Members are discussing the benefits of joining Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) at community colleges, focusing on GPA requirements, scholarships, transcript notations, and potential advantages in job applications and transfer to four-year programs. Some users have received scholarships and opportunities through PTK, while others question the value of membership and the exclusivity of the organization. Overall, opinions vary on the worthiness of joining PTK and the impact it has on academic and professional opportunities.
I was recently invited to join Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) and was wondering if anyone who has experience with this honor society has found it beneficial other than it looking nice on resumes. My thinking is that most nursing students qualify for this honor due to the grades that must be maintained/acquired for nursing school. How would this make someone stand out in the field of nursing if most nursing students probably qualify?
Has anyone found that it helped them get any new-grad positions when they graduated? Did it help with scholarships? Did it look good when you wanted to transfer to a university? Did you find it helpful in terms of networking? Did it apply to any or none of the above?
I was also wondering what the GPA cutoff is? How low can your GPA fall before they kick you out? I could always ask this at the orientation meeting, but that isn't anytime soon.
I had also heard of Sigma Theta Tau (specifically for nurses) and was wondering what one would need to do in order to be invited to join?
I'm glad you asked, cause I'm wondering the same thing. I went ahead and joined...I figured if nothing else for me, it's a symbol of my hard work. There's an orientation at my school to give you more info on membership, maybe you will have one as well.
My school has an orientation as well. I read on another thread that you get to wear the honors collar/cord at graduation, but I am wondering if this would still apply if I went to a different community college (nursing program) than where I earned the award?
My school has an orientation as well. I read on another thread that you get to wear the honors collar/cord at graduation, but I am wondering if this would still apply if I went to a different community college (nursing program) than where I earned the award?
I paid for it but the only thing I found it good for was putting it on my resume and honestly, I don't think it helps much. you might find more use out of it (and scholarship potential) if you actively participate in your local chapter. but who has time for that in nursing school?
Isn't the Iota Alpha Chapter at TVCC? Were you accepted into their nursing program? I am completing my prereqs and hope to apply this December. I would love to hear your experiances!
When I joined, and was surprised there was no one else from Nursing who did. Don't know why - I'm guessing money and that strange perception that as nursing students, we aren't really part of the general student population.
Or it could be because if your grades drop, they drop you from the society and nursing school grades can be "fragile," for lack of a better word.
My personal opinion is that if you don't already hold a bachelor's degree, it may be worth it to join for the scholarship opportunities. If you do have a previous bachelor's in another field, I don't think it's worth the membership fee as you aren't eligible for the scholarships. As for looking good in a resume, I think the benefit there would be minimal - it's not a selective enough organization to really make a candidate stand out, as there are loads of community college students earning good grades.
I've received numerous honor society offers and have turned them all down. I'm not going to pay $100 so I can list them on my resume. If I wanted to do volunteer work, there is plenty of opportunities within my nursing program. And if I wanted to show that I did well in school, I would just list my GPA on my resume and save $100.
I personally didn't bother with it, I thought it was something meant to separate people from their money more than anything else. I already have a Bachelor's so I wouldn't have been eligible for any of the scholarships they offer. When a potential employer or RN-BSN program wants to see my grades, I can show them a transcript for free, rather than pay $100 to put "phi theta kappa" on my resume.
You will always be a member once a member, even if your GPA falls.
This is not what I was told. I was told you would be dropped from the society if your GPA fell below a certain amount.
This is directly from the application
"After becoming a member, an individual is required to maintain the minimum GPA for membership as established by the local chapter and must notify the chapter advisor immediately if at any time their cumulative GPA falls below that standard. Failure to provide notification may result in membership being automatically revoked. A member is given one term to raise their cumulative GPA to minimum standards."
GPA requirements depend on the school. I have to maintain a 3.25 to stay in.
This is directly from my chapter:
When a member's cumulative G.P.A. falls below 3.25, he/she has one academic term in which to bring the average up to 3.25. If he/she fails to raise the cumulative G.P.A. to 3.25 after one academic term, the member shall have his/her name stricken from the local chapter roll and the Phi Theta Kappa headquarters shall be notified to strike the name from the international roll as well. Once a student's name is stricken from the roll, all privileges of membership are revoked.
Weird...maybe my chapter is more lenient, because I know that even a past president of my chapter had a bad semester once and it dropped below the accepted GPA, and they didn't kick her out. That was specifically one of my concerns when I was trying to decide whether I should join, and I was told that once you are a member, you are always a member.
ChervRN
97 Posts
I'm glad you asked, cause I'm wondering the same thing. I went ahead and joined...I figured if nothing else for me, it's a symbol of my hard work. There's an orientation at my school to give you more info on membership, maybe you will have one as well.