<p>^ agreed - not all the OP’s criteria can be met equally (relative to Stanford’s ‘atmosphere’), so some tradeoffs are necessary.</p>
<p>Re: the Greek scene, it’s hard to say. Over the past 2-3 years, the proportion of students who joined a fraternity or sorority has doubled (from 13% to 26%), according to the CDS. But that might be a difference in reporting, e.g. perhaps they’re now including those who are part of coed “fraternities” (like the business-focused AKPsi). On the other hand, new fraternities/sororities have been introduced to the campus recently. Regardless, the # Greek houses has remained the same, and that tends to be more imporant in deciding the prominence of the Greek system. I don’t think it’s nearly at the level of Duke, MIT, Vanderbilt, USC, etc.</p>
<p>The common sentiment on Stanford’s Greek scene is that it has a very noticeable presence, but is still avoidable without much effort.</p>