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<p>That’s what I said 5-7 pages ago rofl.</p>
<p>My school didn’t even have NHS. Cum Laude Society is where it’s at.</p>
<p>It hardly matters, if at all. It might help you look a tiny bit better if it’s there, but won’t be noticed if it’s not.</p>
<p>I wasn’t in NHS, but I was still accepted to 6 out of 9 of my schools. (UMich, MSU, Northwestern, Emory, Colgate, Rice) Plenty of people who were in NHS at my high school were rejected from some of those schools.</p>
<p>What are the thresholds (weighted and unweighted GPA) required at your school to qualify for National Honor Society? If 30% are being elected in that is much too high, unless the cohort is extremely high achieving. That simply starts the process - the other areas need to be evaluated by high school faculty, and support staff, relative to leadership, scholarship, service and character. I work closely with school administration, parents groups, and I am aware of peoples concerns. Ideally you want the elected members to represent the strengths of that particular class: the four areas, plus student achievement. You can have high achievement, however, if your actions as a member of your school community are less than positive or constructive your evaluations from faculty, support staff etc, at the school will not pass muster. You will not be selected. If you feel it doesn’t mean something, then your NHS advisor is not doing his / or her job. High Schools with strong traditions generally have strong and effective chapters of NHS. For some students, it will be the greatest achievement in their high school experience. The advisor needs to make the experience meaningful for that person, and everyone else.
Respectfully, Mr. VC</p>
<p>^I agree, but even those honor societies that have more rigorous standards for induction aren’t likely to boost a member’s college apps; rather, those standout chapters are likely to provide more opportunities for students to engage in meaningful ancillary activities.</p>
<p>Our threshold, as I said before, is 3.0 W GPA (unweighted doesn’t matter), which is apparently the national standard.</p>
<p>It’s one of those things you sorta need to have or else you’re slightly behind because everone else does it.</p>
<p>Well don’t blame me for not putting it on my app because there’s only ten spaces and NHS certainly doesn’t deserve one of them…</p>
<p>NHS is a joke. It’s a national organization but each school has different standards, so there’s no meaning. At my school you needed at least a 92 GPA and 400 hours community service to be considered. Nearby, to be considered, all you needed to do was sign a piece of paper and check a box.</p>
<p>"It’s one of those things you sorta need to have or else you’re slightly behind because everone else does it. "</p>
<p>Darkwalrus: you’re mistaken. It’s such a universal achievement that top school applicants have (like being on the Honor Roll) that it simply has NO effect. Read the “ask the dean” article posted earlier on this never-ending thread.</p>
<p>I never joined nor was asked by my school’s NHS. Maybe I missed the posters or recruiting meeting or whatever. Frankly I was too busy leading in other areas of the school to be bothered. I was the only HYP acceptee in the school. Didn’t hurt me a lick.</p>
<p>NHS doesnt mean jack **** lol
at my school anybody with above an 88GPA was included
that lead to size of 60 for my class (when over 1/3 of your grade is in it, it isnt a honor)</p>
<p>"“I am certain it is no feather in the cap of competitive colleges. These don’t even look at NMF designation, which could be argued to be rarer (top 1% in a national test, after all) and which DS was.”</p>
<p>Exactly. Being a national merit finalist is personally fulfilling, but doesn’t really matter when applying to elite schools. I mean, your SAT score matters, and high SAT scores are correlated with the high PSAT scores that make you a national merit finalist, but the “distinction” itself doesn’t matter much. It DOES matter at lower-ranked schools, though; they shower money at national merit finalists. </p>
<p>And NHS seems even less exclusive than being a national merit semifinalist.is even less exclusive than being a national merit finalist! The stat that “98% of UF students were in NHS” is quite telling, I think. In fact, I wonder if the elite schools actually have a lower percentage of NHS students, since they include so many students from prep schools that don’t bother with NHS and international students.</p>
<p>That said, I guess NHS can’t hurt you (unless it serves as a timesink that takes you away from extracurricular activities that matter), but I wouldn’t worry about not being accepted.</p>
<p>Seems to me like NHS is an empty title, as meaningful as Monogram Club. Luckily my school doesn’t deal with this NHS nonsense anyway.</p>
<p>At vast majority of schools, NHS is there to make people feel good about themselves. But the problem is, NHS only fills a bottomless cup…</p>
<p>At my D’s prep school, the girls were selected by the faculty & administration and were given their invitations in Spring of their sophomore year. The group as a whole did so much fund raising that there were no fees involved. They had to have 3 recommendations (1 teacher, on volunteer reference and one character reference) and extensive volunteer work- all documented and signed off on- was required in junior and senior years in addition to having a GPA which placed them in the top 1-10 in the class.
At my son’s public high school, although considered to be one of the best school districts in that state, the requirements were much lower and looser and there seems to be no definitive reasons for who is selected.
I’ve taught in schools were the NHS members were not even able to find a book in the library by using the call numbers and I’m pretty sure that more than a few of them couldn’t read the book anyway.
NHS standards obviously vary widely, but I do think that college admissions officers are savvy enough to realize that those kids who come from really good schools, have top grades, etc AND are NHS members are recognized by their schools for being all around outstanding student body members. Including it on an application is wise, but I don’t think that alone will make a major difference.</p>
<p>I think it does matter; what it says is that you’re in the top group of students in your particular high school (which has its own rules for admission). When we’re evaluated for admission to colleges, THEY look at what we took and how well we did relative to what was offered. Same with the NHS; did you get in and how does that relate to others in your particular school. Bottom-line: this goes down to your school. It’s impossible to compare my school to yours on this one. </p>
<p>the kitesurfer.</p>
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<p>Class rank and GPA already tell them where you are in comparison to the rest of the students in your school.</p>
<p>^^^^^</p>
<p>RedSeven,</p>
<p>Yes, so the NHS, then, based on GPA and rank within the class at THAT particular school with its own inherent rules for admission is seen as a reward and recognition for getting into that society, there. So when the colleges check your particular school, which has its own profile that they report back to the colleges, the colleges match that profile with awards, rank, GPA and they’ll see who’s on it and who isn’t. For your particular school, it’s an award and is an exclusive society meant to recognize those within a range defined by the NHS and the school. Looking at it from 30,000 feet, like most posters in this thread are trying to do, doesn’t get to the heart of the matter as it pertains to YOU.</p>
<p>the ks.</p>
<p>KS: your logic seems circular. GPA and class rank and course rigor are examined regardless of membership in NHS or not. It’s coincidental that some high schools have the same criteria for NHS membership. But to infer that NHS confers an extra “oomph” into a top student’s profile – is faulty. </p>
<p>I invite you to read post #32 where this article, written by an admissions dean, is cited:</p>
<p>[Admissions</a> Impact of National Honor Society Rejection - Ask The Dean](<a href=“http://www.collegeconfidential.com/dean/archives/000290.htm]Admissions”>http://www.collegeconfidential.com/dean/archives/000290.htm)</p>
<p>^^^^^</p>
<p>T26E4,</p>
<p>I clicked that link and read that article; what is your impression on what The Dean had to say in paragraph 2? </p>
<p>The salient point here is that you cannot not have the one (high gpa/rank) and get the other (nhs admission); the NHS is going to be just that, an award for making the top cut. </p>
<p>Seeing that the better schools are looking for a) rigor of choice of classes and b) grades in those classes as THE most important factor in admissions, you need all the ‘oomph’ you can get. I say go for the NHS. I’d rather be in than not in. </p>
<p>the kitesurfer.</p>