Dear Editor,

This spring, thousands of students at University of Wyoming will receive invitations to join honor societies. But how many of these organizations are legitimate? 

I know many students struggle with the onslaught of invitations and are confused about how best to determine legitimacy and/or knowing which group will actually benefit the student in the future.  You can certainly join every honor society you are invited into, or you can look at each one individually to determine the one that will provide you the most meaningful benefits.

I’d like to share some tips on how to find the right honor society for you. They should also help you quickly discern if a group is a scam or a group that is falsely presenting itself as an honor society. 

1.      The Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS) is the national organization that certifies honor societies that are meeting the highest standards. Check the list of ACHS members to confirm the honor society you are considering is not a scam:  http://www.achsnatl.org/quick_link.asp

2.      Does the website provide a phone number that can be answered by a person?  Also, is there an actual address listed on the website and not a PO Box?

3.      Make sure the website has a fully accessible list of national officers and headquartered staff, criteria and benefits of membership, membership fee, bylaws, and chapter charter policy.

4.      Every college honor society has a membership fee. This is different than your experience may have been with the National Honor Society (NHS) in high school.  

5.      Never join an organization that only provides an online application to join. You may be able to join a legitimate honor society online but you should have received something from the organization stating that the campus you attend has stated you are qualified to join.  

6.      Make sure there is an actual recognized real chapter on your campus. Do not join an honor society that does not provide a way for you to interact and meet other members on your campus.  

7.      You should confirm the honor society is a non-profit organization. Make sure the organization you are considering joining has an annual report on their website and will provide you with financial information if you ask. Transparency is key and groups that are not sharing are probably not a group that you should join.

I hope these will help you navigate through the complicated decision of choosing an honor society.

Steve Loflin 

CEO & Founder of The National Society of Collegiate Scholars

Former Board member of The Association of College Honor Societies