Selection Process

For many students, selection as a member of the National Honor Society is the pinnacle of their achievements in high school. This honor, recognized throughout the nation, is both the public recognition of accomplishment and the private commitment to continued excellence on the part of the new member.
National Honor Society Handbook, 17th ed.

The Philosophy of the Selection Process

The following recommendations come directly from the National Council, as found in the NHS Handbook.
  1. Selection to NHS is a privilege bestowed upon students by the Faculty of the school, and not considered a right inherent to any student. Students do not apply for membership in the National Honor Society. Instead, they await an invitation to provide the information that supports their candidacy.
  2. NHS is more than an honor roll. Each member must demonstrate not only good grades but also strength in each of the remaining three criteria. This is not an election, nor is membership automatically conveyed simply because a student has achieved a specified level of academic performance.
  3. The selection process should be public information. As such, the selection process of the Bedford High School National Honor Society is published in this document for clarity and communication with the Bedford community.

The Selection Process

  1. Review The selection process is reviewed yearly by the five-person Faculty Council, facilitated by the NHS adviser, approved by the building principal, and published to this document for the community.
  2. Academic Eligibility is Determined In order to be eligible for membership to the BHS NHS, a student must have a 3.50 weighted GPA at the end of his or her Sophomore year. Senior candidates must have this GPA reflected at the end of their Junior year.
  3. Candidates are Notified Students who are eligible per their GPA will receive a letter of invitation. This letter will inform the candidates that to be considered further, they must complete the Candidate Form. Candidates will be invited to attend an informative meeting where the NHS adviser will be available for questions. The Candidate Form will have a strict due date which must be adhered to.
    1. Candidate Form Type a thoughtful and complete response to all information requested by the candidate form.
    2. Faculty/Community Recommendation In addition, Candidates must obtain two references: one must be from the high school faculty and one must be from an employer or community leader. Both must be returned in a sealed envelope or via Google Form. (Note: Coaches cannot also be faculty at the high school, but can be from other schools in the Bedford School District.) Individuals chosen to provide recommendations should be considered carefully, their paperwork must also be turned in by the Candidate Form due date.
  4. Faculty Input During the time in which the Candidate Form window is open, the Bedford High School faculty will be invited to provide additional feedback about each student eligible for membership. This feedback is for the benefit of the Faculty Council's considerations, but no information submitted by the faculty is to be considered selection or non-selection in any way. Selections are solely conducted by the majority vote of the Faculty Council.
  5. Review and Deliberation The leadership, service, and character of all candidates are carefully considered by the Faculty Council. Students who receive a majority vote are to be invited to join the chapter. Those not selected are also notified.
  6. Results Delivered to the Principal The lists of candidates selected and not selected receive approval and support of the administration.
  7. Notification Candidates receive formal notification and instructions for attending the induction process. Students who are not selected are also informed.
  8. Induction New members are inducted in a public ceremony that recognizes their achievement and commitment.  

Prerequisites

  • Enrollment Only students who have attended school for one semester may be considered for membership. This is necessary for students to establish themselves at Bedford academically and become familiar to this community. Senior transfer students who were enrolled in another chapter of NHS should seek a letter of recommendation from their former chapter adviser so that the Faculty Council may waive the semester requirement.
  • Grade Level NHS at Bedford High School is only open to eligible Juniors and Seniors.

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