting simply was not going to be my path. I completed another degree, lived some life and eventually realised the desire to act had never actually disappeared. Looking back, I am grateful for that time. Acting is about telling stories about people. Meeting more people and having more experiences did not make me late for drama school. It gave me more to bring with me when I tried again.
 

You do not have to be eighteen

I was in my mid-twenties when I started drama school and initially worried that I might be too old. I was not. Some students arrive immediately after school; others study, work or do something completely different first. For me, starting later meant knowing myself better and being much more certain about why I was there. So, if acting is something you still want to pursue, I would not let age be the thing that stops you.
 

Speaking English is not acting in English

English is not my first language, and studying acting in English brought challenges I had not completely anticipated. Speaking English confidently is one thing. Analysing Shakespeare, learning accents and discussing specific voice and movement techniques in another language is something else. I have a vocabulary notebook. I ask questions. Sometimes I have to ask people to repeat an expression everyone else understood immediately. But that challenge is also part of why I chose the UK. I wanted the possibility of working internationally, and training in English felt like an important step towards that.
 

One last thing

Applying to drama school can be exciting, expensive, tiring and, at times, disheartening. There are no guarantees, and almost everyone will hear “no” somewhere along the way. But if this is what you really want to do, do not let one rejection convince you to stop. My own East 15 application was the one I submitted last – and it ended up being the course I wanted most. So, if you are currently preparing your monologues, recording yet another self-tape or nervously waiting for an audition result: good luck. And if you have already received an offer – congratulations. You have done the hard part of getting through the door. Now the real adventure begins and have a lot of fun! You’ve got this!

- Octavia