In keeping with national standards, the first criteria for acceptance in the National Honor Society is meeting a GPA threshold approved by the Faculty Council at our school. Under the current standards, Juniors at Old Rochester Regional High School will receive an invitation to apply to the National Honor Society if their cumulative, weighted GPA is a 4.0 or higher after the first term of their Junior year. Some eligible students may choose not to apply for membership, or may not be accepted based on their initial application. Similarly, some students may not reach the GPA threshold until after we issue invitations Junior year. Those students will also receive an invitation if they meet the minimum requirements after the first term of their Senior year. 

Once students are invited to apply, they will still have to complete a written application and submit evidence of their commitment to service, leadership, and character.

• Students must submit signed evidence of at least five hours of community service completed during their high school career. Students interested in pursuing NHS membership are encouraged to start seeking service opportunities as soon as they start Freshman year. They should document this service using this form. 

  • Eligible service hours should be completed outside of school hours.

  • Work completed privately for family members/friends or other family/friend businesses/initiatives will not count toward the ten hours of community service, but may still help showcase a student’s broader commitment to leadership, service, and character. 

  • Work completed on behalf of the AmbassadOR program will not count toward the ten-hour tally, but working with the AmbassadOR program is one great way for students to showcase their broader commitment to leadership, service, and character.

• As part of the application process, students will construct a narrative of their commitment to leadership throughout their high school career. This may include formal recognition as officers of student government and clubs, leadership positions in athletics, or leadership in other capacities in and out of school. Students may list things like specific awards and accolades, but we are particularly interested in the narrative and tangible accomplishments they’ve worked toward - not just formal titles. Additionally, students are encouraged to discuss how they practice leadership within the classroom and in their peer groups.

• Students must remain in good standing with the school in terms of their behavior and ability to follow school rules and regulations. A history of disciplinary issues may preclude acceptance in the NHS. Similarly, the Faculty Council will seek feedback from the school faculty regarding the student’s positive impact on the school and local community. Finally, the Faculty Council will consider the honesty, sincerity, and effort that goes into the formal written portion of the application as part of the overall evaluation of student character.

If students meet all elements of the induction criteria, the Faculty Council will vote to accept them for induction. If a student application is not accepted, the faculty council will communicate the reason the application was not accepted. If there is still a constructive path forward, the faculty council will articulate the element of the application that they would like to see the student make more progress toward.

Students who were inducted at another school will be accepted as full members, provided we receive confirmation of their membership from the advisors of their previous chapter.

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