How am I looking for the class of 2015 and what I need help with?

neugs

USNA 2015 Appointee
10-Year Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2010
Messages
99
I submitted my preliminary application, and went to the Academy for a visit and was told I was a candidate. But when do we expect to receive the application packet? Its been two weeks since I submitted the application. Well here are my credentials.


Currently a Junior

4.363 weighted GPA

3.72 unweighted GPA

Ranked 4th out of 103

I am a member of National Honors Society, will be running for President

I was nominated for Boys' State and will find out if I am an attendee this weekend

I received a 173 on my PSAT and 2010 on my SATS

I play three Varsity sports (varsity letter in each sport since sophomore year), each earning All-League Honors and each I will captain in my Senior year
Talked to USNA Soccer Coach Dave Brandt for recruiting, met with him in the past week:
Soccer Statistics:
Starting Varsity Goalkeeper: 10,11,12
Captain, MVP, Defensive Player of the Year: Freshmen Team
Honorable Mention All-League BPSL, Most Improved Player: Sophomore Year
1st Team All-League BPSL, Honorable Mention All-County, 11 shutouts, 1.1 goals against: Junior Year

I have been a Peer Mentor and Tutor all three years of my high school

I have also been involved in Student Government all three years

I was an ambassador for the HOBY program (A leadership program - 1 student selected from each school)

I am also very involved in my church as a Altar Server since the fourth grade and part of the Youth Group since freshmen year.

I also was a participant in the Math Club my freshmen year

Can you help?
 
I believe the website indicates that the packets will go out beginning in about mid-May.
 
173 PSAT to 2010 SAT... very nice. I'd work on the unweighted GPA, everything else looks good
 
His GPA isn't bad at all! Just keep doing what you're doing, you look absolutely great! It's class rank that matters more anyway :D

Do you know if you live in a competitive area?
 
Be sure you're taking Calc, Chem w/lab (unless you've already taken it), English, History and/or advanced language. It's not just your grades, it's what courses they were in.
 
Thank you all of you for your wonderful responses. I live in New Jersey and I'm not sure how competitive it is, but I bet it is very. And yes, I have taken Honors Chemistry with Lab my sophomore year and will be taking either Advanced Physics or Advanced Chemistry, both with lab, my senior year. I will also have four years of Spanish, and honors for that each year as well.

I have been in all the possible Honors and AP classes that are available to take throughout my high school career.
 
neugs, looks great form here, but Admissions will have the final say.

Also, don't forget there are other requirements as well. You must be in pretty good shape will all those sports, but get in better shape. You must pass (excel at) the CFA.

Then DoDMERB will have their say in it.

Then your MOC will want to evaluate your "whole self".

Please review these requirements for Admissions http://www.usna.edu/Admissions/steps.htm and get them all in a line.

Then you'll have a good shot at getting in. :wink:

Stay focused and strong, be confident but not cocky, the whole person is being evaluated. Good luck. :thumb:
 
It's class rank that matters more anyway :D
QUOTE]

This is troubling if it's true. Admissions isn't looking at the transcripts of the people ahead of you in rank in the class. My son had two B+ in typing as a Freshman. He has taken the most advanced classes available at our high school to include Chemistry, Physics, Honors English, etc. After maxing out on the Math classes as a Junior, he began taking online Trigonomitry and AP Calculous this year. Three of the four top students in his class don't even compare. They've taken much easier classes to safeguard their GPA's. So if class rank is really what it's about, I'm very disappointed.

Kat
 
look good

You look pretty good and maybe I missed it and if I did I apologize but will you be attending NASS? If so that will be another opportunity to show the academy a glimpse of your desire to attend the academy and give you a chance to perhaps add to your resume. If you do attend NASS use that opportunity not only to learn about what academy life is like and if its right for you but make sure your on top of your game physically and mentally. With the selection process so competitive you never know what is going to seperate you from the person that just misses being selected.
 
Class rank is not what it's all about. It may be class rank in one case. It may be SAT in another case. It's the whole candidate. It's the B&G interview. It's the nomination process. It's the CFA. It's the leadership. It's the drive.

There is no magic bullet. No one thing that will guarantee appointment.

Do your best. Act with honor and desire for service. Be a leader, not an observer. Try to communicate who you are on your application.
 
Class rank is important but so are the courses you take. USNA sees your transcript. If you're taking "basketweaving" and are in the top 5% of your class, it won't mean nearly as much as if you're taking AP Calc, AP Physics, AP English, etc. and are in the top 10%.

The reason class rank is important is that USNA can't figure out how each school's grading system works. Thus, some schools may give out lots of As while others may give out very few. Class rank shows where you compare with your peers. However, as noted, it's not perfect b/c it doesn't show the courses your peers are taking.

That's why USNA looks at SAT/ACT scores and teacher recs, along with several other items. It's not a perfect system but I'm not sure that any system is perfect.
 
I think Kve meant it was class rank that mattered anyway with regard to the GPA. From what I understand, USNA would rather you had a 2.8 and ranked first than a 3.7 and ranked 50 percentile, as GPAs and grade inflation varies dramatically from school to school.
 
Sitting pretty!:thumb: Like some others have said, excelling at the CFA by being in awesome shape and having some great letters of rec do not hurt.

If it is a competitive congressional district, it seems like the key to getting a nomination is having the drive to do all of the extra little things great-- the way you conduct yourself in the MOC interview, what you wear, how you follow up, if you get there early, how you present you application to your congressman... The extra mile there seems more like the extra 1/10 mile in the grand scheme of the SA application process, but it sure pays off! :biggrin:
 
It's class rank that matters more anyway :D
QUOTE]

This is troubling if it's true. Admissions isn't looking at the transcripts of the people ahead of you in rank in the class. My son had two B+ in typing as a Freshman. He has taken the most advanced classes available at our high school to include Chemistry, Physics, Honors English, etc. After maxing out on the Math classes as a Junior, he began taking online Trigonomitry and AP Calculous this year. Three of the four top students in his class don't even compare. They've taken much easier classes to safeguard their GPA's. So if class rank is really what it's about, I'm very disappointed.

Kat

It's NOT class rank that rates more than all else when academics are considered. It is just one of many factors that the selection board looks at.

I've not seen any mention of the letters of recommendation (submitted with the application) on this thread. My son's old boss wrote one and it brought tears to my eyes...something to the effect that he would trust my son leading his enlisted loved-ones (son and son-in-law) in battle. Stuff like that counts too, maybe more than some realize. Afterall, we are a nation at war and it doesn't look as though this will change any time soon.
 
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From a Member of 2014

Your doing great, and listen about taking the hard AP Calc, Science and English courses. I'm also from Jersey btw (Bergen County). I got into USNA class of 2014 and will be attending. Received nominations from my congresswoman, and two senators. These are my stats:

weighted GPA: 4.2 (estimated)

un-weighted GPA: 3.7 (estimated)

ranked #2 out of 110 (as of 3/30/10, #2 and #3 are neck and neck)

member of NHS

2040 of SATs

9 varsity letters, all in cross country or track
captain for cross country, and track senior year
decent runner, received some recognition

peer mentor/tutor for two years

class vice-president

Also a HOBY NJ ambassador (2008) and HOBY WLC ambassador
(Wish Hugh a Happy Birthday)

youth group for 3 years

Clubs-mock trial for three years, BSA eagle scout

I probably missed a couple of things but you get the general idea. Hope this helps out and Good Luck!
 
Wow matthewcod....we're almost identical. I, too, am from Bergen County, so I will need to get a nomination from Scott Garrett, or my two senators. That is pretty amazing, because I will receive 9 varsity letters by the end of my high school career as well.
 
there you go then neugs, no one can say for sure if you'll get in, but it does appear to be a strong possibility. Don't let it swell your head though, you might not fit through the door (read into that).

Good luck to you and matthecod. My DS is headed to Newport first, then Annapolis.
 
Oh I'm so sorry! I didn't mean that class rank is the most important academic factor they look at. I was replying back to the person who told the OP to work on his/her unweighted GPA, but I don't think OP should worry too much about his/her unweighted GPA because it's really good and admissions is going to take class rank (and OP is 4th) into consideration as well. Plus a 4.0 at one school doesn't necessarily mean a 4.0 at a different school so class rank is one way they put that something like that into perspective, so in that way I think class rank is a little better than plain GPA?
 
I can't stress enough how important it is to get your application completed as early as possible including teacher recs
 
Several really good posts on this thread.

jbowman (post 10) makes a really important point: Everything about you will be scrutinized by both USNA and your BGO and your nomination sources. You need to get across to USNA and in your nomination packets why YOU want to go to USNA, and more importantly, what is it about you that should make them choose you over all the others who want that slot. IMO, that means paying attention to details. Get your packet completed promptly, follow the MOCs' nomination packet instructions, think ahead about what you might be asked in interviews (and your answers). Be well groomed at your interviews, and even if you don't have a suit, make sure what you do wear is clean and in good repair.

I also think that it is important that you, not your parents, carry out all correspondence & phone calls regarding your application, unless there is some critical reason why you can't. (IMO, "lack of time" is not a valid reason. Yes, I know that schedules are hectic, but people can almost always find ways to make things happen if they want something badly enough.) One thing our BGO mentioned to us was that he looks to see if each USNA application is being done out of desire by the candidate, or if it's desire by the candidate's mom/dad/grandparent. If you're not the one making the phone calls, etc., then whose desire is it, really?
 
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