^^^And even with all the hard work and achievements nothing will guarantee an unhooked applicant’s acceptance into an elite college. That is why I always think a HS student’s goal should be to be the best they can be in every aspect of life – as a student, a person, a leader, a fiend, a family member etc. When the goal becomes getting into an elite college that student places too much of his/her self-worth in the hands of an admissions officer who he/she has probably never met and who spends 10-15 minutes on his/her application.
It looks to me like your S will be successful be it at Yale, Columbia, or another outstanding college. Good luck.