<p>EmmyBet, great post. I want to emphasize what you said about ‘selectivity inflation,’ because it’s becoming increasingly common and something I feel parents/students should know. <em>Many</em> colleges artificially inflate their selectivity quotient and yield (not just BFA programs). This can give a very false impression of their selectivity and if you are going by that in deciding the college - if you say, “Gee, this must be a fabulous program because only 4% of the applicants were accepted, so therefore I’ll accept the program” - your decision is not necessarily based on fact. In BFA programs, where the acceptance rate is very tiny and where your acceptance is also based on looks, gender, etc - things entirely out of your control - the manipulations can be even more tilted. Many colleges count <em>everyone</em> who auditions as having applied, including those at Unifieds who don’t specifically audition for that particular college. </p>
<p>As EmmyBet says, what’s really important is the fit. My oldest S went to a college that was a poor fit for him although it was a top college, and it was a disaster. If you have the good luck to be able to choose - which is another reason you should audition for many colleges - visit each college and go by fit as much as possible, not ‘reputation.’ It’s true that some reputations are deserved, but a) that doesn’t mean they’re good for the particular student and b) that doesn’t mean a less well known isn’t fabulous. Also some reputations are built on years past, not now; they ride on their former reputation, which doesn’t do the student any good. All the cliches are true–college is largely what you make of it; but if you’re in a program that is a poor fit for you, who cares if it is highly selective?</p>