Selection Criteria

Cardinal Key Members are selected by their proficiency in the following areas:

• Leadership activities while at college
• Service contributions to the community while attending college
• Scholarship achievements such as academic honor societies and academic scholarships
• Character 

Student Eligibility

• Have a GPA of 3.5 or higher
• Be junior or senior undergraduate by classification

Applicants will be evaluated based on academic and classification rank, application materials including documentation of proficiency in the 4 cardinal virtues and verbal interviews.

Faculty and Staff Eligibility

To be considered for selection into Cardinal Key, faculty and staff must be employed at Iowa State University and nominated by Cardinal Key members. Eligible faculty and staff are those who demonstrate outstanding leadership and service in university activities, whose scholarship is of high standing, and whose character is above reproach.

Faculty and staff nominations will be evaluated based on a written nomination by the Cardinal Key nominator supporting the proficiency in the 4 cardinal virtues listed above.