Golden Key International

sac
Mon, 26 Nov 2007 17:47:45 +0000

Congratulations on your academic performance!

My S got the same invitation at his university last year, and so I looked up the organization. It seems to vary from college to college as to whether or not it actually does anything or not. We did suggest he go ahead and join, mostly because his invitation, like yours, seemed to come from a university official. At this point, I’d say it is mostly a money-making organization and not particularly meaningful. We just got a huge packet of stuff inviting him to some overseas trips that are supposed to be a big honor but mostly seem like a big expense.

Two things did come out of it. When he went to their info session about joining, he won a free GRE course from Kaplan’s in a drawing. So, for a $70 fee which we paid for him, he got a $1000 value from Kaplan’s. (Too bad I can’t assure you the same will happen if you join:) ) The other result was an invitation from a major investment bank to apply for a summer internship. So, I’d say it might be somewhat meaningful to some recruiters.

Overall, I think it exists to sell merchandise and I really wonder why the universities participate. But, as I said, it may be that the chapter at your university really does function as an honor society. And, if you’re headed into a business field it might help you get a summer internship along the way.

In any case, it’s a great indication of where you stand compared to your peers and that you’re on track to end up with a shot at Phi Beta Kappa. Good luck, and hope this helps.