I think the hardest adjustment for my kid at his school is that there are many relatively local kids who go to school there. As a consequence, according to him, on weekends the student population, which is already small, shrinks by 30-50%. Many of the kids with cars, who are within a an hour or two from home, leave for home for the weekends often. I know some schools prohibit freshman from having cars. I think that would make a big difference at his school. His own car is parked at home for the year. Anyway, I think a big factor in evaluating campus life is whether the school empties out on the weekend or whether students tend to be around 24/7. Though I suspect that may be more a freshman thing than an upperclassman thing and maybe even more a first semester freshman thing, than a second semester freshman thing.
I agree that is a problem. I'm surprised to hear of it happening at a private school. Seems to be an issue in the Cal State system. We know a player who left his school during freshman year because he got too lonely on weekends.