OP, it is difficult to understand at many schools. The admissions process is not designed to reward the most worthy candidates. It is for the administrators to assemble a student body that they wish to matriculate. Major choice can be an issue, but it is just as likely that they already had too many students that looked like him. Racial profiling is illegal in California for admissions (IIRC) but administrations use other factors to achieve the same goals. They will use address, high school, socio-economic factors, etc. to build their preferred student body.
The time is not right for this advice, but with smart kids (my S1 had a 34 and was NMF) you still need to apply to an actual safety. That means a college where they get automatic admission and even with no aid you or they can afford to attend. Our rule is they apply to 9 schools. 3 absolute safeties. 3 dream schools. 3 ‘match’ schools. That way once the dust settles they can be the one making choices rather than feeling like the last kid getting picked on the playground.
Good luck!