Is National Honor Society Worth It? Read Before You Join

Are you thinking about joining the National Honor Society? Is National Honor Society Worth it? You may have to ask this question at some point in your high school journey, seeing your fellow students joining the NHS. 

People have conflicting views about the National Honor Society membership. While some believe it’s worth it, others have a contrary view. 

The good news is we will share all we know about the NHS so you can make an informed decision. These include what the National Honor Society is, the benefits of joining, and more. Keep reading!

Is National Honor Society Worth It?

The National Honor Society is worth it for several reasons. Firstly, the NHS membership looks good on a college application. It gives colleges insight into a student’s general character and leadership capabilities. 

Listing an NHS membership on a college application will also indicate to colleges that the student had an excellent academic performance and service throughout college. 

Being an NHS member can increase your self-esteem, motivate you to maintain strong academic performance, and gain valuable leadership skills. You can also obtain scholarships and networking opportunities. 

What The National Honor Society Is

Before joining any group, do your research. Concrete research will help you learn more about the organization and decide if joining them is a good decision. 

So, what is the National Honor Society (NHS)? 

The NHS is an organization that exists nationwide. They recognize high schoolers who have achieved high academic standards. 

Anyone that has an excellent academic record can join the NHS. However, the criteria for joining include scholarship, service, character, and leadership. 

The NHS was founded in 1921, and today, they have more than a million members.

 We already listed the four things the NHS considers before admitting students, but let’s go over it again. 

1: Scholarship: Joining the NHS is one thing, and maintaining your membership is another. The organization requires members (students) to maintain high academic standards throughout. 

So, you have to maintain a high GPA to keep your NHS membership. At the national level, the minimum GPA is 3.0. However, the minimum GPA for the local chapter might be higher. So, check your local chapter for the required GPA to maintain your NHS membership. 

2: Character: The NHS is seeking students that have good character. You must respect others, work well in team settings, and have a positive attitude. 

Honesty and reliability are also among the things the NHS searches for in students. So, you must have good character to secure a place in the NHS. 

3: Service: Your service as a member of the NHS is very important when you join the NHS. The organization expects you to meet a certain level of unpaid service. And it could either be a service to your community or school. 

For instance, you can volunteer to work free of charge at food banks, animal shelters, or homeless shelters. You can even tutor underclassmen in your school or any other school. 

A Handy Tip: Volunteer hours differ from one chapter to another. You should always check with your chapter to know about their volunteer hour. 

4: Leadership: Your leadership position is vital to the NHS. The organization considers that when admitting members. 

Whether formal or informal, every leadership skill is essential. This includes whether you have a position in student union government, community, or even your personal life. 

The National Junior Honor Society vs. National Honor Society: The Difference

The National Honor Society (NHS) and National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) serve different academic levels, though they have similar goals. 

While the NJHS services middle schoolers, the NHS is for high schoolers. The NJHS also encourages community engagement like the NHS. As a member, you must engage in unpaid community service and meet your chapter’s required volunteer hours. 

The NJHS encourages leadership and has a set GPA of 3.0. So, they only admit students with exemplary academic achievements. In addition, you must produce a GPA equal to 3.0 or higher to maintain your membership. 

Another thing you need to know is being an NJHS member doesn’t automatically qualify you to join the NHS. Each chapter of the NHS has its requirements, and you must meet those requirements before they can admit you. 

However, being an NJHS member has exposed you to the organization’s workings. You have already imbibed a culture of academic excellence and can consistently maintain it. 

The NJHS was founded in 1929, while the NHS was founded in 1921. Another thing you need to know is the NHS admits students from grades 10-12, while the NJHS admits students from grades 6-9. 

A Handy Tip: You can find the NJHS in all 50 states and across the globe. 

Is Maintaining National Honor Society Membership Hard? 

The primary thing you have to worry about is the admission process. As you already know, each chapter of the NHS has its requirements. 

You have to prepare your application. This entails writing your resume and an essay, including attending an interview. Besides these, you don’t have much commitment to make once you join the NHS. 

In addition, maintaining NHS membership isn’t a difficult thing to do. Just continue doing the things that brought you in. These include meeting your chapter’s volunteer hours and maintaining an excellent academic record. 

If you can keep up with these, you will enjoy being an NHS member. The volunteer work is quite interesting, as you’ll be helping people and animals in need.  

Other Honor Societies You Can Join 

The NHS is strict about its requirements. So, not every student will make it into the organization. 

But the good thing is that the NHS isn’t the only honor society available, though it’s one of the most reputable and well-recognized. 

If the NHS doesn’t admit you, don’t beat yourself up. Other honor societies exist, and you’ll be surprised that some even align with your interest more. 

It is crucial to choose a society that meets your interest. Why? You may find opportunities that align more with your interest and make connections with like minds.     

Here are the societies below: 

• Science National Honor Society
• Spanish National Honor Society
• National Speech and Debate Association
• Quill and Scroll Journalism Honor Society 

The Benefits Of Joining The National Honor Society

You can obtain several benefits when you join the honor society. Check them out below.  

1: Student leadership week:

Nothing is more glorious than being recognized as an outstanding leader in your community as an NHS member or helping the organization plan the event. 

National student leadership week takes place each year. And each school participates in the event to celebrate and recognize leaders in their school community.   

So, you could be one of the recognized leaders or plan the event. All the same, you’ll enjoy the NHS student school week. 

2: Makes your college application more appealing: 

Joining the NHS, a well-recognized organization, will give you an edge in college admission. How? Listing that you were a member of the NHS in high school can make your application appealing. 

In addition, the NHS organizes webinars to help students seeking admission have an insight into the admission process. You’ll learn how the admission process works and how you can submit a killer application. 

3: Organizes valuable LEAD conferences:

The full meaning of “LEAD” is Leadership, Experience, and Development. The conference takes place every weekend throughout the entire year. 

However, only NHS and NJHS members have the right to attend this conference. In addition to networking opportunities, LEAD is a conference that will help you build valuable leadership skills. 

4: Provide valuable information that can help you plan college life:  

If you’re getting set for college, having the right information can help you quickly navigate the process. 

The NHS knows how important giving students the correct information is. So, they organize webinars and offer step-by-step guides that can help prepare you for college life. 

Furthermore, you can find information about top schools on the NHS website, so you don’t have to spend valuable hours researching.  

5: Scholarship offers: 

If you’re eager to land a scholarship, being a member of the NHS is remarkable. Why? The NHS offers over 400 scholarships to outstanding students who are their members. 

In addition, you’ll also find a range of scholarships on the NHS website that list being an NHS member as a criterion. 

Conclusion

Is the National Honor Society worth it? Yes, and there are several reasons for this. It can make your college application look more appealing. Stating that you were an NHS member in your college application will tell colleges what type of student you are. 

Of course, everyone knows that high academic performance is crucial to maintaining an NHS membership, and one has to meet specific volunteer hours too. 

Besides painting a good picture about you to colleges, being an NHS member will open doors of opportunities to you to network, develop valuable leadership skills, and more.