This was a big concern for me personally, because you would not have a GPA or a class rank included in your application for a speciality program and rather a holistic portfolio. I'm just not sure how competitive that would look for programs, considering UNE is a newer school (and their first class is currently applying for these specialty programs!), but that definitely depends on the type of student you are. Personally, I like receiving grades and feel confident that I would have a good GPA to include in my application, but other students might feel better represented by the portfolio that UNE would prepare for you.
But at the end of the day, as long as you are competent and motivated, you can make a specialty happen no matter what school you go to.
