@DavidPuddy it was me. I helped him compile a list of colleges that met 100% financial need (a necessity) and we went from there in terms of where his stats would get him in. We thought a small LAC would be a good fit because he went to a small high school and because he will get more individualized attention. There was one school to which he was accepted but I steered him away because it is very, very liberal (lots of activism) and I did not feel it was a good fit. The school he will be attending seems moderate and he visited and felt it was a good fit. It’s not like he’s a complete philistine- he just says some things without thinking of what the consequences may be.
He calls and emails me all the time for advice and is very willing to learn. He now writes thank you notes, for example, something he had never done before. Small examples, but it wasn’t something he was taught.