Any advice on low GPA, high ACT?

33 ACT would be like 1460 SAT in the CB/ACT concordance table, but CSU may have slightly different equivalencies.

Is the 3.0 GPA based on the CSU/UC weighted-capped recalculation shown at https://rogerhub.com/gpa-calculator-uc/ ?

If so, his ACT-based eligibility index would be 930, while his SAT-based eligibility index using 1460 SAT would be 3860.

SJSU shows historical thresholds at http://www.sjsu.edu/admissions/impaction/ . Last year, the threshold was 4725 for CS and 4200 for software engineering, so it would be a reach.

SSU says that local applicants will be admitted with 694 or 2950, but threshold will be higher for non-local applicants, and it does not show historical thresholds: https://admissions.sonoma.edu/how-apply/requirements/first-time-freshmen/first-time-freshman-eligibility-index .

CPP does not publish past thresholds. CS is an impacted major, so the provision of admission for local area applicants with 694 or 2950 does not apply. https://www.cpp.edu/~admissions/undergraduate/freshmen/before/impacted-majors.shtml

SDSU does not publish past thresholds. https://admissions.sdsu.edu/freshmen/apply/eligibility lists the average admit GPA and test scores which imply that 1056 or 4408 is the average, but minimum admit thresholds will be lower.

He may want to include other CSUs like SFSU where CS is not impacted and the campus is either not impacted or relatively lesser impaction. Also, your local CSU may give an admission preference (see https://www2.calstate.edu/apply/freshman/documents/csulocaladmission-serviceareas.pdf ).

https://www2.calstate.edu/attend/counselor-resources/Documents/freshmen-2017-admission-impaction-chart.pdf has some additional historical information from the fall 2017 admissions cycle.