USCGA Class of 2019 statistics and waitlist?

hardknock96

5-Year Member
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Jan 28, 2013
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Congrats to all who received an appointment; I did not and want to investigate a better idea why? Out of curiosity what were the average statistics for the incoming class of 2019? I would like to know what the Academy chose. My test scores were on the lower end but would have made the middle 50% of incoming applicants in the past. Everything else especially the PFE was at or above average. Considering I received two other ROTC Scholarships(4yr AROTC,NROTC-MO) that have very similar averages compared to USCGA (test scores ,GPA, physical exam) I am slightly surprised. I wonder if I have any chance of being waitlisted?

From what I know in this politically sensitive climate it could also be a racial, gender thing( I am a white male). Does the USCGA follow racial and gender quotas in the selection process? If it is then I guess that's how New London plays ball. I can change my test scores but not my skin color or gender. Though, I have options and will gladly move on, any weaknesses may be best improved on. It will help me on whatever path I take toward being a military officer, no matter how small.

The letter I got was:

"Thank you for applying to the United States Coast Guard Academy. The Cadet Candidate Evaluation Board has completed reviewing your application and I regret to inform you that we are unable to offer you an appointment to either the Class of 2019 or our preparatory school program. Over 2,200 students applied for an appointment this year and from this group we will tender fewer than 350 appointments for an incoming class of 280. As you know, the Academy offers a tremendous opportunity and this year will be one of the most selective in our history.

If you intend to earn a degree from another college and still desire to become a Coast Guard officer, please keep our other commissioning programs in mind. For more information about Officer Candidate School and other opportunities, visit www.gocoastguard.com to learn how to contact your local Coast Guard Recruiting Office.

Thank you for considering the United States Coast Guard Academy. I appreciate your interest in our service and wish you the very best in all your future endeavors."

From what I understand this means complete rejection, no waitlist, politely buzz off. I took it as that but as the USCGA is great opportunity I would like to have no doubts. If this is the end, its the USCGA's loss, the Marines or Army will have another dedicated member in their ranks. It was a good run, I just hope USGCA rejected me for the right reasons. Please point out any obvious flaws with brutal honesty.
 
The honest answer to your question is you won't know why you weren't accepted and others were. Without being on the board, you don't know what they were looking at, and you especially don't know what the other candidates were bringing to the table.

IMO, there seems to be a perception that the academies (and many selective colleges) make a big ranking, and then start going down the list. There's also a perception that if I do X and score Y then I'll get in. However, I don't think things work that way.

From the letter you quoted, over 2200 students applied. Assuming each of them were brought up before the boards, that makes 7 students rejected for each slot offered. Some are obviously not qualified, either academically, physically, or via character issues. But I would venture that there are easily 1000 qualified candidates that would be able to succeed at the academy. So the next question is how to cull that down?

The answer is to look for what each student will bring into the class as well as into the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard is a national service, and should reflect that national distribution. Therefore, they're looking for qualified people from all over the country. The Coast Guard is mixed gender, so qualified men and women are being sought.

The academy is also a college, so a variety of athletes, artists, community leaders, and scholars are being sought. And yes, demographic spread is also being looked for. There are no quotas or guaranteed slots, but I think there are goals that they have in mind.

As I said before, without being on the board, there's no way of knowing what factors went into the decision. If you did get to the board it meant you were qualified. It was just a matter of who you were competing against.

I see in your other posts that you have 4 year scholarships available to you. Congratulations, and you can have quite the successful career in the military from ROTC. In my ROTC class of 18 we have two Captains and an Admiral now. Most of the rest have postgraduate degrees and are successful in other careers. Take advantage of the opportunity you have in front of you. Good luck.
 
Here's the statistics for Early Action for the Class of 2019 that Objee posted in February:


648 Applicants
171 Appointments

Of the 171 appointees to the Class of 2019...
50% AIM Graduates
Average SAT Scores: 707 CR 679 M 627 W (includes converted ACT scores)
Average HS Rank: 12% (includes reported and calculated HSR's)
Average GPA: 3.87 (all reported GPA's are converted to a 4.00 scale)
Average PFE Score: 229
37 U.S. states are represented plus U.S. citizens living in the District of Columbia, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, and the U.S. Virgin Islands
 
I have no idea why some candidates receive appointments and others don't. However, I will say that the broad academic statistics usually cited are only a small part of the story. From the outside looking in, I think that more than any other service academy, the CGA looks for and needs well rounded or multi-dimensional candidates. Think about it. Right now, there are less than 1,000 cadets at the CGA. From this small group, they need to fill slots for 12 varsity sports for women (With slightly more than 300 there!) and 14 varsity sports for men, in addition to several very intense and competitive club sports. In addition, the CGA band plays a very important role at the CGA. When I attended a regimental review at Annapolis, the band were all professionals - enlisted personnel. At all of the regimental reviews I've attended at CGA, it was the cadet band that was showcased. You need a lot of different people to make the CGA work. I'm not saying that they actively recruit super star athletes - they don't... but they will look for scholars who also are athletes, musicians, singers, dancers actors, club leaders that will round out and fill all of the various activities that the CGA offers.
 
The USCGA chorus (I'm sure that's not their official name) came to Illinois last year for free concerts and I surprised my DD by taking her to see them. She is very interested in USCGA but is not an uber athlete and was happy to talk to some of the cadets and learn that they weren't either. She's a singer/theater kid with a club sport. I take a bit of comfort in knowing that USCGA does try to round out the class with kids of varying interests. Otherwise, she wouldn't have much of a chance.
 
I was in your position a few years ago and I know the disappointment felt when reading that letter. I had a similar reaction to you where I was left wondering what else I could have done. Users on here will not be able to provide the answer; the best person to tell you is your admissions officer so if you really want to get an idea of where you fell short it would be best to e-mail him/her. They can sometimes be a bit tight lipped about specifics so you may not get the exact answer you were looking for.

I would not interpret that letter as USCGA telling you to buzz off. If USCGA is really where you want to be, consider reapplying. Some people, myself included, are successful reapplicants. As others have pointed out, USCGA is small and with each commissioning class, they need new cadets to fill the holes. While applicant A has a higher GPA than applicant B, applicant B is an outstanding hockey goalie whereas applicant A is an outstanding 2-miler on his track team. Unfortunately for applicant A, USCGA already has 3 other cadets who are just as good running the 2 mile and instead need a new goalie as they are losing their current one as he graduates this year. Even though applicant A has a better GPA and may stack up better on paper, appointments are ultimately going to be awarded in such a way that meets the need of the academy and the service.

Don't focus on being an average or above average successful applicant. Make your application the best one of the 2,000+ they receive.
 
You need a lot of different people to make the CGA work. I'm not saying that they actively recruit super star athletes - they don't... but they will look for scholars who also are athletes, musicians, singers, dancers actors, club leaders that will round out and fill all of the various activities that the CGA offers.

This is true. Admissions is looking for a lot of different things for the Corps of Cadets. But top of the list is leadership potential and the attitude that it takes to be successful both in the CGA environment and out in the fleet.
 
If I lived under different circumstances I would have thought of reapplying, but in my situation you take what you can get and living next to crack heads and drug dealers for another year is too much. I would hate: to pursue an opportunity I may not get based on things I can't control, putting me a year further from making money and not being poor while living in an environment that I hate/hated to live in. I will email my admissions officer to get the specifics, if any and otherwise forget about the whole escapade and move on to Norwich, FSU or Embry-Riddle. Though I aligned most with the USCG's mission, I need a college education and I have a piece of damn pie to use.
 
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Darn, if applying to USCG was an escapade and making money is what attending was all about, then maybe the mission of Maritime Safety, Security, and Stewardship were the wrong fit. I know some USCG personnel-officers and enlisted, and they don't do it for the money... they do it for others.
 
As in making money I meant being able to pay my own electric bill and not live on welfare. If I wanted BIG money, I would definetly not be wanting to go into the military.
 
hardknock96, for someone who received the NROTC-MO Scholarship, you sound a little bitter. The Marines have a "aviation guarantee" contract. Take the money, go to Embry-Riddle in Daytona, get a Aerospace Engineering degree. You could end up flying a F-35. Door closes, window opens! No battle plan survives first contact intact(quoting von Moltke).
 
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As in making money I meant being able to pay my own electric bill and not live on welfare. If I wanted BIG money, I would definetly not be wanting to go into the military.
You, probably more than most on these forums, understands struggle and overcoming adversity. You sound like you're on the right track and I truly applaud your efforts (and am a little in awe). You've overcome a lot and you will overcome this setback as well. You're obviously an intelligent, resourceful young man as evidenced by your scholarships. I think you'll find that whichever way you go, Marines or Army, you may find that its really where you needed to be.

I wish you the best of luck and hope that you find joy in your decision.
 
Thanks, I have a good set of parents who helped me get where I am, they never have much money but make sure it goes to good use. They always made sure opportunities were not void and would always find some way to get what I need. My parents are college educated but my dad has been ill for years and that's the main reason for our situation. There are far worse individual stories, as some kids I know have no food and literarily will make sure not to miss school in order to eat. I honestly never realized this predicament until high school as I was so used to the penny-pinching. Though, I have to say I always had/never had...
  • Never had a cell-phone.
  • Had one channel on the television for 5 years
  • My parents were on and off welfare(my parents were so poor that when my Dad was a few years overdue on his taxes the government actually looked into and saw they owed my family money based on my fathers income)
  • Clothes from Good Will.
  • And that's just what I can remember off the top of my head...
 
hardknock96, for someone who received the NROTC-MO Scholarship, you sound a little bitter. The Marines have a "aviation guarantee" contract. Take the money, go to Embry-Riddle in Daytona, get a Aerospace Engineering degree. You could end up flying a F-35. Door closes, window opens! No battle plan survives first contact intact(quoting von Moltke).

Sounds great, except for the fact I absolutely hate planes and Embry-Riddle won't allow me to use Bright Futures or Florida Pre-paid. Hopefully, someone who actually wants to do that will get the scholarship if things don't work out.
 
Sounds great, except for the fact I absolutely hate planes and Embry-Riddle won't allow me to use Bright Futures or Florida Pre-paid. Hopefully, someone who actually wants to do that will get the scholarship if things don't work out.
Embry Riddle was my #4 choice and I only listed it because it was close to my house.
 
Hardknock, I'm finding very hard to sympathize. You got Florida in-state tuition, with Bright Futures and someone (grandparents?) put money in a Florida Pre-paid plan. You were awarded 2 extremely hard to get difficult scholarships. Basically you could walk out of college free and clear as a civilian, if you choose. Some kids are looking at 40k per year (160k) in tuition. Its not having what you want, but wanting what you got. (OMG I just quoted Cheryl Crow)
Go to UCF for a year, Red Shirt your sport, join some community service group, choir/music, and make sure you CRUSH the academics especially Calculus and Physics. I know you'll get in on the second go around. They want kids that Get It Done. Show them. Don't lay down on the mat like a fish, its still the 1st period of the match. It could be worse, you could have a broken nose.

"Nothing is over until we say its over. Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell NO! Cause when the going gets tough, the tough get going". (Bluto's Big Speech)
 
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FSU you mean? Would I be allowed to take the scholarship(AROTC) or at least delay its benefits and reapply to the USCGA? It will be quite a decision to let a bird in the hand go, just to grab a more colorful one that weighs the same. If this a possible route though, I might just have to go through with it.
 
Hardknock, I'm finding very hard to sympathize. You got Florida in-state tuition, with Bright Futures and someone (grandparents?) put money in a Florida Pre-paid plan. You were awarded 2 extremely hard to get difficult scholarships. Basically you could walk out of college free and clear as a civilian, if you choose. Some kids are looking at 40k per year (160k) in tuition. Its not having what you want, but wanting what you got. (OMG I just quoted Cheryl Crow)
Go to UCF for a year, Red Shirt your sport, join some community service group, choir/music, and make sure you CRUSH the academics especially Calculus and Physics. I know you'll get in on the second go around. They want kids that Get It Done. Show them. Don't lay down on the mat like a fish, its still the 1st period of the match. It could be worse, you could have a broken nose.

"Nothing is over until we say its over. Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell NO! Cause when the going gets tough, the tough get going". (Bluto's Big Speech)

I am not sympathizing, I am a happy that I got a piece. I am glad, I didn't waste 4 years in high-school. If I didn't get anything that would have been the end of the world. But that's not the case, I have a plan.
 
You gotta decide what you're end objective is, because they're different missions. Personally, I'd let the AROTC go, since you have the Pre-paid and Bright Futures, then reapply for USCGA next year. You could always pick up the AROTC again, but I dont' think they pay as much for the final 3. Who cares, its Florida, tuition cost nothing to begin with.

But YOU HAVE to crush the 1st semester of FSU.. 4.0GPA. You never said your sport, it would help if you had an athletic advocate, or your major...it better be engineering. You need a plan.
 
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