It can’t hurt to try, but just don’t get your hopes up too high. My nephew was in the top 15% in a competitive high school and had excellent stats. He was CAP’d. He appealed without success.
He should get merit money from SMU, but SMU tuition is very expensive. SMU has good business programs. He might be in the running for the SMU Presidential Scholarship which is a full ride.
Rice meets full financial need. https://financialaid.rice.edu/thericeinvestment
He could participate in the Rice MOB band and some other music groups even if he is not a music major.
I agree. Many, many excellent students are not admitted and it feels very unfair and arbitrary.
I think we have a lot of great options in Texas. We didn’t seriously consider any private universities after running their NPC but it may be worth it for you to run those and see what they can offer.
As others have said above, UT is stingy with merit scholarships if you get in. If you received a scholarship for fine arts, they would expect you to major in fine art. If he is a NMF, UTD, UNT, Texas Tech and A&M offer full tuition to full ride scholarships. Without making NMF but with a 35 ACT he could receive a full tuition scholarship plus $3000/semester from UTD, at UNT up to $10,000/yr and at A&M up to $3000/yr. I do know both SMU and TCU give merit scholarships but most bring them down to the public university costs. At Texas State, you would be eligible for $6500 to $9500/yr.
Being a boy who wants engineering or business and outside the top6% makes UT highly unlikely (even kids within the top 6% don’t get that college/major.)
UTD and UHouston honors would be the most likely to give merit scholarships and their honors colleges are excellent.
Texas Tech has 100% Cost of Attendance for NMF.
Texas parent here. Your DS sounds a lot like mine. State qualifier in percussion, plays several instruments, National Merit commended with a 211 PSAT, and 2160 SAT (1480 new SAT) top 13%, 4 years PLTW engineering classes, 4 years foreign language, and he was one of 13 selected from over 100 invited to apply, for an internship at an aerospace engineering company that is government contracted, during his Sr year in high school and guaranteed every summer full time if he remains in an engineering program in college. He was offered admissions to UT but not to engineering, McCombs or any STEM major but to any open major, which was basically Liberal Arts.
Well, that wasn’t going to work.
He was an academic admit to Texas A&M and had been admitted already the past fall. It was the last year before they went holistic review for all engineering applicants. He accepted his admissions after he received his UT admissions decision in February.
Your son is also an academic admit to A&M, based on his rank and test scores.
Depending one what maths and physics your son has had, he will likely get into the engineering program in College Station. Most Auto Top 10% and Academic Admits do. That said, getting in and staying in are two different things. Many decide during/after their first year, that engineering isn’t for them or the toughness of the general engineering program decides it for them.
Make sure he checks the box on his application to be considered for scholarships. Know that Merit scholarships are few and far between and he likely won’t get any. Most don’t. It takes more than a high test score unless you are National Merit. High test scores at top public universities in competitive programs are a dime a dozen. My son wasn’t offered any Merit or other scholarships to offset the costs of tuition. He had two siblings already in college. He has received departmental ones and one from his internship and they help, but it doesn’t make a very big dent in the overall costs.
If your Son was an incoming freshman for fall 2019, on the fixed rate tuition plan, your cost would be $6,646.91 for each semester for tuition and fees. That is no housing costs, parking pass, sports pass or meal plan. https://tuition.tamu.edu/
I think someone else commented on this but I would be cautious going this route. If he wants to study Engineering - find a program where he will be in that program or can easily transfer in. At UT, I believe it is very difficult to transfer majors, especially business and engineering.
FWIW, my daughter had a 32 ACT and was in the top 8%. She was CAP’d at UT 
Perhaps your son will have a different result but UT is a tough one.
I meant to add earlier, that a friend of my son’s, who was in band with him, was first chair all region and I want to say 2nd chair all state on the Saxophone. He was a good student but not NM commended and probably top 15-25% and he is a music major at UT. He is thriving. He is a serious musician and always has been.
UNT is also a great school for music. Three of his band buddies go there as well but only one is a music major and I think another is in one of the bands. I’ll have to ask again.
UT Arlington is a great engineering school that admits direct to his desired major and has a partnership with Lockheed. Both in Ft. Worth and Grand Prairie. A&M does not admit directly to engineering major. All freshmen are placed into general engineering and there is a highly competitive process they go through to get into an engineering major. It is based off their over all GPA and their general engineering curriculum GPA.
Appreciate all the responses.