<p>I earned my bachelor’s at 41 from UNC Chapel Hill, attending full-time during the day. I was the only non-traditional age student in my classes but I didn’t care and my profs appreciated the perspective I brought to discussions. Now I’m 44 and in my last class for my master’s. A PhD is on my list of things to do (and Harvard has the most appealing program!) but I won’t apply until the fall because I want to retake the GRE and improve my Math score (it’s been a few decades since I’ve had to calculate the volume of a cone under timed conditions!) Don’t use age as an excuse not to realize your dreams. As to where to apply, there are many great options in NY but I would think Appalachian/bluegrass roots music would be less prevalent there than, say, Appalachia!</p>