We had a sort of similar situation, except not art-y at all. My S25 really wanted Construction Management as a major. CM has a great level of employability, but I questioned why he wanted this and what he even really knew about it and if it was realistic or if he was just thinking eh, sounds interesting and easier to get a job. At the time of doing applications, he had never worked in the construction industry nor known anyone who had, and I wondered if this was going to be what he really wanted when he saw the challenges associated with the job.
Not many schools have CM as a major. We only identified three that met the other criteria for price and distance from home. All three were state flagships, and who knows if you get into those when you are OOS. So I made him apply to three other schools that were strong for his second choice major, that met all of his other criteria, and that it seemed likely he’d get into.
As luck would have it, he got into all six schools. As time went on, I talked with him about a plan for choosing which school he wanted, and how to narrow the list. He fell in love with one CM school but we told him we weren’t comfortable with him committing to that one as soon as he got in. We let him drop the two other major schools that he was least interested in, and one CM school that was least appealing for a variety of reasons. But right up until May 1 I asked him to keep three schools on his list: (1) his favorite CM school - which is very strong in that program but which was the most expensive, the farthest away, and which does not offer his second or third choice major as an option; (2) his second CM school - also strong in the program, in-state tuition, closer, has his second and third choice majors as options, but doesn’t have the campus feel that he wants and he just never felt like he clicked there; (3) dark horse school that was far and away the best for his second choice major, just in case he changed his mind.
Ultimately, he chose the school he fell in love with, that only has the CM major. I won’t lie, I wasn’t happy with that choice. I am really concerned that he’s going to decide that this isn’t the major for him, this isn’t the path he wants, and then he won’t have a good backup plan at the school he’s attending. But he knows those possible downsides and after thinking about it for months, has decided it’s a risk he’s willing to take.
He knows that I have a set amount of money put aside for college, and that four years at this current school will use it all up. If he decides mid-stream that this isn’t what he wants, then he can transfer and I’ll be able to pay for part of whatever school he does next. If he spends four years getting this degree then decides he needs to go to grad school for the other thing (it would be possible to do) because that’s really where his passion lies, then the cost for that is on him.
I also insisted that we go to admitted students days for both of his top two choices, just so he could really think about it and see what they had to offer, and I made him look at the costs for both compared to the money we had set aside, so he’d know the magnitude of his choice (we told him he could keep the $$ differential). Was that a little pushy of me, yes it was. Did people on here criticize me for pushing my will on my child and not letting him make his own decision, yes they did. I got a lot of “gently, I think it’s time for you to step back.” I know people meant well, but I felt strongly that he needed to have all the data to make a choice.
So all that to say, to make it vaguely relevant to you - I think it’s fine to require applications to other schools with broader options. And fine to ask that they stay in the mix up until the end - students do change their minds. And I think it’s also fine - in fact good - to make clear what the downsides of any choice - in both directions - could be. Students are consumers too, and consumers can best make decisions when they have the appropriate information on which to base those decisions. So much is changing and so much life is not yet experienced when you are a senior in HS. I think it’s ok to make sure they have options and understand pros and cons.
In the end, my kid picked his dream school. It’s not what I wanted for him, but now that the choice has been made, I’m all in on the school and on supporting him there. In fact, we’re going to orientation early next week and I bought new shoes in the school colors to wear - and me letting a school dictate my shoe choice says something. 
So I guess I’d reframe your question. I don’t think it’s influencing or directing the college DECISIONS, I think it’s influencing or directing the college decision making PROCESS. Sharing information about options, upsides and downsides, alternatives, and costs is important. Helping kids make sure they have choices available should they want or need them after looking at that information isn’t a bad thing.