VCA vs NIDA

Hi, I suspect this comment may be coming a bit late as it is now almost the end of January, so the selection process for 2008 is over, I know, but if you weren't accepted yet, it may be useful for next time, or for someone else reading this post :-) By the way, did you get accepted somewhere? My two cents worth: At the risk of sounding harsh, I think the best thing you can do is realise early that the industry is a business one, not a creative one. This took me a while. This is why not all schools are equal, I believe. Obviously each institution will offer it's own perspective on the world of PERFORMANCE, and we could talk until the cows come home about which one is better in that regard, but in terms of practical circumstances and the business of show, NIDA is simply leaps and bounds ahead of the rest in terms of the resources it can provide it's students. I am a NIDA graduate. Spent three years in the mix doing the Acting course, not the Technical Production one, but one thing I can tell you is that NIDA has money. VCA does not, comparatively, This makes for a very different experience. At NIDA you have patrons and access to incredible resources. (I mean, honestly, Mel Gibson and Cate Blanchett and Catherine Martin etc, are just a few who can afford to help out......) The new Parade Theatre is a world class venue, and as a student there you will be working with the best and latest stuff. They encourage you to think on a small budget creatively too, don't get me wrong, I understand the value of this, but honestly, they train you to be a world class practitioner, dealing with top of the profession conditions and THIS is why NIDA grads get more work than untrained people not because of any bias or name dropping, it's simply holds logical sense that if an employer has a choice between someone who's dealt with expensive equipment for years, and someone who has not, they would probably employ the person they feel would know how to look after their investment best. This doesn't just go for the equipment. But experience too, TP graduates with access to top work experience positions with National and International companies at school, step out with a ready made network for the future. You see what I'm saying? It sounds crude, but it's true. Particularly for the TP course. Every single NIDA TP grad I have worked with is hot at their job and some of them are only 22, incredible! Obviously I am biased because NIDA is my school, but NIDA has the facilities the others simply do not have, because they have the dough. Also as far as living in Sydney is concerned, I am a Melbourne girl, and lived in Sydney for my time at NIDA, and it's not so bad to be there :-) If indeed, you do think that you'd prefer ultimately to live in Melbourne, then it might be wise in fact to try to study in Sydney to broaden your possibility of work. I find it a real advantage because professionally now I have twice the playing opportunities because I established a Sydney network and a Melbourne one. Hope this helps, good luck with your application I really hope it goes well for you. :-)