Many Northwestern State University of Louisiana students may have received an email from various ‘honor societies.’ While these may seem like a chance to boost your resume and meet other honor students, many worry that these honor societies may be deceptive practices designed to steal money from students. There are ways to distinguish fact from fraud, and a little background search can potentially save you a lot of money.
Honor societies can bring students’ academic recognition, networking opportunities and something to add to their resume. To a hardworking student who gets good grades, an email awarding you a nomination can give you a sense of pride and feel like a reward. Yet, when you click a link, you will soon learn that this recognition comes with a hefty price.
How will you know if it is worth your money? Real honor societies will tell you exactly what the membership fee is going to, what benefits you will be receiving and what tangible value you will get in exchange for the money.
Most honor societies will have strict requirements, which is another way to tell the real from the fake. If many students are getting a nomination, and it seems like the requirements are too lax, it may be a sign that they are just trying to get money from as many students as they can.
The first thing you should do if you receive an email inviting you to join an honor society is to research the name of the group and look for reviews from other students who have joined or have been scammed by the group. If many people are leaving bad reviews, you should take it as a warning, they are trying to save you your money.
If you cannot find anything online about the honor society, that is another sign of a scam. Anybody can send an email and create a real looking flyer, so you should always be cautious of emails that do not come from NSU.
Be aware of the wording that is used in the emails that you are receiving. If it is very pushy, saying things like ‘limited time offer’ and ‘act now,’ it is more than likely a scam. Real honor societies will give you time to accept the offer. These scams try to get the student to read the email and think that they do not have much time, leading them to quickly give their money without doing their research.
Also focus on how much information is given in the email. If it is just offering you an invitation and a link to click, be cautious. A true honor society would give lots of clear information in the email, easily accessible to the receiver.
Be hypervigilant about any emails not from NSU that contain links, especially ones that ask for your information. Talk to your friends and professors about the email, and do not be afraid to ask questions. It is much better to be wary than to lose your hard-earned money. If it seems too good to be true, then it most likely is.
