Membership in Phi Beta Kappa is by invitation only. The Epsilon of Connecticut chapter extends invitations to approximately ten percent of each year’s liberal arts graduates as well as a select few juniors. Nationwide, about one college senior in a hundred is invited to join Phi Beta Kappa each year.

If you have received an invitation, congratulations! You may be wondering whether you should accept this invitation, given the large number of honors and awards you have been offered. While making this decision, consider the following:

• Phi Beta Kappa is the nation’s oldest and most widely recognized honor society. Even outside of academia, your membership will have meaning.
• Membership in the Phi Beta Kappa Society is lifelong, with only a single initiation fee. This includes a lifetime subscription to PBK’s quarterly newsletter, the Key Reporter.
• The Phi Beta Kappa Society and individual PBK chapters and alumni associations are 501(c)(3) charitable organizations.
• In cases of financial hardship, the initiation fee may be waived.
• Phi Beta Kappa is not a social organization. After accepting the invitation to membership and paying the initiation fee, you have no further obligation. You may choose to stay involved through an alumni association or a local chapter, but this is always voluntary.

If you have any questions, ask your faculty advisor or one of the Epsilon of Connecticut chapter officers. We look forward to having you join us!

From the national society: Why Accept Our Invitation?