<p>Academically, your son is fine. He DOES NOT need to retake the SAT. The key would be for your son to make himself stand out in the throngs of applicants. A great place to do this is the essay. If he isn't a recruited athlete, he really needs his humanity to show through. The admissions office needs to see him as a person as opposed a bunch of numbers. If he is funny, write a compelling and hilarious essay. Northwestern's program does look for students with significant research in the sciences though. Volunteering is not enough. A non-profit would be a plus (in a medically-related field). Given what you have said though, I know nothing about him as an individual. If the admissions committee gets the same impression, he will be tossed into the waitlist/reject pile. But, don't feel down, he definitely has a shot, but academics will NOT determine his chances.</p>