<p>I am not denigrating schools that I am not listing. As posters know, I do not have an “Ivy or bust” mentality. What I am saying is that he should not have an MIT or bust mentality.
But I do not see why a student with such high math abilities should not aspire to schools that are known to have the best math programs in the country.
The reason I suggest a top tier school is that the student truly excels at math. It is not every student who qualifies for MOSP. His math abilities trump Bs in subjects that are not math/science.
When the time comes to actually apply, he may want to have one or two real safeties (unless he gets in EA at MIT or Chicago or Caltech). And indeed, if he wants to apply early, he ought to focus on making sure he has his SAT or ACT/SAT-IIs done by October.</p>