Looking for some match and safety options

My son’s dream school is Pomona College and plans to apply ED. Also interested in Amherst, Brown, U Penn, Occidental, Wash U. Middle income so financial aid is a huge driving factor. Noticing most schools that meet 100% of need are super selective and wondering how we might add some safety schools.

3.8 GPA (weighted, but school only adds .5 for AP and .25 for Honors, #1 rank is usually 4.2 something) puts him barely in top 25% of his graduating class in a top public high school in our state. This is what worries us…
8 APs, all Honors classes taken whenever they were available.
35 ACT, NOT superscored

Mock Trial State Champion team member 10th grade
2nd place State Mock Trial 11th grade
DECA National Qualifier
JV tennis, Girls JV tennis manager
NHS
State Qualifier for Band percussion ensemble 9th grade
Marching band (9-12) including a leadership position, Concert Band, Select Band
Performer in nationally touring diverse social justice themed choir
Actor in school plays
Works 10-15 hours a week at a tennis shop
Volunteer for Habitat for Humanity

1st quarter grades:
AP Stat- A
AP Comp Sci- A
AP Lang- A
AP Psych-A
AP German- B
Band-A

We are in the midwest and he is eager to spread his wings outside of the midwest, if possible.

Thanks in advance for any input!

Generally speaking the best aid comes from instate, non flagship schools. If finances are tight, your son may need to wait for grad school to go out of state.

What state do you live in? What is the budget number you are trying to stay below?

Being outside the top 10% of his graduating class will make these reach schools even more of a reach.

Tentative academic interests?

With respect to financial assistance, colleges of potential interest from this site should be researched: https://myintuition.org/.

Missouri. Older sister is at an East Coast LAC receiving generous financial aid. That is more of the route he would like to go. His grades are very similar to hers but his test scores and extracurriculars are stronger.

Tentative academic interest is economics.

Run the NPC for schools like Miami of OH, St. Olaf, Macalaster, Denison.

They would be matches for your son’s stats.

Wake Forest may also be worth looking into although that would be more of a low reach.

I’m sure others will have other suggestions!

Thank you momofsenior1!

Look into the University of Richmond as well as other highly ranked colleges from these analyses:

https://ideas.repec.org/top/top.uslacecon.html.

https://ideas.repec.org/top/top.usecondept.html.

The following schools seem to be relatively generous with need-based aid, may offer merit awards in some cases, and are less selective than Pomona or Amherst:

Bates
Connecticut College
Colorado College
Denison
Kenyon
Macalester
Skidmore
Trinity College (CT)
Union College (NY)
URichmond

Run the online net price calculators on any schools that interest you.

University of Rochester would be a match.

I suggest checking out College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA. It’s a meets full needs school, but is no longer need blind. From what I gather online it seems your son’s GPA is at about their 50%ile, and his ACT is above their 75%ile. I think his profile matches what they look for. They care a considerable amount about demonstrated interest. There’s a train that runs from Worcester to Boston.