@ILMomof2 His stats seem pretty similar to mine, and I just got in for the First Year Engineering program (Every engineer starts in this, and then they declare their majors sophomore year), and I plan on going into mechanical as well. Just have him make sure his essays showcase his interest in the field (I talked about a company idea I pursued this year and explained what specific benefits the different Purdue facilities could afford me), and he should be a shoe-in. Good luck!