|
So, graduation is quickly approaching and numerous honor societies are courting you for membership. Why should you join Phi Beta Kappa? Here are some of the advantages.
When the New York Times reported in mid-1996 that some students on large university campuses had turned down membership in Phi Beta Kappa, primarily because they said they couldn't distinguish one honor society from another, James Ahearn, contributing editor, The (Hackensak, N.J.) Record, called it "The Most Amazing News Story of the Year." Ahearn then described his own experience in reviewing job applications. After years of trying to distinguish promising candidates by their resumes, he concluded:
- One line always caught my attention: membership in Phi Beta Kappa, the intercollegiate society that recognizes superior scholarship. Only 10 percent of colleges have Phi Beta Kappa chapters. Only 1 percent of college seniors are invited to join the Society each year.
|
- The reviewing panel at each college with a chapter looks at transcripts to make sure that students have taken courses in the liberal arts and sciences, in a broad array of subjects, and at an advanced level....
|
- So Phi Beta Kappa membership signifies, first, that the person can think, and, second, that he or she is willing to work hard.
|
- There is no better credential for a career in a field like journalism, where a reporter may one day have to figure out an intricate tax package and the next day cope with cancer-cluster data....
|
- As for the initiation fee, whether it is $35 or $50, no investment a young person can make offers a similar return. Whatever he or she tries to do in later life, the Phi Beta Kappa tag will be a standout credential to a prospective employer or to a graduate-school admissions dean.
|
|
|
