Thanks Rozovian! I tried to address the loudness a bit. The snare effects chain is a bit too complex for its own good, I didn't want to start working on that, but did turn it down a little (and some other stuff too).
final candidate 6
Tried to make the overall mix a little less noisy: turned snares, hihat & crash down just a little, EQ'd the saw lead - additionally, adjusted lead balance a little more so it's more even across the piece. Now to write the submission letter! Thanks once again to everyone for the feedback!
Fun fact: the project file is smaller than the MP3.
edit: submitted
--Eino