Thanks to you both!
I think I overstated the need here. What we really will be looking for is more likely to be “good enough” and “affordable.” LOL. This is not a kid who wants to be in a top program somewhere. This is a guy who wants to go to college to major in music and education, and have a good time with friends, while doing what he loves (music), but not feeling overwhelmed either academically or artistically, and definitely not pressured. So far he has on his list NAU (Northern Arizona University) because it is a public state school that will likely be affordable (in a lovely location), and the Frost School of Music at the U of Miami, only because he fell in love with Miami when we were there for my older son’s Stamps/Singer interview a couple of weeks ago. Oh, and also the University of San Diego because he’s been attending a summer camp there every year on the campus. Needless to say I haven’t yet done any research into the Frost or USD programs to see how expensive or competitive they are; right now he just likes them based on rather superficial aspects of their campuses and locations.
As for the audition, he is likely to do well I think. He is definitely a good drummer (and will be better after a few more years of practice), but he is also a very non-competitive type of person. He doesn’t like high-pressure or exclusivity. So he will just get up and do his thing, but he’s not going to be super intense about it.
So overall, a more easy-going, affordable school is going to be preferable to a “top” school. 