Clarkson is wrong for my son for the same reason it was wrong for me - too far from home and too isolated. The only things to do up at Clarkson outside of classes was go to frat beer blasts, attend hockey games, cajole someone into driving me up to Montreal or watch curling on Canadian TV. I was also dismayed to see Clarkson listed as third tier in competitive schools - a safety school for my son.
Wow. That sounds a lot like what we used to say about Clarkson and Potsdam when I was at RPI. Of course, they enjoyed making fun of Troy too. In general though, based on how you've described your son and assuming he gets test scores to match, it really would be a safety school for him. From the schools you listed I'd expect him to get into RPI, WPI, Northeastern and UConn (no guarantees for any of them, of course, since they are all very competitive) and have a legitimate chance to compete at the others - which is all anyone beyond a handful of Math and Physics Olympiad winners can claim. The acceptance rates are very low, but he's clearly qualified and you never know how his application might strike a handful of people on an admissions committee. Tell him to not be afraid to show who he really is on the applications and hope that when the committee is going through the process of assembling a diverse, but qualified class that they see how he can fit into the mosaic they are creating. Although they are putting together a student body for technical programs, admissions is as much of an art as it is a science.
A few other things that might be relevant and helpful:
1) I think engineering programs are moving back towards a more hands on approach. When I was in school it was more classroom oriented, but it produced a generation of engineers with less experience actually putting things together and learning how they work on the ground rather than in theory. There seems to be greater push for students to get into projects, research labs or industry to get that experience early. As Hank noted, WPI has always been known for a sort of hands on approach and Northeastern has built its name on the co-op program. However, schools like RPI and MIT also provide tremendous opportunities to engage in research and hands on work. In fact, at MIT there is so much research money floating around that almost any student that wants to engage in sponsored research under the UROP program can do so simply by asking. My daughter also did a summer research program at UConn and found a lot of interesting work going on in the engineering school there are well. Your son is very fortunate to have the skills and interest to fit into these trends.
2) I had a deal with my daughter that she could apply anywhere she wanted as long as UConn was on the list and then we'd see how the financial aspects played out. Generally, the better the perceived quality of the school/size of the endowment, the deeper the financial aid pockets, but there are exceptions. Not surprisingly, UConn would have been the cheapest option, but top tier schools offered the best need-based aid packages. Yale, which is putting a lot of money into engineering, has incredible financial aid. MIT followed not far behind. However, schools like RPI and WPI have performance-based aid that can close the gap. Your son should look into some of WPI's named scholarships - they can be quite lucrative. RPI offers the RPI Medal through many high schools. It goes to the top math/science student in the junior class and it's worth $15K/yr for 4 years. The high school makes the decision. My daughter got it at her school primarily because she asked for it since she was considering RPI. Most schools have a number of awards they can give their top students, but if a kid expresses an interest in one that carries a scholarship and just might use it (as opposed to giving it to someone that just sees it as another award to stockpile) then that may sway the decision. The school will probably be sending in their selection soon so if he's a junior he shouldn't be afraid to ask.
3) Although engineering students are certainly more geeky than most, every school on his list provides a number of non-geeky pursuits as well. We went to an admissions event for one top tier engineering school that basically bragged about how over the top geeky it was. My daughter, who like Hank's daughter recognized her geeky side, was still turned off by it. She said, "I may be part geek, but that's not all there is to me and I don't want to go somewhere that has that attitude." I thought that was very wise of her. She's having a great time participating in MIT's student run dance troupe and activities through her sorority and dorm. Having an engineering school background I'm sure you know this, but make sure your son is comfortable with what the school can provide for the rest of his interests - athletic, artistic, social, etc.
Good luck to him wherever he ends up. He's ahead of the curve.
