How important is NHS in elite college admissions? I’m a junior and not in NHS because I missed one requirement…they wrongly rescinded my acceptance and I fought for it but they didn’t budge. I would normally be fine with this–after the above incident I have grown to despise the way the organization (and particularly our chapter) is run–except everyone else in my class applying to top 20 schools and the like is in NHS, and many will have leadership positions next year. So will this really hurt me?
NHS isn’t important unless you have a significant officer position and actually accomplish stuff within it. I’m in NHS and didn’t put it on my common app
Thanks @CCSenioritis that’s what I hoped. Our chapter hardly does anything so the other things I do should overshadow the difference NHS would have on my application.
It is important. Do it. It is more important with a position, as stated.
In our area, NHS is for the kids who have nothing more impressive to put on their applications. It’s simply not considered important or worth the time. In other parts of the country ( possibly areas that don’t offer a lot of opportunities to do other things?), NHS is a bigger deal. Presumably the admissions people know which areas its considered a big deal - but I wouldn’t lose a minute of sleep over it.
I’m with the not important crowd.
Waste of time. Do something more interesting and put that on your application.
@coffeeaddicted My high stat / high GPA son was not invited to join our school’s NHS chapter junior because he didn’t document enough EC / leadership (he was trying not to be boastful) he had good ECs, good community service, a few key leadership roles, but the subset he listed just wasn’t enough for the committee.
After discussing it with the principal she agreed it was crazy, but time had run out and she didn’t want to make a big deal, so she said he should just apply senior year. This happen to him (3/729) as well as to the both the Val & Sal. Something is mighty wrong with that NHS committe.
Anyways, after being rejected he made it a point to not join senior year.
Last week, he got into Princeton…
Lessons learned:
- At most schools NHS is a joke
- You can gain admittance to elite colleges without NHS
- When applying for NHS, list everything you have done, in a complete, yet not boastful way ;)
Cheers,
Psy
@psywar that is EXACTLY what happened with me and some of my friends. I actually took up my issue with the principal too, and he spoke to the sponsors who refused to admit me or change any requirements THIS year, although they say they’re fixing it (the missed meeting rule) next year because of my intervention. It’s crazy though; they think their club is the be-all end-all to high school achievement, but if you don’t list enough extensive leadership roles, have a GPA of 3.48 (they raised the requirements from the national 3.00 to 3.50), or miss a single meeting, then they consider all your other achievements worthless to gain you membership. In reality, NHS is a joke. It’s a game in being well-rounded, requirement-meeting and rule-following which is not what high school/college/life is about. Anyways, sorry about the rant, and congrats to your son!! That is truly amazing that he got into Princeton.
@AverageJoe22 I’m under the impression that it IS important, but more as an award/title than a true extracurricular.
@“N’s mom” would you say it’s particularly important at a huge public middle-income suburban school in FL? Practically everyone’s profile at my school looks the same (the standard NHS/Beta/academic clubs/insert music program here) so would you say having NHS would make me stand out in a bad way, or have neutral consequences for me since I’ve made an effort to stand out in other ways (i.e. pursuing research outside of school)?
@happy1 @Massmomm I completely agree with you at this point, thanks.
OP: you asked N’s mom about its importance in the certain setting. As attested before, it frankly doesn’t matter. I thin I was the only person in my top ten of my graduating class not in NHS. I must have missed the invite flyers or something. I was simply too busy doing the stuff they wanted, to add another club to my list. Hurt me not a single bit.
Frankly, it’s about as noticeable as being on the Honor Roll, IMHO.
NHS is very selective in my area, and it is definitely an application booster imho. It shows that you had initiative to apply and get accepted into something selective. However, that is my specific school/area, and it could be TOTALLY different where you are. That being said, NHS where I am is, as stated above, an application BOOSTER, not a make or break thing on your application. It is totally plausible/normal to get accepted into amazing colleges without NHS.
NHS is definitely NOT an application booster. Many students could get in who don’t deserve it (with grade inflation) and many NHS chapters do nothing. Leadership positions mean absolutely nothing unless you actually accomplish something (any club where you accomplish something meaningful is just as good).
At my school, i doubt anyone has heard of NHS, yet we send over 40 people to IVY league/Stanford/MIT every year. SO NO, completely useless.
@theofrelord like I said, it varies from place to place. Where I go to school, it is absolutely an application booster. However, no matter where you go to school, joining NHS would not hurt.
@agc1998 @theofrelord @T26E4 thanks, so I’m pretty sure not having it won’t hurt me. We don’t send anyone to an Ivy League school (haven’t since anyone can remember) and basically EVERYONE does NHS. I’m sure that what I’ve done to stand out in other ways has been much more of a help to my application than NHS could ever be.
NHS is different at my school. We are small and rural, with a 60-80 class size. Everyone in NHS (maybe 10-17 for the graduating class) volunteers and they really do help out the community. I have some of my favorite high school memories from volunteering at NHS, especially at the special Olympics. Then again I did not get in during my soft more year due to a technicality, even though I had a 4.0 gpa.
@AverageJoe22 that sounds a lot more like Beta or helping the homeless at our school. For us, NHS is little more than a title. They do have maybe 2 volunteer projects, but the substantial (and more fun) ones are with beta and other clubs.
Typically, getting into NHS is based on other achievements that will all appear on your college application. As a result, it isn’t going to be an application booster for anybody unless they do something noteworthy through their membership. It’s like being on Honor Roll–that isn’t an application booster, because it’s based on your grades, which are already in the application.
My D attends “a huge public middle-income suburban school in FL.” Nearly all the high achievers are in NHS, so she did get the feeling it was something to be a part of, even if just for the social aspects. The advantage with NHS at her school is they have the best Community Service opportunities. So on her College App she isn’t just putting “NHS - 3 Years”, she can add “average 6 hours of Community service per month.”
Do you need NHS to get Community Service? Of course not! If you are not in NHS just make sure you are involved in something else that provides similar Community Service and Leadership opportunities.
@AverageJoe22 “during my soft more year due to a technicality, even though I had a 4.0 gpa.”
Are you the victim of autocorrect or do you really not know how to spell “sophomore?”
At my son’s school he already had to have about 50 volunteer hours and hold some leadership positions to qualify for NHS. He had to have recommendations from all eight of his teachers. They do 20 volunteer hours during the year. One of his high achieving friends was denied due to a behavioral incident. I have no idea how it is counted but he definitely has enjoyed the team building aspect of the club. What makes it less meaningful is the qualifications vary from school to school. It seems as though it’s a popularity contest at some schools. It’s certainly not the most meaningful EC but when you have a high GPA it’s odd if you aren’t in it. There are those kids with great grades who seem to do nothing for the community except go home and study.
NHS is so common and so saturated that it will only make a minimal difference. It shouldn’t ruin your chances.