<p>My daughter is getting all these invitations to join ‘honor societies’. However, they all ask for a fee ($75, $50, $100, etc…). Are these for real or just another way to scam money off unsuspecting students. The latest one was the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.</p>
<p>Don’t put “paid for honor societies” on your admissions transcript- adcoms will laff
Save your $$$$</p>
<p>I don’t think that’s what the OP is referring to. (High School.) The reference was to Nat’l Society of Collegiate Scholars, as in, college.</p>
<p>This is not about undergraduate admissions.</p>
<p>Yes, my daughter will be a sophmore (college) this fall. She did make the dean’s list for the previous two semesters. However, the invitations look a little like credit card offers. The do have induction ceremonies at the university. She joined one but we are now skeptical…</p>
<p>You should find out what is the criterion for the invite.
Some societies (like Phi Beta Kappa) do have fees, but are worth the money - to anyone in the know Phi Beta Kappa means that you were at the top 10-15% of your class, etc.</p>
<p>Phi Beta Kappa is the one that she did join. All of them state that the invitation is based on grades (top 5 or 10% of class). Guess I will do a little research on them.</p>
<p>It is very unusual, I think, for a rising sophomore to be invited into PBK. But I guess it depends on the school chapter…</p>
<p>IMO, if she has earned Phi Beta Kappa, she can stop there. No need to pile “honor” societies one upon the other.</p>
<p>I earned Phi Beta Kappa at my undergraduate institution and have always included that on my resume. I was inducted at my college.</p>
<p>Whether I paid to “join” back then… I do not recall. I certainly have not kept up my membership, as it has no particular value to me to be a member, receive the magazine etc.</p>
<p>Anybody heard of Sigma Alpha Lambda - National Leadership and Honors Organization</p>
<p>I’m a bit frustrated with all the college “honor societies” - especially when they seem to be sanctioned by the school, even when they’re worthless. My D received so many of them, we started just throwing them away. And then she got one for a music honor society that seemed genuine. - I looked into it a bit, and suggested that she join this one. But there was a one-time membership fee and she’d heard me say over and over, if they ask you to pay, it’s no honor, so she ignored it. I still think it would have been a nice one to have.</p>
<p>I would be wary of “look alike” schemes. I looked through the PBK website and although it didn’t say underclassmen were prohibited form being inducted, all listed chapters seem to hold to something like the top 10% of juniors and perhaps the top 1 or 2% of sophomores. No mention of <em>any</em> chapters who actually inducted members based on freshman grades.<br>
Did these sites ask for credit card numbers?</p>