Honor societies: worth anything?

[jch]

Like many universities, TESU has several academic honor societies in various disciplines which you can earn admission to. Are these worth anything? What, if any tangible benefits does one receive for joining? Several of them play up their alumni networking systems, are those actually useful? Should I even care?

TESU had a page outlining all their honor societies, but I think it got taken down recently when they cancelled this years commencement. Here's the page for Delta Mu Delta, the business honor society. I suspect that the degreeforum crowd likely would not hit the entrance requirements for the honor societies, as they typically require a significant amount of graded credits at TESU with a high GPA. All of the 114-ers and heavy alt-credit users wouldn't qualify. 

At least the joining fee for these chapters is just a small one-time amount; they haven't built up a renewal racket.

[rachel83az]

I honestly don't know that these societies are worth it unless you go to a big-name university. You can get the same (or similar) networking opportunities yourself without the honor society. Most employers aren't going to be impressed, or even care, that you were in a particular society unless the hiring manager happens to have been in the same one. I get that you want more socializing but I just don't think TESU is the place for it. Maybe look into starting or joining a FB group that meets over zoom or something to socialize and/or study.

[Life Long Learning]

If you want a Federal job they might be but have to be on this list.

https://www.achsnatl.org/quick_link.asp

[freeloader]

If you want a Federal job they might be but have to be on this list.

https://www.achsnatl.org/quick_link.asp

Unless it’s Phi Beta Kappa, I wouldn’t bother. I had the opportunity to join some different honor societies and didn’t really see the point in it. As far as federal hiring goes, this is some language that I pulled from a job description with Social Security Administration (all of them that allow for qualification based on education say more or less the same thing):

A bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement (SAA). SAA is based on a GPA of 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0; class standing in the upper third of graduating class; or election to membership in a national scholastic honor society; OR
One (1) full year of graduate education. To be creditable, such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities (see "How You Wil Be Evaluated" section of the announcement) necessary to do the work.

As Life Long Learning noted, the qualifying honor society does have to be from the approved list. That said, if you had good enough grades to join the honor society, you probably had good enough grades to qualify under the GPA provisions of a federal job announcement. 

[Life Long Learning]

Bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement for GS-7 two-grade interval positions,

Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society -- Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies listed below. These honor societies are listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (external link). Agencies considering eligibility based on any society not included in the following list must ensure that the honor society meets the minimum requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies. Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision.

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversigh...rl=purpose

[ss20ts]

I attend CSU Global and there's a few honor societies. I'm hoping to get into one of them. It's a personal thing. I just want awesome grades for the first time in my life. I have a goal with graduation. If I graduate with honors, my reward is that I will get to go to Colorado to participate in commencement and a vacation. I've never been to Colorado so I'm really working my butt off for this trip. If I don't graduate with honors, I won't attend commencement. I really want to walk across that stage to get my degree. It's a personal pride thing. I don't care if it ever leads to anything else in life.

[MrBossmanJr]

I agree with Life Long Learning on his part about Federal jobs. My other honor societies are kind of a waste. If I were to pursue the scholarship opportunities offered by them, it would be a different story. The only one that matters is my Epsilon Pi Tau, which is certified by the ACHS.

[jch]

I found the TESU page on academic awards and honor societies. Note to self, just use Google when trying to find something on TESU's site, it's a much easier way to locate all the buried information than their navigation.

[ss20ts]

I found the TESU page on academic awards and honor societies. Note to self, just use Google when trying to find something on TESU's site, it's a much easier way to locate all the buried information than their navigation.

Seriously. Their website is a royal pain. It's like it was designed by a blind guy who had never heard of the internet. So hard to find anything.