<p>my son has just been invited and happily accepted induction into PBK. yay! he is wanting to do an international internship and has $4k stipend from his university. if he is selected to do this, the cost will exceed the stipend. does anyone know if his PBK acceptance might help him to earn additional scholarship money? he is a college junior, if that matters. </p>
<p>also, any input on how PBK might help him in the future, would be appreciated. (beyond having it on his resume)
thank you so much for any advice! :)</p>
<p>For me, it was a) some induction ceremony that I don’t even remember, other than I hung out with a friend of mine who is now a well-known pundit and author; b) a pin that is in my jewelry box; and c) a line on my resume that probably only mattered in securing my first job, but really didn’t say much of anything my GPA didn’t already say.</p>
<p>My Phi Beta Kappa membership was remarked upon with approval at a job interview when I was in my forties! I don’t know if it will help OP’s kid get money, but it’s an eye-catching honor on anyone’s resume, a short-hand for academic cream of the crop that almost everyone recognizes.</p>
<p>PBK accepts the top few per cent of each college. If you earned the PBK at a low-tier, low-ranked college, it will be interpreted differently than a PBK award at a tippy-top college. Do not expect any scholarship money.</p>
<p>It is certainly an honor for your son to be inducted in his junior year. Those in the know notice the difference and the honor, but don’t expect most people who work in HR recognize it. It will definitely help him in grad school admissions. Congrats.</p>
<p>As an UG who was tight on money, I didn’t want to pay the induction fee. My mom insisted and paid for it for me. While not a huge benefit, I know that it was mentioned by employers/grad schools who saw it on my resume early in my career. I wouldn’t count on help with scholarship money, but do think it’s worth the relatively small cost.</p>
<p>Agree that it may not be much help on scholarship. PBK is important in academia, less so in industry, although it might help make an impression on the resume for your first job or two after college.</p>
<p>Being elected to PBK as a junior is a very distinguished honor; less than 20% of PBK members are chosen before senior year. He must be a truly outstanding scholar. If the stipend is coming from his university, it’s possible that they might be a little more generous to a student who is in the top 5% of his class. I think it’s worth asking, anyway. Congratulations!</p>
<p>In thinking more about it, it may possibly be more than a pat on the back. D1 got into grad school, but we have no idea if PBK had any impact. It might have helped, certainly didn’t hurt. :)</p>
<p>The nice thing about having PBK on your employment resume is that it’s evidence that you were at the top of your class without having to mention your gpa.</p>
<p>Not sure how PBK may impact scholarships available. Being able to list it on a resume can be helpful. Additionally, it is my understanding that in addition to GPA, letter/s of rec from professors are required. If one has profs. willing to go to bat for them in this way, it could be a boon for applications for $ or internships, etc. It is hard to tell whether or not PBK impacts outcomes as unless it is mentioned in an interview; it is one of several data points being used by a prospective employer or grad school. </p>
<p>Good luck and congratulations to original poster’s son.</p>