Phi Beta Kappa-- what does it mean, and should I join?

[niabi]

I'm graduating this year, and just got an email "congratulating" me on my "election to Phi Beta Kappa."

 

Is this real/worth it? The wiki page looks legit, but not sure? Plus they ask for a $55 "one time fee."

 

Thanks!

[jmu]

Phi Beta Kappa is legit and if you are going to join an honor society it is probably the best one you can. It is available only at certain schools which qualify for a chapter (something like 200 right now) and is only available to the top 10% of Arts and Sciences students at those schools. Even then, specific chapters have their own criteria for figuring out who to take so it's not just the top 10% GPAs. If you join they will likely give you a bit of history at their induction ceremony.

 

As for whether it is worth joining, that is up to you. I joined because I was able to do so for free, I sent an email to the chapter secretary-treasurer letting her know that the fee was more than I was willing to pay and they were able to waive it thanks to donations from the local association. I've been told that it can be helpful in the application process but only minimally so. Given the competitive nature of applications it might be worth a shot and it certainly won't hurt you. In talking to the president of the local association he told me that it tends to be a great place to network and that a number of the people involved are older and more established.

 

If your only concern is whether or not it is a scam honor society, it is not.

[Cookie]

Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi are the most prestiguous honor society in the nation (for all academic disciplines).  They have a lot of scholarships and fellowships you can apply for, and they add a line or two of goodness to your resume.

Definitely worth it.

[Monochrome Spring]

Definitely worth it. Phi Beta Kappa is the most prestigious of the discipline-specific honor societies, and Phi Kappa Phi is the most prestigious of the all-discipline honor societies. I would dare to say that other honor societies are not worth joining, unless you know that they have benefits that you will directly receive. Congratulations on your nomination.

[Queen of Kale]

I joined Phi Kappa Phi a few years ago and only kept it on my resume for under a year.  I can't help but feel like it doesn't mean much more than the $75 or whatever I paid because I didn't gain any meaningful experience from my membership.  In the end I only kept things on my CV which, if asked about, I would be able to honestly discuss learning or growing from those experiences or accomplishments.  That's just my personal experience and I don't want to rain on any one else's parade.  I paid my dues, I have my assortment of honor cord graduation swag from all my various affiliations, but in the end it wasn't worth much more to me.

[jmu]

I joined Phi Kappa Phi a few years ago and only kept it on my resume for under a year.  I can't help but feel like it doesn't mean much more than the $75 or whatever I paid because I didn't gain any meaningful experience from my membership.  In the end I only kept things on my CV which, if asked about, I would be able to honestly discuss learning or growing from those experiences or accomplishments.  That's just my personal experience and I don't want to rain on any one else's parade.  I paid my dues, I have my assortment of honor cord graduation swag from all my various affiliations, but in the end it wasn't worth much more to me.

 

This is why I didn't join Phi Kappa Phi. They didn't seem like they had much to say about local organization meetings even though I live in a big city. Phi Beta Kappa, on the other hand, was able to put me in contact with the local association and in talking to them I felt it would have been worth the money just to go to those gatherings and meet people. If there wasn't an active local association that I could take part in then I don't think I would have felt the same.

[Monochrome Spring]

This is why I didn't join Phi Kappa Phi. They didn't seem like they had much to say about local organization meetings even though I live in a big city. Phi Beta Kappa, on the other hand, was able to put me in contact with the local association and in talking to them I felt it would have been worth the money just to go to those gatherings and meet people. If there wasn't an active local association that I could take part in then I don't think I would have felt the same.

 

Not everyone has access to Phi Beta Kappa, because it's only for Letters and Science. At my university, the best you can get in the College of Biological Sciences is Phi Kappa Phi, which is why I think it's worth joining, even if only to have on your C.V. for a year or two. It makes a difference if you're within you department. (Of course this all depends on your chapter and those you interact with. It's too variable to pin down as good or not.)

 

I do agree that a chapter that's more active and with more support is best, though.

[Eigen]

PBK isn't field specific, it's university specific. 

 

You should be able to be PBK in biological sciences fine, assuming your school has a chapter, and assuming your degree program/courses meet the prerequisites for the institution. 

 

PBK is, imo, a nice notch above PKP. I joined PKP because our school didn't qualify for PBK, but I have found it a relatively useless CV filler, and haven't renewed my membership past the first year. 

[midnight]

As others have said, PBK is legitimate. My alma mater didn't qualify for a chapter until recently, so I wasn't able to join, but my husband joined his chapter. It's mostly a nice reminder of his academic accomplishments, but there are real benefits to membership if you choose to pursue them.

[jmu]

Not everyone has access to Phi Beta Kappa, because it's only for Letters and Science. At my university, the best you can get in the College of Biological Sciences is Phi Kappa Phi, which is why I think it's worth joining, even if only to have on your C.V. for a year or two. It makes a difference if you're within you department. (Of course this all depends on your chapter and those you interact with. It's too variable to pin down as good or not.)

I do agree that a chapter that's more active and with more support is best, though.

I was inducted with biologists, chemists, and physicists. It may have to do with how your school is organized but it's not a limitation of the organization

[SeriousSillyPutty]

Funny story:

I was used to periodically getting invitations to honors societies asking for membership fees, and I figured they were after my money more than anything and would toss them.

Then one day after class, a prof I liked congratulated me on being nominated to Phi Beta Kappa. I explained that I probably wasn't going to join since it was expensive and I didn't really get the point, and he said, "No, you really should join."  -- and he made arrangemcents for the department to pay the fee. 

So, then I had to go home and look for the form, but sure enough I'd ripped in half and thrown it away, so I had to contact the guy in charge and asked for another copy.  When I picked it up, he asked if I had thrown out the application and I had to admit I had.  How was I supposed to know PBK was different?!  (If only I had known about gradcafe back then...)

There isn't a chapter in my area, so I still don't really get the point of it, but it's well known enough that I have kept it on my resume.  Their LinkedIn group also has some good discussions... and maybe good networking, too?

[Monochrome Spring]

PBK isn't field specific, it's university specific. 

 

You should be able to be PBK in biological sciences fine, assuming your school has a chapter, and assuming your degree program/courses meet the prerequisites for the institution. 

 

PBK is, imo, a nice notch above PKP. I joined PKP because our school didn't qualify for PBK, but I have found it a relatively useless CV filler, and haven't renewed my membership past the first year. 

 

 

I was inducted with biologists, chemists, and physicists. It may have to do with how your school is organized but it's not a limitation of the organization

 

At my university, there are 4 colleges: agricultural & environmental sciences, engineering, biology, and letters & sciences. Only the College of Letters & Sciences invites members to PBK, regardless of if the majors in the other colleges are accepted at other universities. I thought it was more common, but maybe not. Sorry for misinterpreting how everything is laid out. I should have said that, depending on university, PKP may be the best option; but I shouldn't have generalized to every university.