Please help with a "Southern Safety"

My S2 has applied to some wonderful schools - Elon, Virginia Tech, Clemson, U of SoCarolina, however we are looking for some advice on some schools that might be considered more realistic (i.e. so called safety schools).
He has a 3.5 UW mostly honors, some AP, 1280 SAT
EC are good as they are a bit unusual, he is a Crew Captain on his HS EMS town ambulance service. He has passed the state EMT exams and responds to any and all ambulance emergencies in the town and plans on passing his national EMT exam this fall once he turns 18 so he can do so anywhere in the US. Other leadership positions are team leader for the DECA program, Lacrosse Captain and Varsity Basketball to name a few.
He has worked the past two summers responding to local ambulance emergencies. This said he wants to major in Business, with a concentration in Accounting. After helping my S1 find his fit for Nursing school a few years ago, this is a bit of a different search. While we reside in New England where there are amazing schools he wants a change and is looking south of PA. Any ideas on some schools that would really like to welcome him? Thank you

It looks like he’s looking for big D1 schools?

U of Central Florida, Florida Atlantic (FAU), Florida International (FIU). Probably FSU but not UF. Coastal Carolina is also nice.

Towson, Salisbury, also Loyola University Maryland. All with good business programs and interested in students with community service, leadership ECs.
And strong lax fans.

James Madison isn’t a safety but it has an excellent business/accounting program.

If he likes big sport/school spirit atmosphere of South Carolina and Clemson, I think Kentucky, Ole Miss, Auburn, Alabama will be safeties.

Agree with @Hippobirdy that Loyola Maryland is a good choice - nice campus, urban, medium size, Jesuit. I know a recent grad (Finance major) who loved his experience and is doing well professionally.

check out any of the 3.0-3.5 threads - lots of great ideas in there for schools that would be closer to a safety.

Thanks to all - JMU was on his list but he is second guessing(?)
Ole Miss was one that really interested him and I will look at Loyola with him. I know its a great school and while he would rather have something a little less urban its worth a good look.
I will look for those 3.0-3.5 threads.!

App State could be a good fit. It’s like Virginia Tech in that it’s in a small mountain town. Very pretty and lots of school spirit. It’s a very popular public university in NC, I’d posit the most popular other than UNC and NC State. Our very good local HS sends lots of kids there every year and they seem to really like it.

Don’t know anything about their business programs.

Good luck!

The fit has to be right for him, that’s what is important. Has he toured these schools?

FYI, JMU students volunteer for the Harrisonburg Rescue Squad. It’s very close to campus.

https://www.jmu.edu/news/chbs/2018/03-05-PA-students-rescue-squad.shtml

Ole Miss has an excellent accounting school.

ECU would be a good choice and not as expensive as Alabama, Clemson, VTech, South Carolina OOS. His list was very similar to my daughter’s a current college sophomore. She wanted big, southern, and football. Elon seems like an odd choice in that list.

McDaniel College in Westminster, MD would be a good safety and has a strong accounting program. It is smaller than many of the other schools on his list, though.

This would be an easy school to visit on the same trip as you visit Loyola Maryland, as they are about an hour apart.

Consider: University of Mississippi & Auburn University.

How about Auburn, Alabama, or Georgia State (urban)?

JMU, Wofford, App State, and UNC-Wilmington came to mind. If he likes some structure then maybe VMI or The Citadel?

College of Charleston

Seconding College of Charleston. Their business school has a variety of majors/concentrations including accounting http://www.cofc.edu/academics/majorsandminors/accounting.php , and students have good flexibility to explore before committing to their major. The Center for Entrepreneurship has a lot of innovative stuff going on. CofC has an in-house EMT corps with its own ambulance, if that’s of interest. Charleston is the biggest city in the state but still probably wouldn’t feel “too urban.” And they have Div II lacrosse.

Many good suggestions so far, I’ll add U Tampa

Eckerd College would be one to look at. They have an on campus emergency response team with student EMT’s. They also have EC-SAR a student run marine search and rescue unit that just received the Coast Guard Meritorious Public Service Award. There is a men’s lacrosse intramural club. They would be a good safety and offer a $17,000 per yr merit for his stats. If he could increase his GPA to 3.7, the award goes up to $19,000. They also offer generous financial aid. There is a very strong mentor/professor relationship and numerous study abroad programs with scholarship. They offer Business, Management, International Business, Leadership Studies, Entrepreneurship.

College of Charleston is D1 and doesn’t have varsity lacrosse; they had a club team but I don’t know if it is still active.