Look into Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ. He may have a good chance via ED1 or ED2, especially with his test scores. Assuming he is taking a rigorous course load in high school.
Embry Riddle sounds like a good fit - but they seem to offer only a limited set of majors. What if kiddo tires of building drones and decides white hat hacking is more fun… (I have a techhy kid - and interests often change, but stay within that tech sphere)
Embry-Riddle is a private, niche aeronautical/aerospace school. D1 is looking at it. They have a Bachelor of Science in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Science degree. 2 campuses - Prescott AZ and Daytona Beach FL. But not inexpensive.
OP said not cost constrains.
@ciervo, I don’t want to discourage looking at Olin and giving it a shot if he likes what he sees, but the OP should have their eyes open that it’s a reach-for-everyone school and would be a huge reach with a 3.3.
About your question on portfolios, not sure if it’s changed in the past 4 years, but usually there is a section on common app that says any additional information that you would like the committee to know. There you can put a link to your portfolio. The portfolio can be posted on Flickr, YouTube, a portfolio website, etc.
I don’t see folks posting any west coast options for you so will toss out a few more as you mentioned outdoors and climate/outdoors was a screening factor for my S.
I agree, MechE is the way to go. That said, with a 3.3 he may be challenged to get direct admit, if he can get in to a MechE program. He may have to do pre-engineering and then apply into the school and the odds aren’t great in those scenarios, and he’d need to have a 3.0 or higher after sophomore year of college to be considered at most locations. I might steer clear of schools that focus on direct admit unless the gpa matches as he may be likely to get bumped to pre-engineering. If the school doesn’t offer direct admit at all, that is probably best in your scenario. I might also suggest a slightly smaller program than one where he is just a number might be a better fit if he is distracted by his drone building and the grades suffer as a result as it could be easier to slip through the cracks. I would steer clear of a 3/2 program.
As a development manager for an engineering firm, in general employers care about your college GPA and that the school is ABET accredited. Beyond that is personal preference and prestige seeking, or co op/internship and REU seeking. We hire from any school if the rest is a fit. A certain school might help you get an interview sooner but no school keeps you from getting one.
Ones on our list, my S has slightly higher GPA, lower test scores but more AP/Honors.
Oregon State University
Washington State University
University of Vermont
Gonzaga
University of Wyoming. Which I realize sounds very random but they absolutely blew us away with the attention they gave S on his tour. No direct admit to engineering, need 3.0 minimum for admission into program junior year. With your S’s interest/hobbies he could be a great REU candidate there.
Not on our list as they don’t have the energy focus mine wants (or the climate is too warm or school too rah rah) but do have mechanical. A bit of a reach GPA wise but there is plenty to counteract it that may make him a decent candidate. Your CSU and UC EI will be a factor, you can map it out now but sounds like it should be changing. He will probably want to apply to a decent amount of schools to up his odds but make sure to have some safeties in there he can live with and that may well mean not being picky.
SJSU
SDSU
Cal State LB
Seattle University
University of Portland
Santa Clara University
Oregon Institute of Technology
Portland State
University of Nevada - Reno
University of Colorado - Boulder
Colorado State but only if non mechanical. 3.5 for Mechanical and they have a cap so EA/ED is a must.
@twoinanddone, Yes to physics and chemistry. He didn’t take the most challenging load compared to many others… though his school’s math (and everything else) is challenging. His priority has definitely been to leave time for his projects (against our advice). He’s taught himself a crazy amount and is basically the guru for all-things-related-to-what-he-does at his school. I think environment is important for his success, as in, having a decent number of girls around for a semi-normal college experience, and ideally going somewhere that will also allow him to dig into projects right away…but he will need grad school, I’m assuming, so going somewhere that can help him head to a decent one is something to factor in, too?
Thanks! @NWMom2
He needs to get better grades to prove he can do college work at schools that are intellectually at his perceived level. Being sidetracked with any extracurricular activity, no matter how academic, does not trump classroom academics. There will be plenty of classes to get through on his way to doing what he loves most.
Many colleges will not give him extra points for being at a “top” HS- given the extra opportunities he should have made use of them. They will not know if he has the study habits to succeed. He needs some self discipline to learn the material required for his classes. There will be students from all over the country who already have the self discipline to do well even if a class doesn’t interest them. Somewhere along the way your son will need to successfully jump through many hoops on his way to any college degree.
Don’t worry about the female factor- most colleges do have plenty of them. Also- what are your/his priorities- having a social life or academics? He may need to start at a “lesser” school and prove himself before transferring to a school with the program he wants. That could be an incentive for him to settle down and pay more attention to requirements than just what he enjoys. Good luck to him.
@wis75 Agreed. Believe me, you’re preaching to the choir… We have consistently advised him to focus more on the classes and not as much on the projects, but he’s pretty obsessed. We’ve considered looking at schools that would be good transfer options, but haven’t gotten much further than CCC’s to UC’s so far. I do want him to like where he is, 2-4 years of being somewhere you hate (and paying for it) seems like a bad plan.
I’m going to break with the pack here and suggest a project-based gap year for this brilliant kid. I’m not suggesting this as a way to improve his application, but as a gift to himself of uninterrupted opportunity to pursue his passion. He sounds as if he needs to gain a bit in drive to play the school game, and the extra year would also give him time to do that, and maybe even give him the drive to research MechE programs himself.
But your question is will he get in somewhere? Of course. Will he get into Caltech? Probably not but maybe that’s not the right school for him anyway. Maybe he’d be happier in a school that cares more about the projects and research.
My daughter had a higher gpa, lower scores, but had no trouble getting into schools that fit her. She goes to Florida Tech, which does not have the flashy reputation on CC but suits her just fine. The students seem to win a lot of awards for design. A friend graduated last year in mechanical engineering and had full rides to GaTech and Columbia (+3 others) masters programs. Buzz Aldrin teaches there. Lots of internships, co-op program, the students are always building cement canoes and little moon vehicles and jet cars. There are plenty of smaller engineering schools and the gpa won’t be a problem getting in as long as he has the classes like physics and chem and higher math. My D didn’t have calc or AP physics. These opportunities are everywhere and your son will find one.
Also, has your son talked to any admissions officers? Sometimes they can be very helpful in getting the point across to a 16 year old that it is important to hand in homework, to keep grades up, that a gpa is important --in a way no parent can.
@dolomite Sigh. Checked his SI after reading your post and he is at 219, one point below the widely predicted cutoff for CA. (bc of slightly higher math). 
Sounds like you are accepting the “kid on the couch” at this stage and want practical ideas. Your post #49 shows your good efforts. Sounds like you understand realities even if your son doesn’t. Best wishes in helping him find his path.
My sympathies as we also know about potential and where the kid lands. You can try all you want but strong willed (stubborn) kids will do what they want regardless. I suspect you may be in for an “aha” moment from him in several years when he realizes what he needs/needed to do to be where he wants to be. Either he’ll put in the work or not then. All we can do is watch and hope our kids have good lives as adults.
Not all 3.3 GPAs are created equal. With no C’s on his report card, he has a lot of options. I would shy away from the 3/2 programs, because most students don’t finish the 2. It is hard to leave your school for senior year, plus the requirements for transfer can be tough to meet. The high test scores will expand his options. Cast a wide net and he should have some great options. Will the ivy’s/hopkins/mit/duke be a choice? Probably not, but any schools ranked below the top 20 or 30 that offer engineering and I would expect him to get some acceptances.
Another consideration may be to avoid schools where students must compete by GPA to get into engineering majors after enrolling. A student who does not seem to prioritize getting high grades is more likely to be “weeded out” of engineering at such a school.
@intparent He’s enrolled at RH Operation Catapult for one session this summer, actually. Not sure how selective it was to be accepted, but I was glad he got in, for all the reasons you mentioned. We know someone who did it about 4 years ago and got a lot out of it/thought it was great.
My daughter did Operation Catapult four years ago as well. It should be a great experience for your son!
@intparent If you don’t mind my asking, did she end up at RHI? If not, why and if so, does she like it?
She did not end up there (did not apply). She decided after Catapult that she didn’t want to be an engineer (her reason for going was to check out that possibility). I think she found it a little conservative for her taste, too. She is a physics major at Harvey Mudd now. But lots of kids who go there love it – ypur so could be one of them.