Becoming a member of the National Honor Society is a great achievement. It shows character, dedication, discipline and commitment to service and community. If you hope to become a member of the NHS, there are a few things to understand about this incredible organization for students in grades 10 through 12.
The four pillars of the National Honor Society are character, scholarship, service and leadership. Good character traits include being cooperative and demonstrating high standards of honesty and reliability. Someone with good character has empathy for others and maintains a solid disciplinary record with no negative marks. An NHS chapter can require higher GPA than the national minimum of 85, or 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for scholarships. Service includes voluntary contributions to the school, as well as the community that is done free of charge. Students who show that they are solution-oriented and contribute ideas to better the school and community show excellent leadership qualities.
There are many national honor society application tips filling up the internet. However, honor society students tend to shy away from the typical tip sites. Other than the usual, such as maintaining a high GPA of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, there are a few ways to ensure your application to the NHS is accepted. A national honor society letter of recommendation from a coach, mentor, manager, clergy person or another supervisor who has watched you mature and take on and overcome challenges can hold a lot of weight. If you are struggling with a subject that is bringing down your GPA, ask an NHS member for tutoring. This will help them achieve their community service commitment and fill you in on what you can do to ensure you can become a member.
If you are looking for unique ways to fulfill the community service aspect of your NHS membership, look no further than your neighborhood. There are quite a few places that can benefit greatly from a little attention from young people. Helping senior centers repaint walls, clean up outdoor social areas or build ramps and perform other simple maintenance can be a great way to serve your community and make a lasting difference. Other NHS leadership project ideas include organizing a blood drive, starting a community service organization based at your school and filled with students of all ages and capabilities, initiating a day of service at your school, work or church, teaching at an after-school center, offering to organize a clothing drive for a local shelter or tutoring students in lower grades at your school during free period. You can also turn the tables on your mentors and organize events that honor their service, teaching ability or raise money for their favorite charity.
