Advice on how to stand out against others

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CrossCountryRunner12

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I will be re-applying to West Point this year as a college freshman. What would be the best way to make myself stand out when compared to other applicants, as a college student?

I realized I had the wrong attitude when applying last year. I didn't try hard enough to earn an appointment and I have no one to blame but myself. I had the mindset of, " If I..", when it should have been " I have to or I need to". Since I'm already medically disqualified, I'm determined to try harder and not give up when applying this year. I will apply myself to keep my grades up and will push myself to max out in every category on the fitness test.

Here's a list of the classes I will be taking at Penn State University Branch Campus this semester. Math 041 (Pre-calc), Chem 108, Chem 110, Army 101 (Army ROTC), Ballroom Dancing, First Year Experience, Mediterranean Studies (Honors Course).

I'm enrolled in the College of Engineering and also the Honors program. Besides doing Army ROTC, I plan to help out with the college's THON program, which raises money for childhood cancer. In the spring, I will be taking Calc I, Physics I, and Engineering Design along with other classes.

I know that college is very different from high school and being involved in the classes listed above, along with Army ROTC, I will have a lot of responsibility and studying on my part. However, I'm very determined to excel. I've heard that there has been a connection between the competitiveness of an applicant and getting a medical waiver. My goal is to become an Army Officer.

Thanks
 
CrossCountryRunner12 said:
I will be re-applying to West Point this year as a college freshman. What would be the best way to make myself stand out when compared to other applicants, as a college student?

I realized I had the wrong attitude when applying last year. I didn't try hard enough to earn an appointment and I have no one to blame but myself. I had the mindset of, " If I..", when it should have been " I have to or I need to". Since I'm already medically disqualified, I'm determined to try harder and not give up when applying this year. I will apply myself to keep my grades up and will push myself to max out in every category on the fitness test.

Here's a list of the classes I will be taking at Penn State University Branch Campus this semester. Math 041 (Pre-calc), Chem 108, Chem 110, Army 101 (Army ROTC), Ballroom Dancing, First Year Experience, Mediterranean Studies (Honors Course).

I'm enrolled in the College of Engineering and also the Honors program. Besides doing Army ROTC, I plan to help out with the college's THON program, which raises money for childhood cancer. In the spring, I will be taking Calc I, Physics I, and Engineering Design along with other classes.

I know that college is very different from high school and being involved in the classes listed above, along with Army ROTC, I will have a lot of responsibility and studying on my part. However, I'm very determined to excel. I've heard that there has been a connection between the competitiveness of an applicant and getting a medical waiver. My goal is to become an Army Officer.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Why not just stay ROTC if your goal is to become an officer? You are already forging ahead with classes and if you switch to WP to my understanding you have to spend all for years there no matter what. Also, Penn State is one of the best and biggest AROTC programs in the nation.
 
Academy or ROTC, either way its all about obtaining a commission no matter what institution you attend.
 
Your life, your call.

Thought I’d share a brief anecdote, a true story. A good friend applied to USMA (back in the '60s), did not get the appointment but one of his best friends did. My friend instead also went to Penn State. Around October of that year, he was walking across campus and accidentally ran into his friend, who had decided to quit USMA. Shocked, he asked “Why?” and got the simple response “It wasn’t for me.” My friend was overwhelmed, in his mind his buddy had consumed the slot that would have otherwise gone to him (so he had been told), and didn’t last one semester.

My friend continued at Penn State and eventually became a Distinguished Military Graduate of their Army ROTC program, became a Ranger, and had a very successful career, eventually becoming a doctor. Today he remains a very outgoing humanitarian, continuing to serve the medical needs of third-world countries.

He encouraged my DS to attend USMA, and once told us in private that of all his accomplishments in life, the only regret he had in life was not attending West Point.

While it is true that you get the same commission and an outstanding environment in an outstanding ROTC program, if USMA is a personal mission and you are consummately serious about pursuing it with a new passion and will stop at nothing to achieve it, don’t stop now.

His point to my DS was and is this – know exactly why you are so strongly interested in West Point, and if you really want it, drive on. Your life, your call. Make it count.

My (and his) two cents.
RLTW
 
Unless you got 2100+ on SAT, should take it again. Not to repeat myself, being in a college doesn't change your past SAT score.
 
Is there any particular reason you are taking ballroom dancing as opposed to an english or literature course?
 
PDB88 said:
Is there any particular reason you are taking ballroom dancing as opposed to an english or literature course?
Click to expand...

No reason why I should jump in here but that the hell!
I'm assuming the Ballroom Dancing addresses some core requirement like "3 hours of Fine Arts". I question the wisdom of doing this as well at this point in time as the OPs goal at present is to graduate from WP and not the current college. So I would recommend taking something meatier in any case. If OP ends up staying at the current college the core requirements can be addressed later. And this is coming from a guy who believes every officer should know how to dance and whose DS is a member of a Ballroom Dancing club in his college. I hear he does a wicked salsa! :rolleyes:
 
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