Cym, does your son want to take the SAT as a sophomore? I probably wouldn't make my DS take it if none of his friends were and he didn't want to. None of my friends took it early and, living in a small town, it would have been unpleasant to have take it as a sophomore in the same room as the seniors from my school. But if everyone is doing it, then it seems like a no-brainer.
As for planning ahead, there is a ton to do besides look at scores, as I am sure you are aware: Lots of interesting schools with lots of differnt academic foci, student bodies with different personalities, lots of finanacial aid materials and obscure scholarships. The test score is really just a fraction of the picture. Surfing the net and finding out about schools that might suit his personality would probably be a huge help. I think kids should be the ones who make the actual decisions, but a parent can help narrow down options to 10-20 best fit schools so it's less overwhelming.
