High end schools have a select few that are rumored to be a part of secret societies, and act with desperate endeavors to keep them hidden from the public. It is even rumored that Thomas Jefferson was a part of a secret society. To be deemed a secret society it must have certain qualities such as, difficult membership qualifications, secret activities, and a tight knit membership within the members. What happens within secret societies is widely unknown, however they tend to give back to their colleges through philanthropic acts, anonymously of course. 

Yale has an ancient secret society which began in 1832 called the Skull and Crossbones. Each year 15 members are recruited to become bones men and women. Gifted to each member is 15,000 dollars and a grandfather clock to show how prestigious they are. Many successful people are rumored to be a part of this organization such as President Bush and President Taft. 

The 7 society at the University of Virginia is well known for their large donations. They are extremely secretive so much so that they only announce members after their death. Each donation they made to their college was very generous, however what was the most special about it was that they all consisted of 7’s for example $777 or $1,777. One donation made in 1947 left a bang literally a minor explosion occurred and a check found after the smoke cleared read $177,777,777. 

Darthmoth is the hot spot for secret societies and of their most famous is the Sphinx society. With a large number of members consisting of about 31% of the senior class many juniors get tapped on the shoulder and initiated to join. Being a part of this society allows you to see the back of an Egyptian tomb which is where the society hosts its meetings. After graduation members reveal themselves to the public by walking around Dartmouth with canes that have sphinx symbols on them. 

These societies have been around for hundreds of years and don’t seem to be going anywhere. With secret traditions and initiation processes they are difficult to join. Many of them exist and are unheard of; there could be thousands.