I’m a second year community college student planning to transfer to a Cal State (possibly Cal Poly Pomona) in Fall 2017. I received an email about a club called Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Basically you have to have 12 units completed, a 3.5 GPA, and pay a $75 fee. I probably won’t be applying to any leadership positions and will just be a regular member. But, I am interested in the scholarship opportunities I receive when I am accepted into the club. Do you really get a lot of scholarship opportunities when you join the society? Is it worth it to pay the $75 fee if I might not be very active in the club?
Does anyone know if Cal Poly Pomona would give any scholarships to those who were Phi Theta Kappa members?
PTK is the national CC honor society. You don’t have to be active in a local chapter to qualify for the scholarships. To find out about scholarships at Cal Poly Pomona, search their website.
@happymomof1 Thanks. Have you had any experience with this society? I’ve checked CPP’s website and can’t find anything about PTK. Maybe I missed something.
Happykid joined PTK at her CC. She was too busy to participate in the activities, but she knew people who did. She has the PTK stole from graduation, and wore it again when she graduated from her 4-year U. It really is a significant honor to be invited to join. Her U did not offer PTK scholarships, but I figure the $75 was a cheap investment for a possible return of a couple thousand dollars each year.
It’s legitimate and very well known, if that’s what you’re asking. Most all CC’s have them, and it’s international.
If your extra curriculars are lacking, it can help to have on your transfer application. There are also opportunities for leadership opportunities and being involved on campus, if that becomes something you’re interested in … all of which will be beneficial to your transfer application.
There are also a bunch of scholarships each year available only to PTK members.
A lot of people join just to beef up their transfer application though and aren’t active, but if you’re applying to a competitive major at a competitive school, everyone would typically have far above a 3.5 anyway, so it’s not that special to be invited … but I guess that’s relative to each individual. For some it is a significant achievement to be invited, and that’s great.
I am a member and previously held a leadership position. I didn’t personally get a lot out of it, but I also didn’t put a lot into it.
Consider taking part as an officer or even just a participant. As a PTK member, my resume looks awesome with my involvement as both a member and a scholarship officer. Do you know how great it is to be able to say that you are an officer? It’s pretty awesome! I’ve applied to 32 colleges and my involvement has really helped spruce up my essays and “community involvement” sections. I’ve heard back from 21 of these schools and many have offered me PTK scholarships of a few thousand dollars.
@puffen outside of the resume boost, joining PTK can be very rewarding in your academic and personal life. I joined PTK a couple of years ago and have made some incredible friendships. Many of the people who join are focused on success in whatever career/educational path they have chosen. Surrounding yourself with people who are just as passionate about these things has made my CC experience so much more rewarding. There are also a lot of scholarship opportunities once you’re an official member. I won a $1,000 scholarship in October through PTK which was awesome.