Reapplying for Class of 2020, what to/not to do?

AcademyHopeful97

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Mar 14, 2015
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I'm writing this with a TWE in my hand, and I think I'm still in shock; everything will likely start to sink in tomorrow.
I received a principal nomination from my Congressman, scored a 680 Verbal, 790 Reading, and 630 Math on my SAT, and a 34 Writing, 27 Science, and 27 Math on my ACT. I took challenging courses over my high school career and generally did quite well, participated in a Varsity sport year round, and have received national recognition for my artwork. My father was also in the Navy, so I have somewhat of a military background to build from.
At this point, it appears that my application was rejected because I could've performed better in the STEM portion of my high school curriculum, and my CFA score could have been higher. But I can't accept that this is the end, and am determined to reapply for USNA in the fall. This presents several problems I need to face in the meantime. Perhaps the most pressing is where to go to school. I'm still waiting to hear back from many of the schools I applied to, but all of them are quite expensive, I don't qualify for financial aid, and my parents can't afford to help me with much of the tuition costs. I can go to a large, well known university and get myself in up to 60,000 dollars of debt in the first year, or I can go to a small community college that has a good STEM curriculum to really prepare myself for scrutiny from the board.
Will it hurt me if the Admissions Board isn't familiar with the details of courses offered at my community college? How can I stay involved in sports and other team/community activities if I am not playing at the college level and can no longer participate in activities geared more toward high school students? How can I tailor my activities/school in the next year for USNA without closing doors to plan B: AKA medical school? What tends to stand out most to the Admissions Board regarding applicants in this for the second time around?
 
So very sorry. I would suggest going the most affordable route and doing as well as possible. Even community colleges have student government and many have intramural teams. You can also look into adult league sports.
 
Plan B is medical school? That's like 300K in cost. How are you planning on paying for that if you can't pay for college? Was USNA attractive because it was nearly free? I can't think of a state school that cost 60K per year...mostly privates.

Very few USNA grads(like those at the tip top of their class) get medical school after graduation. You should be more concerned with what the "needs of the navy" might be at commissioning time.


Why not go to the state or community college and study a course load that mirrors first year USNA so admissions can gauge how well you did? What scrutiny are you worried about. Do well in the classes and they will take that into consideration.

You can also play on any number of club level sports at almost any university you attend with many club sports having challenging conferences where you can stand out for even more notice.

Apply for NROTC at the local college if it has a brigade and prove that you have what it takes and earn a 2 or 3 year sideload scholarship...that can help pay for school.

Good luck either way.
 
Plan B is medical school? That's like 300K in cost. How are you planning on paying for that if you can't pay for college? Was USNA attractive because it was nearly free? I can't think of a state school that cost 60K per year...mostly privates.

Very few USNA grads(like those at the tip top of their class) get medical school after graduation. You should be more concerned with what the "needs of the navy" might be at commissioning time.

.

As a Freshman I sat my parents down and told them I wanted to enlist; I had always felt a connection to service and feel that I belong in that community. My parents introduced me to USNA - I understand that it is not free considering what I would be required to give up to become a graduate of USNA and eventually a member of our armed services. Medical school after graduating is not something I plan to pursue if I attend USNA, but is a plan B if I cannot find a route into the military.
 
There are numerous routes if commissioning is the goal.
Academies,
XRotc national scholarships(high school seniors)-did you aply for any of these?
ROTC as a side-loadScholarship recipient at the unit level or as a programmer all the way through and then commissioning
OCS
Enlisted to college and commissioning

You want to go to medical school only if you don't go to USNA? Why not just go to college pre-med and go to medical school, graduate and direct commission into the Medical Corps or National Health Service as an officer? That way you get both. just a thought.
 
So sorry to hear this! We are still playing the waiting game. USNA only looks at English and Math on the ACT. Was your English 34 and Math 27? From what our BGO told us, the Math score is highly weighted by USNA.

Good luck on your Plan B! There are so many great colleges out there that aren't well known.
 
Have you read the "Reapplying" sticky at the top of the page? The Mod, USNA1985, tells you exactly what needs to be done.
 
Yes, check out the 'Reapplying' sticky - very helpful. As a soon-to-be college freshman, the single most important thing is to do really well in core classes, meaning: Chem w/ lab, Physics I + II w/ lab, Calc x, History/English/Humanities. My school requires I take a certain number humanities classes even though I'm a MechE. You don't want to be just straight STEM, even if that were possible. As a side note (because I know I've had this mentality), there is nothing wrong with going to a CC for a year. It's smart, actually. You can hold a job and get reasonably priced credits under your belt. As you posted above, do not shackle yourself with debt.

If you cannot find a sports team to join, which may be the situation at a CC, you need to max out the CFA. Just like homeschoolers, if you cannot find/join a sports team, the CFA becomes very important; not to imply that it isn't already. But really, the Reapplying thread can explain far more than me.

Also, for your essay, I would consider waiting until later in your first college semester. First off, your grades can't be sent until early/mid January, so the deadline is not an issue. The main reason is that you want to write in your essay (and this is just a suggestion) how/why you have grown since high school. The new environment really can make you grow up fast and it's important to tell USxA how you've improved. Just a thought. Good luck! You can PM if you want (I'm a college freshman who just recently received his 2nd TWE - that doesn't mean I don't know the process though :rolleyes:;)).
 
Will it hurt me if the Admissions Board isn't familiar with the details of courses offered at my community college? How can I stay involved in sports and other team/community activities if I am not playing at the college level and can no longer participate in activities geared more toward high school students? How can I tailor my activities/school in the next year for USNA without closing doors to plan B: AKA medical school? What tends to stand out most to the Admissions Board regarding applicants in this for the second time around?

I was basically in the same situation my senior year. Recently received my LOA and am cautiously optimistic. Attending a community college did not seem to be an issue for me. It is very important you do well in STEM courses. The panel understands freshman college students might not have as many opportunities as high school students. Time is not always in your favor in college as you are no longer on a 8-3 class time frame with free evenings for sports. With that said it is important to be involved in leadership of some sort. The panel needs to see you stand continue to out as an individual. This applies to both community college or a four year university. Get involved with the honors program at the college you choose. If they do not have one, see if you can help start one. Feel free to PM if you have any questions.
 
So sorry to hear this! We are still playing the waiting game. USNA only looks at English and Math on the ACT. Was your English 34 and Math 27? From what our BGO told us, the Math score is highly weighted by USNA.

Good luck on your Plan B! There are so many great colleges out there that aren't well known.
Are you sure they only look at English and Math on the ACT?
 
I am usually just a reader of the forum, but thought I'd help out on this one. I was an applicant last year that was placed on a waitlist for NAPS. I did not receive my TWE until mid July. I recently received an appointment after a year at a private university. When talking to my RD at the beginning of my first semester he told me to retake my ACT as I had already taken my SAT 4 times. (My standardized test scores were a real low point on my application.) He also told me to focus on my grade in calculus. I had previously taken calculus in high school and received an "A". I stuck with calculus 1 in college even though I had the choice to test out. Not only did I get an "A" in the class, but I learned how college professors teach. My roommate tested out of calculus 1 and took calculus 2. He proceeded to receive a "D". I am currently in calc 2 and have a high "B". Granted my standardized test scores didn't go up, I proved to the admissions board I could handle college level classes.

Now for extracurricular activities; I joined a fraternity. Most would think this is a terrible idea, but Greek life is nothing like most people think. I was able to be Vice President of my new member class, I've participated in multiple campus cleanups, participated in multiple Habitat for Humanities, organized and was assistant director of a philanthropy softball tournament, and the list goes on. Long story short, Greek life has opened endless opportunities for leadership and community service while away at college. If your campus allows you to rush a fraternity your first semester, do it. Just be sure to pick the right one.

If you have any other questions regarding my reapplication process feel free to ask.
 
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