Torch & Laurel

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

The Society of Torch & Laurel is a community focused honors program developed by The National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) to recognize high school high achievers while providing members and their families with expertise, insight, motivation, inspiration and vital tools to make better decisions about creating an ideal future.
The Society of Torch & Laurel provides high school scholars who qualify for membership with access to exclusive scholarships and numerous education resources. Scholars also receive exclusive benefits and discounts through our partners, and access to online and in-person experiences and opportunities specifically designed for high-achieving high school students. A few benefit examples:
  • Torch & Laurel members get exclusive access to thousands of college mentors to answer questions about applying to college, making college choices, how to navigate college successfully, choosing a major, etc. These are current high achieving college students (even at your top choice school whenever possible) who can tell you exactly what they have experienced to help you be more successful.
  • Access to Scholar Central (our online community portal) to meet other Torch & Laurel members to share what they are doing to prepare for college or other opportunities after high school.
  • Early access to The National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS). Get a head start when you arrive to campus with a place to belong. Based on your T&L membership, you will get information on how to get involved with Torch & Laurel when you arrive to start your first year of college.
  • Regularly scheduled ScholarCasts (online webinars) which provide you with learning opportunities to help you plan and be prepared for your future.
Torch & Laurel community membership is by invitation or by self-nomination. You may have received an invitation to join if you are pre-qualified that you meet the membership criteria. You can follow the join process that was provided in your invitation. If you would like to nominate yourself for membership, you will need to complete the online application and submit verification of one of the eligibility requirements outlined below. High school students who meet one of the following requirements are eligible to join The Society of Torch & Laurel:
  • SAT score of 1300
  • ACT score of 27 or
  • Minimum GPA of 3.5
The Society of Torch & Laurel invites students based on referrals from school counselors, teachers, and parents, as well as recommendations from our education partners who can attest to you meeting our eligibility requirements. If you did not receive an invitation, you can still join by following the self-nomination process.

There are many great organizations dedicated to helping high achieving students thrive while in high school and NHS is a great organization. While you didn’t have to pay for your NHS membership, your high school did to the NHS national organization.

Torch & Laurel has a different approach than NHS and the good news is you can be a member of both organizations. T&L connects members to other T&L members not only in your school or your town/city, but in your state and around the country.

T&L members can also connect directly with a college student mentor to help with the college application process. No other high school honor society can offer the level of integration and support that T&L can through its relationship with The National Society of Collegiate Scholars. There are many other benefits to a Torch & Laurel membership that you won’t get anywhere else. Check out our Membership Benefits.

The Society of Torch & Laurel basic membership is $29. The education investment is as low as possible to make this recognition opportunity affordable while also providing benefits that will have a meaningful impact on your future.

For members who are interested in more high-impact services to enhance the basic membership, Torch & Laurel offers a Regular membership for $79 and a Premium Membership for $149.

To learn more about the membership benefits of the different tiers, you can view our Membership Benefits.

If you are unable to pay the $29 membership fee due to financial hardship, we offer scholarships to ensure that no person is denied access to these life-changing benefits. To request a scholarship for your membership, please visit our Member Assistance Scholarship form.

If you would like to donate to help fund the membership of students who can’t afford to join, please visit our GiveButter donation site.

The Society of Torch & Laurel is a program offered by The National Society of Collegiate Scholars, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. You can view the Torch & Laurel privacy policy here.

Torch & Laurel certificates are custom printed, and can take up to 2-3 weeks to be printed and shipped. Once your order has shipped, you should receive a shipping confirmation and tracking number via email. If you did not receive a tracking number, please reach out to us at info@torchandlaurel.org so we can follow up on your order.