Eligibility & Membership
Minimum eligibility for Mira Costa National Honor Society is a 3.8 cumulative (9-12) academic weighted GPA. Students who have attended Mira Costa for a minimum of one semester, and are current juniors and seniors at the beginning of the school year, will receive emails at the beginning of the year to their mbusdapps.org accounts if they are eligible. Eligible and informed candidates may then choose to submit for consideration if they feel they fit the following membership profile:
- Candidates must be current juniors or seniors to apply (freshmen and sophomores shall not be considered)
- Candidates must have received the letter informing them of eligibility to consideration (students who did not receive this letter will not be considered)
- Candidates must have been in attendance at Mira Costa for at least one semester (transfer students who were members of NHS as the previous school may be granted membership and a probationary period to meet this chapter’s requirements—transfer students who were not in NHS previously must submit for consideration in the following school year upon completion of semesters at Mira Costa)
- Candidates must have a cumulative (9-12) academic GPA of at minimum 3.8 (weighted)
- Candidates must show significant, sustained, active, and genuine involvement in service activities in the community (activities in which candidates received remuneration do not qualify for service consideration, and service involvement does not necessarily equate with leadership experience)
- Candidates must show dedication to school and/or community through leadership opportunities with clubs, organizations, projects, etc. (involvement and membership does not necessarily equate with leadership experience, and neither does being an active employee—leadership should be demonstrated through involvement in leading things like project planning, managing groups, creating or founding clubs or organizations, chairing committees, and going above and beyond the simple requirements of any project or position)
- Candidates must maintain good standing with regards to the school discipline matrix, including no violations in the Mira Costa High School Ethics Policy—Candidates seeking membership should attend school regularly, receive high citizenship marks, and maintain professional relationships with faculty, staff, and administration
Students who are informed of eligibility and feel they are a fit for the above profile, may choose to submit for membership consideration. Information regarding the consideration process is given in the email sent to eligible candidates, and includes submission of a résumé and cover letter.
After forms are submitted by eligible candidates, the Faculty Council will begin reviewing each consideration. This anonymous group of five appointed Faculty members will convene, discuss each candidate's merits, and decide upon membership. Membership is granted by majority vote of the Faculty Council.
Mira Costa NHS, in all its capacities and functions, maintains policies and practices that are designed to prevent discrimination against any qualified candidate or member on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, and/or disability. This policy of nondiscrimination shall apply to all practices, including the selection, discipline, and dismissal of members.
There are no quotas for membership--candidates deemed worthy of the honor are granted membership, regardless of numbers. There are no caps in membership, but this does not guarantee that all candidates who meet minimum eligibility will be granted membership upon further consideration. NHS is an honor and a privilege--not a right by means of meeting minimum requirements for eligibility.
Candidates who submit forms for consideration will be notified of election or non-election to membership at the end of September, and will begin the process of formal Induction on the date indicated in the Timeline of Events (tentative). Students should check their mbusdapps.org emails for notifications.
Membership in NHS is both an honor anda commitment. It is not simply an honor roll, a scholarship group, but is an activeorganization which aims to shape the school and local community through active service projects and civic engagement yearly. Students who choose to seek election to NHS are expected to do the following in order to maintain active membership and earn the rewards bestowed upon graduation, which include scholarship opportunities, graduation honor cords, among others:
- Members must maintain the academic standards that were the basis for their eligibility (3.8 9-12 cumulative weightedacademic GPA)
- Members must regularly attend, and actively engage in, regular chapter meetings (once a month; may have no more than four excused absences, and three unexcused absences may result in probation and eventual dismissal)
- Members must pay the $20 membership dues, which go toward events like induction, chapter service projects, scholarships, and graduation honor materials (students with legitimate need may appeal and waive this requirement
- Members must participate in an NHS-sanctioned chapter service project
- Members must complete 20 hours of sustained and dedicated service time during the school year (summer hours are encouraged, but do not count toward this requirement)—proposals for Individual Service Projects are required by each member and must be completed during the school year, at the end of which students will submit documentation and written reflections for publication