Planning a Bachelor’s in Filmmaking Abroad 2028: Guidance for DAE Grade B Students and Parents
Last Tuesday, 21-year-old Luka leaned against my kitchen table, his scuffed work boots still dusted with sawdust from the part-time construction shift he’d just finished, and pulled up his messy notes on my laptop. He earned his DAE Grade B back in 2023, took two years off to work retail and build a tiny YouTube channel shooting local skate videos, and now he’s mapping out a bachelor’s in filmmaking abroad for a 2028 start. He’d tracked me down because I’ve helped a handful of non-traditional high school grads work through international college applications, and he kept repeating that everyone he knows applies straight out of high school at 18—he had no clue where to start with a plan this far out.
His DAE result had left him feeling like he was already behind, too. A lot of the college guidance he’d found online assumed you were applying right after finishing traditional A-levels or high school, with straight A’s, and a portfolio already done. He told me his parents were confused why he wouldn’t just rush an application for next year, instead of waiting another five years. Luka twisted the dented film canister keychain he’d gotten for volunteering at a local film festival last summer and said he didn’t want to take on six figures of student debt before he even had a portfolio strong enough to stand out in admissions. He’s putting $300 a month into savings right now, and by 2028, he’ll have enough for his first semester deposit and application fees without taking out a huge private loan right off the bat.
I sat with him for a couple hours, going through what actually needs to get done, step by step, when you have this much time to plan. First, the big question most DAE students miss: confirming that your DAE is actually recognized by the schools you’re interested in. A lot of people assume a DAE won’t count as a high school equivalency for international schools, but most film schools in the UK, EU, and Canada accept a Grade B DAE as equivalent to a standard high school diploma. I told Luka the first thing to do is pick 5 to 7 schools that fit his budget and style, then for each, either search the admissions page for “high school equivalency” to confirm, or send a two-sentence email to the admissions office: “I hold a DAE (Diploma of Alternative Education) Grade B awarded in 2023, am I eligible to apply for the 2028 intake of the Bachelor of Filmmaking program?” Save every reply in a labeled folder, and cross off any schools that say no right away. No need to waste time on programs that won’t take your qualification in the first place.
Next, the portfolio. Filmmaking admissions live or die by the portfolio, and one of the biggest advantages Luka has is that he has five years to build his, instead of the 12 months most 18-year-old applicants get. I told him to aim for four to five complete short films of varying lengths before he applies, and to take any small gig that lets him add experience—shooting a friend’s music video, filming local community events, editing wedding highlight reels for small local photographers. Every time he finishes a project, he should jot down three bullet points: what his role was, what he messed up, and what he learned. When it comes time to write his personal statement, he’ll have specific, real experiences to pull from, instead of generic lines about how he’s loved movies since he was a kid. I also suggested he sign up for a one or two-week summer workshop at one of his top choice schools two or three years before applying. Most programs give small priority to applicants who’ve attended their workshops, and it lets him test out the country, the campus, and the teaching style before he commits to a four-year degree.
A couple days later, Luka’s dad stopped by to ask what I thought of the whole plan. He said he was worried Luka was wasting time, that by 2028 all his friends will be done with college and starting jobs, and he’ll just be starting. I told him I’ve seen this a lot—people see going to college right after high school as the only “right” path, but for filmmaking, life experience outside the classroom is just as valuable as any lecture. Luka’s spent the last two years working odd jobs around the city, meeting people from all kinds of backgrounds, and telling stories about the local skate scene that no 18-year-old straight out of private school could tell. That’s the stuff that makes a filmmaker stand out, not a perfect high school transcript from 2023. For finances, we worked out a concrete small step: Luka should open a separate high-yield savings account just for film school costs, and put whatever he can afford into it every month, even if it’s less than his current $300 when he has other bills. He can also start noting which of his top schools offer scholarships for non-traditional students or students with professional work experience two years before applying, so he doesn’t miss any deadlines.
For Luka, who’s applying to English-taught programs, we also mapped out low-stakes practice instead of last-minute cramming. He watches most of his movies in English already, so we agreed he can turn off subtitles for 15 minutes a day, and write a short paragraph every week about a film he just watched. He’ll take a free practice IELTS test once a year to track his progress, so when he needs to take the official test a year before 2028 intake, he won’t be panicking and cramming for 12 hours a day.
We finished our first planning session that afternoon, and Luka left with three small tasks to finish in the next three months, instead of a 10-page to-do list that would feel overwhelming. His dad still worries sometimes, I can tell—he grew up believing you finish school, start college, get a job, all on a strict timeline. But he’s started coming to the small screenings Luka puts on at the local community center, so he’s seeing how serious Luka is about this. Right now, everything is still up in the air. Tuition could go up before 2028, Luka could fall in love with a different program or decide he’d rather stay closer to home, and no one can guarantee he’ll get accepted to his top choice. But planning this far out gives him room to adjust, to build the things he needs to stand out, and to avoid rushing into a choice that would leave him in debt or unhappy. It’s not the standard path, but for Luka, it’s the one that makes sense.
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