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That is what the Prep school is for. I'm glad to see enlisted candidates going to prep. I don't like the use of the prep schools for athletic recruiting.
Active duty soldiers!
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That is what the Prep school is for. I'm glad to see enlisted candidates going to prep. I don't like the use of the prep schools for athletic recruiting.
I couldn't agree more westpoint is the premier school to create officers, not sports players. I think recruiting should not be an option unless they are already a candidate.
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Not necessarily. As a prior service candidate, you still have to be 3Q'd and have a decent WCS. My understanding is that even if you are a 3Q'd soldier, if your academics are on the low side then you will be sent to USMAPS.
fezlopez
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It is my understanding standards are more lenient for soldiers. Most soldiers deemed "academic" risks go to Prep school.
scoutpilot
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Be careful throwing around the absolutes about who deserves to be recruited or sent to the prep school. Sports are an important part of the academies, and always will be.
There are some who believe that accepting academically unqualified soldiers out of the Army is not worth the extra effort and risk, given what little experience many soldiers bring to the table. So, there's an argument against everyone who needs the prep school.
Be careful who you disparage.
There are some who believe that accepting academically unqualified soldiers out of the Army is not worth the extra effort and risk, given what little experience many soldiers bring to the table. So, there's an argument against everyone who needs the prep school.
Be careful who you disparage.
I wasn't saying they they shouldn't be accepted, I was just stating I was surprised they lower the standards so much. I would think there would be a lot of high speed recruits that could be recruited through the army to fill up the enlisted slots from AD,NG, and reserves. 20-25 is a great score! But WestPoint is considered Ivy league. The prep school seems like a very valid option for soldiers. I think you may have misread my statement, but I believe that enlisted soldiers a very important part of WestPoint and can share valuable insight to the cadets with a civilian background, it gives them "real world" knowledge.
I could see how someone from a very competitive district might get upset if they were QNS'ed and an enlisted member got in through the USMAPS, but the thing is that anyone could take the same route. All the current candidates could enlist if they wanted to and seek admission through the enlisted nominations, but thats not the best route for everyone.
scoutpilot
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1. 20-25 is not a great score. It's a very weak score. Consider that one of the largest universities in the country, Ohio State, had a freshman class with a mean ACT of 29. That's across a class of 7000 admitted freshmen. 20-25 is weak and in dire need of improvement.
2. West Point is not considered Ivy League.
3. I am intimately familiar with the arguments both for and against soldier admissions.
4. You do not understand the enlisted admissions process thoroughly enough to declare that "anyone could take that route."
5. I misread nothing. When you say "I think recruiting should not be an option unless they are already a candidate" you are drawing absolute line in a process that does not deal in absolutes.
I'm simply reminding you, from a position of greater perspective, that every candidate is weak in one area and stronger in another. That's by design. Every fits together as part of the greater academy puzzle. Beware declaring who "should" be a candidate and a cadet, lest you find yourself on the outside looking in.
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GoArmyBeatNavy
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West Point is a fine liberal arts college! It does not have graduate schools.
Are people admitted to West Point who were also accepted to Ivy League schools? Yes! But that applies to Williams, Davidson and Middlebury, other liberal arts
colleges.
Is West Point a great school? Yes! Experiences different then most, great focus on producing officers, full history, etc.
Are people admitted to West Point who were also accepted to Ivy League schools? Yes! But that applies to Williams, Davidson and Middlebury, other liberal arts
colleges.
Is West Point a great school? Yes! Experiences different then most, great focus on producing officers, full history, etc.
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fezlopez
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I gotta say, his thread takes turns for the smallest reasons...
ScoutPilot made some impressionable remarks.
I'm just a PFC, no patch, applying to USMA with a bit above average academics and good recommendations, and good PT scores. I've been using the Internet since 1998 and my Google skills are pretty good ;D. I'm nothing special, so take this for what it's worth:
-Browsing through data of previous classes, most soldiers enter Prep School. How many of those actually enter USMA? Idk, I can't find that data anywhere.
-USMA does publish the amount of combat vets per class. It ranges in the 10's every class.
-At some class ( I believe 2011), USMA stopped publicly putting the number of enlisted soldiers per class. Why? I don't know. Though it makes me speculate the numbers are low. I could be wrong. However, some press releases by public affairs do mention the number. Google it. Not hard. Though I cannot for the life of me find numbers for current and recent classes! AHHRRG!!! WHY U DO DIS USMA
-Soldiers with "average" academics can still apply. Just because you're average, doesn't mean you shouldn't. You can make up for this in recommendations by higher ranking officers and your chain of command. There is a reason the soldier/candidate portal allows up to 6 LOE's....
In the end, I'm not giving up! I really want to attend USMA & I could care less what some think in this thread. We can argue all day and night if average soldiers should/shouldn't attend USMA. Guess what? We dont' make those calls. Admissions does.
For now, let's keep this thread positive. Some of us aren't that smart, but I'm sure some will make up for it in deployment/training experience. Let's not talk down on anyone here. If that LT at BDE Staffy Duty would've told me I'm dumb, I wouldn't have asked my CO and Chain of Command for help in my application and this thread wouldn't exist. I like to believe I have a chance. I want to believe others do to. I'm not saying let's turn in to carebears, but let's be a bit fair with each other.
Keep the love. Spread the love guys/girls.
ScoutPilot made some impressionable remarks.
I'm just a PFC, no patch, applying to USMA with a bit above average academics and good recommendations, and good PT scores. I've been using the Internet since 1998 and my Google skills are pretty good ;D. I'm nothing special, so take this for what it's worth:
-Browsing through data of previous classes, most soldiers enter Prep School. How many of those actually enter USMA? Idk, I can't find that data anywhere.
-USMA does publish the amount of combat vets per class. It ranges in the 10's every class.
-At some class ( I believe 2011), USMA stopped publicly putting the number of enlisted soldiers per class. Why? I don't know. Though it makes me speculate the numbers are low. I could be wrong. However, some press releases by public affairs do mention the number. Google it. Not hard. Though I cannot for the life of me find numbers for current and recent classes! AHHRRG!!! WHY U DO DIS USMA
-Soldiers with "average" academics can still apply. Just because you're average, doesn't mean you shouldn't. You can make up for this in recommendations by higher ranking officers and your chain of command. There is a reason the soldier/candidate portal allows up to 6 LOE's....
In the end, I'm not giving up! I really want to attend USMA & I could care less what some think in this thread. We can argue all day and night if average soldiers should/shouldn't attend USMA. Guess what? We dont' make those calls. Admissions does.
For now, let's keep this thread positive. Some of us aren't that smart, but I'm sure some will make up for it in deployment/training experience. Let's not talk down on anyone here. If that LT at BDE Staffy Duty would've told me I'm dumb, I wouldn't have asked my CO and Chain of Command for help in my application and this thread wouldn't exist. I like to believe I have a chance. I want to believe others do to. I'm not saying let's turn in to carebears, but let's be a bit fair with each other.
Keep the love. Spread the love guys/girls.
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It's always good to have a lot of perspectives on things and I value yours. That being said I do admit 20-25 isn't an excellent score, but what I should have said is 20-25 is a good score for some people's goals outside of the academies an a few select schools.
Although WestPoint isn't one of the 8 Ivy League schools when I wrote "considered" I meant that very loosely as it is on par with Ivy League education.
Other than that I agree. I'm just stating some speculations an assumptions I had which may have basis in reality and may not. In the end it doesn't matter to me who gets in other than myself, and I trust those in charge make the right choice when choosing our future soldiers.
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I believe in you. Keep trying on that Act and disregard people dismissing you for a bad score because scores can easily change, being a jerk on the other hand is a bit harder. Many people don't think of the fact that there are people on the other side of the computer screen and will be very negative toward anything you do. Don't pay attention because after all they are wasting their time tearing down a possible future cadets dreams when they should be building you up. Remember anything is possible!
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Remember that it was hooah21 who had the 23 ACT. Yes, that is considered low, but having excellent recommendations (especially from general officers) and being a high-speed soldier helps compensate. I'm sure that fezlopez is fine and on track for a soldier appointment. Civic29 is on point in his last post- do not let ANYBODY touch your resolve. People who matter, don't mind. And people who mind, don't matter. Well except for the USMA Admissions Committee. They mind AND matter.
scoutpilot
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Lord, every one of you has missed the point of this.
Hope is not an option. Pay attention to facts. No matter how hard you work or wish for, certain things don't happen.
No one needs to tell me that no matter how hard I try I can't dunk a basketball. I would rather have someone tell me that don't waste my time trying to dunk a basketball than keep on encouraging to keep on practicing.
If I recall there was a post on this forum before regarding someone who scored a low SAT score which was equivalent to about a 22 or 23 on the ACT, same thing happened as this thread were people said "bad chances with that score". He later came back to post that he practiced for months took the SAT again and got at or above the average for WestPoint. In a couple months time he posted again with a success story on how he tried his best and overcome his struggle. Everyone has the potential to succeed, but the motivated ones can overcome the naturally gifted if given the opportunity. It's purely subjective, unlike your dunking a basketball analogy. Sure a candidate may take the ACT and make a 25, but if he keeps taking it he is bound to get lucky and score higher in one subscore or another. A friend of mine went from a 21 to a 31 by practicing for months. I think in the time he spent taking it he ended up taking over 30 full practice test and many more individual problems and study time. Can't never got anyone, anywhere. If a candidate is willing to give that much effort to get a 30 when someone can get it on their 1st try who is the better candidate? The one who said "meh good enough" or the one who worked their tail off to reach their dreams. We aren't here to cut people down, if anything we are here to encourage others and provide meaningful insight from a wide variety of perspectives ranging from academy grads to applicants. In the end you should always Bet on yourself!
You are not reading what is being posted or reading what is not there.
In the end you should always bet on the winner and sometimes that might not be you.
No one on this thread is saying don't try. Trying itself is not good enough, as your effort needs to turn into solid result. If you try and don't improve, it doesn't matter how hard you try. If you try and improve, good for you.
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I got a reserve nomination and the portal was opened for me. Turned in everything and now its a waiting game. Apparently enlistment carries a lot of weight. Yes, one must still be triple qualified, but the bar is lowered a tad bit. Especially since I didn't enlist specifically to apply to USMA.
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Great! Hope you get an appointment, or in the least go to usmaps. I'm sure you would do fine at the academy as prior enlisted can sort of bridge the gap between life as a cadet vs. a soldier. I'm sure with some studying you could easily get a 27-30 act score, but if you get an appointment you won't need one! Good luck keep us updated.
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I will! Any word as far as when BFEs will be mailed?
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ca2midwestmom
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845something started a new thread -- "First Round of Offers" -- and said they will go out within a week (first round)