The National Honor Society is one of the oldest, largest, and most prestigious academic student organizations in America. It aims to recognize students who excel in four main characteristics: Leadership, Service, Character, and Scholarship. But as students strive to be considered as part of this selective cohort, the question arises: how exclusive is it really? The NHS does not have too many people but rather has the right amount to run activities and other events.
The acceptance rate for the NHS varies depending on the region and the chapter, ranging from 30-40% at many schools. However, at Lexington High School it is 80%, meaning around 180 people are accepted each year. Although this may seem incongruous to its nature, Vivek Mehta, president of the NHS at LHS, sees these large numbers as a statement of inclusivity.
“It all ties back to the idea of having that large amount of people, and with the large market that we have, [we can] make a big impact. We can go beyond a report card or a grade that you might have used, that might have got you into the NHS,” Mehta said.
Concerns around the size of the NHS typically provoke questions about the selection process. To induct students, Parul Kumar, the advisor of the Lexington chapter, appoints a faculty council to holistically review student applications, which consist of a list of extracurricular and service-based activities as well as a personal essay.
“[When selecting students for the NHS,] the faculty council looks at the quality and not the quantity in each category. There is a rubric that is followed in assigning points to each category. They consider meaningful community service as an ongoing process of supporting others, consistency in extracurricular activities, and leadership positions held by the students. The letter written by the student must clearly explain their commitment to community service, and advocacy for themselves as a candidate of NHS,” Kumar said.
But if so many people are accepted to the NHS, does its membership lose value? Well, it’s important to keep in mind the end goals and values of the NHS, as it’s not simply an honor roll. It has goals that require contributions from all of its people.
“The more you grow in size, there’s definitely going to be a larger range of contribution and commitment towards the overall activity,” Mehta said.
Accepting many people doesn’t detract from the NHS or its goals; the more people they have, the bigger an impact they can make. While high acceptance rates might affect its prestige, it only gives the NHS more opportunities to support students who exemplify the values they’re looking for.
“Last year, we were able to do thousands of hours of community service or raise a lot of money or volunteer for entrepreneur organizations. [Having] a lot of people means that we can create a tangible impact,” Mehta said.
