i'm profoundly deaf with a CI and was raised orally. i'm currently attending UCLA now. i totally agree with your post. it's come to my attention that big universities like UCLA (with a population of close to 35,000 students) do not have that many deaf students as i hope they would have. it seems like all the deaf people rather attend RIT/NTID, Gally, or CSUN mainly for social reasons and their Deaf pride in their culture. i think part of the problem is that those who end up at the deaf colleges are not that academically challenged enough to go to mainstream colleges. not only that, but if you only sign, you might find yourself having a difficult time making hearing friends there. and i completely understand that. they may find themselves feeling isolated and aloof from everyone else, because college is supposed to be a positive memorable experience in your life and all.
i was pretty much mainstreamed throughout my life, so i was well adapted to the hearing world. i then matriculated to UCLA. from personal experience, socially, initially i had a hard time making friends, but thanks to my good oral and listening skills, i gradually managed to do so, but it wasn't easy. i don't regret my decision to go to UCLA at all. it's an awesome school with a superior and excellent education. hell, it's tough, but i'm surviving. i just wish that more deaf people would apply to and attend public universities like these. the services that UCLA (and i'm sure other universities) provide me is great. they try to do anything they can to accomodate my needs.
for those that attend deaf colleges, like the three major ones, i've always wondered since they surround themselves with mostly with deaf people, how do they interact with their hearing peers once they get into the work force in the dominant hearing society? that's the downside to attending deaf colleges. whereas, if you go to a mainstream university, you learn how to interact with hearing people and all which is a positive thing.