Boards that mean the world. If you want to get on sta­ge, you have an uphill batt­le ahead of you. There are around 1000 app­li­cants for every eight to ten pla­ces to stu­dy dra­ma at sta­te schools. It’s not uncom­mon to ask yourself what you should do if you don’t make it. I did — on my last attempt after a total of 21 auditions.