are honor societies worth it?

[barbtries]

my son is doing very well at ECU and has been invited to a number of honor societies, but he's not really interested in joining any of them. he's going to join one that concentrates on his major at the suggestion of one of his professors.
today he got an invitation to golden key international. they give away 1 mil in scholarships annually. i think it might be a good idea for him to join but i wonder if any DUers have experience in this, or advice.
thank you in advance!

PS he will be doing post graduate studies and a scholarship or two would really help.

[reACTIONary]

1. Just picked up the mail, and my son just got an invite to the golden key...

...it's going in the trash.

I consider these societies to be scams, like the "who's who" books that you pay to be listed in. That's MY opinion, but, of course, just opinion.

[barbtries]

2. that's what i was looking for.

so my son's right and i'm not. thanks

[Rhythm]

3. Your son is 'doing his homework'... there's a lot of bogus ones...

The professor advising him has given him invaluable guidance.

My better half has received about a million 'invitations' to assorted groups, but the only invitation she's ever accepted was for Sigma Tau Delta, which is a specific organization for outstanding English majors, and which has an active chapter on our campus.

[barbtries]

6. thanks for the feedback

he's a psychology major and will join the one (can't recall the name) that his professor recommended. thanks for the input.
i think i'm a sucker. lol

[zen_bohemian]

12. My kid was a psychology major and was in Psi Chi

I think they have scholarships and grants.

[barbtries]

14. that's the one

he is going to join. thanks

[Bombero1956]

4. my daughter ignores all of them

but she did get inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society last night and made the Dean's list.

[barbtries]

7. congratulations.

my son isn't interested in golden key and it looks like his instincts are good.

[Indpndnt]

5. Has anyone heard of the Delta Epsilon Iota Academic Honor Society?

They're starting up chapters on a lot of campuses. They're a young org. that says they focus on networking and career development. Just wondering if anyone has any experience with or knowledge of them.

[coldwaterintheface]

8. Honor Societies, Sororities and Fraternities

I found them all to be pretty silly and meaningless but that is just me.

If it is your thing go for it.

[barbtries]

9. well it's not for me.

i was thinking it might be an avenue for my son to get a scholarship. but am swayed by the negative reactions here. i trust the judgment of most DUers.
the one he will join on his professor's recommendation is because it will be a plus on his resume.

[HopeHoops]

10. I made it into Pi Mu Epsilon (mathematics honors society) and it was frequently mentioned during...

... interviews. I didn't think so many people would recognize it, but I guarantee the students who just missed the 3.8 GPA in mathematics to get in will never forget the name. I only had a 3.83, but that was enough.

My youngest daughter is spending her senior year in MD (living with my dad) and I'm sure her being accepted into the Spanish Honors Society (only 2 students made it at her school) is why they put her in the advanced Spanish class - she's the only one in there who isn't a native Spanish speaker.

My eldest is in the National Honors Society at college. It requires a maintaining a high GPA (which she does anyway) and some community service.

I don't know how many employers pay attention anymore, but I always took note of such things on resumes. It's almost certain that college admissions departments will take note!

[barbtries]

11. thank you for the input.

my son is a psychology major and he does plan to join the honor society for that discipline, on the advice of his professor. it is primarily for the resume. i was kind of thinking he could get a scholarship.
i'm so naive. i actually didn't realize that honor societies are often a dime a dozen. if i signed him up for them all we'd soon go broke.

[HopeHoops]

13. If one doesn't have a stringent grade requirement, don't bother.

[seabeyond]

15. between honor society, duke, ACT and 7th grade SAT scores, GPA, AP honor and cross country

my son has been being recruited for colleges across the nation since freshman year.

i do not know what exactly it was that got his name on the list. but it is all good.

check out which are legit. one he joined was not. one he was admitted on was.

[barbtries]

16. your son has a bright future!

my son finally started thinking about college in, oh, i guess about his sophomore year in high school. the only AP course he took, he didn't take the test so didn't get the credits. but he's really applied himself in college and i'm proud of him. looks like it's psi chi and that's probably going to do it.

[seabeyond]

18. whatever works for the kid to be successful at the least cost

for the parents. college is ridiculous. and my son is wanting a couple years grad school, too. (law)

cant do it without loans and scholarships for a lot of the colleges at 50-60k a year.

[barbtries]

24. that's for sure

my middle son is in his 3rd year of law school and living on almost nothing - he got a $60,0000 scholarship and will still finish with a huge debt.

[Flaxbee]

17. I think that they helped me get into my grad school..

but it can't just be the Joe Blow honor society -- it sounds as if your son is smart and will focus on an honor society in his discipline of choice, which should help his grad studies efforts.

He may also want to consider a broad-scope society like Golden Key ... that was one of the ones I was in, and it does have recognition beyond my particular field of study.

On edit: Congrats to your son! Sounds as if he is enjoying his education and doing quite well.

[barbtries]

20. you're the first person to respond positively

it was the invitation from Golden Key that prompted the OP. i'm glad that maybe i wasn't wrong to think it could be a good idea to join. i was mostly thinking about the scholarship possibilities, but if it's a good addition to his resume. hm. thank you.

[Flaxbee]

22. I restricted my membership to two, though ...

so that it didn't look like I was just buying honors, you know?

So he may want to consider Golden Key, and he may want to consider another selective one for his major/area of study. If his school has a phi beta kappa chapter, he might want to see if he can qualify for that, because it's the oldest / most well known. PBK is more of a broad spectrum honor society covering humanities/liberal arts and science - you have to have taken a lot of classes in a wide variety of disciplines.

[barbtries]

23. he's going to join psi chi

which is for psychology majors. i'll talk to him further about golden key. thanks for the input.

[mysuzuki2]

19. I certainly wouldn't know.

I was never asked to join ANYTHING in college, despite earning 3 degrees.

[barbtries]

21. either was i,

though i've only earned one little AA and one certificate so far.

[frogmarch]

25. My daughter always excelled academically and

was the valedictorian of her high school graduating class. Besides being a straight-A student, she was in band and orchestra (she played tuba, flute and cello), and choir, and was in debate and drama., She was also active in the astronomy club, math club and French club. She wasn’t a bookworm – far from it. She was full of fun and had lots of friends.

She was inducted into the National Honor Society the last week before her high school graduation. She was presented her certificate by a girl who had a C grade average. Why was she in the NHS but my daughter wasn't? The girl was active in sports and all the nominators were PE teachers and coaches.

The girl who was salutatorian – like my daughter, not a jock - was inducted into the National Honor Society at the same time my daughter was. Her mom and I shared disgusted glances at the school awards ceremony.

Both girls received college scholarships, and they received them before they were inducted into the NHS.

[barbtries]

26. did being a member of the NHS

help her after college,or did she get any other financial awards for being a member?

[frogmarch]

28. No to both. She didn't mention NHS when she

applied for work after college, and she has never received any financial awards from having been a member.

Maybe being a member of NHS is a big deal in some schools, but because of how it was in our town, I'll always consider NHS a joke.

[barbtries]

30. my son didn't make that anyway.

he's improved vastly as a student since getting to college.

[Taverner]

27. I was in one in grad school

It was OK - didn't help nor hurt

[barbtries]

29. thanks Taverner.

i appreciate all the comments.

[Sgent]

31. There are some BIG ones

that she should join. But a lot of them are meaningless.

For instance, Phi Beta Kappa is one that has recognition anywhere in the world, and she should jump at it if offered.

You can often tell the better ones because they are allowed by the school to wear distinctive garb at graduation.

[barbtries]

32. he hasn't been invited to phi beta kappa,

at least not yet. he is joining psi chi for psychology majors though. we'll discuss golden key further but since it's really his decision and not mine i doubt if he will join. thanks for responding!