<p>This thread makes it pretty clear to me that NHS membership criteria is so varied as to render membership meaningless. Only the popular kids get elected to “leadership” positions and those who do not hold leadership positions are not admitted. My D leads in meaningful ways that are not quantifiable on an application: by abstaining when her choir director asks the girls in his audition only choir to vote on which two of three girls (all of whom would be admitted to the choir if there were three slots open instead of two) is the best singers. All three girls are freshmen my daughter has never heard sing–no one has heard them in at least a year; by initiating fundraising for her Physics class to go to an amusement park for their end of the year trip; by wearing a helmet when she rides a bike and encouraging (and actually convincing) the kids she babysits for to do the same. </p>
<p>I doubt that the colleges fail to understand the situation, thankfully.</p>
<p>Schmoomcgoo,
My kids were both in NHS but I agree with your post.
By the way, if your D hasn’t written her college essays yet, your comments about abstaining to vote and the choir director would make an excellent opening to an essay.</p>
<p>In Zoosergirl’s school, students with a GPA above a certain level are invited to apply. They have to provide two outside references, a letter of interest and documentation showing 50 or more hours of community service in that year. Students who provide those things and agree to continue to maintain at least that average and 50 or more hours of community service a year are in, provided they do additional community service with NHS. Zoosersister’s school does it differently. The student must have a required GPA and community service and fill out a complicated application, but then each application is circulated by intranet to every teacher in the school. If even one teacher opposes the candidate, he or she can’t get in. In both schools, community service commitment is the key factor.</p>
<p>Oooh! Good point, ebeeeee, on the essay opening. Thanks for mentioning that. My daughter should gain entry to NHS this year–she’s got a couple “leadership” positions now and the faculty advisor is one of her AP teachers–but this thread has helped to put last year’s denial into perspective.</p>
I have no idea how NHS works in D’s school or our town. But this is pretty disturbing! If a kid is blackballed, I hope the teacher involved has to explain to the principal what the issue is. It could be a petty issue, an old family grudge, or a bad taste left in the teacher’s mouth from an older sibling.</p>
<p>I do know that a girl at D’s school was kicked off NHS for underage drinking. 30+ years ago I was kept off NHS for having too many detentions. (I’m not telling my kids that little tidbit…)</p>
<p>" have no idea how NHS works in D’s school or our town. But this is pretty disturbing! If a kid is blackballed, I hope the teacher involved has to explain to the principal what the issue is. "</p>
<p>THe teacher has to respond through the Intranet to the entire faculty. It’s not done sneakily or in any shady way, so I don’t think it gets to be too personal.</p>
<p>Colleges dont give a rat’s behind about NHS (at least not per se).</p>
<p>I had a young friend whose mother asked me what I though about her son not being selected for NHS. I told her not to worry, no one outside the school cared.</p>
<p>The young man had fairly high grades, good scores, and was admitted to Princeton and had a good record there.</p>
<p>What was lacking in him I don’t know, but there is more than enough pettiness to go around in some of these selection processes.</p>
<p>I guess the only important comment I’d have is that the student should choose his recommenders with caution. I’d steer clear of the group that made the NHS selections, for instance.</p>
<p>When S transferred into his private school in Junior High, he had already been inducted into NJHS at his old school. The new school tried to tell him he could no longer be a member, even though he had a transfer letter from his old principal, because he hadn’t been inducted by <em>them</em>. Yeah, right- you don’t get expelled from NHS or NJHS because you transfer schools. So we fought to get him admitted (they finally relented) and by the end of the year, he ran and was voted president of what I now call the “good ole boys club”. LOL. There was definite favoritism at that school towards the kids who had attended all their lives; even though new blood was needed, there was a definite dichotomy in the attitudes toward insiders vs. outsiders.</p>
<p>“Colleges dont give a rat’s behind about NHS (at least not per se).”</p>
<p>My daughter’s mid-level private school gives her a couple of thousand dollars a year for NHS membership. It’s a separate scholarship and pushed us over the edge of being able to afford the school. Obviously, the top schools don’t do that, but many kids don’t go to the top schools.</p>
<p>While I’m glad that this benefitted your daughter, zmom, this is one of the major issues I have with the subjective NHS selection process. Many perfectly qualified but unlucky rejectees may be denied tangible, valuable college opportunities because some teacher didn’t know/like them as well as another student.</p>
<p>“While I’m glad that this benefitted your daughter, zmom, this is one of the major issues I have with the subjective NHS selection process. Many perfectly qualified but unlucky rejectees may be denied tangible, valuable college opportunities because some teacher didn’t know/like them as well as another student.”
I agree completely, which is why I’m very glad both of my girls’ schools have been completely above board and have used extremely clear standards that don’t involve personalities or vendettas or anything. There was also complete transparency at both schools. As a side note, I have a relative who graduated two years ago from a top private high school in NJ. She was the school princess, the chosen one. You know what I mean. Her school had very specific NHS standards, as well, but she was so special that she applied although she didn’t meet one of the guidelines. She was rejected. I don’t think the answer is to do away with NHS, but rather to make clear and unimpeachable standards for admission.</p>
<p>One of my sisters lives in a small, rural and not very wealthy town. She and her husband run a very successful business and have a large, beautiful home. Their four D’s were all A students, captains of their sports teams and did all kinds of volunteer work. The first two were rejected NHS because the teachers “wanted to recognize other, less fortunate kids.” “Those M… girls don’t need this for their resumes.”
When it was time for D3 to apply my sister went to the guidance department and told them that she would be sending the results and her D’s application and copies of the application, her letters of rec., resume and volunteer vouchers to the National NHS office for review if her D was rejected. Interestingly enough, D’s 3 & 4 were accepted although they were no less qualified than D’s 1 & 2. Sometimes it pays to be a squeaky wheel.</p>
<p>Speaking as a high school student, I can honestly say that (at my school at least, and I’m sure many others), NHS is worth very little. Yes, I’m sure it has provided opportunities for some people here, but for the most part, not here. NHS at my school involves filling out an application, doing some community service, and getting a page in the yearbook with your picture. Nothing to get all worked up over.</p>
<p>In fact, many, many more people are involved with Beta Club, which is much more fun and, if all the fundraisers are successful, the entire club can go to the Beta Convention.</p>
<p>I’m also going to jump in as a student. At my school, everyone with a GPA over 3.5 is allowed to apply, but only 10 Juniors and 15 Seniors make it. I’ll admit, I was quite upset at first that I didn’t make it (top 10%, National merit commended scholar, youth group w/leadership position for 3 yrs, award-winning in Speech & MUN, etc.), but then I started talking to my friends that did make it.</p>
<p>Essentially, since they made it so exclusive, the club doesn’t have the power to do much of anything. Yes, they do 20 hrs of community service per semester, but because those 25 students are so busy with their myriad activities, no one can organize a better service project than to work concessions for the home football and basketball games.</p>
<p>At my school, making it is nice, but its known that individual service projects are more meaningful 98% of the time. NHS can keep their scarf. I’m happy with my personal contributions to my community. I’d much rather volunteer at the animal shelter than pass out pizza.</p>
<p>Wow. At my school the seniors sign up and fill out a form with their grades, senior classes, and ECs. They the sponsors make sure they’re not lying and let in however many students. Pretty much everyone who turns in the form gets in, but only the “smart kids” are interested, anyway. It’s a big joke at my school, honestly. When we said the pledge everyone was whispering about how it felt like a cult. Seriously.</p>
<p>I had no idea there was any subjectivity to it anywhere. At D’s school, everyone with a certain GPA gets the form and if you have the requisite number of ECs, you get in. The ECs have to be from different categories - some outside school and some in. Maybe that’s because her school is fairly small.</p>