<p>Consider a post-graduate year at one of the elite private schools such as Lawrenceville. If he does well there it will boost his chances tremendously, plus the college advisors excel at placing students.</p>
<p>Someone else mentioned Allegheny in western PA. This is a fairly rigorous LAC with an application deadline of Feb. 15. My son was accepted there last year and despite being a less then stellar student was also offered some merit money. A large percentage of the students there do get aid of some kind, if that is a concern. The college has a lot going for it and if it were located 300 miles further east, would be harder to get into.</p>
<p>Muhlenberg looks like it also has a Feb. 15 deadline. Muhlenberg is part of a 6 school consortium of local colleges <a href="http://www.lvaic.org/%5B/url%5D">http://www.lvaic.org/</a>. A student can take up to a certain number of classes at one of these colleges with their advisors permission. If your son really does want to throw out a couple of more applications, two other colleges - Moravian and DeSales (in the above named group with Muhlenberg) might be good shots. If you are in Eastern PA, you could visit these at one time. </p>
<p>One of the best things about LAC's is they do tend to look at the whole student and not just their stats.</p>
<p>I don't know enough about the admission standards for nonathletes at Lawrenceville, Exeter, etc. to know if Jewel2's S is a candidate, but in any event they are REALLY expensive and the academic competition there is very tough--2330 or not.</p>
<p>Some flagship state universities take mediocre students to from out of state to get their tuition dollars. I know that to be true at Arizona State and Indiana.</p>
<p>USC was good about overlooking my S's middling class rank becauase he had high (2230) SATs. It might be worthwhile for him to try there as well, explaining in his essay that he has "turned the corner" especially if the recs back him up. An upward trend in grades is always a good sign to colleges. Sometimes they'll "conditionally admit," with the kid having to complete summer school or a year of community college before attending their school, just to be sure the student stays "focused."</p>
<p>Didn't he apply to any reaches?</p>
<p>It doesn't apply to girls becuase they all work so hard, but adcom are much more forgiving of boys' low GPAs if they have a high SAT score--particularily a high CR score which indicates they can analyze written material at a high level--and they have some really high marks in some area.</p>
<p>Look at what schools offer late admit dates. Pick three favorites. Emphasize your son's talents--his hooks. What was he doing with his time when he wasn't doing the homework? Hoepfully it was something constructive that he can talk about in the app. Don't worry about the GPA so much.</p>
<p>One thing that we don't know is what it means to be on the honor roll. If Jewel2's S is basically a B student right now (even in AP courses) he may not be ready to go to a highly competitive college, even if he could get in.</p>
<p>Another suggestion: Some schools still will take applications after their stated formal deadlines in some cases. If there's any school in particular that your son has an interest in, but might have ruled out prematurely, he might give them a call and see if they'd take a late application.</p>
<p>Reed is one school that comes to mind as a school with an excellent physics department that sometimes takes a risk on a lower GPA/high test score combination if the student shows signs of intellectual curiousity. They probably won't take a late application, but it never hurts to ask. Lawrence University in Wisconsin also has an outstanding physics department - I believe their deadline was Jan. 15, but they may be willing to entertain a late application if your son calls right away.</p>
<p>Adding to the suggestions already given of schools that have later deadlines: University of Arizona, Worcester Polytechnic (2/1), Southwestern U (TX), Ursinis College, Gustavos Adolphus, Hiram College, and Colorado School of Mines. Your son also might really like the New College of Florida and Evergreen State in Washington if he likes schools that think outside of the box. Both have late application deadlines as well.</p>