<p>Does it mean anything? Will it help me get into grad school?
I’m majoring in physics at Rutgers and I want to go to one of the top grad schools. My school’s requirements for Phi Beta Kapa don’t sound too hard: just a 3.8 and two semesters of 200+ level foreign language. The problem is I want to take Latin in college (I took french in hs, cause we didn’t have latin), but that would mean taking 4 semesters. Because I’m think of a minor in math or comp sci, I don’t want to “waste” that much time. So is this Phi Beta Kapa thing really worth it?</p>
<p>Start taking Latin and see whether you’re interested enough to want to continue after a year. If you aren’t, then you have a dilemma, but at this point you don’t.</p>
<p>Yeah I know, I’ll take one year at a time, but I really want to do better in college than I did in high school and I just want a general idea of what I’m going to do for the next four years and whether it’s worth the time and trouble to work towards Phi Beta Kappa.</p>
<p>It’s a good goal to keep in mind, I think. It’s certainly not going to make or break your grad school plans – but it might be an effective way to motivate yourself to keep your sights high.</p>
<p>i’m not totally familiar with all the graduation distinctions, but it seems phi beta kappa is one of the more prestigious out there, although one could attain graduation distinctions in other ways too: honors, cum laude/magna cum laude/summa cum laude… i’m sure there’s more.</p>
<p>There are so many honors societies that one student could possibly get into, depending if there is a chapter are your given school. They may look great on a resume or app. but it probably won’t be the dependent factor when applying to grad school. Go for the phi beta kappa, but obviously if you struggle too much with latin, you won’t achieve the 3.8 anyway…You can always switch to french later.</p>
<p>PBK is definitely the king of undergraduate honor societies. Only BA candidates are eligible (not BS, BFA, etc). The hitch is that although there are minimum requirements set forth, you don’t automatically get in if you meet those criteria. Many colleges cap the number elected so that its roughly the top 2 or 3% of the class’s liberal arts graduates. I think out of my undergraduate class of 600 there were about 20-25 elected – and none with less than a 3.8 GPA, though I think technically the minimum is lower than that. Basically the PBK chapter on your campus is given a list of candidates that meet the criteria and they choose, or “elect” students from that list. Its a huge honor, but I found the older people are the more impressed they are by it.</p>
<p>Not true that only BA candidates are eligible. I earned a BS in Geology and was initiated into Phi Beta Kappa in 1979. It is true that most BS candidates don’t have the language classes and breadth of study required to be admitted, but at least when I was in college it was allowed. I didn’t even take a foreign language in college, but earned two years worth of credit due to five years of French in high school and acing a placement test.</p>
<p>thanks for correction. At my school in 1997 (small northeast LAC) BS candidates were not eligible – I think the individual chapters must make the bylaws/requirements?</p>
<p>Son will be inducted on May 21. We are proud.</p>
<p>My 2nd oldest sister got PBK from UC Berkeley back in 2000, it was pretty awesome. I believe she got a BS in molecular/cell bio, so I could barely believe that she got a 3.8+ at berkeley in that major.</p>
<p>Is Phi Beta Kappa the college equivalent of National Honor Roll or Who’s Who or is it more prestigious?</p>
<p>No, it is way more prestigious. I think that only liberal arts schools have chapters. It is an elite organization, and truly an honor to be elected. It probably does help with graduate school, and it also looks very good on a resume. Plus, you get a Phi Beta Kappa key that you can someday give to your grandchildren.</p>