Not getting into drama school can be a real blow. However, it doesn’t mean your career is over. Far from it! It can feel like you’re never going to be able to reach your dreams if you don’t get into drama school but there are so many other options for you to take. You can’t make the best decision for yourself without knowing what choice you have to make. So, I’m here to help. Here is my advice on what to do when you don’t get into drama school.

Consider Training Alternatives

Drama school is not the be-all and end-all when it comes to becoming an actor. I know it can feel like it sometimes, but it’s really not. Rather than spending your time auditioning year after year, you could pursue another route that could put you on the path to becoming a working actor. From alternative course style to university, to online drama school, to starting work straight away, there are most likely far more career options than you think there are.

Check out my post here to find out all the best alternatives to drama school.

Take A Year Out

Did you know that many actors who go to drama school end up applying year after year before they get in – or give up? I myself have heard of people applying for 6 or 7 years in a row. When you consider travel and audition costs, that’s a lot of money and time spent.

Sometimes as an actor, thinking about taking a gap year can feel like giving up on your dreams. I promise you, it’s not. First of all, drama schools like you to have life experience. What does that mean? They want you to learn more about the world and adult life and have more experiences that you can bring to your work. They like their actors to be grounded, well-rounded people as well as artists. In this guide, I’ll list a few things you can do on your year out to prepare for your next round of auditions.

Get A Job

Getting a regular job may seem like a total waste of time when it comes to becoming an actor, but it’s really not – and here’s why.

• Drama schools like you to have more life experience. This often means they want you to know a bit more about adult life and settle into your maturity a bit, amongst other things. Getting a job will help you mature a little faster and develop important soft skills in the workplace.
• It will help you save money. This will help you may your audition fees, acting classes, theatre trips, and anything else that you may need in order to ace your next moves.
• It demonstrates independence. You haven’t relied on your teachers or parents or been single-minded. You’ve been proactive and taken steps to build your own life.
• It may allow you to have a higher income later on when you need to support yourself alongside your acting work.

If you’re thinking “I need a new job” to gain these benefits, consider roles that will allow you to develop employability skills that can transfer to your acting career.

Build Up A Skill Set

One of the things that can really help your desirability as an actor can be to build up your skill set. It’s not just your acting skills that count, but any other talents you can bring to the table. They will make you more suitable for niche roles down the line, meaning you will be far more in demand with agents. Drama schools may also make note of this and may feel it makes you more employable as a graduate, a more rounded person, as well as bringing skills to develop that could be used in your education and performances.

Some commonly required skills for actors include:

• Musicianship – guitar, violin, flute, and keyboard are especially in demand.
• Horse riding
• Roller skating and skateboarding
• Archery
• Acrobatics
• Team sports – football, rugby etc.
• Stand up comedy

There are many other skills you can learn that can help your work, so have a thing and try a few things that interest you. Developing these additional skills is a great form of personal development that can enhance your acting career path.

Why Special Skills Are So Important

Listen to Wendy Alane Wright explain why special skills are so important for actors to develop and a great way to spend your time as an actor.

Read Lots

One of the best things you can do to keep learning and expand your mind is to read lots. Reading generally and widely is a great way to help you form your own unique mindset, personality, and opinions on things – all very important when it comes to acting work.

Reading plays is also a great idea in order to widen your knowledge of past and current theatre. It will also help you to have a perspective on your own work that is informed by a wider context.

Finally, it can be really helpful to read books on the craft of acting itself. Try some Stanislavski, Meisner, Strasberg, Hagen, and Adler to start with, then you can branch out from there. This type of professional development and skill development is invaluable for aspiring actors.

Go To The Theatre

Going to the theatre is the perfect way to spend your time as an actor who is not in drama school. It will keep you up to date with the current industry in terms of genre, style, what’s actually being made, as well as popular topics and themes.

These are all things those who work in the industry or in drama schools will be very familiar with. It will also give you an informed perspective on your own work. You will be able to make choices about how you do your work, what you like, and what you don’t like.

You may even be able to pick up some inspiration from other actors that you can incorporate into your own work. Attending theatre productions is a great form of career exploration and career guidance.

Meet People

Another great option on what to do if you don’t get into drama school is to meet people. I mean this in two senses.

• Firstly, as an actor, it’s important to understand people, in all the many different shades they can come in. This can also help you understand where you fit in and what sort of roles you play in your life, which can help inform your acting work. So, get yourself to meet-ups, hobby groups, group dog walks, games nights – anything you can think of. Just get out there and meet people. Chances are you’ll make some great new friends too. This type of networking can open up new career opportunities.
• Taking time out from drama school is also a great opportunity to meet people in the industry. Head to film festivals and fringe theatres and talk to people. Attend workshops at theatres and with casting directors. Familiar faces will make you feel much more at home in the industry and will help you further down the road too. This is another form of networking that can be beneficial for your acting career.

Lean Into Your Adventurous Side

A lot of times, drama school panels and directors alike want to see that someone is bold and interesting. Do you know what makes you interesting? Being interested yourself, and doing interesting things. In one of my drama school auditions, they asked what we did in our free time, and one of the applicants told them he was a bellringer at his local church.

They spoke with him about this in detail for quite some time, clearly fascinated by this unique hobby and interest. So, why not push the boat out and pick up something a little niche, unexpected and interesting? This is another way to get life experience and become a more well-rounded person too.

Here are some great ideas:

• Long distance walking
• Scuba diving
• Bird watching
• Home brewing
• Keeping an allotment
• Beekeeping
• White water rafting
• Rocket building
• Wood carving

Pursuing unique hobbies and interests can make you stand out in the competitive job market for actors. It’s a great way to gain transferable skills that can be applied to your acting work.

Check out some more ideas on this list of unique hobbies.

Make Your Own Work

Having some space away from training gives you the opportunity to create something for yourself. This is a great opportunity to discover what interests you, as well as expand your skill set and show your entrepreneurship.

Think about writing a script and seeing if you can put it on in a small, local theatre. Maybe you can team up with some friends to make a short film? You could work on some comedy skits, a puppetry show – anything you like.

This will help you grow your confidence as an artist and a performer in your own right. Creating your own projects is a fantastic way to gain work experience and build your portfolio as an actor.

Train In A Flexible Job

This is one of those tips I wish I heard way earlier in my career. Train in a flexible job. Having the option to work flexibly is one of the most helpful things for being able to pursue an acting career.

For the majority, the ability to earn a full income from acting takes time to work up to. However, many aspiring actors don’t have the energy to pursue their acting once they have to work to make a living too. You tell yourself you’re going to be different, you won’t be like everyone else, because you really want it.

Please listen to me when I say the human body can only take so much. So, please, save yourself the time of having to do it later on or, even worse, the feeling of your dreams being unreachable, and train in something else too. Here are some great options:

• Computer programmer
• Copywriter or copyeditor
• Video editor
• Freelance writer
• Social media manager
• Private tutor
• Translator

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it so hard to get into drama school?

First of all, there are so many applicants – sometimes thousands each year. Often there are a small number of places too, with only 22 at some schools. Drama schools take lots into consideration, not just skill and potential, but who will suit the third-year shows they have in mind.

What are the odds of getting into drama school?

It’s pretty tough – less than 1% of applicants get in. That’s even more harsh than Oxford or Cambridge!

Can I still be an actor without drama school?

Absolutely. Whilst drama school will give you a great foundation of skill, there are lots of other ways you can learn your craft. Check out my post on drama school alternatives to find out more.

What age do most people get into drama school?

There is no upper age limit on going to drama school. However, most people do not go immediately when they are 18. At a pure estimate from my personal observations, many people at drama school are between the ages of 21 and 27. However, often there are people who attend much older, and occasionally there will be people there who are 18 or 19.

Summing up what to do if you don’t get into drama school…

While it can feel like a big disappointment when you don’t get into drama school, it’s really not the end of the world. As you can see, there are so many reasons people may not get into drama school. You can always try again or you can take a different route to pursue your dreams. My best final advice to you is to be kind to yourself, keep going, make considered choices, and keep having fun.

If you’re thinking about applying again, check out my post on How To Work On A Monologue for some top tips.

Thank you for reading and I wish you all the best in all your endeavors!