2008 Woodie Awards
Honor societies offer students opportunities and recognition
By Davis Mac Stephen
Issue date: 3/19/08 Section: Opinion
It is the time of year when honor societies begin sending invitations to prospective members.
Unfortunately, many of these invitations end up in the trash. Before you toss them out with credit card offers and unwanted catalogs, you would be well served to reconsider the benefits of membership. Select honor societies offer valuable opportunities and resources that can benefit you well beyond your college years.
The most prestigious honor societies dispense hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships and awards to their members. They also offer networking, training and leadership opportunities, mentorship programs, career assistance, and discounts on a variety of products and services. Those that have been around for many decades, if not more than a century, are recognized and respected by all graduate and professional school admissions committees.
Honor societies can be either all- or multi-disciplinary, or they may draw their members from a specific discipline. Phi Alpha Theta (History) is discipline-specific. Others emphasize leadership and service in addition to academics. Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) is one such honor society. Several honor societies recognize freshmen and sophomores. Others recognize upperclassmen only.
With so many honor societies, how do you decide which to join? You may receive invitations from several. While there is no limit to how many honor societies a person may join, time and money necessitate careful choices.
When selecting an honor society, it is important to do your homework. When you receive an invitation, examine it carefully and take time to review the organization's Web site. Call or email the local chapter officer. A legitimate honor society will include this information on its invitation to membership. Ask yourself these questions: Do they offer scholarships and awards? What are the benefits of membership? When were they founded? What are the criteria for membership?
Criteria for membership are perhaps the most telling measure of legitimacy and value. The more prestigious societies, including Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi, have extremely high academic standards for admission. For instance, to be invited to membership in Phi Kappa Phi, an all-discipline honor society, you must be in the top 10 percent of seniors or top 7.5 percent of juniors. An invitation to Phi Kappa Phi is significant because it means that you are among the very best and brightest at your university-not just in your chosen field of study, but among all academic disciplines.
Unfortunately, many of these invitations end up in the trash. Before you toss them out with credit card offers and unwanted catalogs, you would be well served to reconsider the benefits of membership. Select honor societies offer valuable opportunities and resources that can benefit you well beyond your college years.
The most prestigious honor societies dispense hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships and awards to their members. They also offer networking, training and leadership opportunities, mentorship programs, career assistance, and discounts on a variety of products and services. Those that have been around for many decades, if not more than a century, are recognized and respected by all graduate and professional school admissions committees.
Honor societies can be either all- or multi-disciplinary, or they may draw their members from a specific discipline. Phi Alpha Theta (History) is discipline-specific. Others emphasize leadership and service in addition to academics. Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) is one such honor society. Several honor societies recognize freshmen and sophomores. Others recognize upperclassmen only.
With so many honor societies, how do you decide which to join? You may receive invitations from several. While there is no limit to how many honor societies a person may join, time and money necessitate careful choices.
When selecting an honor society, it is important to do your homework. When you receive an invitation, examine it carefully and take time to review the organization's Web site. Call or email the local chapter officer. A legitimate honor society will include this information on its invitation to membership. Ask yourself these questions: Do they offer scholarships and awards? What are the benefits of membership? When were they founded? What are the criteria for membership?
Criteria for membership are perhaps the most telling measure of legitimacy and value. The more prestigious societies, including Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi, have extremely high academic standards for admission. For instance, to be invited to membership in Phi Kappa Phi, an all-discipline honor society, you must be in the top 10 percent of seniors or top 7.5 percent of juniors. An invitation to Phi Kappa Phi is significant because it means that you are among the very best and brightest at your university-not just in your chosen field of study, but among all academic disciplines.
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