<p>Hi there, so I'm very active in volunteering and have many things going for me which I won't go into detail to keep it short. I also have a 4.8 weighted gpa, 4.0 unweighted and take all of the most challenging classes at my school (all honors and AP). I have recently applied to NHS and although I am in the top 10 students out of 650, I was denied admission. All of my teachers gave me great recommendations (I really am a good kid!) except for this one teacher who just really had it out for me for some reason. She said that I "share answers and have bad character" and is a very influential person in the school. I do not cheat, nor do I have bad character. When the other teachers found out, they were appalled because they know this is not true as well. I'm very disappointed in the selection system since other students who cheat on their final exams DID get in. So, I am very ticked, not to mention offended, and discouraged from applying next year. Cornell is my dream school and I was planning on applying early decision next fall however if I apply through that, it won't be in time to put NHS next year on my application for early decision (but it will for regular). </p>
<p>So my question is, should I waste my one shot at applying early decision on Cornell despite not having NHS on my application or wait until regular decision? Won't it send up red flags that I have such a high gpa/challenging classes and am not in it?! Will it ruin my chances for other Ivy Leagues as well such as Yale and Brown too?</p>
<p>Thanks for the encouragement from everyone so far! So should I give it a shot at Early Decision anyways then?</p>
<p>for some reason, the smartest people at my school did not get into NHS. I honestly don't think it matters...almost everyone in it admits that it's a joke because you don't really do anything.</p>
<p>Honestly, NHS should barely affect your application at all. I was accepted but didn't even include NHS on my application because I had other awards instead. Don't sweat it.</p>
<p>NHS truly is a joke. Hopefully Cornell knows this and doesn't look too down upon it. Nothing is ever done and I really wouldn't worry too much about that.</p>
<p>Just to point out, if you feel THAT great a need to be in your school's NHS chapter, you can always appeal the desicion of theirs to not let you in. I believe, if I remember the bylaws correctly, that the appeal would eventually go to the principal, who I am sure would be able to recognize objectively if you are qualified or not.</p>
<p>NHS is really not that big of a deal. I m an officer in it and i didn't even put it on my application. And our valedictorian REFUSES to be in it (maybe to prove a point or something idk). But NHS used to be a really big thing, now its just...eh... If you really want to be in it, repeal. But even if u are in it, colleges don't pay attention to NHS unless you did something meaningful or have a officer position; otherwise, they will see it as merely padding your resume.</p>
<p>My younger sister didn't get into NHS even though she qualified for it because one of the teachers didn't really like her and her friends for some reason. I made her write an appeal to the principal (I probably ended up writing most of it for her) and the principal approved it.</p>
<p>I was also denied admission into NHS for the same reason. I reapplied and got in and I felt like such a sell-out at the induction. I just shouldn't have joined... Point being, it def. won't weaken your application at all.</p>
<p>NHS and those 15 other clubs that you guys are always joining to pad your application are useless for college admissions. It's not NHS but what it stands for (high GPA, good recs, etc.) that get you into college. As long as your GPA is high and you don't choose this teacher to write your college recs, you'll be fine.</p>
<p>Do not fret! NHS is not an issue at all. In recent times its become one of those unimpressive and unimportant things that everyone joins just because its there. I can confidently say that you should apply ED without it in a heartbeat because it really doesn't matter that much- especially as compared to the significantly better odds of acceptance you have by applying early if you feel Cornell is your number 1 choice.</p>
<p>NHS is no big deal. At my school we did not weight grades, so there were a ton of kids who had all APs and didn't get in but kids with higher GPAs and no honors classes somehow made it in. Needless to say, the kids with challenging courses got into better schools, despite no NHS. I got into Cornell with out it.</p>
<p>Don't worry NHS isn't really important. It's something that the officers see so often that I doubt they even really care anymore. My chapter was also a bit of a joke n if I remember correctly I didn't out it on my app. GL and don't sweat it. They will see ur stats and probably be impressed. gl again and hopefully u get in!</p>