I love everything about this thread. This is something that we are looking for as well!
I like it when parents are cheerleaders for schools they have experience with (students too). It helps me learn more about schools from those who have BTDT. At school it helps to know a lot about many different schools to try to help put some on students’ radars when they share what they are looking for.
The music program at Rice is very intense for music majors, and the auditions are very selective. The music majors are bound for symphony orchestras etc. However there are other performing groups for students that are not intending to major in music. There are lots of theater groups as well that don’t require taking a class.
Allowing for immersion & intensity can be great for some of this nature which comes with these selective programs. But, the culture can still vary.
Definitely check out Viterbo! That sounds like it might be a nice fit.