Supported Application Scheme for 2021 entry
Guildhall School encourages applications from students whose backgrounds are underrepresented in higher education. We are pleased to offer 350 places on the Supported Application Scheme, with places available for all our undergraduate programmes for 2021 entry.
What is the Supported Application Scheme?
Successful applicants to the scheme will receive:
- A free application for the undergraduate course they are applying to
- Invitations to workshops and events, both online and at the School (Covid-19 restrictions permitting)
- Free tickets for a Guildhall School performance or access to digital performances (dependent on availability – each participant will be invited to at least one show, with a choice of dates available)
- Advice and guidance from the Access and Participation Officer
In addition:
- Where an offer is made, support with scholarship applications and transition to the School will be offered.
Who is eligible for the scheme?
To be eligible for the 2021 Supported Application Scheme, you must:
- have no previous experience of university.
- be applying for an eligible undergraduate programme (listed above).
- be UK-Domiciled
- be living in a household with a gross annual income of below £33,000 or which receives means tested state benefits and/or in receipt of Free School Meals, a 16-19 bursary or a means tested bursary in a Centre for Young Musicians or Junior Guildhall
You must also meet at least one of the below criteria:
- Have a home postcode which is classified as Quintile 1 or Quintile 2 in the POLAR4 data (visit the Office for Students website to find out, using the postcode checker tool*).
- Have a home postcode which is classified as Decile 1-4 in the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) Government dataset (visit the IMD website to find out, result is in a downloadable spreadsheet, found in column F.)*.
- Be Black, Asian or ethnically diverse.
- Be in care, a recent care leaver or estranged from your family.
- Attend one of our partner schools or youth organisations
- Have a disability, which will be declared on your undergraduate application.
*Alternatively, email wp@gsmd.ac.uk with your home postcode and we will check eligibility for these criteria for you.
Further information on the eligibility criteria can be found in the detailed instructions for applicants (PDF) and teachers/advisors (PDF).
Please check our lists of eligible schools (PDF) and youth and community organisations (PDF) to check your eligibility.
How can I apply for the Supported Application Scheme?
Applications for the 2021 Supported Application Scheme are now closed.
You can either apply directly to the programme, or be referred by your school, college, theatre group or youth organisation. You should read the above instructions before submitting an application.
You must apply, or be referred, before you submit your online application to the School – application fees already paid cannot be refunded. You will be contacted by email if your application to the Scheme has been successful, with instructions on how to proceed with your application to the School. A successful application to the Scheme is not an application to the undergraduate programme.
When will I need to apply by?
Programme/ Pathway
| Deadline for receipt of referrals for Supported Application Scheme
| Undergraduate application deadlines |
BMus | Thursday 24 September 2020 | Thursday 1 October 2020 |
BA Acting | Thursday 17 December 2020 |
Wednesday 20 January 2021 |
BA Production Arts - Design Realisation |
Wednesday 13 January 2021 |
BA Production Arts - Stage Management |
BA Production Arts - Theatre Technology |
BA Production Arts - Costume |
BA Video Design for Live Performance | Wednesday 3 March |
Although the deadline for the Supported Application Scheme has passed, the Access and Participation team are happy to chat with any BA Video Design for Live Performance applicant who believes they meet the criteria for it to discuss a late application.
What else do I need to know?
- Referrals are considered as soon as applications open (2021 applications open end of July 2020, except for Acting which opens September 2020). Places on the Scheme are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so an early application is recommended.
- We cannot refund application fees once they have been paid, so please do not submit your online application to the School until you have email confirmation of a place on the Scheme. This email will provide instructions on how to submit your free application.
- The Supported Application Scheme is subject to the eligibility requirements above, and we regret that we cannot offer the scheme to applicants who do not meet them.
- The application deadlines for the Scheme are final, and late applications will not be processed.
Information for schools and organisations
If you are a teacher or youth worker and you would like more information about the scheme, you can read further instructions (PDF).
You can find the Guildhall School’s policy on the Supported Application Scheme (PDF).
Please note that places on the Supported Application Scheme are in high demand, particularly for the Acting course. We ask teachers and advisors to use discretion when referring young people for the scheme, prioritising those most in need of the support that the scheme offers, as we may be required to cap the number of participants per school/organisation.d
More information & contact
Please contact our Access and Participation Officer for more information about the scheme.
What our Supported Application Scheme participants say
“It’s allowed me to see shows, hear from students and come to the School on multiple occasions. It’s bridged the barrier that I once saw between myself and Guildhall, which has now allowed me to approach my auditions with so much more confidence, knowing that I’ve attended and been given these sessions.”
“I can apply to drama school and actually look forward to the process. There’s a huge weight off my shoulders because questions have been answered, and I’ve met people like me who are doing things like me.”