I think it is very common to attend a strong BFA in MT program in a less academically selective college than you may have attended if you weren’t seeking a BFA. The fact is that most of the BFA in MT programs are located within universities that are not super selective academically for admission. I feel you really have to go where the programs are located. In many ways, a BFA candidate is selecting the program first and the university second, even though both are important considerations.
Personally speaking, my D was a strong academic student and enjoys challenges. Her first choice would be a BFA in MT program located within a more academically selective university. Her first choice program was at NYU/Tisch and her second choice was U of Michigan, both of which are academically selective schools. However, she would have foregone an academically selective school to attend a very good BFA program had she not gotten into and attended NYU. I do believe a more academically selective university was the most appropriate fit for her, but there just are not that many BFA programs in such universities and so she would have compromised on that to attend a BFA program that was excellent but not in such a selective university. As an aside, I recall if local people asked her where she applied to college, and she named some schools on her list, they were like: “oh of course she’ll get in there!” because they knew she was a very good student and most schools on her list were academic sure bets, but these folks would have no clue how difficult it is to get into the BFA programs themselves!
In any case, if you have a very strong student, and that student really wants a BFA, there is a limited number of BFAs located in very selective universities. The option is to compromise and also add BFA programs in less selective universities, or apply to some BAs in selective universities.