College GPA vs Standardized test scores

berstcal

5-Year Member
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Jan 19, 2014
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So last year I applied for the Air Force Academy class of 2017 and long story short despite getting a principal nomination from my congressman, I was not admitted due to my CR Sat score had a <> around them.
After not getting in, I decided to take a 4 year Naval ROTC Scholarship to the University of Washington.
Like many, it has been my dream to go to the AFA since childhood and therefore I did not give up on my dream and re applied this year for the class of 2018.

At the UW this first quarter, I took calculus, naval science, English, and computer science and earned a 3.84 GPA along with getting an outstanding on my first PFA (275/300). Moreover, for winter quart, I am taking calc 2, the second quarter of computer science and naval science and for all 3 midterms I have scored a 90% or higher.

Along with my grades, I am also on the Battalion Sailing team and exhibition drill team.
This year I earned another principal nomination, however, I was too busy to retake my SATs until it was too late and although my scores reach the average (600 CR and 650 math) they will not be considered for my application this year.

My question is does the Admissions board take consideration on how you are ACTUALLY doing in college versus your SAT/ACT scores like the naval Academy or will I still be deemed academically unqualified?

In my essays this year, I emphasized my work ethic and transition into being in NROTC and college... I had my CO and several English professors give correct my essays and I thought they were very well written.

On a side note, I am physically and medically qualified already.

Let me know what you think!
 
Oh on a side note, the University of Washington is not an easy college to do well in. The averages for my math midterms were 62% and 57%, but I got a 97% and a 100% on them.
 
Too bad you were

too busy to get to the one piece you point out was your downfall the year before. Good luck this year though.
 
too busy to get to the one piece you point out was your downfall the year before. Good luck this year though.

Yes I understand this, however, when you are taking 18 credits on top of practicing with the schools Track and Field team, I wanted to focus on how well I could actually do in college instead of studying for the SATs and taking the test. I did retake the SATs, however, my scores did not reach the Academy until after February 15th. :frown:

Thank you for the wishes!
 
Did they specifically tell you they were too late? I believe they can add to your file even if it is after the deadline, or so I was told when my son applied. So long as you sent them in, can't hurt and they might consider it, maybe it will find its way to your file.
I applaud you for your persistence, it is a quality that is required at USAFA.
 
Standardized Test Scores

So last year I applied for the Air Force Academy class of 2017 and long story short despite getting a principal nomination from my congressman, I was not admitted due to my CR Sat score had a <> around them.
After not getting in, I decided to take a 4 year Naval ROTC Scholarship to the University of Washington.
Like many, it has been my dream to go to the AFA since childhood and therefore I did not give up on my dream and re applied this year for the class of 2018.

At the UW this first quarter, I took calculus, naval science, English, and computer science and earned a 3.84 GPA along with getting an outstanding on my first PFA (275/300). Moreover, for winter quart, I am taking calc 2, the second quarter of computer science and naval science and for all 3 midterms I have scored a 90% or higher.

Along with my grades, I am also on the Battalion Sailing team and exhibition drill team.
This year I earned another principal nomination, however, I was too busy to retake my SATs until it was too late and although my scores reach the average (600 CR and 650 math) they will not be considered for my application this year.

My question is does the Admissions board take consideration on how you are ACTUALLY doing in college versus your SAT/ACT scores like the naval Academy or will I still be deemed academically unqualified?

In my essays this year, I emphasized my work ethic and transition into being in NROTC and college... I had my CO and several English professors give correct my essays and I thought they were very well written.

On a side note, I am physically and medically qualified already.

Let me know what you think!

USAFA is very specific about retaking standardized tests. See Page 6, page 16-17 (especially the note under College Admission Test Scores, and page 25--Previous Candidates.
 
So I just got an email from the admissions office and they wanted to see how well I was doing in my English course this quarter because my Critical reading scores on my SATs had a <> around them. Is this a good thing? I had the same trouble with my scores when I applied last year, however, they did not ask my professor how well I was doing in the course.

Currently I am on track to get a 4.0 in my reading and writing English composition course so my professor speak of me with high remarks to admissions!
 
So I just got an email from the admissions office and they wanted to see how well I was doing in my English course this quarter because my Critical reading scores on my SATs had a <> around them. Is this a good thing? I had the same trouble with my scores when I applied last year, however, they did not ask my professor how well I was doing in the course.

Currently I am on track to get a 4.0 in my reading and writing English composition course so my professor speak of me with high remarks to admissions!

I am exactly in the same situation as you. I applied last year but my major weakness was CR for SAT. Currently I have also reapplied this year and my college course load/results are very similar. In addition I received the a very similar email as the one you mentioned. Lets keep our fingers crossed.
 
I don't know the specific answer to your question, but I would say that the SAT is supposed to be an indicator as to how well you will do in college level courses. What you have is actual experience and results in college level courses. Which do you think is better?

I will say that not retaking the SAT was definitely a blunder. I know you are busy and didn't have much time, but when I was a plebe I took 21 credit hours (I believe that is correct) and was an corps squad athlete so there is always more time in the day than you think there is.
 
What timing. The College Board is saying that the SAT is no longer a valid test and is being totally revamped.
 
JMCO759 is correct. The SAT has been deemed archaic and outdated. Approximately 160,000 students nationwide took the ACT vs. SAT. The testing board has reviewed the SAT and found it was too out of date to save and needed a complete overhaul. Many schools have begun to disregard the validity of the test.
 
But the SAT won't change until 2016. By then, my freshmen DD will need to take it and I was hoping she could prepare early....guess that's not going to happen since they are gutting it. Maybe we'll just stick with the ACT. In the Midwest, that seems to be the preferred test anyway.
 
Just got a call from my Congresswoman!! It looks like the Air Force Academy selected me for an appointment!! So excited and speechless! haha
 
That is terrific. Congratulations!!

Sent using the Service Academy Forums® mobile app
 
Check this out: To Graduate from USAFA: Identifying Which Admissions Criteria Make t

Google the defense technical information center and search for "To Graduate from USAFA: Identifying Which Admissions Criteria Make the Best Predictors of Cadet Success"

Abstract : The purpose of this study is to identify which admissions criteria make the best predictors of cadet success at the United States Air Force Academy. Using graduation as the measure of cadet success, the study's findings and resulting recommendations seek to increase the efficiency of selection decisions and hence the graduation rate. The study's methodology uses 10 years of existing cadet data to quantify, rank, and interpret the admissions criteria's relationships to graduation. The Research and Assessment Division of the Academy's Plans and Programs Directorate supplied the data from its databases while withholding any information that could lead to personal identification. The results of this study yield three types of information: (1) they identify which admissions criteria have significant relationships with graduation and which do not; (2) they lead to an ordinal ranking of admissions criteria in Table 3 based on the strength of their relationship to graduation; and (3) they provide a formula, shown in Figure 3, for determining an individual's probability of graduating from the Academy when given entries for each of the admissions criteria. In addition to comparing individual admissions criteria, the study compares admissions composites currently used in the selection process. After finding the composites to be excellent predictors of graduation for the most part, the study looks for ways to improve the composites. It begins by comparing the strength of the academic and extracurricular composites' relationships to graduation and their current weights in the weighted composite. The study then evaluates how well the selection composite takes into account the relationships between individual admissions criteria and graduation. As a result, the study is able to provide recommendations for changing the weights of existing admissions criteria in addition to recommending a probability model for use as a new admissions criterion.
 
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