The genesis of The National Scholars Honor Society

 

Philosophy

With the increasing complexity of our society, the decades old admissions protocols have become deficient. The standard and customary reliance on grade point averages alone has become a barrier to adequate assessment. These antiquated protocols too easily introduce bias in favor of affluence and social status, ignore relevant accomplishments, overlook character and virtue, and must be changed.

The National Scholars Honor Society was founded with these core beliefs:

• Excellence, Dedication, and Integrity are demonstrated in many ways across the multitude of academic disciplines.
• Sole reliance on GPA measures will not adequately assess the totality of a student’s merits.
• Honor societies should view each candidate in the context of the candidate’s life, background, chosen field of study, and educational institution prior to issuing admissions decisions.
• The existing milieu of college honor societies, by their own acquiescence, will not address the above verities.

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Vision

Imagine an honor society dedicated to encouraging, recognizing, and rewarding high academic achievement in all areas of study, believing excellence is demonstrated in many ways, across a multitude of academic disciplines.

 

Restoring Common Sense

No Pre-Approvals

• The National Scholars Honor Society has eliminated the convention of issuing pre-approvals for membership based on GPA or academic institution. All candidates are required to adopt the Honor Code, and complete an application for membership.

Membership Committee

• While admittedly much less expeditious, The National Scholars Honor Society requires all candidates to complete an application for membership. Applications are then reviewed by members of an actual Membership Committee.

Independence

• The National Scholars Honor Society is an independent academic honors organization. Respectfully declining all affiliations with institutions, associations or other organizations eliminates bureaucracy, and allows us to be directed by our mission.

Reinventing the college honor society

An innovative group of University of Illinois medical and health professions students, unhappy with the corporate-machine style national honor societies available to most college students, dedicated themselves to reforming the standards and creating this honor society. Philosophy and vision came together with a common sense approach, and ignited what would become The National Scholars Honor Society in 1997, growing from 100 members in 1998, to over 109,000 members today.  

 

Today

 

Imagine an honor society taking the time to view each candidate in the context of the student’s life, background, chosen field of study, and educational institution. Imagine an honor society embracing integrity, using an honor code to create trust and an atmosphere of respect which all scholars deserve, and should expect from any honor society. Imagine an honor society rewarding personal growth and development, even encouraging civic responsibility and dedication to our nation's political process. Imagine an independent, self-reliant honor society declining affiliations, eliminating bureaucracy, and being directed by its mission.

 

Unique among the other large national honor societies, The National Scholars Honor Society has eliminated the practice of issuing pre-approvals for membership based on GPA or academic institution. All candidates are required to adopt the Honor Code, and complete an application for membership. All applications are reviewed by the Membership Committee, and independent decisions are issued.

 

While academic achievement serves as the cornerstone for any National Honor Society, and GPAs are the single heaviest weighted factor in the acceptance procedure of the Membership Committee, we acknowledge that GPA alone will not adequately represent the totality of a student’s merits. (But because people always ask: a typical member is a college junior, enrolled in a 4 year degree program, with a 3.6/4.0, and several extracurricular activities and personal accomplishments. Thousands of members maintain a 4.0/4.0)

 

The National Scholars Honor Society stands alone an independent academic honors organization. Our rapid growth to include over 109,000 members proves that the scholars of this nation recognize the importance of our society.