Count me in on the Helser train. Engineering son loved it there, still lives with his Helser friends in Freddy. It looks like a dump, but so nice to have people just down the hall to work on homework and study with. Also plenty of guys with interests similar to his. Won his intramural t-shirt in the first few weeks on campus. One of my brothers lived there in the early 70s when he could just walk out his door to go to games at Clyde Williams, and the place doesn't look much different other than the part they tore down (apparently the first swing of the wrecking ball did very little to the structure, may look dumpy but it is solid). Have an engineering nephew living on a learning community floor in Friley and he loves his floor too. Had a niece in Eaton at the same time but she was always visiting her cousins in Helser and Friley, Eaton didn't seem as friendly (and she was probably going to visit her cousins to meet guys)
One of my brothers and I lived in the imploded Towers, we both liked it there too. He didn't have Cy-Ride in his day, it made my time in Towers a lot easier. Had a sister in Maple before it was allegedly dry, she liked the closeness to Hilton, disliked the hike to her classes on west end of campus, she was also pre-CyRide. Had some nieces recently in Linden, they liked it, handy to both Hilton and their classes on east end of campus.
My son in Helser wound up with Calc 2 and diffy q's in Carver at 8:00 am his first year. Was happy he could roll out of bed 15 minutes before class and still get there on time. I guess I would recommend trying for Helser or Friley just because no matter what engineering discipline he winds up in, he will undoubtedly be living near others in the same situation.
