If this is possible in your area, it might be logistically easier (and cheaper - if your district pays partially or in full for college classes) for him to do something like high school before lunch, and then a couple of college classes in the afternoon. This was a fairly common thing at my high school for seniors.
He definitely needs to apply to UW along with other schools. My son was 16 (turned 17 in the fall) when he entered UW and it worked well for him. Your son actually is not lazy, he is bored- as was my son. My son did WCATY (it was in Appleton then, sigh) and he then took AP exams which count. Since the idea of going to college earlier is your son’s idea let him go for it! He will do fine. Another student I know of did a year at UW as a HS senior since she had exhausted her HS courses before going to an Ivy. Son was not the youngest in his honors physics class- there was a 14 year old girl from a Madison HS taking the course.
Of the publics I would vote for UW over most of the other publics for academics and the campus (there is a reason Illinois students choose UW over their flagship when the cost is higher. UC-Berkeley may be hard to get into because of the huge numbers who want to go there. Changing his major at UW is easy and entering freshmen are preengineering. Add U of Minnesota to the list. PM me for a tale of a woman who did physics at U of M.
For safeties look at some of the smaller engineering schools like Rose Hulman. I believe it has a well regarded aerospace program. WPI and RPI were my kid’s safeties, but he’d had four years of high school. Others to look at Missouri U. of Science and Technology, Colorado School of Mines, Tennessee Tech, and U of Alabama at Huntsville (which apparently gives terrific merit aid).
You should look at Carnegie Mellon while you’re still looking at the big list. Better for engineering and comp sci than the pure sciences though.
If your son has grad school aspirations, you might want to keep the cost down at the undergrad level. I would rule out paying OOS for other public schools especially when the flagship in your state is such a good school. All public schools are considered more or less the same by most people outside the state/region anyway, including employers, because they mostly have a regional rather than national reputation. IMO it’s just not worth it to pay OOS unless these schools have some kind of tuition discount for WI students.
The private schools on your list looks like a good list. I agree with mathmom that Carnegie Mellon is a good one to add.
If your son plans to get a PhD in physics / astrophysics / engineering, grad school should be pretty much paid for by his teaching and then research. He will still need some extra funds at that point if he doesn’t want to live in the least expensive housing or scrimp on extras.
If he decides he wants to go to med school or law school, then he will need a lot of money for that.
CMU is much better for CS and engineering than it is for physics/astrophysics.
If you won’t get financial aid, the OOS publics may cost in the same range as the privates on your list. I would disagree that all public universities are the same, but then I’m in California.
CMU actually states in their brochure to apply as a junior if you’ve exhausted courses at your HS. Like Mathmom’s son1, my kiddo was interested in SCS, which is outstanding there.
The 2 schools I would add to your list are Caltech and Carleton. I know a female who studied astrophysics at Carleton, MIT for PhD, then JPL for first postdoc. UW is her next postdoc. Saying this, as UW is strong in the field.
Caltech has a new astrophysics building. There are many opportunities to work at JPL. Also, Caltech is friendly towards juniors.
I could eliminate about half of the colleges you mention.
What I like about Rice & Caltech is the residential houses, where kids live all 4 years (if they choose). I’m at a loss why you would consider state U’s OOS when UW is there, but I leave this to others to know if one of those colleges has a better astrophysics dept.
Given his ECs are weak, I don’t think he will have a chance with most of the very selective schools. Everything is a waiting game till after his ACT at this point.
Lots of good advice here. Thanks.
How many schools should we apply?
I need safeties, at least two schools other than UW.