# 30 Year Old - Worth trying for USC?



## Postaldave (Mar 4, 2011)

Howdy all,

It took me a while to figure out what it is I want to do in life, but now that I know I want to make films I'm not really sure which path to take.

So far I've been spending my time working on self-educating via any method possible (internet, magazine, books, etc).

I attend community college local to where I live and have just been focusing on taking nite classes while working full time.

My main question is, is it worth it to strive for the USC route as it would be my dream to be part of the program they offer... but my doubt is that I'm 30 and it will be at least another year or two before I can apply (The wife is graduating this year with her PhD in physics, the plan was to support her then I could go back to school full-time when she finished).

Regardless, please be brutally honest.  I will do it one way or the other, but my dream is for USC.

Thanks in advance.


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## Inside Indie (Mar 4, 2011)

Hey Dave,
I hate to be the one to tell you this...but...you should absolutely not think twice about applying for USC. 30 is the new 20...your best years are ahead of you!
My understanding is that schools (USC included) like to have a variety of people (gender, age, ethnicity) in their programs. Many of the top schools have a fair number of students over the age of 40...so...don't let your age limit you.


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## Mirpanda (Mar 4, 2011)

Dude, I'm 30 and I just got accepted to USC.  As long as you're still breathing, it's never too late.


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## Postaldave (Mar 4, 2011)

Thanks guys!  that was really the only major concern I had

@Mirpanda, big big thanks, I actually read all your posts in the USC thread this morning, you're even more of an inspiration now.


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## Mirpanda (Mar 4, 2011)

Aw, you're welcome!  Glad I could be of service.


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## notroberttowne (Mar 5, 2011)

Not that you need it at this point, but here's some more encouragement.  There are students in these programs that range from just-out-of-undergrad all the way up to 50's, so don't let age stop you and certainly don't let it stand in your way when you're closer to the young end than the old end.

And as a student who spent a few years between undergrad and grad school, I find that the quality and passion correlates to a certain extent to how long one was out in the real world.  Not to say that the straight-from-undergrad kids are universally bad or anything remotely like it -- just that there's a sense with some of them that going to film school is "cool" or just a way to stay out of the "real world" as opposed to a thought-out next step in a well-considered life plan.  They (the younger people) sometimes don't seem to take it very seriously, I guess, and as a result someone a few years older tends, in my experience, to have a better attitude and see better results.


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## Postaldave (Mar 7, 2011)

More encouragement is always welcome and I thank you for it.

A little more background:

I have been a Technology Specialist (aka glorified Maytag man) for the last 12 years.  In the meantime I have been going on and off to nite school trying to figure out what it is I wanted to do in my life.

Nothing really worked, my heart was never in computers but I have a natural talent at troubleshooting and problem solving.

Unfortunately this messed up my college records early on (dropping from classes too late due to lost interest, etc) so my cumulative GPA is low, though I have re-done most of the classes.

So now that I finally realized what I want to do with my life and value the education (I am actually excited about something for once) I have been getting an "A" in every class, my goal is to fix my early record via administrative methods (petitioning to have semesters removed etc.

I would love to know if anyone has had a similar story and how it turned out.

And also, should I go for an AA before attempting to xfer to USC or should I go for a BA then transfer to the grad school?  Not sure which would be the better route, though I suppose early USC admission would obviously give me a better chance.

Thanks again for the replies


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## notroberttowne (Mar 7, 2011)

I'd say to contact the admissions people directly about whether to go for a B.A. or Grad school, since they A) want good students to come and B) can tell you the school's general attitude/policy with AA transfers trying to get admitted to the film school.  Also, it never hurts to start having friends in the administration early who can help you stay on top of things, so I'd just make contact there about how best to proceed.

P.S.  In doing so, I recommend playing up the "dream school" angle and stressing that you're looking this far ahead because USC is the only school you want.  It sounds true, and it's also something they'll want to hear.


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## jamesc (Mar 7, 2011)

average age at USC MFA grad is 28 I think, they like people who've had some life experience, so you'd fit right in


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