Wait Listed

I've just been put on the wait list, and it says that a few hundred more will be appointed from this list. I thought I had a really competitive profile, but I guess it wasn't enough. Is this really a rejection letter in disguise?

out of curiosity, what did your profile look like? GPA,SAT,sports,etc? and what district are you?
and did it say this in a letter, or email/portal?

Based on the info you posted previously, I'd judge your profile to be slightly below average in terms of competitiveness against the national pool. Your big problem area is the SAT/ACT. You're significantly below the USMA average for the ACT and slightly below the average for the SAT. That's a big portion of your profile, and in a big pool a few points can mean a lot.

Here's my profile

Academic Performance*

GPA: 3.79 Unweighted
Class Rank: 65
Class Size: 460

Test Scores: SAT Verbal/Critical Reading: 600
SAT Math: 660
SAT Writing: 600
ACT English: 27
ACT Math: 31
ACT Reading: 24
ACT SR: 29
ACT Combined English/Writing: 28

Activities:
Church Group Member
Church Group President
National Honor Society Attendee
National Honor Society President
National or State Academic/Science Award
Other Extracurricular Activities
Other Scholastic Awards
Student Body Representative
School Club Officer
Scouting Eagle/Gold Award
Scouting Member
Scouting Senior Patrol Leader
Certified Life Guard/ Math Tutor (up through Calculus AB, I'm in BC)

8 AP classes: Biology, Chemistry, Literature, Language, Government, United States History, Calculus ABC... lol.

Sports:
Football for three years- Captain and Varsity Letter
Track for one year
Golf (try to walk on at the Academy)
Karate for 9 years...
Taken advanced weightlifting classes for three years at my High School.

My GPA is now a 3.82, and will probably be a 3.85 by the end of this year.

I am retaking the ACT and SAT. I will probably score alot better on those, but my scores are already in the middle 50%. I thought they would've been ok...
My CFA may have been the dagger though

toss: 67
pullups:9
shuttle run: 9.3
situps: 99(maxed in 1min/35secs)
pushups: 55
mile: 7:17 (snow on track, done on January 3rd in Spokane, Washington State)

I'm doing P90X right now, and my scores would dramatically increase. I think I have leadership under my belt, my CFA will be a lot better, is it just my test scores?

Also, I worked 40+ hrs a week as a lifeguard in the Summer. Certified with the Red Cross. I math tutor kids up through Calculus AB during the school week for up to 8hrs max. However, there was nowhere to put it on the application, so my ALO put it down during our interview.

Your test scores ain't bad. I had an 1890(650 Math, 630 Reading, 610 Writing), which i think was slightly above average, or right in the middle.

You've got a strong application, but it's been a real competitive year from what i've heard. Best of luck to you, and just remember it ain't over yet.

Where do you live? Maybe your region is very competitive. Your stats are better than many I know who are currently cadets; however, if your region is overly represented by stronger candidates, you might not make the cut this time.

I know! That's why I was pretty devastated when I got that TWE... I'm in the Far West region. Which, I guess is very competitive this year. I have been accepted to BYU, so I'm pretty sure if I work my tail off there, my academics will look better for next year.

... I honestly can't see why you got waitlisted. SAT scores aren't everything... Everything else on your application looks freakin amazing

Did your interview go well?

Being told you are on the National Waiting list is not a rejection - yet. You did not win your Congressional slate. What did you have for nominations?
You should contact your ALO.
Whether or not you get an appointment depends on how large the NWL is and what the competition is. It very well could be than your 660/600 scores are not strong enough.

Well, I only got nominated by my District congresswoman, unfortunately no senators gave me the nod. I am retaking my SAT on april 9th, I just signed up today. Hopefully they can get to the academy before May 15th, that's the wait list termination date I believe. If not, they will be in for next year. My interviews went great! My ALO was very impressed and the nomination panel was very impressed as well. I guess the ACT/SAT hurt me too much. What strikes me as odd, is that my scores were in the mid 50%! What on earth is the profile of this year's class gonna look like than?

However, with the high appointee acceptance rate in the Far West, I'm pretty sure that no slot is gonna open up for me... It's basically a rejection letter in disguise (that's what my ALO told me; talk about a dagger through the heart). I guess being apart of the class of 2016 wouldn't be so bad.

Okay, so since you obviously did not win the appointment from your MOC's slate you now will compete with the pool from across the country from those who also did not win an appointment from their MOC.

You have a good attitude. West Point typically likes candidates who show enough resolve to apply again. It's only a year.

if it really is a rejection letter, i'd rather have them say you did not get in then to send out one of these "hopeful" letters =/

I agree

Your application seems very similar to mine except i didn't play football cuz im a girl but, you are probably at the top of the waiting list with an application like that. I was accepted in the begining of november with an LOA in July but im sure you'll be accepted.

NYMA06 said:

if it really is a rejection letter, i'd rather have them say you did not get in then to send out one of these "hopeful" letters =/

Click to expand...

West Point does have a National Wait List. Hundreds of candidates will be chosen. This is basically the group that got a Congressional Nomination but did not win their slate.
He is NOT rejected yet. When/if he is rejected he will receive a rejection letter.
How deep they go into the NWL depends on several factors - the main one being how many appointments are accepted. Appointees have until May 1 so some appointments may be offered after May 1.
In the past few years the number of applications and qualified candidates has risen and the yield has been high - this is tough news for those on the NWL.
I highly suggest that anyone on the NWL make contact with admissions - either through email, phone or visiting. These folks can give you an honest answer.

Hey thank you for the words of advice, I will definitely contact admissions on monday, and I will be sending out my application early this next year with hopes of getting an LOA. Retaking the SAT and CFA aughta do the trick. I also have to agree that I hate the whole waiting list thing, I wish they would just not say anything, and then send me an appointment if a slot opens up, or just send me a rejection letter on May 15th if nothing happens. At least then I wouldn't know the difference, and avoid this state of Limbo for my future plans. I also applied to USAFA, and my ALO for that academy said I looked very strong in the national pool. I honestly don't think I could handle being rejected a 2nd year in a row (apply for 2016) by West Point, and pass up a chance at joining the fight in the skys (and possibly the heavens... that would be pretty cool). This is just very frustrating; however, If I have too, I will be applying every year until I am 23. Do you think it would help if I picked up Rosetta Stone over the summer and learned Mandrin or Spanish a little better? Just tossin' out ideas.

Admissions told us the NWL was "closed"... Said our son would be put on it if and when he gets a waiver, since it has been months in the process. Definitely worth a call though!

So let me get this strait, since it said hundreds more will be appointed from whatever list I'm on, does that mean I'm in the national pool right now? This is a little confusing.

How do you know you are wait listed? My DS has scores that are in line with yours and we are in southeast region. He was notified he was fully qualified and has two nominations.