Academic Achievement

• In a recent study looking at the levels of student engagement of students in Greek letter organizations compared to other undergraduate students, Greeks were shown to be "equally and sometimes more engaged in academically challenging tasks, active learning, student faculty interaction, community service, diversity, satisfaction, and on learning and personal development gains," (Hayek, Carini, O'Day, & Kuh, 2002).

Leadership

• A study conducted at Indiana University, has empirically proven that women involved in Greek Life are more involved in the University than their non-member peers. The only significant differing variable was that of membership in Greek life and personal backgrounds were not significant in the level of their involvement. (Abarahmson, 1987).
  

Service

• Sororities who emphasize the importance of service and civic responsibility were less likely to view alcohol as having positive effects and to have unhealthy levels of alcohol consumption (Reis & Trockel, 2003).

Community/Friendship

The interesting aspect of a fraternity--and sometimes even sorority--life is often times the intiation process, in which hazing is very common. Although hazing is condemned, it is also shown to promote a sense of community and cameraderie amongst the individuals who are part of the hazing process. It may be the idea of going through such a rigorous intiation process collectively that links individuals together. Additionally, the more severe an intiaion process is, the more likely an idnividual will be devoted to that organization; in this case, the fraternity/sorority (Forsyth, Group Dynamics).

References

Hayek, J., Carini, R., O'Day, P., & Kuh, G. (2002). Triumph or tragedy: Comparing student engagement levels of members of Greek-letter organizations and other students. Journal of College Student Development, 43, 643-663.

Reis, J., & Trockel, M. (2003). An empirical analysis of fraternity and sorority individual-environmental interactions with alcohol. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 33, 2536-2552.