One of those (probably frustrating) Phi Beta Kappa questions

[3708]

Hi all--

A question (which I'm sure, as I said, is a frustrating, nitpicky, unnecessary one, but I could use your collective wisdom):

I recently graduated from a top lib. arts. college, departmental honors, magna cum laude; I wrote a thesis, I have research and conference experience, and I'm currently in the process of taking a few years off to get more. I also did not get Phi Beta Kappa; I'm fine with this, but what I've been wondering recently is: will admissions committees be fine with it? Could something like this become a deciding factor? Obviously, there's absolutely nothing I can do about it now, but I'm curious to know if it might be something worth compensating for somehow. Any feedback would be appreciated!

Thanks a million.

C.

[rising_star]

1) Not everyone in grad school graduated Phi Beta Kappa. In fact, in my current program, you might be hard pressed to find more than a handful of folks who did.

2) How in the world would you compensate for it?

[demondeac]

My college didn't even have Phi Beta Kappa, so it would seem odd if this were the "make it or break it" criterion of admission. I would assume many of the faculty at the programs to which you are applying might be in the same boat as me (since many times it takes a small liberal-arts college to invest enough time in students for them to want to teach!).