<p>I think it is not at all harmful if you are not elected to Phi Beta Kappa.</p>
<p>On the other hand, I also think that it is an invitation that you should should accept, if it is extended.</p>
<p>Not one person in my entire cell block is Phi Beta Kappa, and it hasn’t hurt any of us.</p>
<p>PBK doesn’t matter in the workplace. Most people will think it’s just another frat or sorority anyways, and Greek Society connections often are more helpful in finding your first job out of college.</p>
<p>PBK does not matter. In fact, I am annoyed by them because my dad used to send in small donations and they’d continue to send letters that implied (to an 80+ year old man who by then didn’t follow the fine print) that he’d not sent in his contribution (though already donated and paid annual “membership dues”) and they kept hitting him up for more-- about quarterly if I recall correctly. Hes been dead for over 2 years, and I’ve continually written “deceased” on the solicitations that now continually come to my house. but it doesn’t change a thing. This time I wrote DEAD in BIG BOLD LETTERS on the solicitation. Doubt it will matter one iota. Maybe I’ll email them since these contributions seem to be funding their unnecessary postage.</p>
<p>As for putting the GPA on a resume, its routinely done for engineers. Both my s’s were advised to put it on their resumes.</p>
<p>OK-- sent PBK an email. They can save the postage, hopefully.</p>
<p>I do not think it had any role in D’s (PBK) acceptance into Med. School. However, Med. Schools mostly care about college GPA / MCAT score, Med. ECs, not much more than that.</p>
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<p>But at CalTech one can still graduate with honors, and it seems like that just requires a 3.5 GPA? I guess I should have titled my post, “How harmful is it to graduate without any honors,” but at my school PBK is the only honor.</p>
<p>I do not think that any honors matter at all. Did not matter again for my D. (Summa Cum Laude with Honors on her diploma). What has mattered is her case A LOT was college GPA=3.98, that has opened many doors.</p>
<p>I wasn’t able to graduate with honors because I finished a semester early. They require a year-long senior project which they wouldn’t allow me to condense into a single semester (even though I only had one class requirement left, so my schedule was plenty open…). I don’t think the honors matters a whole lot because every school has different requirements to get it.</p>