My DS and his roommates span all levels of geekdom. Bless their hearts 
^ post #19, @momofcs, if you are referring to Bryant housing…hmmmm, that is all-male and where the athletes are housed. (Per NCAA rules, they cannot have designated housing just for athletes, so they allow the engineering living option there to get around it. It will be quite a different experience than the ‘regular’ suite-style co-ed dorms, where there is a greater mix of students.) I would not think that Bryant is anywhere near geekdom-ville, and I would have you check into that option closely before making any conclusions about if that would be a good fit. I can’t recall anyone on this forum living there (as a non-athlete), but others will weigh in here I’m sure with their comments on this.
My son was able to get an unofficial tour of Bryant during our visit (the model suite is mind-blowing), and he was very turned off to it. He is not a sporty guy, so that contributed to his unease about living there. The engineering staff like to say that the smart students can help the less smart students with their homework in Bryant…but I really don’t know how much of that goes on, to be honest. Student athletes have their own tutoring and academic support systems in place.
@aeromom Thanks for the information about the shared housing - very helpful!. I’d be very interested in hearing if anyone else has any experiences with Bryant.
If he wants to live with like minded people I have heard paty has a fairly geeky community atmosphere. There will always be a mix but in paty they all play video games and stuff together. However his roommate(s) will be crucial. Have him seek out other similar minded individuals.
You’ll find geeky people in every dorm. There are geeky people in all types of majors as well. Note as well that not all geeks are interested in the same subjects.
You want to find a roommate who is nice and respectful. They do not have to become your best friend. In fact, it can be better to not live with friends so you have an excuse to visit other rooms/buildings.
FWIW, I’ve met many people at UA with III and IV at the end of their name and there are quite a few people who went to private prep-type schools. Many other students went to magnet schools or top public schools.