<p>It is important to differentiate what is said on CC from official information on college websites- the term "Greek Life" is used by schools, hence the need to define with less stereotyped phrases- especially since it seems many foreigners (to the US) are posting on this thread and have none of the background information US posters do when they make their comments on other threads. Alcohol can be just as prevalent in non-Greek life on a campus, I don't think it is fair to the Greeks to tie the two together since there are many other aspects of the Greek system that differentiate it from the rest of a campus (and the importance of them is dependent on the campus, they play a major role on some, and are negligible on others). </p>
<p>I was trying to be as informative as possible for people who have no clue as to how things are here in the US. Most high schools are public and most are not worried about getting more students into colleges, they are wanting their students to graduate from HS. Most students go to college in their area, especially their home state, where the colleges will be familiar with how their students' high schools do things. The SAT/ACT can help colleges - especially when the scores and grades don't line up. Remember that colleges also look at the HS transcript and any AP test scores, not just a gpa and test score- a student can get all A's in special education courses and still have a high school diploma, but they and their parents would never dream of a 4 year college. So many factors involved in understanding the educational system anywhere, it involves cultural/societal knowledge- you only see the tip of the iceberg on CC. </p>
<p>Remember that the posters on CC are not representative of the general population. About 25% (?) or so of the US population has a bachelor's degree- it varys by location. Many of the posters are much more highly educated and work at or live near major colleges than the typical college educated person or parent. It's been quite a learning experience for me to see the concerns of parents in totally different environments. Most posters seem to be from either coast, where the lifestyles/college expectations are much different than the middle of the country (eg public versus private).</p>
<p>re precision- a chemistry degree... modified with a medical one, add to a precise nature... Also throw in location in blue collar America... a different point of view... confused yet? Gotta go do something productive.</p>