A students is more than their SAT score, which is why they view applicants holistically. Ivy’s do it as well - I know two students who got into Harvard with 1420 & 1440 SAT’s - of course they are recruited athletes as are 10-20 % of their students. They are super coachable and will help Harvard accumulate several more athletic trophies (though I have no idea why that matters). Harvard apparently feels their degree of aptitude is sufficient to be academically successful at their institution, which proves that you don’t need to be any more intelligent than any typical honor level student to get a degree at any school period.
Your son I am sure is a very intelligent kid, and you are probably correct that a high percentage of accepted students had a lower SAT score, they just had some thing that admission preferred others over yours.
Having taught for 20 years I can assure you that the most academic kids are not always the best students. Just because they can do something doesn’t mean they will - which is why looking at their track record of commitment to activities, and grades gives a better view of what a kid is likely to do - not just what they are capable doing. make sense?
I recall a student who rarely came to class, and when he did was generally high, yet he scored a 5 on AP calc exam to get people off his back, and out of boredom, fired off a paper during detention which most kids AP lang kids couldn’t write on their best day with JK Rowling as a co-writer. Was he capable - yes, astoundingly so, overqualified actually. Would he be a good college student? Definitely not, which he ensured by dropping out before graduation.
I imagine your son is probably a super smart kid and deserving of UCLA and probably a lot more- like so many others. but that’s not all they are looking for.
If college acceptance and success was just about raw talent - I’d have to put my money on that now homeless kid who is out riding trains or holding a sign along some highway, as he could probably run mental laps around your kid and most others.
Take home message: College admission and academic success has far less to do with aptitude, than most people imagine.