Re #1 - that’s exactly why I joined a sorority. I wanted something that differentiated college from high school. I know Greek life is not for everybody but it was a great option for me.
Re #4 - It was my parents, my control-freak father in particular, who didn’t want to cope with me being away from their supervision.
And, at the end of the day, they wanted to save a few bucks, and sending my brother and me to Hometown U did it for them.