Phi Beta Kappa

Founded in 1776
“Five students at the College of William & Mary founded Phi Beta Kappa in 1776, during the American Revolution. For over two and a quarter centuries, the Society has embraced the principles of freedom of inquiry and liberty of thought and expression.” It continues to honor the nation’s most outstanding undergraduate students for excellence in the liberal arts and sciences.

Best of the Best 
Only about ten percent of the nation’s institutions of higher education have been selected to have Phi Beta Kappa chapters, and only ten percent or fewer of the students in these schools are selected for Phi Beta Kappa membership.

Xi of Massachusetts
MIT’s own chapter, Xi of Massachusetts, annually elects approximately 75 students in their senior year of undergraduate study. Students do not apply for membership. Election is conducted by a faculty committee, which reviews the academic records of seniors to find students with superlative records and clear evidence of breadth in the liberal arts.

Several mechanical criteria may be of interest to you in choosing HASS and related subjects. Phi Beta Kappa members must have two years of a foreign language in college, three years in high school, a combination thereof, or be a native speaker of a language other than English. Majors in engineering must show clear evidence of depth and breadth in their selection of HASS and related courses. Generally, members will have more than the required eight HASS courses.

Contact
Professor Robert C. Berwick is President of the MIT Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. For further information contact Kimberly Benard, Secretary of the Chapter, Room 12-189, (617) 253-4378.