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Guideposts

As children, we believe that everything we read is as good as gold. As we get older we learn that looks can be deceiving. As an accredited honor society and nonprofit organization, Golden Key strives to be transparent about everything we do. However, not all societies are so truthful. Therefore, the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS), an accrediting agency for honor societies, has created the guidelines below to help you determine which societies are legitimate.

Minimum Scholastic Criteria

  • Undergraduate, both specialized and leadership: Rank in their upper 35% of the class. That rank converts to a 3.2 or 3.3 GPA in most cases.
  • Undergraduate, general: Rank in the upper 20% of the class. These criteria are the minimum; many societies have higher standards.
  • Golden Key extends an invitation to the top 15% of sophomores, juniors, seniors and high-achieving graduate students.

Governance

  • Membership participation in setting authority for control of the affairs of the organization.
  • Governance by officers/board members elected by the membership. GK Society leadership.
  • Membership participation in approving and amending bylaws.
  • Full financial disclosure.

Campus Charters

  • Formal chartering of each campus chapter by institution and college/department petition, approved by official action of the governing body of the national organization. Click here for more information on Golden Key chapter chartering.
  • Candidate selection by the campus chapter.
  • Membership invitation by an official chapter.
  • Chapter representation in national governance.
  • Golden Key offers students the opportunity to participate on the Council of Student Members.
  • Golden Key offers chapter advisors the opportunity to participate on the Council of Advisors.

Website

The following items are accessible by the general public. Note: missing items raise questions of credibility:

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