<p>Hi guys,</p>
<p>Recently I received an email from this organization-The National Society of Collegiate Scholars. I am wondering if it is a prestigious one, and joining it might be of some help of my prospective transfer? It will charge $75 for the membership, and this sounds like a commercial one. </p>
<p>Thanks for your opinions!!!</p>
<p>From my understanding it is the National Honor Society of colleges. Most schools have it so it's nothing too prestigious. However it could never hurt to put on the resume.</p>
<p>The probability of it boosting your transfer prospects is virtually nothing.</p>
<p>yeah i received that too, and then trashed it immediately after. anything that costs $$$$$ to be "distinguished" is BS in my mind.</p>
<p>but if you want to do that, then great, it seems like it offers a lot of options(scholarships, contacts, etc.)</p>
<p>The only college academic organization I'd pay to be a member of is Phi Beta Kappa, but it isn't awarded until jr or sr year.</p>
<p>I think Greek honor societies are generally reputable. I'm in Beta Beta Beta which is the national biological honor society; I think most grad/professional schools consider it legit.</p>
<p>is there any member of the society?</p>
<p>bump....anybody else?</p>
<p>Here is their standard for nomination to the society, from their website:</p>
<p>"What are the criteria for admittance?
You must be a first- or second-year college student in the top 20 percent of your class and have a GPA of 3.4 or above. "</p>
<p>Since schools tend to look for at least a 3.5 gpa for transfers, this 'honor' is not likely to be either prestigious or worth the cost of joining.</p>
<p>Hi all,</p>
<p>I wanted to post to assure you all that the National Society of Collegiate Scholars is not a scam. The organization offers a ton of opportunities including professional development, scholarships, internships, and community service, as well as the honor that comes with being a member. Let me preface my testimony by saying that I am the founding chapter president for the Northern Arizona University and I currently serve as the president for the National Leadership Council, which is a council of 20 NSCS members from across the nation that act as a sounding board and local presence for the national office.</p>
<p>Sadly, many people are turned off by the membership fee. To clear things up, this is a lifetime membership fee and a large portion of it goes right back to the local university chapter for activities and events. The other portions go for nationwide programs and scholarships; it should be noted that NSCS officially offers more undergraduate scholarship dollars than any other honors organization. Opportunities range from leadership positions and community service, social and professional opportunities at the local university, all the way up to positions, scholarships, and networking at a national level, as with the position I hold. The organization works really hard to find quality partnerships that the members can benefit from, like Geico (who offers not only a discount on insurance to members, but also internships and scholarships).</p>
<p>Next, first and second year students are targeted because, when NSCS was created, there were no honors and service organizations for first and second year students. As Steve Loflin, the founder and director, puts it, that's a shame that there is such a gap in acknowledging the students that do well from the start. Students are invited based on being the top 20% of their class, with at least a 3.4 GPA. The registrars from every school submit the list of eligible students. It is not random and you and your student should be proud!</p>
<p>Unlike many other organizations, this is not just a line on your resume; it is an active and very expansive organization. (Unlike Who's Who) Through NSCS, I've been able to meet some stellar undergrads from all over the nation. However, rather than just carry on about how great this organization is, I encourage you to check out the website (nscs.org), find your university's chapter page, and contact the NSCS chapter at your campus. I think that you'll find that it is far from a scam.</p>
<p>If you have any specific questions, or concerns, feel free to post or contact me, I'd be happy to talk with you.</p>
<p>My husband is a professor at Univ of Calif Santa Barbara. Our daughter is at UCLA and got an invitation to join NSCS. She is a smart girl and gets lots of awards and invitations and always runs them by her dad for a thumbs up or thumbs down. This one is a definate thumbs down. Totally phony.</p>
<p>jsa has 7 posts on his account, all 7 defending this honor society, this sounds like a strictly for-profit society…</p>
<p>I previously posted this in the parents forum and though I’d post it here also. I am NOT trying to push this organization. My orig. post follows
NSCS is legitimate. As with any organization, participation is key. It is what you make of it. My son and daughter are both members. My son received a helpful scholarship from NSCS and is active in his local chapter at Clemson University.
I would also like to add something from the “Human Resources” perspective. When I see this listed on a resume I know beyond a doubt that this person received a 3.4 GPA or higher in their first years at college. An impressive feat! Those first semesters tend to be some of the toughest at college. I realize that you will put your GPA in your resume, though you would be surprised at the inaccuracies (polite term) we see (yes we do check GPA and membership verification). I also see some motivation in this person. This organizational membership alone doesn’t show motivation. Though generally the individuals that list NSCS membership have many other impressive stats to offer. Does this membership make or break our hiring this individual? No. It is an eye catcher and does certainly add weight to their resume. If you have ever looked over 20-30 resumes in a day you know it is time consuming. Reading them word for word isn’t plausible. One looks for certain key words: memberships, college attended (yes, at many places of employment, it still matters), GPA, to mention a few. Sorry for such a long reply. I felt it necessary, considering the misunderstandings and negative comments. $75 is such a paltry amount of money these days. It is well spent here.</p>