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If you want to become a member of the National Honor Society, an NHS essay is one of the most crucial elements of an application. It helps you showcase your unique personality, leadership skills, values, and achievements to get accepted. Needless to say, the competition is tough. After all, being a part of such a large and old organization is incredibly prestigious.
The NHS aims to foster academic excellence and community service that lets students make a positive impact on their environment. It also helps build character, promoting such crucial values as honesty, responsibility, and respect. On top of that, the NHS prepares you for future success through a 350-degree development of personal integrity, academics, and leadership. It unlocks exclusive opportunities, like scholarships, LEAD conferences, internships, and more.
If you’re determined to walk this path, we’ll tell you how to write a winning essay following OrderEssay.com writers' guidelines and share great National Honor Society essay examples for inspiration.
What Is the National Honor Society?
According to the general National Honor Society definition, it’s one of the oldest and largest co-curricular organizations in the US that operates in high schools and strives to help students develop strong character, leadership, and academic excellence. It encourages young people to hit higher academic goals while also giving back to their communities through service projects that make a positive impact.
How to Write an NHS Essay
If you want to become a member of the NHS, you need to know how to write a National Honor Society essay. The core purpose of this paper is to show how well you align with the vision and values of the organization. There are four primary pillars to cover:
- Scholarship - This is the foundational pillar of the NHS, and it’s reflected in your academic transcripts. You’re expected to demonstrate a minimum of 3.0 cumulative GPA. If you meet this requirement, there is no need to repeat it in your essay. Instead, you should focus on the other pillars of the NHS. That said, if you're already working on advanced academic goals or preparing for future challenges like thesis projects, it might be useful to explore thesis paper writing services to help you stay on top of demanding coursework and maintain high performance.
- Leadership - This is the main trait recognized by the National Honor Society, which is why it must be manifested in your essay in the first place. You can demonstrate leadership by telling stories that show your experience in this area, such as overcoming challenges, excelling in group projects, mentoring peers, etc.
- Service - The NHS encourages giving back to the community. Thus, if you don’t know how to start an NHS essay, it can be wise to showcase your experience in volunteering or organizing community initiatives in your essay.
- Character - Lastly, the NHS community expects its members to hold strong identities and characters. Thus, in your essay, you should demonstrate your integrity, respect, empathy, and other positive traits.
Now that we’ve outlined the four pillars that your application should be built on, here are a few extra tips for writing a brilliant NHS application essay:
- Study the NHS criteria and tailor your essay to them.
- Begin with a strong hook that will set you apart.
- Make it personal and stay honest when telling your story.
- Focus on stories that disclose your strongest personality traits and keep the four pillars of the NHS in mind.
- Carefully revise and edit your work to align with the high academic standards of the NHS.
3 Excellent National Honor Society Essay Examples
Need a bit of inspiration? Now that you know the theoretical aspects of writing a successful essay for your NHS application, you might need a little extra push to inspire your writing. We’ve selected a few comprehensive four pillars of NHS essay examples that cover all the baseline values of the NHS and can help you get on the right track.
Essay Example 1: Leading with Purpose and Empathy
I was in my sophomore year when I saw the true power of leadership for the first time. I was busy helping to organize a charity drive for our local children’s hospital. We wanted to raise $5,000, and honestly, that felt impossible. Yet, rather than accepting defeat, I came up with a new strategy. I invited local businesses and launched an awareness campaign, inviting other volunteers to help. Till the end of the drive, we exceeded the goal. This experience made me think about the power of service and teamwork.
In this NHS application essay example, I want to highlight my dedication to the four pillars of the NHS: scholarship, leadership, service, and character. Academically, I want to excel and this is why I take several AP courses, namely in Chemistry, Biology, and English. I view my education as a tool for understanding the world and making it better. It’s not just about grades for me.
I’m a vice president of the student council, which means I take on a lot of leadership roles that require decision-making, collaboration, and problem-solving. I often organize school events or advocate for the needs of students. Beyond that, I also joined a peer tutoring group, where I help younger kids manage their homework. Witnessing the progress of a student who has been struggling is the most rewarding thing.
I know the importance of service. It has always been at the core of my personality, and I hope my NHS character essay reflects that. I believe that true character is shown through the choices that one makes. Those could involve dedicating your time to serving others, making ethical decisions, and staying accountable no matter what.
Becoming an NHS member would allow me to continue pursuing my passion and helping people. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Essay Example 2: The Power of Knowledge and Character
As a volunteer at a local community center, I worked with young children, helping them with basic skills. At first, a fourth grader, Mark, was totally frustrated with his math worksheets. Yet, with time, his confidence grew, and I was lucky to see him finally solve a math problem on his own. His smile said it all. It was the moment when I solidified my belief in guidance and perseverance. This is why I’m writing this essay for the National Honor Society. I want to expand my ability to help others.
I strive for excellence in everything I do. Even though volunteering takes a lot of my time, I don’t forget about academics and maintain a solid GPA. I even take a few AP courses in History and Sociology. These disciplines interest me the most, and I have an individual research project on the effects of political polarization.
When it comes to leadership, it’s just part of who I am. I serve as the president of the Social Justice Club at my school. Together we advocate for equality and coordinate related school events. I also like debate. When we practice, I help younger students with their skills and make sure everyone is heard.
Every act of service has formed my character. In this NHS sample essay, I want to show my integrity and resilience. Whether I’m helping students with their study habits as a mentor or engaging in debates at the tournaments, I always prioritize fairness and honesty.
Why do I want to be part of the NHS? To me, this membership is important because it would give me the opportunity to support my community at a higher level. I look forward to meeting and collaborating with people who have similar interests.
Thank you for considering my application.
Essay Example 3: Making an Impact Beyond the Classroom
Small actions matter. I understood this when I visited my grandfather at a nursing home. I brought my dog, and his presence transformed everyone’s mood. The faces of the residents were lit up with joy. They started to share memories about their pets, and it was inspiring to see the comfort that everyone felt. This is just one of many NHS leadership essay examples that underline the importance of service.
Later, I joined Helping Hands (HH). This is an organization that helps people with spinal cord injuries by training capuchin monkeys to assist them. I took care of the animals. This involved cleaning their enclosures and feeding them. Those are small tasks, but that was my way to contribute. After all, the goal was to help people who had lost mobility regain their autonomy and dignity.
My volunteering activities were not limited to HH. I also helped a local nonprofit organization grow organic vegetables for local shelters. The service showed me that volunteering wasn’t only about donating my time. I also learned to understand the needs of other people. Besides, seeing people in need get fresh produce only reinforced why my work was so crucial.
NHS scholarship essay examples won’t be complete without discussing leadership. For me, this means making the right decisions and stepping up when the circumstances require it. During my junior year, I was participating in a major project when, suddenly, our team leader had to quit due to health issues. Nobody knew how to proceed. I had to restructure the plan and delegate tasks for us to finish the project on time.
NHS membership is important to me because it represents the values that I respect. I would like to be part of the initiative because I know it could be my chance to serve my community and advance the goals of the organization.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Final Thoughts
Because of its prestige, getting accepted into the NHS can be challenging. Tight competition makes it hard to get your application noticed and make the right impression on the organization. Luckily, a good essay is meant just for that.
As you can see from the NHS essay examples we shared with you here, a winning essay is one that focuses on the four pillars of the NHS, which are Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Character. Stories that span all these pillars and, at the same time, are personal and honest tend to make the best impression on the NHS society and give you a good chance of being accepted.
Now, you are equipped with the knowledge, tips, and examples needed to inspire your own writing. Use them to create a winning National Honor Society essay and achieve your academic goals with the help of this organization!
