cyclist2028
USAFA Hopeful Class of '28
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2021
- Messages
- 144
Is USNA's (and the other service academies) academic requirements (GPA, class rank, AP's) similar to the Ivy League and UC schools' admissions process?
UC's have cut and dry hard requirements (i.e. if you don't meet the listed requirements you need not apply) for both courses and GPA: https://admission.universityofcalif...man-requirements/subject-requirement-a-g.html
Sure, but wouldn't advise an applicant to go ahead and ignore requirements stated on the website.
True that any UC applicant would be advised to meet the stated requirements as best possible, but as indicated in the report posted above, there are numerous methods by which less qualified applicants are selected over those more qualified. Just one example - the minimum 3.0 GPA does not consider that all GPA's are not equal. Compounding this is that private high schools are rated lower than public high schools, and out of state boarding schools even lower, even though the applicant is a CA resident.Sure, but wouldn't advise an applicant to go ahead and ignore requirements stated on the website.
.Is USNA's (and the other service academies) academic requirements (GPA, class rank, AP's) similar to the Ivy League and UC schools' admissions process?
When I have a position to fill (financial industry), a vet's resume absolutely goes to the top of the pile. They always focus on the mission.Neither one of my SA grads would have made the initial screening for any Ivy…ACT too low. Both did well at their respective academies, even with a few bumps along the way…. Both are doing well as junior officers. I am a true believer in the process the academies use when seeking those likely to survive the SA cauldron and those likely to become good officers.
And yes, with a nod to Hornetguy, vet resumes rise to the top of my pile and always will.
.Maybe this is not a popular opinion these days but, you’ve got your whole life to climb the corporate ladder - go out there and have an adventure while you can. There will be jobs for you when you’re done. Go write some good stories you can tell your grandchildren.
Curious if your son has been accepted to usna or any top private colleges yet?I went through a similar thought process with my DS recently and maybe there is a deeper question behind your question. DS is an applicant for c/o 2026 and he is academically competitive for Ivies and Cal schools. So he had to decide what was the better route for him. He has a strong desire to serve in the Navy so USNA certainly has the emotional attraction. But rationally would he get a better education and do better going to MIT or Stanford or GaTech and then doing OCS or just going into private / corporate life? After talking to several USNA graduates, both young and old, as well as researching the academics the conclusion was that USNA is probably somewhere around the 10th best engineering school, BUT no other school delivers that education along with the character / leadership development and the world wide deployments in a wide range of challenging fields. After your service commitment, if you desire to jump to corporate life, you are sought after as a SA graduate because you know how to lead and you are of good moral character. So after all that research and thinking, he settled on USNA being his top choice.
One thing about comparing GPAs, class rank, etc. is that the academies have to build a portrait of the country, as well as other non-academic considerations. Until recently, Ivies and UC were mostly noted for pure academics, regardless of other considerations. Maybe that is shifting now, for better or worse, but the academies have shown they mastered that approach long ago.
I think the Ivies have higher average test scores than the academies, which the UC schools don’t even use.
Neither one of my SA grads would have made the initial screening for any Ivy…ACT too low.