<p>I have a similar story to tell about my son who transferred to Walnut Hill after his freshman year from a competitive but traditional private high school. The exposure he had to rigorous arts training undoubtedly improved his preparation for college auditions. The context also put him (and us) in a much more informed position about which college programs were the ones likely to be a good fit for his artistic interests. He fared well in his many college auditions, as did LetsSing’s d, and for him, getting into CMU’s MT program meant he had achieved his top goal. The discipline learned in rigorous arts hs programs is valuable. Not all students who attend these schools adapt to it well and not all students who don’t attend arts high schools lack it. Walnut Hill worked for him, though, so I know it was the right decision to have made in his case. He also attended summer programs, so I’m not sure “either/or” is the way to think about this. If you do opt for summer programs, be sure to consider Northwestern’s Cherubs program. He felt it demanded a focus that readied him to make the most of his senior year prep for auditions and we noted that many of his fellow Cherubs were admitted at CMU the following year. Good luck with your own efforts to think this through because I remember it was a big decision for our family!</p>