<p>Many people included "National Honor Society member" on their ECs and stuff and I was just wondering how prestigious this title is.
Also, how come some people are Presidents and VPs of NHS?
Can someone explain the whole process,
Thanks!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.nhs.us%5B/url%5D">www.nhs.us</a></p>
<p>Google is a beautiful thing. Try it sometime.</p>
<p>NHS is something people do to put on their college apps and to stand up and "be honored" at graduation.</p>
<p>That's what my school's NHS president said at the first meeting. So it's not very useful for college applications.</p>
<p>I did already but I want to it from the student's POV...</p>
<p>Er, people are presidents and vice presidents of NHS clubs because they were elected... they wanted to do it?</p>
<p>yeah I'm a Prez of the NHS branch at my skl and what I had to do was meet the qualifications to join the club, participate in club activities for a year, and then get elected by the members. It's like any other club, except they only let in (at my school) kids with GPA > 3.5 and many EC's. There's like an application process and everything</p>
<p>oooh
so your school must have a club for it to work? or a branch?
Because my school doesn't have anything like that</p>
<p>Then you'd have to start a club at your school.</p>
<p>Please excuse my cynicism. Here goes.</p>
<p>Today, NHS is a crock, a joke. Formerly, I really think that it "meant" something. It was a way for solid B and B+ students who contributed at their schools & who perhaps showed leadership, to be recognized as having worth, potential even if they weren't top 10% of the class. At my high school, eons ago, that <em>is</em> what it meant. I can't think of anyone who was inducted that did not deserve to be there. And that represented quite a range of activities & contributions & even GPA's.</p>
<p>Now, NHS is more variable than grading standards between one high school & another. At some high schools, it still is handled in an honorable fashion, as it once was. At other high schools, it is a political tool to be manipulated by influential parents or influential administrators, both in an inappropriate way. I know that my D's school is not the only example of this, because I see this reported on CC every year, by many students.</p>
<p>The students and parents at my D's school are appalled this year especially, although they were under no illusions previous years, either. The Dean appoints her own children (naturally) and maybe one or two other people from each class. It's absurd. They are her favorites. Never is anyone inducted who is an intellectual (no matter how active & generous they are at school); never is anyone inducted who is an artist (& contributes at school). Her favorites athletes and her favorite members of the newspaper staff (the passive ones): they're the ones that get picked. It's her power trip, year after year.</p>
<p>yeah nhs is a joke... a third of my class is "eligible" for it based upon gpa and basically every1 just goes and does their 15 hrs of comm. service a semester and checks it off on their "things to put on my resume that will make me appear smarter than i actually am to admissions officers"</p>
<p>good post epiphany</p>
<p>
[quote]
Today, NHS is a crock, a joke.
[/quote]
I completely agree. At my school, anyone who is in the top 10% of the graduating class is eligible and only those who the current NHS members like actually get in. In my class of NHS, there are 34 students and only about 10 or so actually show up to events. And I don't mean consistently, but at all as in to ANY events. Not even the VP showed up to events and our treasurer never had a clue what was going on money wise. And yet how many students put it down on their college applications? Why, I'd say around 34. </p>
<p>I feel sorry for the people who actually deserve to be in NHS and don't get in. I know a few of my fellow classmates weren't even eligible because the former NHS prez hated their guts and apparently, she had a lot of clout within the school. The good news is I know a few students who were passed over who ended up getting into Duke and UPenn so students who aren't invited at my school don't take it too hard.</p>
<p>It depends on the school. At S's high school, they let in about 30 - 40 kids per year (end of Junior year), and there are 350 - 400 kids per class, so it's pretty much the top 10% of the class. If you meet the minimum GPA you are invited to apply. Plus you have to submit 2 letters of reference (can't be from your teachers), and write an essay on why you want to be in NHS (correct answer: to help the school). You also have to have shown leadership in another activity. S's friend had the grades and was invited to apply, but was turned down because he had no leadership roles. Senior year NHS does several charitable events, including a Spring Social for the town's Senior Citizens, and NHS kids have to stay after school and be available to tutor other kids 1 hour every other week. </p>
<p>But since it varies so much from school to school, I'm not sure if colleges really care about it or not.</p>
<p>My mother in law was the NHS advisor at the hs she works at. She was convinced that NHS was a huge thing for getting S into college - bigger than his being an Eagle Scout. We gave up trying to convince her otherwise. (Let's see.... 35 kids in NHS, 6 Eagle Scouts in the entire school... The adcoms all commented on Eagle, none of them said a word about NHS!)</p>
<p>"But since it varies so much from school to school, I'm not sure if colleges really care about it or not."</p>
<p>Right, and that's the point. And it's too bad, because if handled correctly, it could be fine. Perhaps it's time for the organization, if they are going to stick around, to indicate leadership along with Honor Roll, as criteria for selection. Students in the top 10% may or may not contribute significantly to the school, let alone be leaders.</p>
<p>I was an officer and I really enjoyed my role & the responsibility.</p>
<p>Liked the reference to the Eagle Scout.</p>
<p>lol, it dpends on your branch, some branches only allow students with highest honors (3.8-4.0 unweighted GPA)..</p>
<p>The value of NHS varies widely from school to school and chapter to chapter. The high school chapter that I am a part of is a big deal to teachers and students (I was really psyched to get in because I didn't think I was going to.) </p>
<p>The admittance process to my NHS chapter goes like this:
1) At the beginning of junior year, all students with an A/4.0 GPA are invited to attend a meeting about NHS and receive an application.
2) The names of students who submitted applications (which are kind of like college apps in that they ask about ECs and essays, etc) are passed out to every teacher in the school. Teachers notify the two teacher chairpeople of NHS about any reservations they have regarding applicants.
3) The applicant list is double-checked and reservations are investigated...some reservations are removed from the list.
4) A panel of teachers (whose identities are never revealed) meet to narrow down the applicant pool and filter through the approved applicants.
5) The teacher panel meets three times to read all of the applications and either confirm acceptance or rejection of each applicant.
6) All applicants receive a letter telling them whether or not they have been accepted.
7) The tapping/official induction is performed at a special assembly in November.</p>
<p>Supposedly, applicants are evaluated on their academic merit, school involvement, attitude towards teachers and students, overall character, and adherence to the five NHS principles.</p>
<p>I think that NHS meant more when my parents were in high school, though...now NHS is seen not as an honor but as a boring obligation by some members.</p>
<p>thanks for the reiteration of the procedure, Katek. That's the way it should be handled, and congrats to you for getting in, because in your area they are obviously more concerned with adhering to a formal & less biased process.</p>
<p>I remember that my older D also had to fill out the application you describe. Her qualifications were so abundant & her standing in the class so high that it was one of many examples of what a sham it has become at our school. (She, and a few other equally deserving students, did not get in. And those numbers have gotten worse each year.) Really it's just about the whims of the Dean, who also (I kid you not) hand picks the student body president each year, according to whom she likes among the candidates. There's no integrity to the voting process: just like a military regime in some totalitarian country. I should be laughing but I'm not.</p>
<p>well, at my school NHS is a big deal. we have a process similar to the one that katek mentioned, and they have monthly meetings and stuff like that. I don't really know much about what they do, because I never made it in. (You can apply both junior and senior year. I'm still kind of bitter about not getting in, so I guess you get take what I say with a grain of salt.) Anyway, my point is that I got into Cornell without NHS. I'm sure it's important, but if you don't have it, it won't stop you from getting into the school you want to. You can ballance it out with something else. NHS in my school looks for well rounded people, but colleges are looking for people with passion.</p>
<p>At my D's school the process is a healthy one and is being adminstrated effectively. The bar is high GPA > 3.5, 100 hours of community service, 2 refernces to show proven leadership qualities.
You are eligible to apply from your Sophomore years but you can get selected as late as your senior year if you improve during the Junior or Senior years.</p>
<p>NHS is a big deal at my daughter's school, too. She also received a scholarship from her chosen college that is specific to NHS members. There are other scholarships for NHS members, as well. Fine to turn your nose up at the organization, but at some colleges it could mean money.</p>
<p>First off - I apolgize that this response is so long, so please feel free not to read it - I won't be offended - LOL!</p>
<p>I feel the need to reply to this posting as not only am I the parent of a D who has been an active NHS member at her HS for 2 years, but I am also the Adviser of the NHS chapter at the school where I teach. In both schools it IS a big deal to get invited and actually be selected to NHS. </p>
<p>I work in a vocational high school where the students are in trade areas for 1/2 the year and take academics for 1/2 year (in two-week cycles). In our state, vocational students are responsible for all state-mandated testing for graduation requirements and virtually have only 1/2 the time in academics that the comprehensive schools have. Any student, at the end of the sophomore or junior year who has the academic GPA (which has to be between 3.0-4.0 according to the national guidelines - in my school it is 3.3) are invited to fill out an information sheet. These are sent these in August and they have until mid-September to return them, with 2 letters of recommendation (from teachers, GC, or employers), an essay, and the information form which lists their leadership, community service and extracurricular activities. From that point, a 5-member Faculty Council reviews the information and then either selects or does not select the individual students. The Dean of Students and Principal gets the list of names of eligible candidates to "check-out" their disciplinary record to make sure that there are no issues that have arisen prior to this time as a verification of the character requirement. I, as adviser, do not get a vote. The students must receive at least 3 "yes" votes to be selected. From that point on, they are considered members of NHS and they must do 25 hours of individual CS hours each year (documented), and participate in all monthly meetings/fundraisers/group service projects, etc and maintain the minimum GPA each term. Our Induction Ceremony is held in the spring (next week, as a matter of fact). If any "issue" arises, then the students will go before the same 5-member Faculty Council for a disciplinary hearing. In the 3 years that I have been adviser, we have had 3 disciplinary hearings - two students who were reported by their Honors English teacher for internet plaigerism (they were given written reprimands in their permanent folders, but allowed to remain members) and one student who was discharged from NHS for many reasons, including not doing CS, not coming to monthly meetings, two consecutive terms with less than the minimum GPA). Interestingly enough, these 3 hearings took place my first year as adviser, and all 3 students were 2nd year members. No hearings since then. </p>
<p>At D's school (down the street - an urban HS of almost 3000), they must have a minimum 3.5 GPA to be invited to join, but they are not selected until the end of their junior year, and then have to do 30 hours of CS between April and November. Their Induction Ceremony is tonight, where the new members will be announced and the 2nd year seniors will receive their honor cords to wear at graduation next month. My seniors receive honor cords and tassels, as well as a membership pin - but I have a much smaller chapter and we do more fundraisers and are in a better financial position than her school. However, last week they had a really nice NHS Senior Banquet at a local restaurant where they were all (60+ senior members) individually introduced as well as the first official announcement of where they will be attending college and what they did for their individual CS. It was attended by school committee members, the mayor, the superintendent, administrators, faculty members, and of course parents and family members. Very nice start to Senior activities.</p>
<p>Does it have a bearing on college applications/acceptances? Hard to say yes or no. For my students - probably yes as many in vocational hs do not tend to go on to college, but go to work in their trade area. Is NHS "a joke" in some schools - probably so, but when you are given a charter, you are charged to follow the national guidelines. I guess my D's adviser and I are on the same page - we follow the national guidelines and it is not a popularity contest - they earn their membership and work to keep it. My suggestion - contact the national office if you feel that you have not been given a fair opportunity to be a member - go visit the NHS website and visit the forums - you can read many postings from parents and students who have questions regarding their particular situations and in my past dealings with them over the phone and by email when I have had questions, they care what the schools who hold charters are doing.</p>
<p>BTW - when I was in HS, I met the academic criteria and other criteria, but was not selected because it was a joke and purely a popularity contest - maybe that is one of the reasons why as an adviser, I will not allow that to happen in my school.</p>
<p>Again, sorry for the LONGGGGGGG post, but I wanted to add my "10-cents"!</p>