{shortcode-fcaf549b4f5add9ed54e25f86f8c22fd88816405}

Forty-eight Harvard College seniors were elected to Harvard’s chapter of Phi Beta Kappa on Wednesday, joining 24 of their classmates who were inducted in the spring to the nation’s oldest and most distinguished academic honor society.

For honorees, the announcement came as a surprise due to a modified selection process for the 2024-25 academic year that automatically considered students on the basis of their GPA or a nomination from either their concentration’s director of undergraduate studies or resident dean in lieu of a student application.

Prior to Commencement, a third cohort of students — the “Final Seniors” — will be elected to the chapter. No more than 10 percent of any graduating class can be selected for the honor.

This year’s ‘Senior 48’ consists of students across all 12 undergraduate Houses and the Dudley co-op and a diverse mix of concentrations.

Along House lines, Dunster House and Mather House led the cohort, tying with seven inductees each, followed by Quincy with six.

Computer Science and Mathematics concentrators were most represented — each with nine inductees — followed by Government and Economics with six each.

{shortcode-657defad5d659b683e64a612de1201139d1e092c}

Ariel Z. Wang ’25 said the new selection process — a pilot program for this school year — meant prospective recipients experienced “radio silence” from the chapter.

“The change meant that we didn’t get any notification about PBK until, like literally two hours ago, when we got elected,” Wang said.

Danielle I. Paulson ’25, a double concentrator in Mathematics and Statistics, said she “had no idea” she was even being considered for the award, when she received her invitation.

“When I found out, it was pretty surprising,” Paulson said.

“I was made even happier when I found out that my best friend and suitemate Abby was also invited to join too,” Paulson added, referencing Abby R. Zachary ’25 who opened her invitation while in the airport waiting to fly home for the holidays.

“My heart definitely skipped a beat and within like, 15 seconds, I was on the phone with Danielle,” Zachary said.

“I think more than anything, I’m just grateful for the memory of calling Danielle from that airport terminal and just getting to share all that joy with each other in that moment,” she added.

Eytan H. Goldstein ’25 said he thought the modified selection process helped democratize the selection process for students who otherwise would not have applied.

“I think it’s a great innovation,” Goldstein said. “I didn’t have any notion that I was in the running, so I wouldn’t have applied. And I’d imagine I’m not the only one out of those that were elected this year.”

“I think in general, for college honors, I support this idea in principle, that some are chosen through students putting themselves out there and applying, and then some by sort of the college selecting students,” he added.

The announcement was especially special for students who were able to share the news with their families in person.

Thor N. Reimann ’25 was home in Minnesota, watching his mom cook Thanksgiving pie for the holidays, when he — as a “compulsive email checker” — realized he had been elected to PBK.

“I was like, ‘Okay, period’,” Reimann said, “and then I had to explain it to my mom.”

Over the next few hours, as Reimann received news of other friends being elected, his excitement only grew.

“We all kind of texted together, but I was, like, running errands, so I was driving the car and, like, trying not to crash — obviously, following all the laws — but, yeah. It was a little bit of a chaotic experience, but it was very fun,” Reimann added.

“I stalk The Crimson and so every year when, when I would see friends and mentors get named to PBK, I was always so excited for them,” Reimann said. “And so it's pretty crazy to be on the other side of that now.”

Fahim Ahmed ’25, who was home “lying in bed” when he received the news said he first thought the email invitation was fake.

“I saw the email, and I was like, ‘Is this spam? Am I getting spam email again?’” Ahmed said.

When he realized what the email actually contained, Ahmed shared the news with his sister, who had just arrived home for the holidays as well.

“She was like, ‘Is that a frat? Are you a frat boy now?’ I was like, ‘Oh, so that’s definitely not it,’” Ahmed recalled.

Some students also said the honor felt like a validation of their academic endeavors.

“Both of my concentrations and my secondary have very little to deal with each other,” said Wang, a double concentrator in Neuroscience and Economics with a secondary in Women, Gender and Sexuality studies. “It meant a lot for me to get that email today and to be elected to PBK to kind of validate and encourage exploration.”

Reimann, who studies Environmental Science & Public Policy and Comparative Study of Religion, shared Wang’s sentiments.

“Especially with the concentration that I have, which is a pretty unusual joint, sometimes I’ve felt like I’ve had to really justify why I’m doing it,” Reimann said. “And so getting this recognition is just a nice reminder of, like, I’m doing something that matters, and clearly has some significance on some level.”

“Grades are only one measure of intelligence, and there are so many amazing, incredible people at this university. But it is nice to be recognized in one way for the work that I’ve been doing,” he added.

—Staff writer Avani B. Rai can be reached at avani.rai@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @avaniiiirai.