Golden Key Honor Society?
 

I just got an invitation to join this group. Is it legit? Is it worthwhile? Costs $70 and I think it's a lifetime membership. I suppose I should be flattered, but I am skeptical as it sounds like those "Who's Who" books which we all know are just there to make money by flattering people into thinking they're really worth mentioning in some book. Or that Student Ambassador thing that keeps sending my daughter invitations - this year it's a trip to Japan. 'Cause she's such a special student. Riiiiiight, a special student with $5,000. :)

Anyone know about this Golden Key outfit?

What is it? What does it do? What do you get?

Sorry...I figured either folks had either heard of it or hadn't, and only those who knew of it would be able to give advice anyway. How elitist. ;)

So anyhow, I got this letter in the mail today inviting me to join this Golden Key thing, because I am in college and getting a 4.0 GPA. Apparently my college has its own chapter and there will be a fancy schmancy induction ceremony in October.

Membership costs $70 and they promise goodies like scholarship opportunities, resume helpers, career networking and recruiting, and of course you get to put it on your resume. Like Phi Beta Kappa, I guess, except I *know* that one is legit. I'm not so sure about this one.

Or maybe I just don't want to join a club that would have someone like me as a member. ;)

Here's the website: www.goldenkey.org

Ah, yeah... it's crap. I mean, if you like ceremonies, that's cool I guess. But I would never pay $70 for the opportunity to talk with peers, get resume advice, and get bugged by recruiters. That stuff is free.

I'm not sure it actually does anything. You can get scholarships already; you can hire a recruiter (it's free to you, they get a kickback from the person that hires you); you can get resume advice anywhere (there's a thread here about that); if you want to network, join Linkedin; and, yeah, you can put it on your resume, but does anybody care? Do not want.

Okay. Just looking at their site, my instinctive thought is, they get the largest part of their income stream from the corporate sector who are using them as a recruitment aid.

It's a pretty good looking site. I don't know what's the going rate for college societies and clubs and the like over there?

I paid £25 for 3 year membership of the History Club (show willin' y'know) it's basically there to organise the interdepartmental football and netball games, and the odd pubcrawl *cough* sorry, field trip. Even at less than a tenner a year that is fairly shitty value for money :P The clubs offering careers advice and the like are pretty much all officially sanctioned non-fee groups.

I have to say it looks genuine to me.

If that could be verified it'd confirm it. It also claims to have Rev.Tutu as a member. Bet that's confirmable via teh interwebz*

It's also only a one off fee. If it's the custom to pay to join honour societies (we don't really have them that I know of.....either that or I just have never beeninvited and they're really all around :P) then this one looks pretty genuine to me.


* sorry, this particular meme has been stuck in my head all day. It seems to be leaking out into the Cellar rather a lot.

Flint you qualify for that... The National Honor Society.... I have the letter requesting dues to join... lifetime membership. Haven't mailed that check...

They will genuinely provide the services they claim they will provide you, that is true. I will genuinely give your email address to spammers for $70 too, if you want, but that doesn't mean it's worth the money.

Hey, I have an idea: Let's mail letters to people asking for money.

The Golden Shower Honor Society?

Repeated and highlighted for clarity :P I don't know what strange and wonderful things you Merkins get up to at College. We don't go in for sororities and fraternities and such....not in the same way ....though they might at Oxbridge, they do some funny shit down there.

I get emails from them - perhaps I'm a member - but I did not pay for a membership. I was working at the college at the time so maybe it was a freebie. No advantage at all of which I am aware. The 4.0 GPA rope impressed my mom, though!

Forget it. It's not worth it. I've been "formally" and "honorably" granted membership (for a mere 70$) voted by my university.

There's another honor society that's legit, and the names of these two societies are different, but similar enough to fool some people.

you want Phi Beta Kappa. That's the honor society to get into!

I agree with Brianna. Go for Phi Beta Kappa. The outfit that contacted you sounds like its trying too hard. I never remember having to pay to get into an honor society. Of course, I went to school with the dinosaurs, so maybe things have changed. I did get a letter from MENSA once (shows how misguided THEY are) telling me I qualified to join and just to send my yearly dues right along. I ignored it, since they had obviously made an egregious error of some sort, and I'm not into that type of elitism, anyhow. :rolleyes: