Ellie Carroll has big dreams that involve little people. The Damascus College captain has musical theatre in her blood and a goal to become a presenter on Play School or in High 5, and perform in big-budget capital city stage productions.
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Since she was tiny, Ellie has been singing, dancing and acting and that passion has now become her career choice.
While curious about her VCE ATAR results, which she and about 1200 fellow Ballarat year 12 students will receive from 7am Friday, Ellie is not sweating on her score as she has already been accepted in to a full-time music theatre course next year.
According to Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre director Catherine Wills, more and more institutions are using different criteria to choose the most suitable applicants for their course. For some it’s a combination of ATAR and other criteria; for others it’s about a student’s performance in their prerequisite studies, satisfying the VCE, or performance in interviews, folio presentations and the like.
For 2019, of the 1497 undergraduate courses listed for application through VTAC; 40.8% do not use the ATAR as any part of their selection, 10.4% use only the ATAR and 48.8% use the ATAR and other selection tools.
“I’m really curious if anything because I suppose the VCE system isn’t really tailored for people wanting to go in to tertiary arts education,” she said. “I’m interested to see what all the work has come to and reflect on the end of the year, but it’s not the be all and end all for me.”
Ellie completed year 12 drama while in year 11 and her high study score saw her invited to audition for the VCE Top Arts performance, alongside two classmates.
Right through her secondary schooling Ellie has taken part in school productions, choir and extra-curricular activities, as well as travelling to Melbourne to complete her Certificate III in Dance.
“School has been really supportive of my more unique pathway,” she said.
Alongside English, Ellie has studied Indonesian as a second language, religion in society and media this year.
She auditioned for the Victorian College of the Arts bachelor program but was unsuccessful, with cut-throat competition to enter the course.
“I wasn’t successful this year but they were adamant they want people to come and audition again. They only take 20 people per year from across Australia … and at the end of next year after my ShowFit course I’ll have another crack at the VCA as well auditioning at WAPA and NIDA.
“I wasn’t too keen to audition for those at end of this year because picking up and moving states straight out of high school would be a bit much, but at the end of next year I”ll do the rounds.”
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While big budget musical theatre productions are in her dreams, Ellie has been working professionally in children’s entertainment with pantomime companies since she was 12.
“I’ve spent holidays being a princess or Pinnochio … and have developed a love of children’s entertainment. My ultimate goal is to be on Play School or High 5. People who have Play School on their resume in the performing arts world are held in the highest regard because it’s really tough to get in to.”
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