The relationships among motivational orientations of entering university freshmen, their involvement in social and academic systems, and persistence/attrition were studied at Arizona State University. Also considered was the applicability of Tinto's theory, which suggests that if background and commitments are equal, the greater the integration of the individual into the system, the greater will be the commitment to the institution and to the goal of college completion. For the random sample of 185 first-year students who were mailed surveys, usable responses were received from 124. The survey combined Boshier's Educational Participation Scales, Pascarella and Terenzini's Institutional Integration Scales, and 21 questions about students' background and participation in college activities. Based on factor analysis and LISREL-VI analysis, findings included: both academic and social integration directly influenced persistence, while satisfaction had almost no effect on persistence. Two background characteristics that had the greatest effect on persistence were mother's and father's level of education. A chart illustrating the operationalization of the Tinto model is provided, along with a list of variables covering student background, academic integration, social integration, and commitment. (SW)