in my experience, college is a pretty abstract concept to the typical 16 yr old boy. They either think they are all the same or that there’s only one good one.
You can help break that paradigm by touring a variety of schools, then discussing what they liked or didn’t. Someplace like UoP is a great representation of a small private school, Sac or SF are good representative large commuter schools with urban surrounds, Davis is a really big UC in a college town, and Sonoma is a tweener size and is really residential. Visit several, chat it up with some students, ask them about their experience and where else they applied. Use the drive home to talk about what they liked or didn’t - use that feedback to help them find a couple of schools they will feel comfortable at - and can get into.
From the East Bay, these can be half day or less outings… or can be added to trips they already need to take for a sport/band or just a vacation.