Pi Delta Phi Rating, Reviews and Requirements. Is it worth it?

What are the requirements to be in Pi Delta Phi?

Regular members include graduate and undergraduate students at the sponsoring institution who are nominated in recognition of their academic achievement in French. Undergraduate or graduate candidates do not need to be French or French Studies majors or minors to be nominated for membership. The eligibility requirements for all undergraduate students are:

• completion of at least one course of upper-division French (i.e. beyond the intermediate-level series of courses)
• 3.0 GPA in French, 3.0 GPA overall, AND rank in the top 35% of their class
• sophomore standing (i.e. students have attended at least one year of college and are in at least their second year of university study)
• degree seeking student at the host institution

 Graduate students who are not already members of Pi Delta Phi are eligible for regular membership. Students who were inducted into Pi Delta Phi as undergraduates are already lifetime members of the Society regardless of the chapter into which they were inducted. Graduate students who are pursuing advanced degrees in fields other than French are also eligible for membership. The eligibility requirements for all graduate students are: 

• completion of 2 graduate courses in French, and
• minimum 3.5 GPA in graduate coursework

What is the history of the Pi Delta Phi?

• Pi Delta Phi was founded as a departmental French honor society at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1906, and was nationalized when the Beta Chapter was established at the University of Southern California in 1925. 
• Growth of the Society was slow until America's entry into World War II; only seventeen chapters had been established by 1941. 
• By June of 1950, Pi Delta Phi had grown to thirty-eight chapters including chapters in Ohio, Louisiana, Minnesota and Arizona. 
• By 1962 there were eighty-four chapters in the U.S.
• At the present time, Pi Delta Phi numbers more than 370 chapters established at representative public and private colleges and universities in almost every state, as well as chapters at American Universities in Paris.

What are the key benefits of being a member of Pi Delta Phi? 

On a national level, the Society awards scholarships for summer study abroad. On the local level, each chapter develops and sponsors campus and community activities that promote interest in the French language and/or of the cultures and literatures of the French-speaking world.

Based on the information, here is our review:

Our first observation is: that Pi Delta Phi is one of the only French honor societies to exist--providing a direct line to professionals in the field. 

Our second observation was: that the society managed to stay afloat throughout World War 2, which is a testament to how dedicated the society’s members were and still are. 

Our third observation was: that the society was not only founded in America, but has branched over to American Universities in Paris, bridging the gap from one country to another.