HEN I was still a child, I dreamed of becoming a film star like Audrey Hepburn. But it was too difficult for me to get into the Shanghai Theatre Academy," said 22-year-old Du Yin, who graduated from a dancing school two years ago.

She later took the admission tests for the Shanghai Theatre Academy (STA), the Beijing Film Academy and several other art colleges. But both the STA and the Beijing Film Academy rejected her. Now she has totally abandoned her dream of becoming a film star and taken a job as an office clerk.

Star dream is hot

Similar cases can be easily found every year. Students seeking enrollment in the STA have to take two kinds of tests. The first takes place around March every year, and measures professional skills such as dancing and singing in accordance with the majors they students choose. Those who pass several rounds of tests take the National University Entrance Examination like students from other high schools. Only students who have passed both tests can enroll in the college of their choice.

"Last year, more than 8,000 students signed up for the admission tests set up by our college. In the end, we enrolled 200 people or so," said Chen Qiyi, chief admissions officer of the STA. Compared with average admission rates in 2004, the chances of entering the STA are rather slim.

Although getting into the STA is tough, the number seeking entry rises every year. A teacher from the Students Office of the STA suggested there were four main reasons for this. "The first and most important reason is that being a successful actor or actress is a promising career today. It earns people money as well as fame," said the teacher who was unwilling to give his name. Secondly, some students are good at performance and spend too much time on it, neglecting other knowledge, such as mathematics or physics, when they are in high school. They have no choice but to seek admission to colleges like the STA because such places have relatively low requirements for standard academic subjects.

The third reason is less sensible. "Some students want to enter our college just because other students do," he said.

Finally, and most worthy of praise, some students have great affection for art. "They come to our college because they love the arts and performance. They loved singing or dancing when they were children and decided to devote themselves to it. In our college, this kind of student is most likely to achieve great success," he said.

Rosy future

But it can't be denied that the bright future open to graduates of the STA is a lure for students and their parents. "Every year, graduates of the Performance Department easily find good jobs. This year, among the 26 or so graduates, seven have been signed up by Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre. As for the remainder, some have been signed up by film companies from Hong Kong. The track record suggests all the students will find good jobs. Even those not signed up immediately by film companies will find roles in popular films or TV series and eventually become stars," he predicted.

It is no surprise, therefore, that many students try all conceivable means to enter the college. "As an examiner, I have met students who take the admission tests year after year, regardless of failure. Once a student took the tests three years in a row and eventually got into the Department of Stage Art," he said.

Movie star in the past

Becoming an actor or actress was a less feverish goal in the past. Qin Yi, 84, is considered one of the most prominent actresses in the history of Chinese film. But her career as an actress started by chance. She says that in 1938, due to the Japanese invasion, she moved to Chongqing from Shanghai. A drama-lover, she went to the theatre with friends and was discovered by director Shi Dongshan. She was only 16 years old at the time but was signed up by the China Film Factory, gradually becoming one of the most luminous stars in modern China. "Unlike students today, who receive professional training in colleges, I never went to such a school. In the past, being an actress was thought a decent career for people, especially for those from upper-class families, like me. All my performance skills were learnt from other members of the film factory."

Qin was once described as Asia's most beautiful woman, and she denies that her success was the natural result of talent. "I don't think that my success comes from my talent. I preferred to read foreign literature of all kinds when I was a girl. I think that helped greatly in later days because I think a good actor or actress should possess a rich and colorful heart," she said.

Du says: "I rather admire those actors or actresses in the past. Though it's still tough for young people to become proficient actors or actresses, I think those of olden times had a much harder road ahead of them to become stars."