Freckly,
My S is just the type of kid you mentioned ("very smart, very assertive, and know you want to be active in college life") and he is having the best time ever at Berkeley! He lights up when people ask him how college is and says "it's better than I could have ever imagined." He loves the big campus, the endless opportunities, the big names who visit (he's met national and state politicians and works on a paid internship for a local politician), the outstanding professors, the brilliant Teaching Assistants, the history, culture and atmosphere of his public university. For certain kids, big universities can work out just fine. Glad to hear this is the case for you, too!
