Do colleges care about NHS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In our school district some of these honors come fairly easily if the kid meets the prerequisites.
-A student taking language AP, is very well positioned to get the seal of biliteracy and also be in the Foreign Language Honor Society
-A students with great GPA and some service component to their ECs will need to only put minimal effort to be in NHS or other honor societies.
-A student with 1580-1600 in SAT would not have a problem being a NMS finalist.

To make it effortless, students and parents need to know what the prerequisites are from start of HS. If NHS expects you to have 3.5 GPA and 60 hours of service hours during HS, these need to be addressed during the freshman and sophomore year, so that the student gains admission in NHS during junior year and is able to avail of the opportunities from this society.

My kid goes in a competitive school and mostly all of the peers will have similar stats. Being in NHS may not help, but not being in NHS will stand out.

No, it really won't stand out in college admissions. Especially if you have the finite number of slots in the common app filled with better things. They won't even know you didn't just leave it off.

There is a place for Honors and Accolades. Very different from the 10 place for EC. There is also the resume. There are schools that want a lot more than common app. Still, know your child.

[Anonymous]

It can't hurt. It's better to have it than not have it.

[Anonymous]

My DC's MCPS high school in MCPS needs the following from the invited applicants (rising Junior and Senior) -
75 hours of SSL for graduation already achieved,
60 hours of SSL done in HS and documented by the counselor at HS,
5 teacher recommendations,
3.5 GPA and 4.2 weighted GPA,
2 leadership positions in EC activities
1 Essay
Good moral character and no disciplinary actions in HS.

They also have to earn 10 SSL hours per semester doing society sponsored activities, not get into any trouble and maintain the GPA and wGPA, once inducted.

A lot of this is precisely what the colleges also want, so its not something to dismiss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In our school district some of these honors come fairly easily if the kid meets the prerequisites.
-A student taking language AP, is very well positioned to get the seal of biliteracy and also be in the Foreign Language Honor Society
-A students with great GPA and some service component to their ECs will need to only put minimal effort to be in NHS or other honor societies.
-A student with 1580-1600 in SAT would not have a problem being a NMS finalist.

To make it effortless, students and parents need to know what the prerequisites are from start of HS. If NHS expects you to have 3.5 GPA and 60 hours of service hours during HS, these need to be addressed during the freshman and sophomore year, so that the student gains admission in NHS during junior year and is able to avail of the opportunities from this society.

My kid goes in a competitive school and mostly all of the peers will have similar stats. Being in NHS may not help, but not being in NHS will stand out.

No, it really won't stand out in college admissions. Especially if you have the finite number of slots in the common app filled with better things. They won't even know you didn't just leave it off.

There is a place for Honors and Accolades. Very different from the 10 place for EC. There is also the resume. There are schools that want a lot more than common app. Still, know your child.

It's still finite, and you can still fill it with better things.

It can't hurt. It's better to have it than not have it.

It's not better to have if the time and commitment take you away from things that make you stand out. It's a commoditized award that is not much more significant than "honor roll". Sure, if you have a slot for it enter it, but if it takes time away from your Intel competition project or another more exclusive award, it's a minus. That's what the OP is asking, I think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DC's MCPS high school in MCPS needs the following from the invited applicants (rising Junior and Senior) -
75 hours of SSL for graduation already achieved,
60 hours of SSL done in HS and documented by the counselor at HS,
5 teacher recommendations,
3.5 GPA and 4.2 weighted GPA,
2 leadership positions in EC activities
1 Essay
Good moral character and no disciplinary actions in HS.

They also have to earn 10 SSL hours per semester doing society sponsored activities, not get into any trouble and maintain the GPA and wGPA, once inducted.

A lot of this is precisely what the colleges also want, so its not something to dismiss.

All of which can be entered on the app separately, and all can be done without NHS. Read the college confidential link posted above.

This is a perfect example of why people are surprised when great kids don't get into elite colleges. They think it is about checking boxes when it's about standing out and being exceptional, not just like all the other great kids.

[Anonymous]

The bottom line is that no single extracurricular activity and/or award is the determining factor in holistic admissions. This includes national honor Society. However, if invited to join and qualified, there is no downside to doing so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do you mean “we” are trying to decide? This should be left entirely up to your daughter and you need to stay out of it.

Why does THIS poster show up every.single.time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If her kid really wants to know if colleges care she would take the initiative to ask her guidance counselor. This is not kid driven, it’s helicopter mother driven.

This is the perfect example of a situation where the mother should back off.

So you never provide your kid with any input or advice regarding something they haven't yet asked you about?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If her kid really wants to know if colleges care she would take the initiative to ask her guidance counselor. This is not kid driven, it’s helicopter mother driven.

This is the perfect example of a situation where the mother should back off.

So you never provide your kid with any input or advice regarding something they haven't yet asked you about?

Not about something like this. No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If her kid really wants to know if colleges care she would take the initiative to ask her guidance counselor. This is not kid driven, it’s helicopter mother driven.

This is the perfect example of a situation where the mother should back off.

So you never provide your kid with any input or advice regarding something they haven't yet asked you about?

Not about something like this. No.

Your prerogative. I think that is neglectful parenting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The bottom line is that no single extracurricular activity and/or award is the determining factor in holistic admissions. This includes national honor Society. However, if invited to join and qualified, there is no downside to doing so.

My junior son who had a very intense course load and a significant outside commitments this year saw immediately the huge downside, which was that he did not want to commit the required time. It seemed like a meaningless box checking exercise to him so he skipped it.

Really, why would a college give much weight to something which objectively is not much of an accomplishment? The barrier to entry is just not that high. Do it if you enjoy the service projects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC's MCPS high school in MCPS needs the following from the invited applicants (rising Junior and Senior) -
75 hours of SSL for graduation already achieved,
60 hours of SSL done in HS and documented by the counselor at HS,
5 teacher recommendations,
3.5 GPA and 4.2 weighted GPA,
2 leadership positions in EC activities
1 Essay
Good moral character and no disciplinary actions in HS.

They also have to earn 10 SSL hours per semester doing society sponsored activities, not get into any trouble and maintain the GPA and wGPA, once inducted.

A lot of this is precisely what the colleges also want, so its not something to dismiss.

All of which can be entered on the app separately, and all can be done without NHS. Read the college confidential link posted above.

This is a perfect example of why people are surprised when great kids don't get into elite colleges. They think it is about checking boxes when it's about standing out and being exceptional, not just like all the other great kids.

[b]

Nailed it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC's MCPS high school in MCPS needs the following from the invited applicants (rising Junior and Senior) -
75 hours of SSL for graduation already achieved,
60 hours of SSL done in HS and documented by the counselor at HS,
5 teacher recommendations,
3.5 GPA and 4.2 weighted GPA,
2 leadership positions in EC activities
1 Essay
Good moral character and no disciplinary actions in HS.

They also have to earn 10 SSL hours per semester doing society sponsored activities, not get into any trouble and maintain the GPA and wGPA, once inducted.

A lot of this is precisely what the colleges also want, so its not something to dismiss.

All of which can be entered on the app separately, and all can be done without NHS. Read the college confidential link posted above.

This is a perfect example of why people are surprised when great kids don't get into elite colleges. They think it is about checking boxes when it's about standing out and being exceptional, not just like all the other great kids.

[b]

Nailed it.

Oops, meant to highlight the part that isn't highlighted. #didntnailit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC's MCPS high school in MCPS needs the following from the invited applicants (rising Junior and Senior) -
75 hours of SSL for graduation already achieved,
60 hours of SSL done in HS and documented by the counselor at HS,
5 teacher recommendations,
3.5 GPA and 4.2 weighted GPA,
2 leadership positions in EC activities
1 Essay
Good moral character and no disciplinary actions in HS.

They also have to earn 10 SSL hours per semester doing society sponsored activities, not get into any trouble and maintain the GPA and wGPA, once inducted.

A lot of this is precisely what the colleges also want, so its not something to dismiss.

All of which can be entered on the app separately, and all can be done without NHS. Read the college confidential link posted above.

This is a perfect example of why people are surprised when great kids don't get into elite colleges. They think it is about checking boxes when it's about standing out and being exceptional, not just like all the other great kids.

[b]

Nailed it.

Oops, meant to highlight the part that isn't highlighted. #didntnailit.

My kids mcps high school required almost nothing..she decided to apply the day before it was due. Teacher rec was just checking boxes. No essay.

[Anonymous]

I think it may totally depend on what school you’re coming from. DS is at a private school. The minimum GPA to be invited to apply is 3.8. Those kids answer an essay and a few other questions and have to get recs from two teachers. Obviously have to not be in trouble. Of those that have the GPA and write the essay etc some (about 15%) of those eligible didn’t make it because what they wrote didn’t show that they had leadership or service experience that was expected. Knowing that gpas are so inflated in public it almost seems worthless if the cutoff is a 3.5 with nothing else.