I'm sure you're a good person because you are here. This is what I do for a living so let me give you some advice that you may not have already know.
I saw you posted that your son wants to get into UT Austin. The way to work the system and avoid the top 10% is to take dual credit his senior year. If his school doesn't offer it then go find a Jr. College and just do it yourself. Have him take English 1301 & 1302, History 1301 & 1302, and American Government and Texas Government his senior year. During the Summer (I) have him take College Math and then apply as a transfer student. He will get in. Plus you just saved a lot of money on tuition especially if his school has dual credit.
The Top 10% Rule typically only impacts UT and perhaps A&M as those are the two schools with the greatest demand and UT is electing to increase enrollment and moving to drop the Top 10% to the Top 8%.
However, students who are not in the top 10% or are in the top 10% and elect to go to other state universities can gain acceptance to Texas Tech, Texas State, UTSA, UTEP, UTA and the schools in the A&M system.
To say that the only way a high school graduate can gain acceptance to a state university is for him or her to be in the top 10% of their class is incorrect.
However, to say that the only way a high school graduate can gain acceptance to UT Austin or TAMU is to be in the top 10% of their class is mostly correct.
Their are exceptions to the Top 10 rule at UT and A&M and those exceptions include scholarships, both academic and athletic, writing a compelling essay, military service or having daddy write a fat check to the school.
I think my son graduated from Austin High in the top 9.0% of his class and top quite a few AP classes. However, there were times, that because of the Top 10 rule, he begged us to let him transfer to a high school with less outstanding academic standards.
“Dad, I could go to high school X and never open a book and I would graduate in the top ten percent. But at Austin High, I got to actually do some work!”
“That’s right son, now you had better get your ass in the study and crack a book.”