Thanks everyone for the thoughtful responses. He is looking towards a history major with a possibility for grad school (he may want to work in a museum or archive), and loves a good debate/discussion. He says he enjoys “learning for the sake of learning”. at least in subjects that interest him!
I think he enjoys a good challenge ( APUSH and AP Language are his 2 favorite classes this year) but I also know he doesn’t do well under a lot of stress. He needs his sleep and some downtime for sure. Definitely trying to walk a line here between interesting and challenging but not over the top stressful!
I looked up the common data set :
his SAT R is in the top 10%, his SAT M in the top 25% (this is just based on a practice test but I don’t expect it to change too much; taking in March). This particular school is also test optional.
About 75% of kids are in the top 1/2 of their graduating class (close to 50% in the top quarter). He is currently top 20%.
About 60% have an incoming GPA between 3.0 and 4.0. He would be in the top 15% or so here.
I think sitting in on a class or two in his intended field is a good idea. The classes all seem small and discussion based where you have to have done the reading to participate well and the professors notice if you are absent (according the the students we met). I think he could honestly get a lot out of this style of collaborative learning—if the other students are into it as well.