Undergraduate Applicants:

SAT/ACT

USC requires either SAT or ACT (with the optional Writing test) scores from:

• all freshman applicants attending high school in the United States (recommended for students in Canada);
• freshman applicants who attend overseas American or international schools following the U.S. education system;
• transfer students who have accumulated fewer than 30 transferable semester units.

SAT Subject Tests

SAT Subject Tests are required of students who attend a high school that is not regionally accredited, including home-schooled students. Others are encouraged to submit these results if they are available.

AP exam results

Freshman applicants who have taken Advanced Placement (AP) examinations during their junior year are encouraged to provide those results with their USC Undergraduate application.

TOEFL Scores for Undergraduate applicants

USC requires that international freshman applicants whose native language is not English take either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the SAT or ACT.

Graduate Applicants:

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

Scores from the general test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) are required of applicants to the following degrees:

MA

MM in Music Education

DMA

PHD

The music subject test is not required. Scores from tests taken more than five years before the date of a student’s application to the USC Thornton School of Music will not be considered valid for admission review purposes and a more recent score will be required.

Applicants must carefully note that the materials received deadline for all required application materials applies to GRE scores as well. These scores must be received by the appropriate deadline in order to be given full consideration for admission.

The minimum combined GRE score (i.e. the Verbal score plus the Quantitative score) required for admission to the Thornton School is 1000, with no less than 350 on the verbal section. Admission to the USC Thornton School of Music is determined as a result of a comprehensive file review process involving a number of review criteria. A score from the GRE which meets the minimum scores described above shall not be construed as a guarantee of admission to any Thornton School program. However, scores not meeting this minimum may still be considered with an otherwise stellar application.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

In addition to all other application and audition requirements, all applicants to the MA, MM, DMA or PhD programs at the Thornton School whose first language is not English must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), regardless of immigration status or educational background. Scores from the paper-based (pBT), computer-based (cBT) or Internet-based (iBT) TOEFL are accepted. Scores from tests taken more than five years before the date of a student’s application to the USC Thornton School of Music will not be considered valid for admission review purposes and a more recent score will be required.

Applicants must carefully note that the materials received deadline for all required application materials applies to TOEFL scores as well. These scores must be received by the appropriate deadline in order to be given full consideration for admission.

In order to be eligible for admission, applicants to an MA or MM program who are otherwise qualified for admission to USC and the Thornton School must receive a total iBT score of 83 or higher (with no score less than 20 on any one section of the test) or a total cBT score of 220, or a pBt score of 560.

Applicants to a DMA or PhD program who are otherwise qualified for admission to USC and the Thornton School must receive a total iBT score of 100 or higher (with no score less than 20 on any one section) or a total cBT score of 250, or a pBt score of 600 in order to be eligible for admission.

Admission to the USC Thornton School of Music is determined as a result of a comprehensive file review process involving a number of review criteria. A score from the TOEFL which meets the minimum scores described above shall not be construed as a guarantee of admission to any Thornton School program.