Is National Society of Collegiate Scholars legit?

I came across the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) and I've heard mixed opinions about it. Is it a valuable membership or just a glorified scam targeting students? Would appreciate some honest opinions.

As someone who has looked into this before, I'll be candid with you: Joining the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) is not going to significantly benefit your college application or future opportunities. NSCS is often considered a "pay-to-play" organization with relatively low membership requirements, which means it won't impress college admissions officers nor be genuinely selective. It's not an outright scam, as they do offer member benefits, such as scholarships and networking events, but its cost and selective prestige do not usually justify the investment.

If you're looking for extracurricular involvement or honors to include on your college applications, it's best to focus on activities that demonstrate genuine involvement and achievement, such as leadership roles, volunteering, and meaningful participation in clubs or organizations relevant to your interests. Top colleges are more impressed by a strong commitment to a few activities where you've made a tangible impact rather than your involvement in more general clubs or associations like NSCS.

If you want to learn more about how colleges evaluate extracurricular involvements, I'd check out this blog post from CollegeVine, which breaks down the extracurricular tiering system that most schools use: https://blog.collegevine.com/breaking-down-the-4-tiers-of-extracurricular-activities/. Basically, extracurricular activities can fall into one of four tiers, with 1 being the most impressive, rare accomplishments, and 4 being relatively common activities. As you may have guessed, NSCS would be a Tier 4 activity.

In summary, while NSCS membership won't harm your college applications and might provide some benefits to members, your time and resources would likely be better spent on other opportunities that showcase your talents, leadership, and dedication to your interests, and thus fall into a higher tier in the system colleges use to categorize extracurriculars. I hope you find this information helpful!