<p>I to have received a letter /email from this place but here is the catch…I am an online student of almost 2 years…Not sure what to make of that because I have only seen post from what look like on campus people. I am very unsure of this NSCS!! I would love to be apart of an organization but one that is real and that can actually do something for me!!!</p>
<p>What I like to know is whether the schools are selling the names of mine and these students to all these money-making organizations? It does not seem right if the schools are doing this.</p>
<p>msversace - I can understand your worries. NSCS has had chapters with online schools for only the past two years, so the number of campus-based members greatly outweighs the number of online students (for now!). Never fear however, that has no reflection on your membership; NSCS members at online schools have access to all of the same benefits and resources as any other NSCS member on a campus. You are eligible for all of the scholarships that we offer as well, as well as our E-Scholar Award. If you haven’t already, I strongly suggest you check out the NSCS website [National</a> Society of Collegiate Scholars](<a href=“http://www.nscs.org%5DNational”>http://www.nscs.org), and even some of our online chapter’s Facebook pages - for example, Strayer University: [The</a> National Society of Collegiate Scholars at Strayer University | Facebook](<a href=“Facebook”>The National Society of Collegiate Scholars at Strayer University).</p>
<p>Congratulations on your nomination!</p>
<p>ttparent - NSCS does not pay to contact eligible students, nor is the school allowed to sell student information. This would be in violation of the Family Education Rights Privacy Act (FERPA). NSCS works with the university to arrange for invitations to be sent to qualified students and their family in a manner in which the student’s information remains private and is never shared with a third party. I can certainly understand your concern! </p>
<p>Also, I wanted to add that NSCS is a non-profit organization. The money that a student pays for their membership (which is a one-time only fee) is used to fund the operations of that student’s chapter, NSCS scholarships, and NSCS programming - which all are ways in which the student can benefit from their membership. NSCS is also sponsored by several organizations and companies that allow us to provide benefits not covered by the membership fee, at no additional cost to the student. </p>
<p>I encourage you to visit our most recent Annual Report, which includes a breakdown of our organization’s finances: <a href=“http://www.nscs.org/files/u32981/Annual_Report_08-09_ab.pdf[/url]”>http://www.nscs.org/files/u32981/Annual_Report_08-09_ab.pdf</a></p>
<p>Thank you for your concern!</p>
<p>Collegetrecker, please give full disclosure, are you just a member, or are you also an employee or a person who receives benefit from NSCS? From your link, if I read that correctly, NSCS makes about 5 millions in revenue per year and gives out 250k in scholaship (about 5%). The administrative expense alone is almost 1 million or about 4 times the amount of scholarship given out. The material in the letter does not give any glaring benefit that I can see for my kid. Could you point to any other important factor why one may want to join?</p>
<p>ttparent - collegetracker did provide the information you requested in earlier posts, including that s/he works for the NSCS. That said, the main thing that makes me question this honor society is it’s affiliation with several businesses. For example, being a member gets the student a discount on Geico insurance, and overstock.com! Seriously?</p>
<p>The other thing I’d like to know…the letterhead has many famous people on the “board of Regents”, like Maya Angelou. Are these board members compensated? And are chapter officers at the various universities compensated for participating?</p>
<p>kjeavus - Thanks for answering ttparent’s question for me! Retail discounts are just one aspect of a member’s benefits. Membership with NSCS is lifetime membership, so even if it seems like something not particularly relevant to being part of an honor society now, the benefits certainly can be used later on. (I use the GEICO discount, and used the overstock.com discount to purchase new bookshelves recently.) Other discounts that might be considered more relevant to a college student’s needs would be a textbook discount through Pearson and discounts on The Princeton Review’s various test preparation courses. </p>
<p>The NSCS Board of Regents is a voluntary and honorary position that members accept because they agree with NSCS’ mission and efforts. Our chapter officers are not compensated, but volunteer for the position much like a member of a local chapter of Kiwanis or Rotary International volunteer for leadership positions. NSCS strives to support the success of our chapter officers by providing leadership and professional development opportunites.</p>
<p>ttparent - Not a problem. I am a member of NSCS (joined in 2001), as well as a former NSCS officer from the University of Albany, State University of New York (2002 - 2005). I recently joined the NSCS team as a national staff member because I missed being involved in something bigger then myself and to be part of an organization that cares more about the the people and students they interact with than making somebody’s wallet fatter (sorry for the cynicism, I left corporate America!). </p>
<p>Yes, you cite our revenue and scholarship amounts correctly, but I’d like to point out that we also spend over 4.9 million to fund the programming and operations of our chapters. These expenses are the money that is given to each chapter to fund their events and activities, chapter scholarships, and Induction ceremony to name a few. </p>
<p>Speaking honestly, the benefit your child may receive from accepting membership would depend on what your child is interested in and what your child may do with his membership. If the only interaction he or she ever has with NSCS is accepting membership and paying the one-time membership fee, then I cannot see any benefit in this. However, should your student get involved, apply for scholarships or NSCS programs, take advantage of discounts, or be involved in some other way (say, by taking a leadership position or participating in chapter events) then, I would say offer that this will contribute hugely to their overall student success. </p>
<p>I’m happy to answer any other questions you may have, and if you’d like, I welcome you to contact me personally via email - <a href="mailto:provost@nscs.org">provost@nscs.org</a>. Thank you for researching your student’s membership!</p>
<p>so, in sum: hahahahaha</p>
<p>Remember those places that published your poem based on merit? Then gave you a discount on a 75 dollar book when you bought in bulk? And you could go to DC and win awards for a fee of only $$$ to attend? Wonder what reminded me of that?</p>
<p>NFl doesn’t beg, NBA doesn’t beg, Microsoft doesn’t beg. Know who begs? People that want money. Discount on geico? Prestige? What will a Pulitzer get you? A discount at Jasper’s tattoo and gyro hut?</p>
<p>EVERYONE who posts saying it’s legit is a new poster that ONLY posts in threads related to the Society…</p>
<p>Are there any SENIOR members who think the Society is worth the $75?</p>
<p>I’ve read every single post on this thread, and now I am more confused than ever.</p>
<p>I distrust the long winded posts that only praise the society, but others seem very sincere about what it has done for their kid(s). It seems like it is only helpful to a few, and I only want to join to get help in paying for books and doing their abroad programs. I have a 3.76 GPA and am just a freshman. No one else I know has received this in the mail.</p>
<p>So I was wondering if I could get a real reply from a parent that has allowed their son and/or daughter to join this group and what benefits they have received. </p>
<p>I’ve been to many websites looking things up and they do seem legitimate, but not always helpful.</p>
<p>I understand from everyone’s comments that I’m getting too involved. If you’re looking for members’ and parents’ opinions, I will leave you with suggestions to check out the Facebook pages for our chapters, I feel that they speak for themselves. There are oer 280 of them, and they are updated and run by our student members. [The</a> National Society of Collegiate Scholars at Saint Louis University | Facebook](<a href=“Facebook”>Redirecting...) - To start, NSCS at Saint Louis University</p>
<p>So I emailed to them to get answers on why I never got anything they promised, they pretty much couldn’t answer me and told me I had to call me. They couldn’t answer any questions that I had. The certificate on why I never got it, why I had to pay 75.00, and why it was never in the paper??? And… the whole email had spelling errors in it. I wouldn’t waste your money!!!</p>
<p>I just joined… everything they promised I never got… I am telling you that. I emailed them and asked why. It was a polite email and they did get back to me and told me that they are sorry and I needed to call in. They did not answer one of my questions that I had at all. There response one maybe one sentence. On top of it it had tons of spelling mistakes. I don’t know if its a scam however I don’t think the society its really good. I have been going to the University for over a year and half, they have there own National Honor Society and I told them that I was appoached by one and joined and told them this one and they never heard of it and told me I shouldn’t of paid the 75.00, my fiance told me that normally you shouldn’t be paying the 75.00. I have read some people have had good luck. However when I read my email I was heart broken because they avoided the 6 to 10 questions that I had for them and to be filled with spelling errors I mean if its so good. I don’t understand. I hope this helps you.</p>
<p>I just joined… everything they promised I never got… I am telling you that. I emailed them and asked why. It was a polite email and they did get back to me and told me that they are sorry and I needed to call in. They did not answer one of my questions that I had at all. There response one maybe one sentence. On top of it it had tons of spelling mistakes. I don’t know if its a scam however I don’t think the society its really good. I have been going to the University for over a year and half, they have there own National Honor Society and I told them that I was appoached by one and joined and told them this one and they never heard of it and told me I shouldn’t of paid the 75.00, my fiance told me that normally you shouldn’t be paying the 75.00. I have read some people have had good luck. However when I read my email I was heart broken because they avoided the 6 to 10 questions that I had for them and to be filled with spelling errors I mean if its so good. I don’t understand. I hope this helps you. I hope it helps the people who need answers. I went here and read alot of people. I know that there is worker from the NSCS on here trying to support it and it dosen’t help when we have tried and tried to get answers and it feels like a scam and it hurts me right now when I have lost 75.00 out of my pocket and I am a single mom. So tell me what I am suppose to do??? If you aren’t a scam why do you charge so much why can’t you stick to what you promise? I don’t expect my questions answered here but I know I am out 75.00.</p>
<p>I would join them if the parent could get the GEICO discount, but GEICO says it only applies if the member is the policy holder, and in my case it would not apply.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t go so far as others and say it’s a scam. It’s a legitimate organization, but the standards for being “selected” to join are so low that it’s not even remotely prestigious. </p>
<p>That coupled with the reputation of being grouped in with those “send us some $$$ and we’ll award you this prestigious honor and put your name in our book” type shops and it’s not surprising why most just say throw the letters in the trash and save your $75.</p>
<p>It is a scam in the sense that you would NOT put this “organization” on your graduate application. And no my children who did graduate with high gpa’s from various institutions (including ivies) and are now matriculating into med school would NEVER, EVER do this.</p>
<p>If you have to pay, NO WAY.</p>
<p>I am a senior member, have been on CC for over 10 years and this is a scam.</p>
<p>Goldwater, Rhodes, Fulbright…not a scam. This is a scam.</p>
<p>Kat</p>