Is knowing your 'type' actually helpful for college auditions?

Son came late to the process, so consequently I did too. I remember feeling dismay when I realized how important the superficial is in casting. I think son is good looking, but the reality is, he is not movie-star handsome aka leading man material. So, even though he was Tony in his HS production of West Side Story, in the real world of casting he is a character type. He is fine with it, and actually wrote about it in an essay. His audition material reflected his type.