<p>There’s no way to tell which of three highly competitive programs will be the toughest in any given year. In the realm of college admissions, the samples are too small to differentiate between how hard it is to get into three highly competitive conservatories. In any given year one school may have more openings than usual, the same, or fewer. A school may have a faculty member going on sabbatical or doing fewer performances. Is need-blind a factor? There’s just no way to tell. Also, there is no way to tell if in any given year there are “hooked” candidates.</p>
<p>All three of these schools are highly competitive. There are obviously significant differences in the campus experiences with one in a city, one in the frozen tundra, and one in the quintessential college town. How the programs compare to each other will, in part, depend on that factor. But for a true answer, I’d start ■■■■■■■■ Facebook for the respective pages of the schools. You’ll get responses here but a lot more candor there.</p>