<p>I lived in ISR my freshman year, and I can personally attest to the fact that it is very convenient to all of the engineering campus. I walked everywhere and it usually didn’t take more than 5 to 10 minutes to walk there, and 10 was when trying to cross a bunch of streets and get to the other side of campus, so it wasn’t bad.</p>
<p>I can also personally attest to the fact that it is not a party dorm (for the most part) and it stays pretty quiet, sometimes to a fault. It is (somewhat) appropriately nicknamed “I’m Socially ■■■■■■■■” for its lack of socializing, though that stereotype is played up more than what is really true. I got stuck with a crappy floor and hardly knew anyone on it the whole time I lived there, but I had other friends from other floors that I hung out with and their floors were much better, so it is also somewhat the luck of the draw.</p>
<p>Also, ISR has the best cafeteria out of all of the dorms, though if the new 6-Pack stuff is done (it wasn’t as of May, which was the last time I was enrolled), then I can’t comment on that.</p>
<p>None of the dorms are particularly nice or have a good room layout. They are all relics of a different age. UIUC takes a fair amount of flak for its shoddy dorms. The new 6-Pack may start to change that, but it is not what your son is looking for it sounds like.</p>