PBK is respected. I think it most benefits people who went to LACs that aren’t that well known outside their region.
I forget the exact number, but last time I read about it, fewer than 400 US colleges had PBK. PBK conducts a pretty thorough investigation of educational quality before granting a college or university a PBK chapter. So lesser known colleges like to get the “stamp of approval” that having a chapter constitutes.
I doubt most people in the business world know that. I think most people in the academic world do. So, if you went to a small liberal arts college in the Midwest and are applying to PhD programs in the Northeast or on the West Coast, membership in PBK lets graduate programs know not only that you were near the top of the class, but that you went to a “good” college, even if they have never heard of it.
PG went to Northwestern. People are familiar with Northwestern. If PG graduated with a PBK key, she probably also graduated at least magna from Northwestern. People in the business world are probably at least as impressed by that as they are by a PBK key. IIRC, romani went to Michigan State–another college most people have heard of.
However, if you went to Alma College, Coe College, Gustavus Adolphus (MN–there’s more than one!), Manhattan College, St. Michael’s College (Vt)–all of them fine colleges that aren’t as widely known outside their immediate area–then membership in PBK not only tells graduate programs and savvy employers that you were top of your class but also that your college is a “good” one, since PBK is quite selective in awarding chapters.
Romani, you should make sure it is on your CV and leave it there (or your resume if you have one later) for the rest of your career. Seriously. And the key means nothing… my kid has one, but doesn’t use/wear it. But the name is a door opener. If they have heard of your college, all the better, they know you were at the top of your class. But if they haven’t, they also know you were at the topof yoru class.
And… don’t knock Mensa. They give college scholarships (to non-members in our state, you need to write an essay to enter, though).
I will say something good about Mensa: A close friend of my mother’s was contemplating going to law school at the age of 65 (and then some) so that she could help her husband with his legal business. She took the Mensa exam by way of gearing up for the LSAT (not that the two exams are similar). A high score on the Mensa exam made her feel that she could handle law school. So, I have to say that in this case, Mensa helped with the empowerment of a woman of my mother’s generation.
With regard to PG’s earlier remark that her Phi Beta Kappa key and $4 would get her a latte: I have been inspired to propose to the local Phi Beta Kappa chapter that they work out a deal with Starbuck for 25-cent lattes for Phi Beta Kappa members. I am prepared to underwrite this by paying Starbucks the remainder of the cost, for the first some-number of members who want to take up the offer. In lieu of a Phi Beta Kappa key, a letter from the society requesting a donation could also be accepted.
I agree that the key is meaningless – it is a piece of jewelry. But it’s a nice souvenir or reminder of a noteworthy accomplishment. My DD always was very appreciate whenever I bought her jewelry – so for me, buying the key pendant was just a way that mom could buy a little trinket that also signaled that I was proud of her accomplishment.
Has anyone ever seen anyone wear a PBK piece of jewelry? I have seen it exactly once - my freshman year roommate’s mother wore one around her neck and mentioned it. We all thought it was rather odd to do so. I don’t wear a tag around my neck with my GPA or my IQ or my SAT or GMAT scores; it just seems a little unseemly.
Yet is it NOT unseemly to put it on a resume or CV. Whereas I am a member of MENSA, and would not dream of putting it on my resume or CV, or even telling people I work with. I don’t even link with them on FaceBook. I love being a member, and have a great time with various activities with them (my favorite is our local camping group! And some year I am going to the games testing weekend that they run with the board game industry.) But I don’t tell many people outside that I belong, although my family knows.
Right, because a resume / CV is a place where one puts accomplishments and awards and where others go to look for evidence of one’s accomplishments and awards. That’s different from “wearing it about town.”
My college had Phi Kappa Phi as the scholastic honorary…not PBK. I’m a member. I also have some kind of pin someplace. Is there an annual membership fee, or is it one lifetime membership? Not that it matters to me! No one ever seemed to care. It was not on my resume.
I have a key. I wore it to the ceremony when my kid was inducted into PBK. There was actually part of the ceremony when parents of inductees who were also members were asked to stand.
My daughter wore hers through her graduation week – I don’t know if she had deliberately put it on so she would be wearing it when I arrived, as it was a gift from me-- but she kept it wearing it through the 2 commencement ceremonies and the after-graduation reception at her school. I haven’t seen it since but wouldn’t expect to.
But it’s like a class ring – I’ve never bought one for myself and my kids don’t have them – but I don’t really question why others do buy them. It’s just a memento.
The small key on a chain is hardly noticeable. I think it’s far more ostentatious when affluent people wear large, obviously pricey jewelry – such as large diamond pendents, Rolex watches, etc.
My kid finished undergrad in 2 years with a high GPA but alas, no invite to PBK - I wondered if the data screening process missed her since she was in and out so quickly though appeared to meet requirements.
What was her major @Madison85? My son was a 4.0 and never got invited. It’s for liberal arts - if you major in, say engineering, as my son did, and barely take any liberal arts, you don’t qualify. If you major in something besides liberal arts, like biology, but still take quite a few liberal arts courses, like my brother did, you may qualify.
Madison, I think they first look at candidates after fall of junior year and you have to have higher percentage of liberal arts courses at that point than as senior. It may be since she finished in condensed time that when she was considered junior and senior messed her up. At our school, a list is sent to a committee so selections are not just spit out of computer, but initial list is. Of course there may be different procedures at different schools although the criteria should be the same.
Madison, the process of nomination/election to PBK is different at each school. As I noted above, at my daughter’s college it requires a faculty nomination, from a faculty member who is PBK. GPA is part of it, but it’s not automatic. I’d think that if your daughter spent only 2 years at her undergrad college, that would not have given much time for faculty to get to know her, especially as you say she spent some of that time studying abroad. However, there are probably other students who are overlooked for various reasons.
Even though it’s an honor to be invited, it certainly is not any sort of dishonor or snub when it doesn’t happen.
It’s absolutely ridiculous to think the PBK key is a piece of jewelry. Seriously, they are also awarded to men and I doubt it ever occurred to those men their key is a piece of jewelry. It is a memento for achieving scholastic excellence in college.
Most people just put it away.
They give college scholarships (to non-members in our state, you need to write an essay to enter, though).