National Honor Societies are often thought of as elite academic outlets for hardworking students, inspiring a love of community service and personal betterment in members. However, some say that the Societies’ changing standards reflect flaws, leading them to believe that the organizations may not accurately reflect students’ abilities.
The National Honor Society (NHS) was first established in 1921 to reward community outreach, acknowledge academic excellence and encourage upstanding character throughout American high schools. Many of these schools have also chosen to establish their own discipline-specific National Honor Societies to recognize achievements in particular academic fields. In addition to NHS, BVN also supports nine subject-specific National Honor Societies.
Many students like senior Chloe Neeld approach these organizations due to a strong passion for community involvement.
“I decided to join NHS because I’ve always been passionate about philanthropy, and I joined NAHS to take part in art-related communities and events,” Neeld said. “I was told that National Honor Societies are not only a great way to amplify your voice, but also to be recognized for efforts to create change on a local or even national level.”
Though National Honor Societies serve as an outlet for acknowledgement, some believe that the organizations struggle to uphold foundational values. Senior Ainsley Yeretsky suggested that the meetings might not always provide an ideal environment for students to get to know each other.
“Most National Honor Societies at this school don’t get together regularly, and we roll through the same agenda every single meeting, which doesn’t create a sense of community or help members recognize any shared goals,” Yeretsky said. “The weaker the connection between members, the less excited they’ll be to show up and get involved.”
Some believe that this lack of community may be due to the organization’s rapidly growing numbers. Neeld connects the popularity of the clubs to their positive appearance on resumes and college applications.
“I think the biggest issue with BVN’s NHS is that there are too many students in the organization,” she said. “All of them may meet the requirements, but based on their behavior at the meetings, I’m willing to say that many of them just join for the recognition or for a one-up on college applications. NHS is something I want to take part in because I believe so strongly in giving back, but many others don’t seem to share this passion, which sometimes makes me feel out of place.”
Yeretsky agreed, but also cited the cohesion often felt in smaller National Honor Societies.
“It’s easy to get lost in NHS, but smaller Societies like NAHS feel much more welcoming because I get the opportunity to talk one-on-one with other members,” she said. “We actually have the chance to share ideas and listen to each other.”
Similarly, some students believe that National Honor Societies have lost touch not only with the value of rigor, but expectation. Several years ago, BVN’s NHS chapter reduced the required GPA for NHS admittance to a 3.5, which members like Neeld feel undermines the Societies’ prestige.
“I respect that our chapter lowered the GPA requirement to include more people in the organization,” Neeld said. “NHS clearly thinks inclusivity is important. But because of this change, the members who take their NHS obligations seriously and put in the extra effort at school are sometimes treated the same as the kids who don’t.”
Neeld also believes that National Honor Societies should continue to personalize the application process and not only emphasize academics.
“This would support the selectivity that the Societies first stood for, but it would also make sure that kids who join them are serious about helping others and working for the community,” Neeld said.
Yeretsky cited this lack of emphasis on character as a reason for the organizations’ diminished value.
“Many smart and capable kids join bigger National Honor Societies for a platform to share their thoughts and give back, but once they join, their voices still go unheard,” Yeretsky said. “Right now, not many National Honor Society titles are a good reflection of students’ abilities, so we can’t always treat them like they are.”
