Hi! It would be helpful to know your home state. Is it Alabama?
You already mentioned the ACT score. You could see how he does on the SAT – he can practice for free on Khan Academy. (google “free SAT prep khan academy”) That might help his score. He can take the SAT in May or June and then again in August/September to try to raise his scores. If he can get his scores to at least a 1400 that would help him a lot.
Alabama has great automatic merit aid. You should look at the merit aid offerings especially at Alabama Huntsville. They will definitely want his ACT/SAT scores to be higher.
Some private LACs do not require standardized tests AND they need boys. This might be your sweet spot. The best FA tends to be at schools that are highly selective. As a boy, he would get a little extra nod from liberal arts colleges (LACs) as they tend to be girl heavy. They need boys.
One strategy would be to look at LACs
- Outside of his geographic area -- because he would be considered geographic diversity at some schools in, say, the Northeast or Midwest or West
- Schools that profess to provide 100% of need (as they define need and all schools define it differently)
- Schools that are test optional -- https://www.fairtest.org/university/optional
All of the schools have pricey sticker prices, but what you will actually be charged or will have to pay depends on your FA (financial aid) package. Most people apply to many schools “regular decision” and compare prices.
Avoide MOST out of state (OOS) public schools. They will be expensive and they don’t tend to offer FA to OOS students. With the exception of Alabama and now University of Maine at Orono is offering flagship matchin program, so what you would pay at Alabama flagship school, your son could pay to attend U of Maine at Orono – a gorgeous state with much to offer. A few other publics are excellent bargains – such as South Dakota Mines and Tech --it’s the size of a small LAC, public, cheap OOS tuition and the job opportunites it offers are excellent. But it’s all tech related.
Also look at –
Skidmore
Wheaton in Massachusetts (not illinois)
Bates
Colby
Beloit
Brandeis
Grinnell – excellet FA, amazing opportunity. They take most students early decision. Because their FA is so good, it might be worth applying ED. If the FA package is not affordable, then you can turn down your ED.
Clark University
Trinity college in Hartford CT
Colorado college
Connecticut College (not UConn – Connecticut College is a small private LAC; UConn is a state school)
Earlham
Haverford–part of a consortiumof schools. If he’s enrolled at Haverford then he can also take classes at three other excellent schools – free and frequent transport to those schools.
Gettysburg
Guilford
Hamilton
Hobart and William Smith
Juniata
Knox
Lake Forest
Wells in NY – can take classes at Cornell
Lewis and Clark in Oregon
Lawrence U in Wisconsin
Centre in Kentucky
Rhodes
Sewanee
Marlboro – tiny college in Vermont, has a Renaissance full scholarship, one for each state. Your son might be the one!
Middlebury–amazing school, seeks lower income students, test optional, full need met
Muhlenberg – great school, does not meet 100%of need but has great merit scholarships, test optional
Reed College – excellent highly intellectual school.
Oberlin
Pitzer – test optional, part of a consortiumof 5 schools all short walk to each other; all top top top schools
Rollins
Vassar – they will like his GPA; Vassar has one of the best FA available (as do the Ivies) but it’s not test optional. But they need boys and they have a social conscience of taking highly talented people from low-income often rural areas. They might just like him
Wesleyan – like Vassar but test optional
St. Lawrence in upstate NY
Temple U is a public that is test optional and has some OOS merit
Union in NY – excellent FA for low income students. this is the rare boy-heavy LAC. has engineering with liberal arts
university of Rochester – test optional excellent school meets 100% of need
Whitman in Washington – test optional excellent school meets 100% of need