If you receive your invitation to interview, you will also receive a set of guidelines to help you prepare for your audition/presentation.    

An interview might seem like a scary prospect (and your interview with LIPA Sixth Form College may even be the first interview you’ve ever had), but it’s really just a fancy name for a chat, in which the main topic is one you’ll know plenty about – YOU! Using your application form as a starting point, we'll talk to you about your suitability for the course, your ambitions while studying with us, and your hopes for the future.

Your audition/presentation and interview are intended to enable you to present yourself and your work in the best possible way. We understand how much you care about your work and how nerves inevitably play a part on such occasions, so we encourage you to view the day as a learning opportunity in its own right, both with the panel and with fellow candidates. Regardless of the outcome, there is much you can learn about yourself and your work from a day like this.

Please remember that we certainly don’t expect you to be a polished performer, artistic genius or creative whizz at this stage – otherwise, what would be the point of coming to study with us? As well as getting to see your technical ability so far, we are looking to get an idea of your potential to develop your skills, to respond positively and creatively to feedback and to generate and explore ideas.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, we changed our audition and interview process for 2021 entry, moving all assessment activity online rather than in person. Applicants were emailed full instructions to enable them to take part fully in the online activities. The schedules were as follows:

Session A – audition/presentation

You are asked to record and submit your audition piece or design/technical ideas. You have been emailed guidance on how best to present your work online (e.g., tips on lighting and using your device to capture this in the most effective way). You have received an email from our Admissions Officer, telling you where to send the recording of your audition so that our staff can access it and review it.

Session B – interview

Again, you are asked to record and submit your interview, consisting of your responses to a number of questions we have sent you in advance (see discipline guidelines below and your email for full details). The interview is not designed to catch you out, but to see if you and the college would be a good fit for each other. Think carefully about your answers to the questions – it may help to make notes to help you prepare what you want to say (but don’t read from them during the interview).