<p>I have searched the forums and have not found a case like mine. If there is a similar post, please post the link, otherwise this is my situation....</p>
<p><em>I know the length of this post will deter some from replying so I have placed stars(</em>) next to the important parts</p>
<p>About me</p>
<p>I have been in and out of the workforce and college for a few years trying to figure out which direction to take. I graduated High School in 2006 and have studied and been employed in 3 different fields since. For the past 18 months I have fully committed to my education in music.I'm currently attending community college in Arizona for an Associates in Audio Production Technologies. I have been taking elective courses in Music Theory, Aural Perception, Composition, Private Piano, and Ensemble Piano in conjunction with this degree. I will graduate from the program next spring with an AAS and a certification in Avid Pro Tools. My real passion is music composition, which I have been writing and co producing music for local talent over the past 6 months. I have performed solo and ensemble concerts for piano and will compete in a local competition next year. </p>
<p>*Stats</p>
<p>*GPA 3.9
*Presidential Honors List
*SAT/ACT - Unknown (taken almost 10 years ago)
*Will have good letters of recommendation if necessary
*Currently building composition portfolio</p>
<p>*My Plan (in short)</p>
<p>*Go to USC (University of Southern California) Music Composition Program
*Apply by next Fall 2015 for acceptance in Fall 2016 </p>
<p>*Concerns</p>
<p>*1. What is my likelihood of acceptance?</p>
<p>*2. Will USC acknowledge my AAS and accept transfer courses from an out of state community college?</p>
<p>*3. How will my SAT/ACT affect my chances given they were taken so long ago? Should I retake if needed?</p>
<p>*4. How strong do the 3 compositions have to be for acceptance? I'm not quite sure what they are looking for here, so If someone who has been accepted to the program could chime in, that would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>*5. Will my age (currently 26, 27 when applying) be factored into acceptance? </p>
<p>*As a side note on Financial Aid, I was approved for an estimate of $43,000-- 47,000 in "gift aid" on USC's Net Price calculator. I wasn't sure what to put for questions 1 and 2 because I live on my own and am declared as independent. So I put that there are 4 members in my family and 1 going to college (me). I'm not sure if I did that right. </p>
<p>*6. How accurate is this estimate?</p>
<p>In Summary</p>
<p>I think USC is the perfect school for me and I will do anything and everything to get there. If this is possible, please let me know what else I can do to further my chances of acceptance.</p>