National Society of Collegiate Scholars

[meligarcia1001]

I just registered for this website because I was on the phone with my mom trying to figure out if I should send the 75 dollars in, because I have "two days left to reply." Thanks to the things I read here I chose not to join. I was saying the same thing; they bombard you with mail, which makes it look pretty bad and not prestigious at all. The benefits they mentioned seem cool but I don't really think this organization will help me in the future. I've been invited to other Honors Societies and they are much more credible. I remember when I was in High School, there were two boys who were part of the one for High School scholars, and they showed off about it but they only made themselves look bad because when we graduated they weren't honors graduates or anything of the like, whereas those of us who were weren't part of that. It might sound irrelevant but I'm just trying to prove my point that I don't think this is prestigious or worth it.

[jsa43]

Hi all,

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.

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).

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!

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.

If you have any specific questions, or concerns, feel free to post or contact me, I'd be happy to talk with you.

[MSmom&dad]

As soon as anything pops up on the web about this honor society we immediately see a response form current members - I'm suspicious that someone sits googling for criticism of their society and has a boilerplate response!
(ps my son was "nominated" as a freshman and we dumped the multiple invites as most posting here have done...)

[pattiq22]

I just did some research on this organization since my daughter and I received an invitation a few days ago. Her university had a page on their website about 'How to Judge an Honor Society.' Here is the link:

Ball State University - How to Judge an Honor Society

Apparently there is another organization called Association of College Honors Societies that determines, according to strict criteria, whether or not an honors society is legit. You can read their criteria on their website and check out which organization have been OK'd:

ACHS Membership Information

I also checked out the web page of the chapter at Ball State, and it seems to be fairly active -- there are requirements for a student to be "active" in the local chapter, including meeting attendance, participation in community service events and 'Planning for College Success' events. There also appeared to be social events scheduled. There were lots of pics on the website of students at events.

Can't remember where I read it now, but one site I researched said this organization awards more scholarship dollars than any other honors society.

Sounds like it could be worthwhile to me. I'm going to encourage her to go for it.

[2do3down1togo]

Just joined and saw this posting. I'd have to agree it seems like a scam at first. Didn't even know DS had joined - had two kids in college at the time and one struggled the other excelled.

DS got what they call a Merit scholarship I think it was around $1,000 - really helped with tuition and books and now that I've got three in college I can only hope my third applies and gets a similar scholarship.

I trust the NSCS b/c of the $ we got back from them definitely more than what DS put into it.

[rodney]

2do3down: Did your son have to apply for these scholarships?

[wjb]

Notice that all the NSCS proponents on this thread are brand new posters. I suspect the organization has a Google Alert set up. When someone mentions the organization online, they get an e-mail alert.

[2do3down1togo]

Rodney: Yes, he said there was an application process to get the award. He said a letter of recommendation was needed as well - not sure how what else the application process entailed besides that however.

[T26E4]

There definitely is something fishy about jsa43. Look at his/her posts. Only six and all in praise and support of this organization. Who joins CC to talk about NSCS and then the extensive text in the posts is word for word the same.

Very bizarre -- or worst, very shady.

jsa43: I think you're BUSTED

[Neonzeus]

As far as I can tell from both my kids, this is just something that sends a mailer to anyone who makes Dean's list. However, I think it's also very dependent on the college campus. One of my kids had a chapter that did absolutely nothing, so it was a $75 acknowledgment that my kid made Dean's list (could have put "invited to join..." on the resume with the same effect). The other kid had a chapter that actually engaged in lots of activities, so it was worth more. Your kids will encounter lots of honor societies in college. Mortar Board may be a good one for Seniors, since the number of kids who can join each school's chapter in a year is limited and selection is based both on grades and service/activities. Phi Beta Kappa is of course well-known. Whether or not any honor society is worth joining is a personal decision. IMO, just listing it on a resume doesn't do anything if it only duplicates a GPA that is otherwise apparent. If the society does charitable work, offers lectures or access to particular alumni who might not otherwise be available to undergrads, etc., then those activities may be meaningful.

[Mike/*~*\]

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.

[T26E4]

I earlier posted about my suspicions of another poster. He has since contacted me with a compelling case of his legitimacy. I withdraw my earlier post (#24).

[Caillebotte]

Save your $75, everyone and their mother gets "invited" to join.

[TurtleFever]

There is something fishy about all the proponents though, I checked all their posts and they are the same. Im thinking this society is not honorable if everyone in my hall got the letter.

[mini]

Everyone on this forum who says it's for real has fewer than 10 posts.