<p>bopambo - My son, like yours, has many girls in his group of friends and although he is popular and attractive, he has never had a “girlfriend” and only a few dates. That, I am reasonably well informed, is because hook-ups are the scene at his school. So, your son, too, may not actually be going from “no experience to the hook-up culture.” He may already be in the hook-up culture, and college at Bowdoin or wherever he ends up will be a continuation. These kids, like those of us in college in the '70s, will have pretty colorful memories of their college “relationships,” but I really think they, too, will mature and ultimately want - and be capable of - stable, emotionally intimate relationships.</p>
<p>You mention that a bigger city with more campuses might be preferable. I think I feel more comfortable with my son at a smaller school engaging in this type of behavior, which can be risky, than I would if he were in a more anonymous urban setting. If my child were a girl, I definitely would feel better about her being in an environment like Bowdoin! I figure my son will be down in Boston hooking up with his friends’ friends if Bowdoin gets too “incestuous” at times.</p>