Best Professional Fraternity: Alpha Kappa Psi

Professional fraternities provide opportunities for professional development, academic growth and networking for students of all majors. This year, the Beta Upsilon chapter of Alpha Kappa Psi fraternity was voted as the best professional fraternity at UofSC. Alpha Kappa Psi, also known as AKPsi, is a highly selective organization with 104 members and an average chapter GPA of 3.7 as of Spring 2020.

Originally founded on South Carolina’s campus in 1958, AKPsi was rechartered in 2007. The organization is open to all majors and promotes the core values of “brotherhood, integrity, service, unity and knowledge,” according to their website.

“AKPsi is open to all majors and we are constantly growing. This past year brought our chapter together more than ever,” said Caroline Swenson, the President of Alpha Kappa Psi. “We were able to take a step back and see where we could improve and make this the best experience for our brothers.”

AKPsi currently holds professionalism and networking workshops, weekly chapter meetings, a Diversity and Inclusion Summit, service events, and more. Rush takes place each semester and is followed by an 8-week potential new member process. For social events, the chapter holds a brotherhood retreat, Brooklyn Bridge formal, Yellow Rose semiformal and various business fraternity mixers.

Alumni of the chapter have gone on to work for major companies including Amazon, Boeing and IBM. They are encouraged to remain active in chapter life through events like the Alumni Tailgate in the fall.

Overall, Alpha Kappa Psi is a prestigious organization that seeks to develop leaders and encourages them to the highest standards of excellence both on UofSC’s campus and in the professional sphere.

“While I was involved in other organizations I felt like something was missing because I did not want to have the average college student experience,” Swenson said. “I have gained a close group of friends, leadership experience, and the professional resources to get my full-time job and past internships.”