I know this is a bit late but I do have to put in a plug for F&M, where my daughter is. Everyone’s really friendly, both students and staff. When we visited my freshman in October a professor came trotting across the quad just to say hi, because he saw my daughter who’s in one of his classes. My daughter says that’s typical. Also, there’s a weird-but-good-for-most-kids thing about freshman orientation – they make sure the freshmen are scheduled morning to night, and are never by themselves. In other words, there’s no time to be homesick, and you’re with the same bunch of kids (your house - everyone has one where they live, think Harry Potter) for days, and you kind of automatically make friends so no one’s left out. This probably would have made my other daughter a bit crazy (and she ended up at a very different school) but it’s wonderful for a lot of kids.
Also, tell your son to watch for the power outlets under the trees. Isn’t that the best idea? In any case, my D just finished her freshman year and is already itching to go back. I think that’s a pretty good endorsement. 