How (And Why) To Get Into the National Honor Society

The National Honor Society (NHS) is an organization dedicated to recognizing and encouraging outstanding high school students in grades 10-12. Founded in 1921 by the National Association of Secondary School Principals, it was the first nationwide honor society and now has chapters in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and many other US territories. The National Honor Society estimates that today, more than one million students participate in their activities.

You are probably wondering what qualifies you as an “outstanding high school student” eligible for membership. And beyond that, you may question what sorts of services and activities are required of and provided to members.

Read on to find out how to get into the National Honor Society, and what you’ll get in return!

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Why Should I Become a Member of the National Honor Society?

Being a member of the National Honor Society shows that you are among the best students in your class, not just in terms of academics but also in terms of leadership, service, and character. It shows a commitment to community service projects and provides you the opportunity to network with like-minded peers. College admissions committees like to see anything that sets you apart as a top student, and this is one of them.

Additionally, NHS provides regular opportunities for you to build your leadership skills. Though not required, multiple conferences and events are available to NHS members throughout the year, including:

LEAD Conferences

Open to students in NHS, National Junior Honor Society (NJHS), and the National Association of Student Councils, Leadership Experience and Development (LEAD) conferences are held several times a year on weekends in varying cities across the country. They aim to improve leadership skills and provide networking opportunities for peers from around the country.

National Student Leadership Week

Established in 1972 to promote the value of student leadership, National Student Leadership Week is an open-ended way for schools to celebrate and recognize the importance of student leadership. On their website, NHS provides a list of suggested activities and outreach materials for planning this week.

State Summits

These local events are available only to students in NHS or NJHS, and they provide the opportunity for students to participate in think-tank style sessions with state leaders. They are designed to spark conversation with the goal being tangible solutions to real problems in schools and communities.

College Scholarships

Finally, NHS also offers college scholarships. Any high school senior who is a member in good standing of a local NHS chapter is eligible to apply for one of the 400 scholarships awarded annually. The 2017 scholarship application will be available online on November 1, 2016 and due on February 1, 2017. More information is available here.

Who Can Become a Member of the National Honor Society?

First of all, it is worth noting that membership in the National Honor Society (NHS) is determined at the local level. Before you find out if you can become a member, you’ll need to locate your local chapter of the NHS. This can be done with a quick search on their Chapter Finder online, or by talking with a teacher or guidance counselor.

If your school does not currently have a local NHS chapter, you can talk with your principal or an advisor about founding one. Though students are not allowed to found chapters themselves, it is a simple process and one that most administrators can navigate easily. To apply, your school will need to appoint a faculty adviser and a five-member faculty council, fill out an application form, and pay an annual membership fee of $385. If this fee is financially prohibitive for your school, check out our Guide to Fundraising where you’ll find ideas on how to raise the money yourselves.

All public and accredited private schools are eligible to establish a local NHS chapter, and all students in grades 10-12 who meet the minimum GPA requirements at these schools are welcome to apply. Unfortunately, at this time, homeschooled students are not able to apply, though part-time students may be eligible if permitted by the bylaws of their local chapter.

Is There Any Reason That a Qualified Student Should Not Apply?

Like any other extracurricular, the National Honor Society requires time and commitment from all of its members. You will be asked to attend regular meetings, and you must participate in chapter and individual service projects. You should check the obligations of your local chapter before making the commitment if you aren’t sure you will have the time or energy to participate.

How Am I Evaluated for Membership?

Once you have located your local NHS chapter, you will need to review their membership requirements. Each local chapter sets forth their own unique qualification requirements which must be published and available for review. Although the exact requirements for membership vary by local chapter, all are based on the same four pillars of NHS, detailed below:

1. Scholarship

National guidelines require you to be in grades 10-12 and maintain a cumulative GPA of 85 or higher in order to qualify. This is a B average or a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Though this is the national minimum, many local chapters establish higher standards, so you will need to check the requirements of your local chapter to see if your GPA qualifies you.

If your GPA does meet the minimum standard as defined by your local chapter, you will have the opportunity to complete a form detailing your accomplishments in the other three pillars, listed below.   

2. Service

Part of your application will ask you to detail your experiences in volunteer work, or other uncompensated, voluntary contributions to your school or community. Some local chapters will require you to have served a specific number of community service hours in order to qualify.  These hours could be spent organizing clothing or food drives, participating in clean up days on campus, or voluntarily tutoring younger students.

Keep in mind, though, that service hours aren’t something you should be rushing through just to accumulate them as quickly as possible. You should choose service activities with value to you. For more on this, check out the advice in “Do I Need Community Service For My College Application?”

3. Leadership

You will also be evaluated for your leadership skills. In this area, you should highlight your experiences taking leadership roles in school and community activities. This could include things like being a team captain, organizing a youth group, or being a part of student government. NHS specifically seeks student leaders who are “resourceful, good problem solvers, and idea contributors.

4. Character

Finally, to gain membership to NHS, you will need to prove that you’re cooperative, responsible, reliable and honest. You should have a clean disciplinary record and show respect and courtesy to those around you.

Some chapters of NHS might require a written recommendation to vouch for your character. If you need a written recommendation, make sure to choose a teacher who has taught you in a core subject and has known you well for an extended period of time. Meet with the teacher ahead of time to discuss your goals for the application and to talk about why you feel you are qualified to become a member.

If you meet the minimum GPA requirements for your local chapter, the faculty council will meet to evaluate your candidacy based on your application. They will review each of the characteristics outlined above, and you may be accepted for membership by a majority vote of the five members.

What Happens if I Am Denied Membership?

If you are denied membership, you may appeal the decision at the local level, but the national NHS organization does not review individual appeals. You may also reapply another year. A rejection of your NHS application does not appear on your transcript or any of your college application materials.

What Happens if I Am Accepted?

If you are accepted to the National Honor Society, you will be invited to an induction ceremony with the rest of the newly accepted members of your local NHS chapter. These induction ceremonies are typically public events as the NHS endeavors to inspire others through them. Your parents will be invited, and you can usually invite anyone else who might be interested.

Though the national office does not dictate a specific format or script for local induction ceremonies, they do dictate that such ceremonies must be “appropriate and impressive”. They also offer a number of ideas and sample programs which can reviewed in their handbook available here with an NHS account.

In general, the induction ceremony usually includes:

• A procession or special entrance by inductees
• Invocation or welcome from the adviser, principal, or chapter president
• National Anthem or Pledge of Allegiance
• Guest Speaker
• Review of criteria for membership
• Honor Society Pledge
• Closing remarks

Many ceremonies also include a candle lighting or other symbolic presentation. Even if you have been accepted in NHS, you are not considered an official member until you have been inducted, signed into your local chapter’s registration, and taken the NHS Pledge.

Great, I’m In! Now what?

As a member of the NHS, you’ll need to attend chapter meetings and participate in service projects, both as a group and as an individual. Though it can sometimes be hard initially to come up with new service projects and ideas, the NHS national website maintains a searchable National Student Project Database and a guide to Community Service Idea Starters.

When you begin a new service project, whether as a group or on your own, you should add your project to the database. You never know when others might want to join you, and your ideas could inspire other people, too!

Take as much advantage of your membership in the National Honor Society as you can. Attend conferences and events, organize your own events, and apply for the NHS scholarships your senior year! On your college application, being a member of the NHS is a great indicator of your academic successes and generous spirit. But being an active member is even more convincing, as it drives home your leadership skills and dedication.

For more information about community service, be sure to check out our article, “Community Service, Reimagined: MCC’s Recommendations for High School Service” wherein we summarize some of the main points about service as made by Making Caring Common, a project of Harvard’s Graduate School of Education.

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