National Honor Society

The National Honor Society is an organization that recognizes the student who has demonstrated the willingness to go “the extra mile” in leadership, character, and service to complement his/her fine scholarship. The NASSP (National Association of Secondary School Principals), who heads the NHS, states that “No student has the right to get into the NHS ... and grades alone are not enough!” At Holy Name High School, the application process is open to any junior or senior who meets the minimum 3.6 cumulative GPA and passes all other levels of evaluation involving character, leadership, service, and active involvement in a variety of organizations within the Holy Name community as well as in the community-at-large.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE 2024 APPLICATION:

1. Applicant has earned a 3.6 cumulative GPA (NHS does NOT round up from a 3.59).
          ● Student must have completed at least one Honors, CCP, and/or AP course prior to applying for NHS.
          ● Student will not be considered if s/he has earned a D or lower for a quarter or semester grade at any time.

2. Applicant demonstrates good character. Student will not be considered if:
          ● S/he has earned an out-of-school suspension.
          ● S/he has been suspended for cheating.
          ● S/he has accrued excessive absences and/or tardies.

3. Applicant submits a very thorough and typed Activities Resume using the “NHS Activities Resume” Form. The following is REQUIRED:
          ● List of club/team/award/service/role
          ● Detailed description of club/team/award/service/role
          ● Grade in which applicant participated in said club/team or received said award
          ● 6 Minimum Signatures Required
                    ■ Signatures must be well-distributed across categories and moderators.
          ● Students must include at least TWO SIGNED ACTIVITIES in the “SCHOOL ACTIVITIES” category and at least ONE SIGNED ACTIVITY in EACH of 
              the other categories.
          ● No more than 3 signatures from the same person will count toward the required minimum of 6.
          ● Email verification may be acceptable on the rare occasion that distance prevents you from obtaining the signature. Please include a HARD copy                of the email with your application, and type (“see email”) on the signature portion of the form. (Signatures from parents, other relatives, or fellow                students are NOT acceptable.)

4. Applicant writes and submits a Formal Essay.
          ● Choose one of the following two topics:
                    ○ #1 Recently, the methodology of education in America has come under attack–particularly, the public education system. Imagine you had                            the ability to overhaul the education system on the high school level. What changes would you like to see made to the structure of the                                  school day, coursework, elective offerings, and school setting? In other words, build a utopian school that would help foster the best                                      prepared, highly competitive, and future-proof next-generation of leaders.

OR
                   ○ #2 As a Catholic school, being a disciple of Christ is at the forefront of Holy Name’s education. Unfortunately, many young adults today                                 reject or downplay the role of God in one’s life. How is this not true for you? In other words, what role does faith play in your life? How do                               you listen to God’s calling? What do you do to build a stronger spiritual life? Who has been your biggest influence? As you reflect on these                             things, share a particular story in regard to how your spiritual faith has influenced who you are today and what you plan to become.

          ● Essay is to be typed, double-spaced, and of at least 2 pages in length.
          ● Use the traditional, 5-paragraph format and set the document up in MLA format (use Mrs.White as the teacher’s name).
          ● A poorly written essay will count against the applicant, as will “typos.”
          ● Be appropriate when writing. Although the essay is personal and can include first person pronouns, this is not an informal piece of writing.

APPLICATION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED IF ESSAY REQUIREMENTS ARE NOT MET.

5. Applicant must submit “Activities Resume” and “Formal Essay.”
          ● Use the folder given to you by Mrs. White and Miss McBride. All elements must be typed, neat, and professional in order to be considered for                        NHS. Items must be returned back in the original folder, in pristine condition.

Deadline for submitting the Activities Resume (with required signatures) and Formal Essay within the folder is HOMEROOM (7:45 am) on Thursday, February 15, 2024.

GENERAL OVERVIEW:

          ● Mrs. White and Miss McBride will determine applicant’s general eligibility to apply regarding overall GPA, enrollment in AP/CCP/Honors                                 course(s), service requirements, excessive absences/tardies, cheating, etc. They will be aided by Mrs. Krist, Mr. Sullivan, Mrs. Wallace, Mr. Ontko,               and the secretarial staff when acquiring the necessary information.
          ● Involvement from an applicant’s freshmen, sophomore, and/or junior year can and should be considered when creating the Activities Resume.
          ● Overall, the Selection Committee’s goal is to choose applicants who are well above and beyond average.

TIMELINE:

After all application materials have been received, the NHS Selection Committee, composed of five anonymous faculty members selected by Mrs. Krist, will begin the selection process.
          –The NHS Selection Committee will have completed the evaluations by the end of February.
          –Decision letters will be delivered in homeroom on or before March 4, 2024.
          –Induction fee (see below) and participation forms are due by Friday, March 8, 2024.
          –The NHS Induction Ceremony will be held on Tuesday, March 12th at 6 pm.

INDUCTION FEE:

There is a $40.00 induction fee for those individuals selected as new members of the National Honor Society. The fee covers the cost of the NHS membership certificate (presented to the newly inducted members this year) as well as the cost of the NHS stole, pin, and membership card (presented to members their senior year). Checks must be made out to Holy Name High School. An extension to pay for fees can be granted if needed–just let us know.

NHS RESPONSIBILITIES IF INDUCTED:

          ● Please be aware that there will be periodic reviews of NHS members throughout their time at Holy Name. If any member fails to uphold any one                 of the National Honor Society’s four cornerstones, Holy Name’s Administration reserves the right to revoke that student’s NHS membership.
          ● Membership in NHS is not only an honor but a RESPONSIBILITY. If you are selected for membership, you are--by agreeing to join--also agreeing                  to fulfill the responsibilities of an NHS member. This includes but is not limited to:

                    --service to the Holy Name and broader communities. NHS members are expected to complete at least one service project per semester.                               The number of service hours will be determined each year depending on any restrictions (i.e., health & safety protocols)
                    --completion and submission of one service project reflection in assigned semester
                    --maintaining academic integrity, embracing academic demands with positivity and an ardor for learning

Again, the Activities Resume with required signatures and the typed formal essay are due to Mrs. White by HOMEROOM on Thursday, February 15th.

Failure to submit any of the required application materials by that deadline will automatically disqualify a student from consideration, as will failure to follow the above instructions.

Please know we are available to answer any questions you may have. We appreciate your interest in becoming an active member of this prestigious organization.

Mrs. Holly White, NHS Co-Advisor
hwhite@holynamehs.com

Ms. Bridget McBride, NHS Co-Advisor
bmcbride@holynamehs.com

2024 National Honor Society Activity Resume Sheet