browniemom,
Another reason to possibly explore a summer program between now and his senior year is to help your son narrow his choices and have a better sense of what type of school really is right for him. I have two boys both of whom where talented musically and expressed interest in pursuing music when in high school. Both attended Berklee’s 5 week and came away with very different attitudes about what they wanted moving forward. One realized that although he loved music and continues to explore it as a hobby, he did not need or necessarily want a conservatory program. The other decided he not only wanted music but wanted to go to a stand alone conservatory program. He was worried that if he attended a school like Oberlin he would get distracted by those things he feels are “easy” rather than the hard work of advancing as a musician.
It is all too easy when a child is excelling at the high school level to imagine their child continuing that course as they advance into higher education. But the reality is that most kids are going to have to make choices about what they can and can not do. Those that go through that process before beginning college (hence my suggestion of a gap year) are the best positioned to take advantage of their 8 semesters (which goes by quickly). A child hoping to pursue graduate work in sciences is going to need to quickly get up to speed and by his/her senior year be taking graduate level courses and doing research. Their summers will ideally be filled with doing an REU or research at the University. A student who is pre-health will have a full schedule most semesters and need to work hard to get top grades. One can certainly use college as a time to explore different paths but the parents should be prepared that the child might need additional credits beyond their undergraduate credits.
Finally remember kids change. I have known kids (like my daughter) to leave a conservatory program and end up pursuing science and a career as health care provider (NP). I have knew a young man who entered into Northeastern to do neurobiology who ended up at NEC for his masters and now does production. I have known pre-meds who switched out of being pre-med to pursue music.
Remember College is not high school. And definitely visit schools so your son can start to tell you where he feels comfortable.