There are so many different routes to go through to become a successful actor and acting school is just one of them, not everyone is related to a famous celebrity and is introduced to the acting world at a young age, so acting school is a great way to get started in the industry especially if you have absolutely no experience in acting.
Acting is such a competitive industry and it’s quite tough to get into a good acting school to begin with, but if you feel you have the skills to make it as an actor then you should definitely go for it.
But the answer to this isn’t as black and white as yes or no, it depends on a multitude of factors and the ultimate decision is down to you.
That being said, here are some pros and cons of acting school to help make your decision that little bit easier.
Pros
You Get An Immense Amount Of Experience
You’ll most likely be spending around 3 years at an acting school and in these 3 years you’ll be focusing solely on acting and being around people in the exact same boat as you.
The sheer amount of experience you get within an acting school is almost always unmatched in the real world, as most actors will never get near that and if they do, well, they’re very lucky.
If you’re new to acting, this will give you a major boost when it comes to competing for roles.
You’ll Make A Lot Of Contacts
You may think it’ll be like high school when you finish, and that you’ll never see any of your peers again once you graduate, but it’s the complete opposite.
Most of the people in your acting school will become players within the local acting industry and making good connections with these people will be vital to help propel your career forward once you graduate.
It also gives you a sense of community to draw on in your future as acting without going to an acting school can be quite isolating if you haven’t made those connections.
The Social Aspect
During your studies, you’ll most likely have a super good time. You’re all studying for the same thing and have near enough the same goals for your careers, so you can meet friends that last a lifetime.
You will 100% be worked to the bone but because of this you’ll end up having the most fun with your friends on those days you get off to make the most of it.
You’ll Learn A Lot About Yourself
It might sound scary to hear that you’ll discover things about yourself that you never knew, but it’s actually really eye opening.
You’ll meet people with different backgrounds and experiences and through listening to their stories and their ideas you’ll end up finding out a lot about yourself and others.
More Likely To Be Booked After You Graduate
Obviously the main attraction to go to acting school for most people in the first place is to get booked.
Whilst you don’t need to go to acting school to book work, it severely boosts your chances of getting booked and even getting an agent, especially if you’re in a top school.
Cons
You May Not Get In
There is a chance you may not be a successful applicant as they do get a high volume of applicants.
So if you are going to apply, you should keep in mind that you may be disheartened but you have to persevere and that it’s not the end of the world, there are many other avenues to go down in regards to acting like private classes or short courses.
Cost
The cost can be quite a con for the average student. Acting school is very expensive, there are scholarships and grants available for some schools, but overall you should be expecting to be out of pocket quite a bit depending on what country you come from.
This can be a huge deciding factor for most people, so it’s best to work out the expenses beforehand to see if it’s something you can manage.
You Won’t Be Able To Work Whilst Training
You’re going to be dedicating 3 years of your life to completely training to become an actor and many people feel that this is vital time spent away from the industry.
The long-term benefits are worth it, but if you feel that this is a deal-breaker then there is always part-time training instead of full-time.
It Just Might Not Be For You
There’s no shame in saying it didn’t work out for you at your acting school, but for the debt you’ll be in afterwards is a big risk to take especially if it doesn’t work out.
Obviously there’s no telling until you actually get there, which is a bit of a bummer, but you could try going to different acting schools’ open days to see if any feel right for you, and if they don’t then maybe acting school isn’t the right avenue for you.
Emotionally Draining
Training 10 hours plus a day is intense for anybody, some people may take acting for this amount of time as a blessing, but there’s no doubt that it can be emotionally and physically draining dedicating so many hours to acting a week.
Balancing the time commitment and trying to survive, especially if you’re supporting yourself can be immensely stressful.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully we’ve given you more clarity regarding the pros and cons to going to acting school to help you make your decision that little bit easier (or harder, sorry!).
Many people will think the negatives outweigh the positives and vice versa, but ultimately it’s your decision.
There’s so many avenues to go down to get to being an actor, so if acting school isn’t for you then don’t worry, and if it is we wish you the best of luck on your journey!
