When a high school student is planning out his or her academic future, especially if the plan calls for going to college, either on campus or at schools online, it’s always a good idea to gather as many commendations, awards and other forms of recognition one can. This includes belonging to honor societies. At the same time, it’s great if you were the valedictorian, but it’s another if all you get is the congeniality award.
There are a lot of groups one could call honor societies in name only. For instance, many fraternities and sororities are really only private social clubs in disguise. These are societies in name only. Also, there are spurious groups who claim to be honor societies, but are just out to get a check out of your family and then give a piece of paper that means absolutely nothing. Both groups have done a lot to tarnish the true society’s image. If you need more information about online college classes, look on the internet.
Honor societies started forming back in the 19th Century as a way to recognize scholastic brilliance. This doesn’t mean a student can just flash his or her report card and gain admittance. They have a number of tough rules about admittance. Yes, the student should have an average of 3.2 to 3.3 or better. They also demand an exceptional personal record among other qualifications, which each society will gladly admit to.
While they are intentionally exclusive, they are not discriminatory. A true honor society doesn’t care about race, religion or gender. It’s all about achievement. It’s about being in the upper echelon as far as academic and personal standards.
The legitimate societies have developed a simple way to counter this issue. They have formed master societies to differentiate themselves from the frauds. One is the Association of College Honor Societies, which is responsible for college-based societies. The second is the National Honor Society, which is responsible for secondary school societies. If someone approaches you who isn’t listed in their directory, they are not what they claim to be.
There are more to the real deals than just recognition. The first is associated with many of the best colleges in the country and top corporations and professional societies. They use their contacts to fund scholarship programs. The amounts awarded are dependent on which society is handing the money out. Still, the National Honor Society’s members put it on record that high school students can get anywhere from $100 to $12,000 towards college. There is an abundance of information about accredited online universities on the web.
Then there are lifelong connections. These societies have been around for a century on the average, and that means their members now sit on the boards of top banks and other major companies. After graduating, these old school ties can pay off when going through the recruiting process and landing one’s first job.
Most important of all, an honor society gives a sense of belonging to something bigger than one’s self. When you move onto campus or colleges online, you’ll have that experience. From that first class to traditional or distance learning degree programs , it’s something that will always be a part of your history.