The Troy High School National Honor Society, also known as NHS, has changed its entry requirements, which will affect future students who aim to join the organization.
Marissa Drake, who is in her second year as an adviser of the National Honor Society, explains the current entry process: “Students with a current 3.5 GPA unweighted will get an invitation to apply. At that point, they will apply, and they will need 10 hours of volunteer service from prior [organizations]. They will need to be a part of two clubs or sports, one or the other or both. They will also need to get evaluated by their teachers or staff members.”
In the future, the requirements for admittance will become more rigorous. These changes will be implemented gradually based on a student’s graduation year. For the class of 2029 and beyond, the GPA requirement will increase to 3.75. Additionally, the required hours of volunteer service will increase from 10 hours to 20 hours.
According to Drake, it is an honor to be in the National Honor Society. The advisers need to have these expectations of doing the correct service, of being good leaders and characters in school because the participants in the National Honor Society are the top students in school.
Drake’s opinion on the effects of the changes is that “[they] might cause some more challenges that are arising in terms of kids not having the eligibility to be a part of it. But I think once they are actually in the National Honor Society, it will be a big change in front of your school.”
Drake adds that less students are applying because the requirements are stricter. She explains the possible changes in the future: “The GPA requirement is going up, and that it will be for the current freshmen [who] are here right now. And then anyone [who is] coming in the future, it’s going to go to a 3.75. Again, based on how big our organization was, we had pretty much a fourth of our school in the National Honor Society, and I don’t really think that represents what the National Honor Society is as a whole. But other than that, mostly everything will stay in place.”
Lisa Kline, who is in her second year as an adviser for the National Honor Society, clarifies the application process: “[Students] used to have to submit community service, and I don’t know that over the last couple of years they’ve had to do that, so we’ve reinstated it. This year’s admissions class had to submit 10 hours. Next year, if you apply, I believe [the requirement is] 20 hours.”
Kline also points out the effects on the number of participants: “I don’t think it affects [the number of participants] right now unless students just don’t want to fill out the paperwork. But I do think it could impact students in the freshman class and beyond because the grade point average (GPA) is higher.”
For the Class of 2029, the requirements for joining the National Honor Society will be stricter. According to the advisers, this will lead to a more impactful group of students participating in the future.
