Phi Beta Kappa: Alpha Iota of Massachusetts

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Elections

To be elected to Alpha-Iota of Massachusetts, the Harvard College chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, a student must possess a record outstanding scholarly achievement, showing both depth of study and breadth of intellectual interest.

Undergraduates are elected to the Harvard College chapter of Phi Beta Kappa three times a year. The elections take place in the meetings of committees who carefully consider transcripts and confidential letters of recommendation. Twenty-four juniors are elected in March or April, forty-eight seniors in November, and an additional group of seniors (typically about ninety-six) in May to bring the total number of students elected in each graduating class to no more than 10 per cent of the class.

Election committees are composed of Harvard faculty and senior staff who are members of Phi Beta Kappa, as well as current undergraduates already elected to the Chapter. For each election, three committees are convened -- one each in Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Humanities. Each committee has before it a list of candidates that is twice the number to be elected. The number of names on each committee's list reflects the proportion of students in the class who are concentrating in that subject-area. For example, in the Junior 24 election, the number of candidates will always be 48, and typically they will be in the proportions: 24 in Social Sciences - 14 in Natural Sciences - 10 in Humanities. The number elected in this case would be 12 in Social Sciences, 7 in Natural Sciences, and 5 in Humanities.

To arrive at the lists of candidates, the pool of eligible students (see Eligibility below) is sorted into the three areas of concentration, and then according to grade-point average (GPA). Those who are invited to become candidates are those with the highest GPAs in each area, up to the number allocated to that area. Notice that in this system there is no fixed GPA cut-off.

Students who are identified as possible candidates for election receive a letter from the Chapter president inviting them to put their names forward. If they wish to do so, they must arrange for two confidential letters of recommendation to be sent in, and also sign a release form, granting permission for electors to see copies of their transcripts and these letters. Students who do not grant permission for a release of their transcript or letters of recommendation cannot be considered for election.

After the election meetings, students are informed of the Chapter's decision in writing, generally within three weeks after the deadline for submitting Release Forms and letters of recommendation. Those who are elected and accept membership in Alpha Iota will be inducted at a ceremony shortly after each election. New members are asked to pay a registration fee of $80, which covers the cost of the certificate of membership, Alpha Iota dues, and lifetime membership in the National Phi Beta Kappa Society.

Eligibility

A candidate for election to PBK must have never failed a course, and have never been found responsible by the Administrative Board of an offense of academic dishonesty. Those eligible for each election are as follows:

Junior 24. Members of the Junior Class who have completed two and a half years of undergraduate study at Harvard College. Students who are away from Harvard in the current term are eligible if they have two and a half years' work on their transcripts already. Students who have had a previous term away from Harvard and are therefore in their fifth term, are not eligible. Transfer students are likewise not eligible. Third-year students who are Seniors in virtue of advanced standing are not eligible.

Senior 48. Members of the Senior Class (either students in their final year or advanced standing seniors) who have completed two years of undergraduate study at Harvard College. Transfer students who came to Harvard in their second year are thus eligible, but not those who came in their third year. A senior is not eligible if s/he has been considered for this election in a previous year (as might have happened in the case of a third-year student who was counted as a Senior in virtue of advanced standing).

Final seniors. Students who will be graduating from Harvard College at the upcoming Commencement, or who have graduated in the preceding November or March. Transfer students are eligible if they have or will have completed at least two years of study at Harvard before graduation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How will I know if I'm eligible for election to PBK?
Students will be notified of their eligibility for election to Alpha Iota by letter sent to their campus or local address. Letters for the Senior 48 election are sent in early October; letters for the Junior 24 election are sent in late February; and letters for the Final Senior election are sent in mid-April. Only those students who receive official letters of eligibility can be considered for election.

Whom should I ask to write letters of recommendation?
The most useful letters come from those instructors who know you and your academic work well. In general, the election committees prefer letters from members of the faculty, but letters from teaching fellows or course assistants are also acceptable. Seniors who are writing theses are strongly advised to have their faculty adviser write on their behalf. The election committees generally find letters from faculty within one's department or committee of concentration most useful, but will also accept letters from faculty outside of a student's concentration.

Will the election committees consider more than two letters of recommendation?
No, only two letters of recommendation can be considered for each candidate.

Will the election committees accept letters from faculty no longer at Harvard?
Yes. Letters from faculty members who have moved to other institutions or from those who were visiting at Harvard are acceptable.

Do the election committees take into account extracurricular achievements?
Election to Phi Beta Kappa is not generally influenced by extracurricular or volunteer activities, though information on a candidate's character and intellectual integrity may be considered.

Will the election committees consider transcripts from other institutions for those candidates who transferred to Harvard?
No. Only course work taken for Harvard degree credit will be considered.

Do I need to provide a copy of my Harvard transcript?
No. Once you submit your signed Release Form, a copy of your academic record will be obtained from the College Dean's Office.

Will the transcript provided to the election committees reflect the most recent changes in my course enrollment?
Transcripts for PBK candidates are generated after the Fifth Monday of each semester and therefore reflect all changes in course enrollment up to that point.

Are spring term grades considered by the election committees for graduating seniors?
No. The election in May takes place before spring term grades are available. The election committees do, however, take into account the depth and rigor of the courses in which graduating seniors are enrolled, as they do for all semesters.

If I'm a candidate in more than one election, do I need to submit a Release Form and letters of recommendation again?
Yes. The Chapter destroys all materials submitted to it shortly after each election.

My friend and I have the same GPA, but only one of us was notified of eligibility. Why?
Students with the same GPA may be in different academic divisions (Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, or Humanities) which vary proportionately in size (number of students eligible and elected) based on the overall distribution of fields of concentration.

How will I learn of the Chapter's decision?
Letters will be sent to all candidates, generally within three weeks after the deadline for submitting the Release Form and letters of recommendation.

I am a third-year student who is a Senior on account of Advanced Standing. I got a letter inviting me to become a candidate for election to the Senior 48. Should I do so?
Yes, if you intend to graduate this year. Otherwise, you probably won't want to. Next year (if you are not elected to the Junior 24 in the spring) you will be eligible again, and if you become a candidate then, with an extra year on your record you may be in a better position to find favor with an election committee. You are only eligible for one Senior 48 election.

I expect to graduate off cycle. For which Senior elections am I eligible? You are eligible for the Senior 48, but you may only be a candidate in this election once; so if invited, you should consider whether you will be a Senior again next year and might then be in a better position. For the final Senior election you will be eligible in the spring after you graduate, so make sure Harvard knows your contact information.

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