Membership Why should I join Golden Key? The Society offers members valuable opportunities for individual growth through leadership, career development and networking opportunities. Golden Key also offers numerous scholarships and awards, available only to members, as well as unique discounts with partner companies. Visit the benefits page for details. Golden Key membership has grown to a network of over 2 million members from more than 190 countries. Members include students from all over the world, faculty members, university staff, university presidents, teachers, doctors, engineers, social workers, entrepreneurs, politicians and military leaders, among others. There are also many prominent figures who are members. What exactly is an honor society? Honour societies have been recognised by universities in the United States for more than two centuries. The primary role of an honour society includes providing academic recognition to high-achieving students and establishing professional and social contacts for these students within a network of universities. Honour societies also bring together students from diverse faculties and degree programs within each university and reinforce students’ interaction with university staff. After graduation, will I continue to receive benefits? You are a member for life! Aside from being listed on your resume, the following benefits will remain available to members after graduating with their undergraduate degree:
Joining Golden Key Now that I have received the letter of invitation and want to join, what do I do? You can accept your membership invitation by following the instructions in your letter of information which provides you with specific instructions on how to accept your membership and pay online. If you have lost your letter, contact us via the conatct page. Mail the completed Membership Acceptance Form and complete fee payment to the Golden Key headquarters as indicated on the pre-addressed return envelope. The acceptance form must arrive by the 'reply-by' date to produce your certificate in time for the induction. If your Membership Acceptance Form arrives at the Golden Key headquarters after the deadline, your certificate will be mailed directly to you at the address you provide as opposed to you receiving it on the induction night. However, you should still attend the induction ceremony because you will be you will receive a certificate of acknowledgement, that you are a Golden Key member. What are the requirements for membership? Be a university student, meeting the GPA requirements to qualify in the top 15% of their class can join. Top-performing graduate school students who meet the GPA requirement may also join. Do I have to pay annual membership fees? No. There is a one-off membership fee of $100 that is paid when you join. I don’t have the money to join now. What can I do? In the US, Canada and Asia Pacific, the invitation to join is valid for one year from the postmark date on the letter, so you may join at a later date. Partial payment of the membership fee is not available. Complete payment of fees must accompany the Membership Acceptance Form. How is the membership fee used? The membership fee is shared between the local chapter and the international headquarters. The membership fee funds membership benefits and supports local Chapters in a variety of ways including:
Is there a refund policy for membership fee? Asia-Pacific Yes. New Golden Key members can request a full refund within the initial 72 hours of payment being received, with no questions asked. Please email your regional office for refund requests within the 72-hour window. If your certificate has already been processed within this period, you would need to return your certificate in order to finalise the cancellation. Please allow additional time for processing this request. Any questions can be emailed to your regional center; [email protected] I have lost my letter of invitation. Can I get another one from you? Yes. Contact us, indicate that you did receive the invitation but you need another one. Be sure to provide your full name and your current mailing address. We will verify that you are on the invitation list and mail you a replacement invitation. The deadline has passed. Can I still join? Rules vary by country. In the U.S., Canada, and Asia-Pacific, yes, you may still join. The invitation letter that you received expires within one year of the postmark date. In South Africa, members must join within the same calendar year of their invitation (by December 1). Join online or send your completed Membership Acceptance Form and complete fee payment to international headquarters or your country's local office as soon as possible. If you would like a personalized certificate, please request one from [email protected] and it will be mailed to you at the mailing address you provide. Plan on attending the New Member Recognition Event if this event has not already passed. How do I obtain my membership certificate? If you are a new member and have RSVP'd (confirmed) that you are attending the New Member Reception up to the set deadline date for your campus, you will receive a personalised certificate at this event. If you do not RSVP to the New Member Reception before the set deadline date and still attend the event, you will receive an interim certificate to ensure you are part of the proceedings. Your certificate will be mailed to you after the event. Please note that your certificate can take up to 4 weeks to arrive.Any questions can be emailed to your regional centre; [email protected] I’m already a member, but I have not heard anything from the Society since I joined. Why not? It is important that both the local chapter officers and Golden Key Headquarters know that you wish to remain connected with us and that we have your most current contact information. Ensure that international headquarters has your correct information by updating your contact information via the Golden Key website. Sign in on the site and click "My Profile" in the toolbar above. From here you can update your email address and other contact information. You should also attend local chapter programs or meetings. This is often how the local chapter knows that you wish to be active with the chapter. Please reference your confirmation email for your Golden Key Member ID. Services & Activities Do I need to be involved in activities to be a Golden Key member? No, Golden Key was founded on the principle that any student who meets the established academic criteria can become a member and access the many benefits offered. Participation is highly encouraged and purely voluntary. However, Golden Key provides one of the best networks of opportunities to actively participate at the local, regional, national and even international level. Thousands of Golden Key members have utilized the opportunities in Golden Key to develop their leadership skills, engage in community service, and enhance their personal network. Corporate and non-profit partners offer job opportunities, internships and special consumer programs/services to students. Have more questions? Find out more! |