College Honor Societies: scam or worth the dues?

[severine]

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....

 

[drjeff]

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

 

[severine]

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?

 

[billski]

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.

 

[Geoff]

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.

 

[Marc]

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.

 

[ta&idaho]

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.

 

[riverc0il]

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.

 

[Puck it]

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

 

[Euler]

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

 

[severine]

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.

 

[RootDKJ]

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.

 

[Warp Daddy]

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

 

[severine]

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.

 

[Brownsville Brooklyn]

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??

 

[severine]

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.

 

[Brownsville Brooklyn]

: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:

 

[jrmagic]

: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.

 

[severine]

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.

 

[Nick]

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: