Hey there! I was just filling out my Common App and was curious if being in National Honor Society counts as a national award? Does anyone know if I should list it there?
Hello! The National Honor Society (NHS) is more of an extracurricular activity rather than a national award. It does recognize academic achievement, character, leadership, and service and helps students develop those qualities further through various projects and events.
However, NHS usually falls under Tier 3 or Tier 4 of extracurriculars, as it's quite common and less distinctive. For more on the 4 Tiers of Extracurricular Activities, check out this CollegeVine article: https://blog.collegevine.com/breaking-down-the-4-tiers-of-extracurricular-activities/
On the Common App, you should list your involvement in NHS within the "Activities" section rather than under the "Awards" section. In the activities section, you can provide a brief description of your involvement with NHS, highlight your leadership role (if any), and mention the projects or initiatives you participated in.
National awards, on the other hand, are typically rare distinctions conferred for exceptional achievements at the national or international level, such as prestigious academic or artistic competitions, or recognized honors organizations.
Good luck with your application!
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