Step by Step Guide to Joining Golden Key

It may all seem confusing from first glance. Hopefully, this guide will help you, the prospective Golden Key member, understand the entire process.

Step 1: Wait!

Golden Key recognizes students with sophomore standing and are placed in the top 15% of their class at a special dinner. For most students, this serves as their first introduction to our organization. Membership is by invitation only. Therefore, prospective members must wait until their junior or senior year to join.

Step 2: Receive invitation

Invitation letters are usually sent out around January or February of each year. However, they may arrive as late as April.

Step 3: Register

There are two ways to accept the invitation to join Golden Key. Students may send the registration card and membership fee via snail mail. They may also visit the official Golden Key website and set up an account from there. The letter will include the appropriate instructions for both options.

Step 4: Verify account

Either way, new members will have a membership number that can be used to access the "GK Members Only" section of the official website. It's usually a good idea to make sure that names and addresses are spelled correctly in the profile. Otherwise, correspondence may be limited. Members may also purchase pins, cords, and other items.

Step 5: Follow up mail

Golden Key will send new members an email congratulating them for their academic achievement. They will also send a reminder about the next induction ceremony. If you do not receive any notices, please check your Golden Key profile for possible errors or notify the Golden Key staff.

Step 6: Induction ceremony

Friends and relatives are welcome to attend the induction ceremony. Neat attire is recommended. Generally, the officers will all speak about the organization's purpose and mission statement. Then a guest speaker will give an inspirational message. New members will be presented with a certificate, press release, and Golden Key packet. Finally, everyone will recite an oath of commitment and break for refreshments.

Step 7: Further involvement

It is recommended that members keep themselves updated with Golden Key's yearly schedule. There are several ways to do this. The easiest way is to join the mailing list and receive regular updates. Golden Key also has a facebook group for mass messages. Members can also learn about events by attending general meetings. Lastly, this website will be updated periodically to reflect the topics discussed at general meetings.