<p>Kathy,</p>
<p>I only know a handleful of classical string players - viola and violin - who have studied at USC. For classical musicians, it is a very select school. Academic standards are high as well as audition standards. I do not know anyone who has transferred there - they entered as freshmen. </p>
<p>The Popular Music porgram is new - the standards aren’t yet established. I would be surprised if they are far different from the admissions standards for the rest of Thornton. </p>
<p>From the USC website, here are academic stats for entering freshmen to USC as a whole. Thornton’s stats may also be available somewhere on their website. Obviously this is freshmen not transfers, but Thornton’s website says that transfer admissions are competitive.</p>
<pre><code> Matriculants Fall Admits Fall Applicants
2,766 7,876 35,901
</code></pre>
<p>Mean GPA (un-weighted, 4.0 scale) 3.7 3.8 3.5
Middle 50% SAT Critical Reading 620 – 720 640 – 730 540 – 680
Middle 50% SAT Math 650 – 740 670 – 760 570 – 710
Middle 50% SAT Writing 640 – 730 650 – 740 560 – 690
Middle 50% SAT composite 1910 – 2190 1960 – 2230 1670 – 2080
Middle 50% ACT composite 28 – 33 29 – 33 24 – 31 </p>
<p>You would be much more likely to get answers to your questions by contacting Thornton directly. Since the Popular Music offering is new, it seems quite reasonable for interested students to have questions that the school can help you with. Most of us here are guessing at the answers to your questions/concerns!</p>
<p>Do not take offense at my next suggestion, the following advice is from an “old person” not used to the grammar and conventions of text messaging and college student e-mail communications. If you do contact Thornton by e-mail, PLEASE use proper capitalization standards, punctuation, grammer, spelling, etc. Frankly, your posts are hard for me to read and do not present you as the literate intelligent student that you undoubtedly are!</p>