Lingren Clark, BethCoffin Koch, LauraSoria, Krista M.2013-09-262013-09-262012-02-19https://hdl.handle.net/11299/157386Presented at the First Year Experience annual conference, San Antonio, TX, February 19, 2012.Held at the 31st Annual Conference on the First Year Experience, this study examined the academic and social benefits of new student orientation (Welcome Week) at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Utilizing the Student Experience in the Research University survey, administered to all first-year students in 2010, this study suggests that students who participated in Welcome Week had a higher sense of belonging, higher fall and spring semester cumulative grade point averages, and higher retention from their first-year to their second year. These benefits persisted when controlling for additional demographic, college experience, and engagement factors.en-USFirst Year ExperiencePresentation