<p>"(i.e. yale, CMU, etc… each lacks something that I want but they are all very close to my ideal college)"</p>
<p>Because the application processes for Yale and CMU are so radically different, I think it’s wise of you to began thinking about which path is best for you.</p>
<p>As you may know, getting accepted to a school like CMU is all about the audition season and competing against many kids who have been acting, singing and dancing since a very young age. Most have supportive parents and some have consultants to navigate the logistical maze (flights, cabs, hotels etc…) of the audition season. They will likely be auditioning for 12 or more schools because the odds are so daunting - spacing the auditions out strategically in order to be optimally prepared for their top choice schools. CMU might take 8 or 9 for boys of the hundreds who will try out. Many will be naturally gifted with years of voice, movement and acting classes under their belt. Some will have had years of professional experience.</p>
<p>As you’re probably aware, Yale is a completely different animal - It’s all about test scores, class rank, rigor of schedule, teacher recommendations and depth and breadth of extracurricular activities. You don’t really want to have flaws in any of this areas, and some areas will need to really shine. Not quite as daunting as CMU, but the odds are long here too, so you would want to have a well balanced list of BA schools.</p>
<p>I don’t mean to discourage you. Just wanted to illustrate the challenges of applying to both types of schools.</p>