<p>jsa:
Mind telling us if you have any affiliation with this program?</p>
<p>jsa: lol. Do you work for the NSCS? Or are you a member / parent of a member? Just because you got suckered into blowing $75 doesn't mean you should encourage others to.</p>
<p>Actually, maybe that's exactly what you're trying to do. Are you trying to trick the less clever of us into thinking it's worthwhile? That's cold, and hateful, but I can respect that.</p>
<p>So yeah, basically, the NSCS is a great organization. My favorite part is how involved they get in your life. I accidentally forgot to join the Spring of my Freshman year, and they've been kindly reminding me twice a month since then that I haven't remembered to send back the membership form! Darn my short-term memory!!!</p>
<p>AuburnMath--no need to be rude.</p>
<p>jsa stated in his/her first post:</p>
<p>"Let me preface my testimony by saying that I am the founding chapter president for the Northern Arizona University and I currently serve as the president for the National Leadership Council, which is a council of 20 NSCS members from across the nation that act as a sounding board and local presence for the national office."</p>
<p>Son didn't join but found his college has a chapter that does a couple of public service projects a year and has a social activity or two. Not real active group or super prestigious but not a scam either.</p>
<p>I guess it depends on where you are if it is worth it or not and it may be of questionable value on many campuses. Just my take anyway based on sons local research.</p>
<p>Not a 'scam' in the legal sense, but from what I hear the only thing their 'members' really get are credit card offers and insurance deals (things that anyone who's linked to a college will already be getting tons of via the alumni office). </p>
<p>I doesn't seem like there's anything this organization can offer resources wise that shouldn't already be available at any decent school... for free. In these times I think there are likely much better things to do with $75.</p>
<p>There are some honor societies (eg PBK or subject specific ones) that can help polish up a CV, but honestly I don't think this is one of them. If I'm reviewing a CV and see this organization listed it's not going to give the person any bonus points.</p>
<p>You indicated my daughters name was given by the college registra. She isnt in college yet so why would a college registra be giving out information on her. Real curious as to where they got any personal information on my daughter?</p>
<p>kcompe01--I'm sorry, I understood your dau was also in college, like the OP's.</p>
<p>No idea why a high schooler would be receiving this mailing!</p>
<p>Off topic, but to correct a bit of misinformation in mommusic's post #15:</p>
<p>
[quote]
For instance in music, there is Phi Mu Alpha, a service/honor fraternity (open to male & female.)
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Actually, Pi Kappa Lambda is the national collegiate honors fraternity. Pi</a> Kappa Lambda, with membership open to both genders, and is an academic honor society, membership based on nomination upon meeting specific high collegiate achievement criteria in a music discipline.</p>
<p>Phi Mu Alpha (The Sinfonians) is the national men's music fraternity.
Phi</a> Mu Alpha Sinfonia - National Website</p>
<p>Sigma Alpha Iota is the international music sorority for women.
Sigma</a> Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity</p>
<p>Three distinct groups of long established stature, each with a history of fostering excellence in music.</p>
<p>OK, now I'm confused.</p>
<p>Besides SAI, the other Music org is Delta Omicron, which made the switch from all-women to accepting both genders. I thought Phi Mu Alpha had also gone coed? Something about Title 9 & equality?</p>
<p>Cause Phi Mu Alpha had always had more cachet. Women couldn't join it and were relegated to other (less prestigious, frankly) orgs. I thought we were past that?</p>
<p>Trying to think back to the late 70s when I was in school...the orgs were separate but not equal.</p>
<p>The men of Phi Mu Alpha got asked to do things by the faculty...not a huge deal but service projects, ushering, or things that increased their visibility at the school. We didn't complain, it was just the way things were.</p>
<p>But I thought women could surely join Phi Mu Alpha by now!</p>
<p>mommusic, to the best of my knowledge, Phi Mu Alpha still is a men's only organization, and SAI is a women's group. I knew there was another one, but for the life of me could not remember Delta Omicron. The current charters, by-laws and specifics are detailed on the national web pages.</p>
<p>My purpose was to highlight Pi Kappa Lambda, as the music specific collegiate honors fraternal society/organization. </p>
<p>But what do I know... it's all Greek to me. :D</p>
<p>The first I heard of Pi Kappa Lambda was when I was invited to join. I got a gold pin that's probably in the bottom of my jewelry box. Other than that, I never got anything else from them. With musicians, it's how you play, not what org are you a member of, anyway.</p>
<p>Sorry to revive this thread. An earlier poster was questioned about his/her legitimacy and if he/she actually worked on behalf of NSCS. jsa43.</p>
<p>I happen to believe that jsa43 is actually a shill for the organization. Look at all the posts. jsa43 joins CC in January and makes six posts, all in support of NSCS – and the text of each post is mostly word for word the same. Doesn’t make any comment on any other CC topic or post – only shills for NSCS.</p>
<p>I understand organizations need to do PR and damage control – but I can’t help but wonder about them – probably have set up google email alerts whenever the keywords “NSCS and SCAM” appear.</p>
<p>T26E4: As part of my position within the National Leadership Council, I am a national student representative for NSCS. Because of this, and especially during invitation time (the spring), I do, in fact, set up Google alerts to make sure that I can assist with people who are curious or confused about NSCS. Often times, people post questions throughout the internet about NSCS, and they are answered by people who have no idea about the actual organization ans simply answer based on their own cynical opinions. As in this case, I saw that there was confusion about what NSCS actually is, so I responded to it. Thanks so much for your great detective work…</p>
<p>I am not a shill, just a college student who is involved with NSCS at the university and national level and knows what NSCS has to offer. My legitimacy cannot be questioned (I’m on Facebook, if you are really that curious:). </p>
<p>Jacob Anderson
Northern Arizona University</p>
<p>Jacob: I fully retract what I stated. My apologies to you. Good luck w/your org.</p>
<p>My husband is a professor at Univ Calif Santa Barbara. Our daughter is at UCLA and just got an invitation to join NSCS. She is a smart girl and gets lots of awards and invitations
and always runs them by her dad for a thumbs up or thumbs down. This one is a definate thumbs down. Don’t be ripped off.</p>
<p>My friend, who is 77, received an invitation. She has taken a few classes for senior citizens, one or 2 a year. They claimed they sent her parents a copy but she said she wondered if they deliver mail to cemeteries ? I looked at the web site and the first thing that hit me was a moving stream of company names like Pfizzer and Geico. Great, cheap advertising for these companies, a small scholarship here and there is peanuts on their advertising budget. I’m sure that the pay NSCS gets from these companies is what they really make their money on. The famous names, like Maya Angelou are not on the Bof D, as one poster said. They are on the “Honorary Board”. I think it is an elaborate hustle in which they do just enough for the members to have an air of legitimacy. I would say: if in doubt-don’t.</p>
<p>I got an invitation to mail $75 to join, and I’m at the end of my junior year in college. The invitation clearly says it is offered only to 1st and 2nd year students. I never rec’d the invite when I was a 1st or 2nd year student, so I have to think there is something fishy about it.</p>
<p>In 2012, they are asking for $95. A quick review of the financials behind this org is that they raise $5 Million on membership fees, of which a little less than $4 Million goes to office space and salaries. Another million is spent on these mass mailings to college students asking for money. There were maybe $200,000 issues in grants. More fees collected from conferences, etc. A waste of money. Find internships and scholarships on your own, thru networks or thru your campus if grades are good - not a problem.</p>
<p>I agree with the general sentiment in this old thread. The only value, if you call it that, is by your student receiving an invitation it’s an acknowledgement that he/she is among the top 20% of college class. Perhaps interesting in what it reveals obliquely about freshman GPAs at the student’s college.</p>