Anyone a Golden Key member?

[chrisp]

I keep getting acceptance letters online and don't know really know how legitimate this honor society would be if I paid $80 to join. There are a lot of scholarships that I can possibly get but anyone have any experience or is in it?

Appreciate it

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[ISUBird100]

The general perception with these honors societies is that they are not worth the money to join them. However, if you join one and get an officer position, then it will be more beneficial. Joining them just to put in on your resume, however, probably won't help you though.

Having joined Alpha Lambda Delta and NSCS, I really wish I could get a refund since I had no involvement in them whatsoever.

 

[Bravetown]

Really don't do it, definitely not worth the money I know from experience

 

[venacontracta]

yeah, and I feel like I got suckered.

same with phi kappa phi.

the only honor society I'm actually glad I joined is phi beta kappa.

 

[apumic]

They're all basically a big joke. You have to get a "good" GPA (which usually has a ridiculously low cut-off like 3.3 or 3.5 or top 30% of the class) and then there might be some small community service req't (such as X number of pts/yr for a cord or X number of hrs/semester). The only other req't is typically a big fee ($50-100 often). It's, well, pretty much pointless. Most of these organizations offer nothing other than a name for a resume.... They're laughable at best.

 

[tabascosauce]

yeah, and I feel like I got suckered.

same with phi kappa phi.

the only honor society I'm actually glad I joined is phi beta kappa.

op, do not be suckered like this poster.

 

[wanderer]

If it isn't PBK, don't join it. No one is impressed by golden key.

 

[Tippyboat]

The golden rule of thumb for honors society is that you shouldn't have to pay, unless it's PBK.

 

[chrisp]

what makes PBK so special and how do you get in?

 

[searun]

what makes PBK so special and how do you get in?

Phi Beta Kappa is well respected in the academic world. As I recall, it was founded in 1776 during the Revolutionary War. William and Mary had the first chapter and I think that Harvard had the second chapter. Most colleges and universities do not have a PBK chapter because PBK has very stringent standards that must be met by an academic institution before it will be granted a PBK chapter.

Phi Beta Kappa recognizes and honors excellence in undergraduate liberal arts education. In order to be admitted to PBK, the student must excel in course work from the entire spectrum of the liberal arts - science, social sciences, the arts and humanities, foreign languages. The science nerd with a 3.95 will not be admitted if he or she has not excelled in areas other than science.

You must be nominated by a faculty member who is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and only faculty members who belong to PBK are allowed to vote for your selection.

I am a member of Phi Beta Kappa and proud of it. I mentioned it on my residency application. There is no comparison between Phi Beta Kappa and Golden Key or whatever it is called.

If you are invited to join Phi Beta Kappa, do so.

 

[echen]

Can you be invited to PBK if your university doesn't have a chapter? I was thinking about trying to bring it to my university but it costs $12,000 for them to just evaluate the institution.

 

[Equality]

Golden Key has lots of scholarships you can apply for. If you pay $50 for membership and get a $5000 scholarship, obv it's worth the money. Maybe the competition is less because scholarships are only available to due-paying members.

But then of course, there are lots of scholarships you can get for "free" i.e. without membership fee. More competitive tho because they're open to everyone.

 

[searun]

Can you be invited to PBK if your university doesn't have a chapter? I was thinking about trying to bring it to my university but it costs $12,000 for them to just evaluate the institution.

I believe that your school must have a chapter in order to be invited to join PBK.

 

[wanderer]

You are elected by the campus chapter so you cannot be elected if your school doesn't have a chapter. About 10% of schools have a chapter. To get in I believe the school has to have 10% of its faculty be members of PBK (I'm not 100% sure though). The liberal arts component of a school is subjective as I believe some engineering schools have chapters. It doesn't hurt asking your school to look into it, but it will probably be too late for you (unless they decide to make you an honorary member).

 

[echen]

You are elected by the campus chapter so you cannot be elected if your school doesn't have a chapter. About 10% of schools have a chapter. To get in I believe the school has to have 10% of its faculty be members of PBK (I'm not 100% sure though). The liberal arts component of a school is subjective as I believe some engineering schools have chapters. It doesn't hurt asking your school to look into it, but it will probably be too late for you (unless they decide to make you an honorary member).

I'm a freshman, is it really too late for me?

 

[TACMON]

I'm a freshman, is it really too late for me?

I didn't get inducted until the end of my junior year, which people tell me is rare...so i think you have a few years to go