Is this a scam, or a real thing? It’s hard to tell sometimes. My D17 just got the “Congratulations” letter, but there’s a fee, so…
Frame the letter if you think it’s an honor. Don’t pay a nickel to them.
My kids both got this solicitation. One was a top 10 student…and the other…well…was NOT.
It’s a money maker for the outfit.
Yeah, I was afraid of that. Oh well! Thank you.
Depends on what you mean by “real”. They are a real organization, definitely, but they’re worth nothing in terms of scholarships, honor, etc. Their name sounds incredibly close to the National Honor Society which is usually the standard society to join for high schoolers, which is the more legitimate of the two. I don’t mean for that to sound elitist, but the National Honor Society is much more recognized as “legitimate” because you actually have to keep up with chapter requirements like grades, volunteer hours, etc, whereas NSHSS has no access to that sort of information, nor are you required to do any of that.
My parents got that in the mail and paid something absurd like $80 without telling me. The only thing I got was a box with a certificate, and a yellow stole that I wasn’t even allowed to wear at my high school graduation.
Trash bin it is. 
This comes up every year. Save your money.
There is also a “National Society of Collegiate Scholars”. That is junk too.
A general rule to follow: If you have to pay to be honored, it’s best to forego the “honor.”
I got the letter and started laughing. I’ve heard too many bad things about NSHSS.
My incoming junior just got this yesterday. The only thing she did that was unusual was take the PSAT for practice last fall. Since then she’s gotten a lot of college letters (some were welcome) and other mailings inviting her to spend a couple thousand dollars for various summer programs. Somebody bought and sold a mailing list, me thinks …