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FAQ
What is The National Society
of High School Scholars?
How do I qualify for
membership?
How do I become
a member?
I should be qualified, but
have not received an invitation. Can I join the Society?
Why is Claes Nobel involved
in The National Society of High School Scholars?
How is NSHSS different
from other organizations?
Are there graduation/recognition
items available?
Why is there a fee and
what if I can't afford it?
I applied for a fee waiver. When will I find out if it was accepted?
What does the certificate
look like?
What do the components of the Society's
crest symbolize?
Why do I not receive emails from the
Society?
What is The National Society
of High School Scholars?
NSHSS is a member-based
student organization. Its mission is to recognize academic
excellence among high school students and to encourage
members to apply their unique talents, vision, and potential
for the betterment of themselves and the world. NSHSS
is not simply an honor society or recognition program;
it is an association designed to connect young scholars
with each other and to additional resources to help
them succeed in scholarship, leadership, and service. Members of NSHSS enjoy connecting regularly through our online forums, attending Society events held at colleges and universities, receiving our monthly publications with valuable resources about college & program opportunities, and applying for scholarships.
How do I qualify for
membership?
A student must be a sophomore, junior,
or senior in high school with a 3.5 cumulative GPA or
better. NSHSS works directly with educators and educational organizations to identify students who may qualify.
Students who we believe are qualified may be selected
to receive an invitation from Mr. Nobel.
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How do I become
a member?
Qualified students may receive a nomination letter from
the Society or directly from their school. You must
be nominated for membership in order to join The National
Society of High School Scholars.
I should be qualified, but
have not received an invitation. Can I join the Society?
Membership is by invitation only. You may contact us,
and we will consider the request based on verification
of eligibility from your high school. Please start the nomination process by downloading an Invitation Request Form.
Why is Mr. Nobel involved
in The National Society of High School Scholars?
Mr. Nobel helped
found NSHSS to continue the Nobel family's legacy of
recognizing and rewarding contributions to world betterment.
He believes the world leaders of tomorrow will emerge
from today's youth, and NSHSS can be a powerful tool
for advocacy and support of these young leaders. As
the chair of the advisory board Mr. Nobel is personally
involved in many of the Society's initiatives. He attends
member events, is involved with all scholarships, and
provides input on the strategic direction of the organization.
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How is NSHSS unique?
NSHSS is not a simple
recognition program or vanity press. There is no listing
of students published or book to buy. As an active membership
association of high-achieving students, NSHSS provides
more than just recognition. Through its objective membership
process, NSHSS brings the best students together in
a dynamic international organization. Unique participatory
activities include academic competitions, free national
events for members and their families, online forums
and volunteer activities. NSHSS is inclusive and committed
to recognizing all eligible high-achieving students.
Are there graduation/recognition
items available?
We have graduation
and recognition items available for members and their family in the Member Store. Members
can access the store by logging in to the member pages.
The graduation items are a wonderful gift for graduating
seniors.
Why is there a fee and
what if I can't afford it?
Like most membership
organizations, a fee is charged to help cover the organizational
costs of fulfilling the mission of the organization.
It is truly an honor to be recognized with a nomination,
a congratulatory letter from Mr. Nobel, and an invitation
to join. For those students who elect to join,
the fee is one-time only. There are no annual dues or
renewals, ever. Member benefits include:
- Peer networking
- Publications and member-only web
content
- Free national events for members
and their families
- Dedicated member-services staff
and volunteers to assist students
- Member communications
- Service and leadership opportunities
- Unique outreach from top domestic & international universities
- Exclusive scholarship opportunities
and academic competitions
- Personalized membership certificate
designed by Jostens
- Personalized press release for
distribution to local media
- Unique offerings through our partnerships (Abercrombie & Fitch, Boy Scouts of America, The Conrad Foundation Kaplan, Institute for International Sport, "My College Guide,” National Outdoor Leadership School, National Technical Honor Society, Nu Delta Alpha Dance Education Honor Society, Presidential Classroom, Projects Abroad, Semester at Sea, Zinch.com)
It is our commitment that the membership fee and its payment never stand in the way of a qualified student from becoming a member. However, since the membership fees go to provide for the services of all of the members we do request that you carefully and honestly assess your abilities to pay the fee and request a full or partial fee waiver only when necessary. There are two types of fee waivers available: partial and full.
Partial Fee Waiver
The Society awards partial fee waivers to those families suffering from financial hardship. Students awarded a partial fee waiver pay $30 for Society membership. Some examples of past approved situations include: temporary loss of income or employment and unexpected medical expenses. These are not the only situations which will be approved, but represent examples of past situations. In order to meet these guidelines a family must fill out the partial fee waiver form and attach the proper documentation. Please mail these items back to the headquarters postmarked on or before the deadline specified on your confirmation card. Download the Partial Fee Waiver Request Forms Packet and print it out. You will need this packet and your confirmation card to request a partial fee waiver. The packet is an Adobe PDF file format. If you don't have the Adobe PDF Reader installed, you can download and install it free.
Full Fee Waiver
The Society awards thousands of full fee waiver requests to students who have significant documented financial hardships. (Full fee waiver requests accompanied by a completed Educator Verification of Necessity Form do not need financial documentation.) Some examples of past approved situations include: death of a parent or guardian, displacement or damage due to natural disaster, and loss of income due to long term disability. These are not the only situations which will be approved, but represent the gravity of difficulty.
We can only accept those full fee waiver requests that are submitted according to the guidelines. In order to meet these guidelines a family must fill out the full fee waiver form and attach the proper documentation. Please mail these items back to the headquarters postmarked on or before the deadline. Download the Full Fee Waiver Request Forms Packet and print it out. You will need this packet and your confirmation card to request a full fee waiver. The packet is an Adobe PDF file format. If you don't have the Adobe PDF Reader installed, you can download and install it free.
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I applied for a fee waiver. When will I find out if it was accepted?
All fee waivers are processed just after the deadlines. If your fee waiver is approved, your member kit will be mailed to you within 45 days of your printed deadline. If you provide an email address on your confirmation card a welcome email will be sent to that address at the time that your membership is processed. If your fee waiver request is denied, you will receive a letter of explanation within that same time frame. Please wait at least 30 days past your printed deadline before calling or e-mailing the Member Services Staff for a status. The fee waivers are still in the process of being reviewed by the committee and will not be available to the Member Services Staff until approximately 45 days after the deadline.
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What does the certificate
look like?
You can see
a copy of the certificate by clicking here.
What do the components of the Society's
crest symbolize?
Colors
Gold - generosity and elevation of mind
Red - strength and magnanimity
Crown and Lions - defender of honor, dauntless
courage
The three lions in the crown represent courage in the
pursuit of excellence, strength of conviction, and honor.
Book and Dagger
The open book is the manifestation of learning.
The dagger represents honor and justice.
The combination is learning with honor or the honor
imbued by education.
Three Torches
Truth and intelligence: before, now and always
Quill
Art of writing and education
Olive Branch
Peace and concordance
Buckle
Victorious fidelity in authority
Why do I not receive emails from the Society ?
In order to receive our email messages at AOL, Earthlink, and others, or if you are
using a spam filter, please add information@nshss.org
to your accepted or safe email senders list or address book.
Failure to do so may prevent you from receiving email resources from us.
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