Responding with some updates as it may help someone facing similar choices next academic year with respect to major choices when they google search.
For SJSU, ended up applying for CS (not CE) - and he got in yesterday. In general he ended up not liking the hardware aspects of Computer Engineering - so he applied to most places either CS or Physics. We felt the selling point for SJSU was CS with the possibility to do software industry internships while being at home. Plus knowing that he would likely get the GPA boost of 0.25 for local applicants, applying for CS was the better idea (apply for what he wanted than what was easy to get into). If he did not get in there would always be other colleges.
Other than SJSU, so far he got Cal Poly Pomona (CS), Purdue (Physics) and Arizona State (CS). ASU was a safety school he got within a week of applying in November - so in a way there was less need for more safety schools. Waiting on the UCs (CS or Physics) and Cal Poly (Software Engineering) - but these are not out yet (except for a few top students maybe).