First

This study examines the impact of joining a National Panhellenic Conference sorority on first-year retention. We compiled and analyzed data for first-year sorority members from 86 chapters using institutional records at sixteen 4-year colleges and universities. A total of 4,243 cases comprised the data set, which included records for 2,104 members and 2,139 nonmembers for comparison. The predictive model incorporated controls for background and institutional influences. Findings from predictive analysis showed women who joined sororities were three times more likely to return for their sophomore year. We offer recommendations for practice to strengthen the educational component of sorority membership