<p>may I ask where your S went to undergrad? It sounds like you may not know much about CIM. The Cleveland Orchestra is considered one of the best in the world. Actually they are ranked higher than NY, SF, and LA orchestras to most people. This is an amazing resource for students at CIM. The violin level at CIM is also very high: they have Bill Preucil, Joel Smirnoff, and now Jaime Laredo on their faculty. Id say CIM and Rice are the hardest to get into on your list</p>