I don’t know about music ed, but theory and ear training skills generally don’t count for performance based admissions (again, I am not talking music ed, I am talking a BM or BA performance degree in an auditioned program). Music theory and ear training tests are used for placement, because kids come in with a wide range of skills, and in performance programs the admittance will be entirely or almost entirely based on how well you play, having great theory and ear training will not get you admitted, I can almost guarantee you that.Again, that is BM/BA in performance, not music ed, which I know little about.
The downside of going to NYU or MSM for a music ed degree might be the cost, NYU is one of the most expensive colleges in the country, and their aid is not great, and MSM is not particularly generous with aid. If you want to go into teaching (let alone performance) you won’t want to have a lot of debt piled up, neither one of them is going to pay great, especially when you first get out.If your family can afford to pay a lot of the cost, then those may be good options, but they generally are not good with aid unless your family is pretty modest in terms of means IME.