Target colleges where the bottom 25% GPA threshold is in the 3-3.3 range and where the top25%sat threshold is in the 27-28 range. This should yield maximum results. Reaches would be 3.3 GPA bottom threshold and 30 act top threshold.
Hopefully he’s not interested in majoring in CS or Engineering (although some programs will give him a chance because he’s shown persistence despite obstacles, something essential to success in engineering as those fields are always More selective)
You identified the public universities in VA correctly. In North Carolina, he’s got a shot at Honors college in both Appalachian State and UNC W, plus UNC Asheville (which, in case he IS interested in stem, offers a cool Mechatronics degree). He should always apply for honors college where he seems allowed to since it’s harder to get lost in the crowd bin a smaller class with a professor who knows you.
Wku and its language flagship should not be dismissed if he’s interested in languages.
If he manages a 3.0 he has a shot at a merit scholarship at Ole Miss.
USC upstate, USC Aiken, college of Charleston. Marshall, Shepherd university. Definitely Guildford. Wooster, Xavier oh,
@Orangefish… I would say that your student’s test scores and GPA commensurate: neither is that far off from the other. Are you chasing merit $ or wanting to target higher ranked schools than what is already on your list? I am questioning why she will be retaking the ACT. It is basically a double edge sword at this point a higher ACT score might put her over the edge and in at schools that weight more on test score; but for other schools the bigger gap between GPA and test score is going to send up a flag and they begin to wonder why the gpa and scores are so disparate.
Of the schools you have listed I would say your daughter already has the test score sufficient to be accepted. In fact, I would cite most of them as solid matches and one or two as a safety. Are your planning on applying to one or two reaches? Have you considered Ohio Northern or even Wooster? UVA-Wise or Longwood?
@me29034 – D asked her school counselor (back in the fall) if she should retake the ACT or not and her counselor said she should retake it to try to score higher. Thanks for your advice on matches/safeties!
@MYOS1634 – Thanks for the great targeting advice! She is interested in theatre tech and plans to apply to a mix of BA and BFA programs. (She has a recent interest in secondary ed, too, which may ultimately result in a master’s program.)
What about Auburn and Ole Miss? Don’t they have high acceptance rates?
@Orangefish…for that major CNU or Baldwin Wallace are spot on! Have you considered Chatham or Point Park in Pittsburgh?
@labegg – yes, she has some reaches on her list – Muhlenberg for the BA theatre program but would also be hunting for talent $, Drexel for a BS for a major in Westphal School, and the remaining reaches are BFA programs (UNCSA, Montclair State, U Cincinnati - CCM, and Otterbein). She is not a fan of rural (and therefore no to Longwood) but have not looked at Ohio Northern or Wooster. Thank you!
Thanks, @labegg – had not considered Chatham at all (thanks!) and Point Park we are concerned about $$$.
@chb088 – D does not want to go too far south – something about hating mosquitoes (?!? as I have been bitten by plenty a mosquito in Maine) and the furthest south she will consider is Winston-Salem NC (where UNCSA is located).
Penn State has a strong theater tech program and CV/experience will be paramount, more so than grades (well, as long as the 3.1w isn’t due to a bunch of D’s in core classes).
However it doesn’t offer financial aid. What’s your budget?
@MYOS1634 – we are trying to keep our costs somewhere around in-state COA, so $30-35K/yr.
U of Maine at orono is offering in-state tuition matching program. Here is their theater program web page–
https://umaine.edu/spa/academics/theatre-dance/
There’s an airport right in Bangor/Orono.
Drew University is a 3.2 range and has excellent theater programs. Have you looked there yet? https://www.drew.edu/theatre-dance-department/
@OrangeFish – Here is Drew University’s graph of acceptances by scores and GPA
https://www.thoughtco.com/drew-university-gpa-sat-act-data-786455
Thanks, @Dustyfeathers ! She had U Maine Orono on her list for a while but took it off in favor of URI.
She looked at Drew and had them (and Rowan) on her list for a while, but their theatre tech options are limited.
On another thread here I just read that Wagner’s theater program is good.
A friend of mine’s daughter interested in theater tech looked at U of Indiana Bloomington. Also a very pretty school. OOS tuition may not be so great though.
Thanks @Dustyfeathers! Will look into Indiana-Bloomington and Wagner. 
Good luck!!!
Fingers crossed!!!
@OrangeFish My D is lopsided the other way: gpa 3.5uw, act 22. UMaine and URI are both on our list, but I recall seeing that both could come close to in-state for OOS tuition. Maine has that specific offer for it, but URI had a lower starting tuition to begin with. Both look like nice schools , and not too big.
*Editing to correct that URI is the pricier school, but they do offer some merit possibilities for my lower stats kid. Can’t remember if they are gpa or test-score driven, but it seemed like she had a very good chance at them.
Agree with you on both, @Acersaccharum – we visited and toured the theatre facilities at URI. Beautiful campus and the professors we met were warm and welcoming. We have only driven through U Maine Orono – have not toured yet. There are many U Maine Orono theatre students successfully doing summer stock along the Maine coast.
^ with that GPA, assuming rigor (4+ APs or equivalent, mostly honors), she should apply to the test optional colleges. All test optional women’s colleges are in play and after you remove the tippy top ones there should be lots of possibilities. In particular, look into this CTCL colleges that are test optional. At public universities, she can apply to the honors college since her GPA will be so much higher than the average at colleges where her act is average.
Finally UKentucky honors downplays test scores and Penn State Schreyer doesn’t include test scores at all in their decision.
@Acersaccharum ^ the above is for you