<p>I think PBK can make a difference for grad school applications. One of my good friends was selected her junior year and several of her interviewers mentioned it during her med school interviews...</p>
<p>She almost turned down the invitation to join because she didn't understand that PBK was more important than the other honor societies that she'd been asked to join. I had to convince her otherwise :P</p>
<p>Congratulations to your daughter! I would definitely encourage her to join. PBK is one of those "attention grabbers" on a resume.</p>
<p>I believe Phi Beta Kappa is for liberal arts majors only.
My son is a business major. He was invited to Phi Kappa Phi as a junior - roughly equivalent - with the exception that VERY few have ever heard of it (even though it's the top 7.5% for juniors and top 10% for seniors). It's on his resume but I doubt it will get much attention. Too bad.</p>
<p>OP: It is definitely a meaningful honor, widely recognized. </p>
<p>At my alma mater, with a graduating class of about 400, it was normal for maybe 5 or 6 or so people to get Phi Beta Kappa. I remember noticing that at Williams in the same time period, it looked like the top 20% of the class was inducted. Is it usual for there to be such a big variance? (This was back in the mid-70s)</p>
<p>DS did not join PBK at CMU. He's a cheapskate but I think he knows that other people have other interests outside of academics. ie his roommate ,also a ME major, was concertmaster for the CMU's orchestra but not a music or performance major. </p>
<p>DS did get great recs from his mentors and recognitions at his graduation ceremonies. </p>
<p>DS did get an award from Who's Who in HS, but alas we didn't buy the book or see his picture or have his name mentioned anywhere. The money was nice based on the $5 (?) fee.</p>
<p>PBK is generally limited to the top 10% of a college's class, although local chapter rules may vary this a bit. Furher, most chapters are limited to inducting a small number of students before senior year. </p>
<p>At top colleges like Harvard, the junior year PBK inductees are the kids being mentored for Rhodes, Marshall and other top graduation honors/scholarships/fellowships, since junior year selection is dependent on both top grades and other factors. Other, smaller colleges may have different policies, but I would be very suspicious of anyone who claimed to be inducted before junior year. I don't think the national PBK allows that. (but who knows - prove me wrong. :) )</p>
<p>At my alma mater, a very small percentage of the junior class is invited to join PBK and a larger group is inducted as seniors. I don't know about the liberal arts requirement - in my class, two of us who were inducted as juniors were also chemistry majors. Maybe it varies by school? Anyway, I STILL have my PBK membership on my resume and the key is in my jewelry box.</p>
<p>Congratulations to your daughter, and definitely have her join.</p>
<p>I was, and still am, proud of the fact that I was Phi Beta Kappa at Yale (Class of '76), because it meant I was in the top 10% of the class. I did buy a gold key (I think it says "Alpha of Connecticut" on the back, indicating that Yale had one of the earliest chapters), and when I lost it some years later I bought a replacement -- although I've never worn it as jewelry or attached it to a key chain or anything like that; that's generally considered a little tacky! My Phi Beta Kappa certificate (which I don't think was very expensive) is on the wall of my office together with my college and law school diplomas and my New York State bar admission, and the fact that I graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude from Yale (having missed summa by one A, I think, something that actually annoyed me to no end way back when!) is actually listed by my firm in my little biography in Martindale Hubbell (the national legal directory) -- as, I think, it would be for most lawyers.</p>
<p>But I've never subscribed to their journal or anything of the like.</p>
<p>Go for it.</p>
<p>Yes, Phi Beta Kappa is <em>the</em> scholastic honorary society that really counts. Harvard lists Phi Beta Kappa election on the transcript, and differentiates election as a junior (better) from election as a senior. Other Ivies may do this also--not sure. On a curriculum vitae, Phi Beta Kappa is often listed throughout a professional career, while other honorary groups are dropped a few years after graduation.</p>
<p>As I understand it, Phi Beta Kappa requires certain course work in the liberal arts (although the specifics may vary by campus, according to the charter of the local group), and this may make it difficult for students with some business/engineering/agriculture/other majors to be elected. However, scientists are considered to be studying the "liberal arts." Many campuses require two years of a foreign language at university level (2 years HS does not meet the requirement), which does exclude some students who would otherwise be eligible.</p>
<p>I am Phi Beta Kappa and have always put it on my resume and graduate school applications. It's an honor that I earned.</p>
<p>However, I never joined. </p>
<p>Then a couple of years ago, something in some publication or other motivated me to see about joining; so I did. Other than receiving their periodical, I didn't see the point. So I did not continue the membership.</p>
<p>Others may find it valuable to be a member. But IMO the achievement and the membership are two entirely separate things.</p>
<p>Congratulations to your daughter.</p>
<p>Congratulations to your D! It's clearly worth the $75.
jmmom, did you go through the initiation process at your school but have elected not to pay ongoing dues?<br>
I have my PBK certificate on my classroom wall. For those that know what it is, it garners respect. I put my gold key on a necklace with other college "charms" - greek letters, Spur, tiny college mascot, etc. It has become my good luck necklace. I wore it once to a scarey doctor's appointment. Her comment was "Oh, I never knew what to do with mine - that's a good idea" It may be my imagination but I felt like she talked to me at a higher level after that.</p>
<p>It's been a long, long time, dragonmom ;). But, yes, I did go through an initiation process. At least, I recall a kind of convocation in which we were announced and inducted. But I don't recall paying any dues and I didn't purchase the key.</p>
<p>I did purchase it recently when, as I said, I decided to join. But I couldn't tell you where it is right now :o.</p>
<p>Thanks to OP for this thread. I had completely ignore the invitation letter my S got for golden key. In my S's school PBK nominates only in their 3rd year while GK nominates kids in 2nd yr.</p>
<p>Think I will pay the one time membership fee after all.</p>
<p>I was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa in a ceremony held at my college on the day before I graduated in 1980. My recollection was that it was awarded to those who were in the top 10% of the graduating class. As I had no idea what my class rank was, getting a letter stating I had been elected to PBK was a nice surprise. I do have a key which I used to wear once in a while as a pendant but lately I have left it in my jewelry box. I think my father bought it for me after my graduation - I was getting married and had no extra money for a PBK key! ( He had bought one for my brother 5 years earlier as well.) Anyway, I do not remember ever sending in any dues money but it was a long time ago. I get the PBK newsletters regularly and occasional letters from PBK looking for money but I have not sent them any. I think PBK means different things to different people who belong to it. To me it has been a quiet source of pride and these days when I am having "middle aged moments" and life sometimes has me feeling not so bright, I can look at my key and remind myself that I am a PBK and no one can take that away from me (then I go right back to trying to remember that name or fact that has eluded me!).</p>
<p>I think it is a real honor, widely recognized with significant resume value.</p>
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<blockquote> <p>It's one of the honoraries the actually means something.<<</p> </blockquote>
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<p>Absolutely true, looks good on resume. It's kind of like summa cum laude honors--means significant achievement.</p>
<p>Thanks again to everyone who has responded to my thread. </p>
<p>I talked to my D yesterday afternoon, told her of the discussion here, and she agrees that joining PBK would certainly be worthwhile. You are all a great source of information and perspective!</p>
<p>Happy Halloween, everyone!</p>
<p>Congratulations! My sister and I are both members (Alpha of Massachusetts and Alpha of Rhode Island). My father framed our induction certificates together and hung them on his office wall. It means a great deal to him.</p>
<p>It has directly helped me in my career. One federal judge who interviewed me stated flat out that he paid attention to my resume because we were in the same PBK chapter.</p>
<p>No college chapter is permitted to induct more than 10% of the class, but chapters can choose to induct fewer than that if they choose.</p>