I am still in a little shock and disappointment. We declined all of our schools. He was accepted to all that he applied which is a great achievement. However, I could see the look of HOW AM I GOING TO PAY FOR THIS scared the heck out of him. Even with our 60 percent parent contribution, it would be a huge stretch for both sides. We did not have a backup plan- his backup plan would be a gap year. So that is what we are doing. We knew conservatories were expensive but some are more flexible than others. Understanding which look at only FAFSA and which look at CSS was a learning curve. I still have a huge lump in my chest and get teary-eyed because I would love for him to go to the school he WANTED to go to. Even with a merit scholarship, it was still a scary risk. I am not sure I want to do it again. But he wants to try again next year. 
I found this article and it really hit home. https://www.cnbc.com/2014/10/03/middle-class-squeeze-is-an-elite-education-worth-170000-in-debt.html.