<p>2.8 and 1800-ish does not mean Ivy and it does not mean community college. There are literally THOUSANDS of colleges between the Ivy League and community colleges!
Buy your dad 'Colleges that change lives", by Loren Pope (pretty cheap if you buy it used).
Read it too - you’d find lots of suggestions there (reaches, matches, and safeties).
In addition, check out the lists “A+ schools for B students”.</p>