OP, our D was raised in New York and then in the Midwest for the past 5 years. She looked at colleges mostly in the north, but then really connected on a visit to Sewanee in rural Tennessee (where she will start in the fall).
Spending time on campus during the course of several visits really reassured her that it was the right choice. She talked with a biology professor from the north who had studied at Kenyon. A psychology professor grew up overseas. A student tourguide was from California. Her overnight host was from the Midwest, and she recently met a student who lives just a few miles from us for coffee. It is a national school. During an overnight some students borrowed a car and took her out to look at the stars. She was impressed by the friendliness of everyone.
I am taken aback by some of the prejudice expressed toward the south on CC and elsewhere. We have spent time in Nashville, Charlotte, Atlanta, Jacksonville and Austin, and find them to be progressive, dynamic cities in large part. Savannah, for example, which is particularly steeped in southern culture and atmosphere, is an exciting, welcoming city. (And SCAD is a major part of the arts scene there.)
D’s GC’s were very supportive of southern schools, and classmates of hers are going to Wofford, Vanderbilt, High Point, U of Kentucky, Auburn, Davidson, Emory, Elon, Washington & Lee, SMU and Rice. Some of these students have relatives in the area, or lived nearby previously, and already had some level of comfort with the region. Others will be completely new to the south. There are tremendous opportunities for students at southern schools, and those in the NE who let anachronistic attitudes stand in the way, really miss out.