Model United NationsNHSMUN and major California conferences

All five public high schools in the district run some form of Model United Nations club, though size and activity level vary by campus, so check with the advisor at your own school first. NHSMUN registers delegations rather than individuals: a delegation can include up to 50 students and must have a teacher or school administrator serving as advisor, so a student cannot register alone. If a school's club is inactive or not fielding a delegation in a given year, joining a combined delegation organized by an outside program or community group is the other route, since that organizer handles registration and chaperoning. BMUN likewise requires an adult advisor on site.

Delegate fees are $145 early through August 31, 2026, $155 regular from September 1 to October 31, and $185 late from November 1, plus a $95 school fee and $95 for each country or role assignment. Fees cover all conference materials and activities but not flights or hotel, and for a California family the travel to New York usually costs more than the conference itself. Refunds are full before November 15, half from November 15 to January 1, and none after.

Not as its focus. NHSMUN positions itself as an education-first conference built around written position paper feedback, depth of substantive preparation and interaction with delegations from around the world, rather than an individual award race. Students who specifically want Best Delegate or Outstanding Delegate recognition are better served by competitive university-run conferences such as BMUN.

NHSMUN runs in New York each March in two identical sessions, with some committees meeting at UN Headquarters, and emphasizes education and contact with international delegations. BMUN runs in early March at UC Berkeley, draws over two thousand high schoolers, and is a competitive conference with Best Delegate-style awards. BMUN is the higher-value pick when it is drivable or a short flight away, while NHSMUN's distinguishing draw is the UN Headquarters experience.

Substantially. NHSMUN 2027 charges $145-185 per delegate plus a $95 school fee and $95 per country assignment, while BMUN in recent cycles has used a school deposit plus a per-delegate registration fee in the tens of dollars - far below NHSMUN. Confirm the current figures at bmun.org. Add in the fact that Berkeley is a short trip from Southern California rather than a cross-country flight, and the total gap is usually several times over.

Some committees do meet at UN Headquarters in New York, and that is NHSMUN's most distinctive feature. Not every committee does, though - which sessions are held in the UN building depends on the committee lineup and the UN's own scheduling that year, and IMUNA announces the arrangement before the conference. Do not assume at registration that a given delegate will be placed in a Headquarters session.

It is submitted before the conference and is the preparation NHSMUN weighs most heavily; the organizers return written feedback on it. Start by working through the committee background guide, then research the assigned country's actual voting record and official statements on the topic so the stance holds up. Close with one or two concrete, implementable policy proposals rather than general sentiment. Exact formatting rules and deadlines come from each year's official site and committee guides.

NHSMUN serves secondary students roughly 13-18. A sensible progression is two or three local conferences hosted by Orange County and Southern California high schools and universities in grades 9-10 to learn the rules and rhythm, then a large conference such as BMUN or NHSMUN in grades 10-11, where topic depth and pace step up sharply. Local first, then out of state, gets the most out of the money. Fall of grade 12 usually belongs to applications.