<p>I would echo all the combined wisdom of the other posters. We also explored many of these options. If a double degree is truly important, then it is best to be at a single institution, and even better on a single campus (the commute between U Rochester and Eastman is also a little daunting without a car, and the bus service organized by the University is limited and rumored to be endangered). If going to Tufts (or Harvard, or Columbia) is really important, then the double degree options might be of interest (but are extremely competitive, accepting only a small number of the students who have both interests) Similarly, if going to NEC (or Julliard or Peabody) is the primary concern, because of teacher choice for example, then the academic options of the nearby schools could be of interest. It will all depend on what the primary concern is. Ours was to find a good, workable double degree program with excellent opportunities in both schools. For that, Oberlin, UMich, Indiana, Northwestern and now Bard are all good options. We even explored CIM and Case Western, which are separate institutions, but share a campus and have what appears to be a very manageable double degree program.</p>