National Honor Society, or NHS, is an American organization where high school students with outstanding academic and social achievements are included. Only students with an academic average of 85% or higher in all subjects are eligible for membership. In many states, the threshold is even higher (88-92%).
Since the date of its creation, in 1921, the National Honor Society has been aiming to bring together the most talented and successful students of American high schools. Today, the NHS, which has already celebrated its centenary, has more than one million students.
Being a member of the National Honor Society is prestigious and honorable. Alumni members can apply for the National Honor Society Scholarship, a scholarship that can partially cover the cost of higher education.
The National Honor Society membership is open to American students in grades 10, 11, and 12. To qualify, applicants must meet four criteria at once: academic achievement, willingness and desire to serve their community and society, and leadership and personal qualities.
The National Honor Society motto is “Noblesse Oblige”, which translates to “Position Obliges”. It refers to the high performance that members of the society strive for not only academically, but also socially and personally. Demonstrating their best qualities, helping others, setting a good example for others – all of this and more is expected of those who earn the badge of honor.
Each National Honor Society badge holder is committed to maintaining and enhancing their academic achievements and setting a good example for the rest of the student body. In addition, all NHS members supervise and undertake projects that maximize their abilities, skills, and potential.
Students who have left the society for any reason or who have lost their eligibility to be members can never again apply for membership.
What is the National Honor Society?
National Honor Society is the name of a school organization in the United States that brings together the best students in America. Former members include Olympic medalists, astronauts, writers, including Pulitzer Prize winners, actors, singers, ambassadors, journalists, senators, and even presidents.
In terms of visual identity, the National Honor Society is very fundamental and traditional. The strict badge of the organization reflects all of its values in minimalistic elements and laconic shapes.
The National Honor Society logo features an interesting geometric shape — it is a trapezoid with a narrow base down, and the top part boasts triangular cut-outs on the sides. The contours and clean and straight, and the angles are sharp and distinctive, just as in all other graphical elements of the logo. Inside the frame there is a stylized torch, which stands for the “search for truth”, and four geometric letters at the bottom — C (for character), S (for scholarship), L (for leadership), and S (for service). The name of the organization is written in two lines on the top of the badge, with a simple yet stable typeface.
The uppercase lettering from the official National Honor Society logo is set in a bold geometric sans-serif typeface, which is, probably, the famous Frutiger font, with laconic shapes of the characters, which look stable and strong.
As for the color palette of the National Honor Society, there are two options: the primary logo is set in a medium shade of blue and calm gold, with a white background, which looks classy and traditional; and the secondary version of the NHS badge is set in the minimalistic black-and-white.