# College Honor Societies: scam or worth the dues?



## severine (Feb 19, 2010)

I keep getting invitations and I don't know what to make of them... On the one hand, I feel like the fact that they ask for money to join feels scam-ish. On the other hand, I guess they're a resume-builder. 

Any thoughts? Experiences? Comments? Discuss....


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## drjeff (Feb 19, 2010)

Pay $$ to get your name published in some national book/on national some list IMHO = scam

An actual, local, campus based honor society - those have some credibility


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## severine (Feb 19, 2010)

Oh then I should jump on this one, then! Jimmy Carter is a member! 

:lol:

I'm not on campus so it's not always easy to see who's legit or not... but the last couple supposedly came from on campus and are campus-based. When I was at Northwestern CT Community College, I was invited to join the Alpha Nu Epsilon chapter of Phi Theta Kappa and I did... but I never got anything out of it other than the fact that I could put on my resume that I was/am a member of that honor society. Does it really matter in the end?


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## billski (Feb 19, 2010)

You know what, after you graduate, there are hundreds of other "most of this" "best of that" books that will be soliciting your bucks.   You will incessantly be "nominated by your peers" for this "honor."  I am sure there must  be a couple that are useful, but the vast majority are profit-making institutions.  Dr. Jeff just mentioned a couple last fall that were pretty humorous.


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## Geoff (Feb 19, 2010)

I guess I'm still in Tau Beta Pi.  That's the engineering honor society.  I don't remember it costing anything when they admitted me.  I haven't paid any attention to it since 1979 or 1980.


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## Marc (Feb 19, 2010)

Geoff said:


> I guess I'm still in Tau Beta Pi.  That's the engineering honor society.  I don't remember it costing anything when they admitted me.  I haven't paid any attention to it since 1979 or 1980.



Yeah, I didn't have an dues for Tau Beta Pi either, I just had to go out and polish the stupid brass "bent" and of course it was raining the day I signed up for it.  I had to make my own bent too.

Pi Tau Sigma, the national ME honor society was even easier.  No stupid induction ceremony or anything just a 5 minute meeting.  Wearing the cords and the white thing on the graduation gown was good, and it definitely did look good on my resume, but TBP is pretty darn well known to most engineers.


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## ta&idaho (Feb 19, 2010)

I pretty much agree with drjeff:

Phi Beta Kappa - clearly worth it

Major/Department honor societies - probably worth it, although you could always say "Elected to" or "Selected for" on your resume if you're too cheap to pony up the dues

"Who's Who" type lists/books/etc. - scam

I also think there are diminishing marginal returns if you are invited to join a large number of organizations.  You're only going to want to put your best credentials on your resume, so it sounds like you can afford to be somewhat selective.


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## riverc0il (Feb 19, 2010)

I don't recall having to pay anything to get into Psi Chi. At most, the fee was very small to cover basic costs like a membership card, etc. I would ask the department what the on campus academic honor society is for your major. If you are being solicited and asked for money aside from a basic one time fee to cover small costs of operation, it probably is not worth it.


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## Puck it (Feb 19, 2010)

Someone is making money by you joining and it won't be you.  
Rest on your own laurels and they will find you.


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## Euler (Feb 19, 2010)

I think an "honor" that costs money is a scam.


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## severine (Feb 19, 2010)

Euler said:


> I think an "honor" that costs money is a scam.



That's pretty much how I feel. Hence why I have not joined any at this school.

Thanks for the perspective, guys! Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing out on something in my naivete.


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## RootDKJ (Mar 16, 2010)

I just got a letter from the honor society at my University, asking me to become a member ($30).  I've never even hear of them, but it's nice just knowing I qualified.


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## Warp Daddy (Mar 16, 2010)

Disciplinary oriented honor society locals are fine , whereas several of the "For $$$ publication oriented ''solicitations are more "marketing "  or   slock than true  earned  honors .

FWIW In our profession, that kind of thing was usually held up for ridicule . Usually if someone posted up one of those certificates in their office. within 24 hrs  it was covered up with a whole bunch of ridiculous stickers or even yet the old "green Stamps" as a way to bust their chops


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## severine (Mar 16, 2010)

Well now the Army is trying to recruit me through school.  I think I prefer the honor societies! :lol:

Warp - I know what you're talking about--those "Who's Who" directories are such a scam. These are academic-based honor societies based upon grade performance but the membership fees were questionable. Though I guess any official association would have operating costs that are covered by dues. Whatever... not joining.


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## Brownsville Brooklyn (Mar 16, 2010)

severine said:


> I keep getting invitations and I don't know what to make of them... On the one hand, I feel like the fact that they ask for money to join feels scam-ish. On the other hand, I guess they're a resume-builder.
> 
> Any thoughts? Experiences? Comments? Discuss....



Did you graduate Phi Betta Kappa from Harvard University??:flag::flag: were you a Baker Scholar at HBS??


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## severine (Mar 16, 2010)

Brownsville Brooklyn said:


> Did you graduate Phi Betta Kappa from Harvard University??:flag::flag: were you a Baker Scholar at HBS??



:lol: Just a simple UCONN undergrad--though if I can muster the courage, I actually will be applying for a Yale grad program.


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## Brownsville Brooklyn (Mar 16, 2010)

severine said:


> :lol: Just a simple UCONN undergrad--though if I can muster the courage, I actually will be applying for a Yale grad program.



two great schools....:lol:


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## jrmagic (Mar 18, 2010)

severine said:


> :lol: Just a simple UCONN undergrad--though if I can muster the courage, I actually will be applying for a Yale grad program.




Then Muster it  You cant really do much better than that for your graduate work without traveling far.


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## severine (Mar 18, 2010)

jrmagic said:


> Then Muster it  You cant really do much better than that for your graduate work without traveling far.


UCONN's M.A. English program requires different tests than Yale's Urban Education Master's program... English subject area GRE -versus- general GRE+both Praxis II tests for the subject area I want to teach. If I apply to both, that's 4 tests at the cost of about $360 plus $100-$150 in registration fees... $270 of those testing fees are to try to get into a program that only accepts 5-10 students per year. 

I suppose it's more than courage that's required.  I'm not totally decided yet but I don't feel confident about squeezing in all those tests by October when I'm so bogged down right now with research papers.


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## Nick (Jun 8, 2011)

severine said:


> Well now the Army is trying to recruit me through school.  I think I prefer the honor societies! :lol:
> 
> Warp - I know what you're talking about--those "Who's Who" directories are such a scam. These are academic-based honor societies based upon grade performance but the membership fees were questionable. Though I guess any official association would have operating costs that are covered by dues. Whatever... not joining.



The Who's Who things drive me crazy. I get emails from the all the time. 

First it was "Who's Who of College Student's" 
Then "Who's Who of Professionals" 
now
"Who's Who of Project Managers" or something. :smash:


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## ctenidae (Jun 8, 2011)

I got one yesterday congratulating me for being nominated to the Cambdridge Whos Who list, which shows that I'm a leader in my field, well known and well regarded.

The email opened with "Dear     ,"


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## Nick (Jun 8, 2011)

Congrats ! (ha)


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## smilingpj (Aug 12, 2011)

Phi Theta Kappa is legit. Yes, it has a cost to join - then reap the benefits. Many times the students organizing the campus mtgs don't know all of them, and they certainly don't tell everyone, but there are many. Discounts on car buying when you are ready, credit cards w/low rates, additional discounts upon graduation from local businesses.

The biggest benefit that I had to dig for to find out - if I had continued on to a 4 yr local university, I had a $2000 credit to be used each year towards tuition!! I had initially planned on going there, but ended up taking a different route - but believe me I told everyone I knew about this. Go in and speak with someone about the perks, or attend an initiation mtg to determine if the perks are worth your initial fee.


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