Phi Beta Kappa Forum

[jwthurman]

I was invited to join Phi Beta Kappa but did not actually join. Should I list 'Phi Beta Kappa' invitee on my resume or will it just make me look like a slacker?

[Tom Joad]

What is it?

[wert3813]

.

[ChardPennington]

Chard P at your service was Phi Beta Kappa am basically embody of whole entity happy for take question. Put on resume made admission deans shriek with yes when read like comely bar wench taking generous eastern bloc shaft.

[jwthurman]

I don't see it so clearly. It makes me look a bit fickle, but it is a pretty prestigious honors society, and at least I had the credentials to get invited. Kinda on the fence about it.

[badaboom61]

I was invited to join Phi Beta Kappa but did not actually join. Should I list 'Phi Beta Kappa' invitee on my resume or will it just make me look like a slacker?

Do not put "invitee" on your resume. Either join or don't.

[Borg]

Just join it. Stupid idiot.

[helix23]

Phi Beta Kappa invitee? LOL

Just join. It's a one time fee and stays with you for life.

[jwthurman]

The thing is that I graduated two years ago, so they have to reconsider my invitation. Hopefully they will look upon me kindly.

[3ThrowAway99]

I don't see anything wrong with putting "invited." I don't think it will help or hurt you tremendously either way, but this is a good one to have on the resume and if you don't want to bother to track them down/plead with them/pay the fees then I think it is better to have this on resume with "invited" than not at all. Just my opinion though, and I do think ideally you should just join if you have the chance now. (I can relate to this--not with Phi Beta Kappa directly--but I've encountered a similar situation in my life where I didn't want to pay what I considered to be a cheesy membership fee but now it's regretted.)

[DAC]

PBK is THE only honor society worth a damn in college. It means a lot actually -- hell, it was a nice feather in the cap for med school admissions... I can hypothesize that law schools would like to see it too.

you dun goofed, op.

[Theopliske8711]

I almost messed up and didn't sign up for it as well. Managed to do it last minute. Missed out on a different honor society, however, the one about linguistics. Kind of wishing I had done it now.

I did manage to piss off my professor a little bit by missing the initiation. Always hated that kind of crap though, although he certainly cared for those empty rituals.

[cinephile]

I was invited a few honor societies and didn't feel like paying. I put invited on my resume for law school admissions. It doesn't matter now that I'm in law school and I have other things to say, so it's not on my resume anymore.

[sideoffries]

To me, putting "invitee" on something like that would be appropriate only if you were an undergraduate who just got invited but has not been initiated yet. Also, you won't be accepted into it 2 years after graduation... your opportunity has passed.

[VasaVasori]

Post removed.

[vpintz]

Chard P at your service was Phi Beta Kappa am basically embody of whole entity happy for take question. Put on resume made admission deans shriek with yes when read like comely bar wench taking generous eastern bloc shaft.

Your posts always make me smile.

[helix23]

I think actually joining PBK will be helpful in the long run, beyond just law school admissions. Look at any big law firm website and browse their attorneys. How many times do you see "Invited to Phi Beta Kappa" as opposed to "Phi Beta Kappa." I call BS on "Invited to Phi Beta Kappa" being a plus on your resume for any instance beyond law school admissions.

[Leaborb192]

I was invited to join Phi Beta Kappa but did not actually join. Should I list 'Phi Beta Kappa' invitee on my resume or will it just make me look like a slacker?

I was invited too at my community college. I didn't want to travel down to the ceremony or pay the fee so I just threw the letter in the garbage. Probably a stupid decision as being a member = money for school. lol

[cinephile]

I think actually joining PBK will be helpful in the long run, beyond just law school admissions. Look at any big law firm website and browse their attorneys. How many times do you see "Invited to Phi Beta Kappa" as opposed to "Phi Beta Kappa." I call BS on "Invited to Phi Beta Kappa" being a plus on your resume for any instance beyond law school admissions.

Actually, I kind of doubt this. The benefit you get from being PBK is probably the same as what you'd get for being at the top of the class anyway. So you don't list PBK on the firm website, you still get to say summa and get the same prestige points.

[helix23]

I think actually joining PBK will be helpful in the long run, beyond just law school admissions. Look at any big law firm website and browse their attorneys. How many times do you see "Invited to Phi Beta Kappa" as opposed to "Phi Beta Kappa." I call BS on "Invited to Phi Beta Kappa" being a plus on your resume for any instance beyond law school admissions.

Actually, I kind of doubt this. The benefit you get from being PBK is probably the same as what you'd get for being at the top of the class anyway. So you don't list PBK on the firm website, you still get to say summa and get the same prestige points.

You actually kind of doubt what? That it is listed on attorney profiles or that it adds any prestige points?

I don't think either you or I have any hard data to cite to support either conclusion that it helps or not, but attorney profiles do include it. Someone out there thinks it worth something.

Couple randoms for Jones Day website:

"The George Washington University (J.D. with honors 1978); Williams College (B.A. magna cum laude 1975; Phi Beta Kappa)"

"Fordham University (J.D. cum laude 1990; Law Review); The Rockefeller University (Ph.D. in Molecular Biology 1986); Yale University (B.S. in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry summa cum laude 1980;Phi Beta Kappa)"

"Columbia University (J.D. 1990; Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar; Columbia Journal of Transnational Law); Wellesley College (B.A. magna cum laude 1987; Phi Beta Kappa)"

[cinephile]

^ That it adds prestige points. Sure people list it, but you're kind of saying the same thing twice by saying Phi Beta Kappa and latin honors. It'd be different if it measured something other than GPA or class standing. Anyway, it's too late for this guy, he already turned it down.