Late start...

Jen4lyfe

5-Year Member
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Mar 3, 2013
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Right now I'm a sophomore in hs, this year was also the year I have become interested in attending a service academy (either USMA or USNA). I'm kind of at a late start. I didnt do any sports freshmen year ( did an extra curricular activity) and the only sport I did this year is jv bowling. I've moved twice this year and now have to take an online class over the summer to get promoted to the next grade. Im in a few clubs at school, not that many volunteer hours but I do actively volunteer and am gonna continue in the summer. I'll have a job this summer too. I would like to do more sports my junior and senior year, preferably cross country and then eventually track and field. I wanna also try my hand at softball. I know that usually the application process starts in one's junior year of hs. As much as I would love to apply (I'm positive I will pass my online class over the summer) I'm a hundred percent sure I'm not competitive enough. Are there any applicants who had a late start , had a somewhat strong academic background but not so good in sports,decided to do a sport(s) starting junior year and then applied to a SA and by some miracle got appointed ? Id like to point out I am not asking what are are my chances to get in considering they are looking pretty slim right now and I don't actually plan on applying junior year either.
 
No chance unless you apply. I know people who didn't decide to apply until it was almost too late. Just do your best now.
 
Right now I'm a sophomore in hs, this year was also the year I have become interested in attending a service academy (either USMA or USNA). I'm kind of at a late start. I didnt do any sports freshmen year ( did an extra curricular activity) and the only sport I did this year is jv bowling. I've moved twice this year and now have to take an online class over the summer to get promoted to the next grade. Im in a few clubs at school, not that many volunteer hours but I do actively volunteer and am gonna continue in the summer. I'll have a job this summer too. I would like to do more sports my junior and senior year, preferably cross country and then eventually track and field. I wanna also try my hand at softball. I know that usually the application process starts in one's junior year of hs. As much as I would love to apply (I'm positive I will pass my online class over the summer) I'm a hundred percent sure I'm not competitive enough. Are there any applicants who had a late start , had a somewhat strong academic background but not so good in sports,decided to do a sport(s) starting junior year and then applied to a SA and by some miracle got appointed ? Id like to point out I am not asking what are are my chances to get in considering they are looking pretty slim right now and I don't actually plan on applying junior year either.

First, apply and see what happens.

Seccond, if you do good on your SAT/ACT, improve/maintain your grades, play sports, participate in leadership activities, and with some luck, you might be competitive. First you are competiting against yourself to be fully qualified. If you are fully qualiifed, you will compete against other qualified candidates in your nominaiton category. If you are in Northern VA for USMA, your competition will be very stiff, whereas if you live in somewhere in AL, you mirght have very little competition for USNA.

I plays JV soccer my sophomore year and played varisty Lacrosse my senior year (my school didn't have a JV lacrosse program). This was my sports when I got into West Point a long time ago.

Good luck
 
I had a very late start in the application process. I did not really start the application until my senior year was already underway, though you're supposed to do so the second semester of your junior year. I had interest before that point, of course, but didn't make up my mind until later for a variety of reasons.

Like you, academics were not a big problem for me, but I was concerned that I might not have the robust athletic background of other candidates. Up until my senior year I had participated in several JV-level sports, but had only played one varsity sport (powerlifting, which I was admittedly strong in for all four years [no pun intended]). That year I moved to varsity in cross country, football, and track. Both cross country and track were first-time sports for me my senior year.

By the end of the application, I had built up a fairly good athletics resume, which I did not have at the start of the process, and ended up getting in. So, my advice to you would be to go for it. Even if you don't have the world's best athletics background right now, it's something that you can build up if you work at it. Join those sports that you said you were interested in and work at them - if you put in the effort, by your second year, you should be just fine.

Also, I'm not sure why you said you wouldn't be applying junior year. The end of your junior year is when you need to start it - if you don't, like I didn't, it's a lot more hassle to get everything in, especially in regards to your congressional nomination (which may have a much earlier deadline). You can always update your file the next year with your new sports information.

Best of luck to you!
 
No chance unless you apply. I know people who didn't decide to apply until it was almost too late. Just do your best now.

Yeah you're right.Thanks, definitely changed my decision.I will apply and worst case scenario, I don't get accepted. I have a plan B but getting rejected wont stop me from applying again, wasn't raised to quit altogether.
 
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