What is the National Society of High School Scholars, and how is it possible to become a member of this prestigious organization?
The Nobel family name is synonymous with honouring excellence, but for one member of the family, there was not enough focus on the achievements of youth.
It was with that in mind that Claes Nobel – grand-nephew of Alfred Nobel, who bequeathed to the world the award which bears the family name – founded the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) in 2002.
His vision was of on organization that honoured exceptional high school students, and nurtured their talent to ensure that they continued to enjoy the level of success of which they were capable during their university years and beyond.
Since then, over 700,000 students from over 160 different countries have been inducted into the society, at the rate of about 100,000 a year. Members enjoy myriad benefits, the most eye-catching of which are the plethora of scholarships that the organization offers – since its foundation over US$1.1 million has been awarded to its members.
But there’s certainly more to it than scholarships. Members can also attend forums for young leaders, where they can mix with likeminded individuals and receive valuable advice and guidance from those who have gone before them.
Some of these are centred on specific careers in which high achievers might end up, such as law and medicine. College fairs aimed squarely at NSHSS members are another bonus, as are access to a number of services from other organizations such as the Princeton Review and My College guide.
Members are given the opportunity to become ambassadors, representing the organization locally while cementing the leadership skills which NSHSS values so highly. An added perk to the prestige of this position is access to scholarship schemes reserved for ambassadors.
Entering tertiary education does not end many members’ connections with organization, nor the opportunity to represent it in some capacity. Members at this stage of their education can join the Student Council, imparting advice and providing guidance to those who hope to follow in their footsteps, through attendance at member events, articles and social media postings.
Membership is the preserve of the academic elite, as reflected by the board, which contains no less than 10 Nobel Prize winners.
Students must possess a 3.5 grade point average on the 4.0 scale (rising to 3.7 if they wish to become ambassadors), or the equivalent to be considered for membership. Other accepted criteria are a 1750 SAT score or higher, a 200 PSAT score or higher, a 26+ ACT score or higher, a score of 4 of higher on any AP exam or simply being in the top 10 per cent rank of your class.
Membership is by invitation only, and the organization is always on the look-out for exceptional high school students to join its ranks. They cannot be expected to identify every qualified student however, so members can also be nominated by their teachers or people who know them in a similar capacity. The closest you can get to applying yourself is requesting a nomination form, which you can then get filled in by a teacher.