I disagree – I think he wants to go to college, but doesn’t have an adequate understanding of where his stats and background place him in the applicant pool. And no one helping him identify likely and safety schools where he could find many of the qualities he wants in a school. He may still get in someplace on his list. I have one kid who has consistently exceeded expectations in admissions (did in undergrad admissions, and doing it again in grad school admission results right now). The right blend of “interested and interesting” can overcome some application deficiencies sometimes. But you can’t count on it.