@FHS2020 now I understand your user name 
I like your son’s list. We looked at many of those schools too (well, not your reaches). I know UConn and RIT are known for their support services. Have you checked them out? My son focused on smaller schools - I think he’d get lost easily at somewhere like UConn. He got accepted everywhere except UNH and Catholic and got great merit everywhere, which was a surprise.
Re: transfer. We were told the same thing. My d had to transfer last year due to a significant drop in FA at University of Rochester. She got excellent merit from all the private schools she applied to as a transfer, like $30k. They were all lower ranked but still good schools. She even got merit from OOS publics. I was surprised since I had been told not to expect much.
I loved WPI, but my son didn’t, and it would’ve been a reach anyway. Clarkson’s probably in the top spot. We know quite a few grads and they all just gush about it. We visited when he was a sophomore (on or way home from Canada), but he wants to visit again so we’re going for Accepted Students Day. Good luck to your son! Does he have any favorites?