Is joining Phi Beta Kappa worth it?

Paying for College
1

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I just got invited to join Phi Beta Kappa, but I am wondering if it is worth it. I have been receiving many offers from honor societies over the past few months (Golden Key, National honor society etc.) and I feel like some of them are just a scam. </p>

<p>Has anyone any experience with this? How do you pick which ones to join? (since there is usually a fee). Can it help you get scholarships? So far I have only joined psi beta (in community college) because I was able to participate and the activities they organized were fun.</p>

<p>I posted this in another forum but haven't gotten any answer.</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

<p>PS: I am a senior at UCSD, graduating this June.</p>

2

<p>YES!!! This is something that you will actually keep on your resume for life. I think there are no dues.
[Phi</a> Beta Kappa Society :: Phi Beta Kappa Society](<a href=“http://www.pbk.org/infoview/PBK_InfoView.aspx?t=&id=59]Phi”>http://www.pbk.org/infoview/PBK_InfoView.aspx?t=&id=59)</p>

3

<p>Phi Beta Kappa is the most “legit” of them all, the one honor society that is always recognized as meaningful by every potential employer. My membership was noted with approval during job interviews as long as 20 years after I was inducted. By all means, join! (And save money by foregoing the pretentious key.)</p>

4

<p>Yes! It’s one of the legitimate ones. I’ve been told the most prestigious. </p>

<p>However, my fees were mandatory $75 but that is a one-time fee for life.</p>

5

<p>I think it’s worth it (although D did not, as it would have meant an extra advanced math class and at least another semester of foreign language due to her school’s prereq rules!).</p>

6

<p>It actually did look legit, but there are so many of them so I got confused. It also seemed weird because I am getting the invitation now that I will be leaving UCSD so I won’t be able to participate in any activities they may have on campus or anything.</p>

7

<p>It is only open to juniors (who are in the top 7% of class) or seniors (top 10%). It’s not unusual at all to get it now that you’re leaving.</p>

8

<p>Schools can have their own requirements for PBK, and some more strict than others.</p>

9

<p>Absolutely, I still wear my key at times and it’s been remarked upon at ll job interviews</p>

10

<p>Yes!!!</p>

<p>And congrats!!!</p>

<p>Romani…that may be the req’ts for Phi Kappa Phi. I think PBK is higher. I think at my kids’ school you have to have almost a perfect 4.0 and 90 A&S credits completed. Far fewer than 7-10% get inducted. When older son was inducted, there were only about 40 inductees. Younger son will be inducted this Fall.</p>

11

<p>I just read the letter again, and it says that “only about 8% of UCSD undergraduate meet the stringent requirements leading to an invitation”. </p>

<p>I’m definitely glad I got in!</p>

12

<p>Absolutely accept. Students who meet the academic threshold are often further scrutinized
before invites go out. It really is special. Congrats!</p>

13

<p>M2ck, I’m definitely part of PBK, thanks. I’m not mistaken. Schools can make their requirements more strict. I was going by the national minimums.</p>

14

<p>^^^</p>

<p>Ahhh…didn’t know that students could be inducted without having at least 90 semester credits (senior standing). </p>

<p>And, congrats for being inducted. :)</p>

15

<p>Yes! Join! I am very proud of being a member. Any time I interviewd this was commented and applauded by the interviewers.</p>

16

<p>Yes, join PBK. When I was nominated, I was young and poor and balked at paying the membership fee for some academic organization. Luckily my mom was older and wiser and paid it for me, I’ve been grateful ever since :).</p>

17

<p>I guess it’s worth $75 for some resume fodder, especially when you’re starting out and experience is thin. It could definitely make a difference if you happen to run into a PBK member. If I’ve interviewed people who were wearing PBK keys, I didn’t notice.</p>

<p>Come to think of it, HR folks probably eat those things up. Go for it.</p>

18

<p>yes! do! Now and then I break my key out and wear it for moral support :wink: They have a great news letter, real cache and it does mean something on your resume (I think)</p>

19

<p>yes, my son is PBK member, definitely worth it. He was told that he would be able to use this on resumes in the future. Also, he believed it helped him get into Harvard Law.</p>

<p>congratulations!</p>

20

<p>I’m very very confused on whether I should join this -.-
I need better more specific reasons, if it is even worth a first-year with too many AP credits to do this? (oops, I realized that this is phi beta kappa, was looking for phi kappa phi*)</p>