Not to add more to your plate, but if NYU ticks the boxes, a somewhat less selective school in NYC that also has some merit aid opportunities (not sure beyond NMF but maybe check) is Fordham. Great theater and dance programs.
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Noted! Thanks!
I realized that the reason that my kids applied only to a handful of schools was that they had very specific interests, which really narrowed the field. But one thing that we were sure of: big schools with many majors available were a really good idea, in case they changed their minds about what they wanted to study.
Bearing in mind that itâs unlikely that you are going to earn your living as an actor/dancer/singer, you should really consider what makes you happy in life. Political activism/advocacy for LGBTQ rights? Working to secure our democracy (and thatâs related to securing LGBTQ rights)? Teaching music/dance/theater at the secondary school level? Or do you really have absolutely NO idea what you want to do in life?
Honestly, if what makes you happiest is performing, and you are already financially set for life due to anticipated inheritance, and your parents agree, then go to whatever performing arts program you can get into, and worry about whatâs next in four years. But if you have to support yourself in the future, you really need to think about a college degree that leads you to that.
NYU is SO utterly different from the other schools on your list. It doesnât really have a campus. It is however, located in the most heavily LGBTQ area of the country, after San Francisco. It has Tisch school - one of the most highly selective undergrad performing arts programs in the country, but there should also be opportunities in student-led productions. It is not in a city with a state capitol, so there wonât be the same opportunities to get involved in state legislation, but there will definitely be opportunities to get involved in local politics - after all, itâs an extremely large and vibrant city.
Think of your interests and let them drive your choice.
Thanks for replying again.
I definitely donât want to pursue pure performing arts as a career, it wouldnât only likely lead to a financially unstable life, but that wouldnât be a really fulfilling career for me. I definitely was to explore any combination of performing arts, education and politics (particularly through an interdisciplinary course of study). However, I am not committing myself to any career path quite yet. Thatâs why I am really interested in NYUâs liberal studies core. Through two years of a âliberal artsâ setting I can then go on to fully pursue an interest I KNOW I want to pursue.
I think the reason I am applying to SO many schools is so that I can hopefully have good options by the end. Getting into 3-4 of my reaches, plus all my targets and safeties would be ideal 
@parentologist @mamaedefamilia Update! Just got some good news from Colby. They sent me an invite email to apply to their Pres. Scholarâs program, which I first thought was sent to everyone but apparently is pretty rare! According to Colby threads, virtually everyone who gets that email gets in RD (so basically a likely letter). While Colby isnât super high on my list it feels SO GOOD to get some good news from the reach school, and makes me more hopeful about the others come March/April! Who knows, maybe Iâll be Colby '25!
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Well that is some happy news! And encouraging, as an indicator of how other schools that are similarly selective might view you.
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Exactly! 
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Responding to an earlier post, Wes and Vassar are about equally selective. Both are a bit more selective than Oberlin. All three are outstanding, of course, in the OPâs areas of interest.
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Update: Got into Bates!
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Yayy!!! Congratulations. Is that your top school of where youâre in so far, or is that your first choice overall?
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After I heard decisions were out I came to find this post to see if you had gotten in! Congrats!!
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Congrats! I was so happy to see the good news, but not surprised. I loved Bates and was disappointed when my D was waitlisted last year. It had such a great vibe.
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Thank you! It is not super high on my overall list, but definitely the highest of the three I have gotten into far (Bates, McGill, and USM)!
Thank you!! 
Thank you!!! I really like Bates too! I am really surprised to hear that your D got WLed last year. Bates is super finicky about demonstrated interest (even tho I didnât demonstrate any LOL) and financial aid, maybe thatâs why!
Youâre so kind. We visited and toured and she had an alumni interview. They took a few applicants from her school ED 1 and 2, and her BFF with similar stats and ECs was also waitlisted. Her friend got an offer from the WL, but my D didnât take her spot once she got into some other schools. (IIRC, Bates has taken around 60% of their class in ED, so it wasnât a total surprise. Now her Wesleyan rejection was a surprise, but Iâm not bitter, LOL.)
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Colby is definitely a great school too. They have invested so much in the school experience, including an amazing new athletic center thatâs the best in the Nescac. It would be a hard choice.
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Definitely! Both are wonderful schools and I feel so grateful to have gotten good news from both of them (though Colby isnât an absolute yes yet). I do kind of want to move out of state for college, so there is that, but I feel so great having (potentially) two great options! Hopefully they are good indicators for decisions from other schools I am REALLY interested in (Amherst, Williams, Brown, Vassar, Yale, Bowdoin, and Sarah Lawrence)!
hey i hope you donât mind iâve been lurking around your profile a bit - weâre pretty similar (lots of schools in common, ecs/stats/geography too!) and i was just wondering if you did apply for fin aid? i was WLâd at bates but also got the presidential scholarsâ email from colby and merit aid at grinnell, so iâm just trying to see if i might have a chance at my crazy reaches (ie barnard lol). where did you hear bates is super picky about financial aid? i know theyâre need-aware but you never know what that really means. thanks : )
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Hey!! I did not apply for financial aid which probably definitely helped boost my application to Bates, though I also didnât demonstrate any interest lol. Thanks to my low self-esteem, I figured I got in solely based on FA, but realized I was the only one from my school (out of like the 40 that applied lmao) who got in (a lot got WLed), a lot of whom also wouldnât need FA! So I think Bates does mainly consider merit (and typically demonstrated interest) over need, but applying for no FA can definitely be a boost.
Congrats on Colby and Grinnell! Looks like you already have some great options! Best of luck with those crazy reaches!