@mystifiedbythis - As mentioned above there are a number of Otterbein parents here who can add info (I don’t think you have enough posts to PM) If you are interested in additional info on NYU- I would be happy to answer any questions - my experience with NYU has been very different from what you describe, though my child is in a drama studio, not MT. @halflokum has a D about to graduate from NSB, I’m sure she could answer questions there.
Again, I would say, it would that it depends on what sort of college experience you are looking for. Also, I would say again that EVERY college has positives AND negatives. You just have to figure out what priorities are in terms of positives, what you can live with in terms of negatives, and hope for the best. And of course- what is positive/negative depends on your point of view. One of the qualities that many people like about Otterbein is that it is very small. For my D- that would take it off the list. Her PA HS had made that sort of setting seem claustrophobic- she wanted the wider world. HOWEVER, 2 of her classmates from that same PA HS went to Otterbein. It’s all in the eye of the beholder