Rejected from NHS... now what?

Today I was informed that I got rejected into NHS. I come from a relatively small school so only 25 students from each grade get selected. I know it’s not the end of the world because I didn’t get accepted. However, what does that say about how colleges are going to see me? I’m trying to go to the best school with a non-cutthroat environment that I know I could do well in. The acceptance rates to the colleges that I am looking at are around 25-45%. What can I do as a junior to improve my resume? My unweighted GPA is around 3.76. I am the secretary of a community service club in my school and the treasurer of Key Club. I also am the founder of my school’s health professionals club. The main out of school activity that I volunteer for is the Special Olympics. But I also teach kids at my district’s elementary school about STEM. I haven’t taken the SATs yet but I am aiming to be in the 90th percentile. I want to get into the best college that I feel is right for me but now I feel so discouraged.

My son was rejected by NHS and is currently a sophomore at a top 20 school. Do not worry – every school has different credentials and NHS bears little weight. Relax and focus on your ECs and SATs.

NHS means nothing. Literally, nothing. Make sure your academics are optimal, as this will have far more weight than any of your ECs for most normal students. Work on your GPA and your SAT/ACT. Your ECs are fine. Make time to enjoy high school, do ECs you like.

NHS means nothing.

This.

Don’t worry. Colleges, for the most part, look for reasons to admit you, not reasons to reject you. NHS is an asset, but not a be-all-end-all. Relax. Focus on the rest of your resume.

While I wouldn’t agree that it’s “literally nothing” (is does really exist), it’s just another club/organization and unless you’re an officer and have leadership responsibilities, it’s no more meaningful than the others in which you are involved.

My D was rejected the first time she applied and is now a Junior at a T10 engineering school.

NHS is not that big of a deal. In fact, it’s a joke at a lot of schools really where everyone that meets the GPA requirement gets in and they don’t even do anything. At my son’s small private school, it’s pretty much a popularity contest, but they are very active. DS was way over the GPA requirement and has tons of service hours through the scouts and didn’t get in Sophomore year and was bummed out. When Junior year applications were being accepted I told him to just skip it, which was fine by him.

He got into every college he applied to.

Forget NHS and move forward with your life. Don’t give it another thought.

It’s still no tip, even if you get a leader title. And your own committed community service can be more effective.

It’s fine. Not going to hurt your college prospects.

I live in an area with many strong pubic high schools. They all offer excellent programs with many opportunities. Students go to excellent colleges from them. But honestly NHS is such a joke. They let so many kids in. Most kids don’t even have the amount of community service that they should. Admissions counselors know this. They know that NHS is very different at different schools. It’s become just one more EC. No worries for you whatsoever.

Heyy if it makes you feel any better, you’re not alone - I also didn’t get in! It was honestly quite surprising because my school is particularly big and everyone I knew got in (even ppl I didn’t think actually deserved to be in it). Anyways, I have similar activities and positions as you do (I’m in student council and LEO club as an officer and also have my own club), a good GPA and lots of volunteer points, and they STILL didn’t want me! I think the best thing for both of us is to just keep moving forward and prove to people that you don’t need NHS to be accepted into a good college because I’m sure it’s still 100% possible to do that! I have faith in you, and good luck with the rest of high school!

I agree with most that it won’t affect when you go to college. I wouldn’t say every NHS chapter is a joke but I suppose people are trying to make you feel better. I would move on and maybe next year you could try again.

It won’t hurt you. As long as you have the skills, which it looks like you have in your other activities, the schools will check the boxes, community service, academics, leadership. It can be in NHS or other organizations. The schools do not care which. My son didn’t get into NHS and got into a very selective program! You will be fine. Just don’t even give it another thought!

Certainly not every chapter is a joke, but I can see that enough are that it doesn’t hold a lot of extra weight with admissions. Our public high school requires a 3.0 GPA and an application listing some kind of service…even just a few hours…and you’re in. They require pretty much nothing of the kids once they’re in. The private high school requires a 3.6 GPA, many hours of service prior to being inducted and letters of recommendation and they still turn down more than they let in. Then they require at least two service projects a year while they’re in. Totally different experiences, but same “Member of NHS” on the college application. Unless the admissions office knows the high school it’s hard to say if it was something noteworthy or not.

The NHS at DD’s high school requires members to tutor at the school’s resource center in addition to their community service. So evidently there are a large number of high-performing students who don’t bother to join, even though they’re eligible. For them it comes down to a time-management choice.

Think of it this way: 50,000+ high schools with tens (or even hundreds) of members each… it isn’t that selective. For the exceptional applicant, the NHS on a college application is bound to be ranked quite low among their list of ECs/awards, if it even makes the cut at all. Not that s/he doesn’t share the very worthy values of the NHS but because s/he will have demonstrated them (and other values the college is looking for) in other, more meaningful-to-him/her ways.

I disagree that “it means nothing”. NHS looks for scholarship, service, character, and leadership. Those happen to be four of colleges’ desired traits among their applicants. However, I absolutely agree that NHS is hardly the only way for an applicant to demonstrate those traits on a college application.

The special tassle, cords, and pin (for the schools that partake in those) do look fantastic on a graduation gown, if only for the two hours that may matter.

To be inducted into NHS, in general you need the four pillars: Scholarship, Service, Leadership and Character.

Guess what colleges are looking for? Scholarship, Service, Leadership and Character.

So NHS is a way of the school honoring the students who excel in those four pillars. That is a very good thing! We honor football players and band members and such…let’s also honor academics!
Also, parents love to see their children publicly honored.

So if the question is:

  1. I don’t want to bother to apply - don’t worry, colleges care about what would get you into NHS, not necessarily the title. But your parents sure would be proud.
  2. I did not get in. don’t worry, colleges care about what would get you into NHS, not necessarily the title

So make sure you find ways to exhibit Scholarship, Service, Leadership and Character even if you don’t have the “title” of NHS.

While Harvard often shares the number of class valedictorians it rejects each year, it doesn’t share the number of NHS members rejected each year.