Twenty-four juniors at Harvard College received notice of their induction into the Alpha Iota Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the countryâs oldest honor society, in a Monday afternoon email.
The Harvard College chapter of the society, currently headed by History professor Maya R. Jasanoff â96, selects new members three times each academic year â 24 juniors in the spring, 48 seniors in the fall, and roughly 96 seniors before graduation.
Elected students âmust possess a record [of] outstanding scholarly achievement, showing both depth of study and breadth of intellectual interest,â according to the chapter website.
Seventy-nine juniors received notice of their nomination on April 9 and had two weeks to apply, after which committees considered studentsâ transcripts and letters of recommendation before making their final decision. Candidates also submitted two short essays â one on influential classes they have taken at Harvard, and one on an academic exp