National Honor Society Raises the Bar

This year, earning a spot in the National Honor Society was more competitive than ever. Jordan's National Honor Society chapter has implemented changes to its requirements for new members, aiming to maintain the organization's integrity, increase rigor and improve the induction process. These changes affect volunteer hour requirements, meaning students will have to complete 15 of their 30 hours before the ceremony in the spring, allowing them to have extra time between now and the induction deadline to get their hours done.They have also raised the minimum cumulative GPA requirements from 3.0 to 3.5. This decision was driven by the realization that the national minimum of 3.0 was not challenging enough for Jordan’s truly accomplished students. The timing of the induction ceremony has been changed from the fall to the spring. 

As of the most recent NHS application cycle, advisors Ms. Daye and Ms. Stacy wanted to make it more rigorous because it felt like everyone was getting in and being inducted. They worried that too many acceptances could “diminish the integrity of the organization,” voiced Ms. Daye. After a year of having discussions about it, the new guidelines were officially implemented this year. “We have been having conversations about it, but it was just that we just decided this year that we would go ahead and initiate it,” added Ms. Daye. 

With over 150 applicants and a small team, the chapter has moved its traditional fall induction ceremony to the spring. “It’s not necessarily that we’re being more strict with the volunteer hours,” highlighted Ms. Daye. “We’re just being a little more strategic.” The change will help make the process smoother and ensure that applicants meet membership requirements. In the past, the induction ceremony being held in the fall meant students hadn't completed required volunteer hours or paid their membership dues. 

 While national NHS guidelines mandate a minimum of a 3.0 they allow schools to set higher standards in order to fit their own expectations. The advisors feel like increasing the required GPA will make membership more rigorous and exclusive. Ensuring that members truly fit NHS expectations. 

During the selection process applications stood out for their strong and creative responses to the questions emphasizing how the applicants demonstrate the four major tenants of National Honor Society; leadership, scholarship, character and service, in their personal lives. Teacher recommendations also played a huge role when going through applications by giving deeper insight into the applicant's character. On the other hand, applications that were rejected were rejected due to bad teacher recommendations, incompletion, use of Ai or a GPA below 3.5.

“It’s kinda unfair because people have other things they need to do like school and jobs,” expressed sophomore Wynter Hodges-McGhee, who feels like the new guidelines interfere with student’s everyday responsibilities. She believes the expectations place added pressure on students who balance part-time jobs along with schoolwork, making it feel unrealistic and overwhelming. 

However, sophomore Leilani Coovadia offered a different perspective, saying “I think it's a good way to like show people this is what we do and this is what we expect from you.”