Romanigypsyeyes, my son would be miserable at a conservative religious school, having been raised in the most liberal town in our (liberal) state. I like your idea of spending a weekend at a few schools, prior to picking one. That’s a great idea.
I would not put him in a substance free dorm unless he wanted to be there. I’m not in charge of him. He is. I’m interested in giving him tools that help him navigate. If he thinks that will help, he will do it. But I do think he needs help picking a school.