diversity...it's a good thing.
 

Schools claiming they are diverse with a 8% minority population need to reevaluate their "diversity" claims...maybe they mean they are diverse inasmuch as all the caucasians are from different parts of Europe. The school I went to it massively diverse...and the greek system is too....ahh the joys of living in California!:) It's about 35% white, and 65% everything else, from Black/African-American, to Hispanic, to Guamanian! I didn't know people from Guam even went to CSULB! So when I see schools posting their stuff for diversity, they need to take a look at my school....then they can say they are diverse.

Enough of my rant. :p

I stayed up at Washington & Lee 2 Summers ago for the Sigma Nu College of Chapters (a national convention that focuses on member education, leadership training, etc)... We got to stay in your lovely dorms (and will be back next summer). I can really see why you'd want to go greek there. Those dorms don't even have A/C! Pretty spartan living accomodations.

The Greek houses on the other hand (at least the Sigma Nu one) are very nice (and all of them without exception are huge). A very nice campus ya'll have up there!

thanks! one of my best friends is a sigma nu at W&L... our chapters date a lot...

Re: diversity...it's a good thing.
 

ROTFLMAO!!!!!

I don't think diversity is a prerequisite for being a top greek system. After all, we're talking about sororities and fraternities here, not a microcosm of society.

I would add the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) to the list. Oxford is extremely fratty and Ole Miss is all about greek life.

Agreed...as of this Spring 2006 Ole Miss has 3663 students in Greek organizations (NPC, IFC, NPHC) out of 11,651 undergraduate students. So that would be about 31.4% of undergrads are in Greek orgs. I don't know if that constitutes for a big enough percentage but it sure is a pretty big deal to be Greek at Ole Miss. You could say that 1 out of 3 students at Ole Miss join a Greek organization.

2075 are in 9 NPC groups
1497 are in 15 IFC groups
91 are in 7 NPHC groups

Miami of Ohio, Kansas State?! This list is no good

I completely agree about Ole Miss. However, on a side note, I think that having a large percentage in the greek system isnt necc indicative of a strong system. For example, you have similar schools like Alabama or Auburn who have a lesser number, but the greeks have a large presence. I think a possible quality of a good greek school is when the greeks are quite distinct from the rest of the student body, and also hold a disproportionate amount of campus clout.

That list is a joke. Diversity has nothing to do with a school having a strong greek system. I would say power, presence on campus, how much pull you have with the university, etc. etc. are all strong indicators.

In no particular order:

1.)Alabama
2.)Georgia
3.)Ole Miss
4.)Washington and Lee
5.)Sewanee
6.)Texas
7.)South Carolina
8.)LSU
9.)Auburn
10.)Vanderbilt

any southern bias present?

Not being biased. Sorry, but the strongest greek schools are in the South, as are the strongest and most competitive chapters.

How do you know that? Have you visited the schools on the list? Have you been to Penn State, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Miami of Ohio or any other schools?

There are great chapters/systems in the South. There are great chapters/systems in every other area of the country as well. This "strongest chapters are in the South" thing is out of control. Even if there is a difference in culture in the South, that doesn't necessarily make it better.

I'm not much of a believer in The Princeton Review. A couple of years ago, my alma mater was listed as one of the ten top Greek Schools in the country. There's just no way that's true -- not even close. Although the system there is strong, it's not one of the best. I think their surveys are are highly unscientific and prone to error depending on how many students from any given school choose to respond.

But to say that all of the best Greek schools are in the South is an arrogant slap in the face to a lot of excellent Greek systems in the rest of the country.

Yes actually, I have been to every school on my list more than once. I have also been to enough schools outside of the South to realize that greek life is completely different and doesn't hold a candle to what it is like down here.

Sorry you feel that is "an arrogant slap in the face." Didn't realize you were so easily offended.

It's not a slap to me -- my school isn't on the list and shouldn't be. But you misunderstand -- the question is have you been to every school on the original Princeton Review list -- not yours. I've never been to Centre College, Elon, Dartmouth or Drexel, so I don't feel qualified to comment on who is the best.

As a former division officer, though, and having televised college football and/or basketball on many different campuses, I have been to a lot of schools and chapters all over the country -- including a number of the ones on your list -- and I will stand by my comments. There are great chapters and systems all over -- some in what would seem to be very unlikely places.

To assume that all of the best chapters are at Southern schools is either arrogant or just misinformed.