My USNA Admissions Process

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LakeErie69

5-Year Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2012
Messages
104
This is not a "my chances" thread I'm just making a thread seeking any advice or suggestions that will help me better these chances throughout this extensive admissions process. Any advice is greatly appreciated! I visited the Naval Academy recently and I've decided to fully commit myself into getting an appointment there. I will be attending the NASS, third session in June.

So here's my info:
Junior
Male
Cleveland, OH area
Public High School, relatively competitive
Class Rank: 7 out of around 205
GPA: 4.05 weighted (not sure unweighted)
ACT: Math 25, English 25, no prep (retaking in June with extensive prep)

Classes

Freshman Year
Fresh English
Fresh History
Honors Algebra/Geometry 2
Fresh Bio
Spanish 2
(weren't really any options for honors or AP)

Sophomore
Earth/Environmental Science
Honors Algebra/Geometry 3
Honors Chemistry
AP European History (4 on test)
Spanish 3

Junior (this year)
APUSH/ Honors American Literature (combined class, very intensive)
Honors Physics
AP Physics B
Honors Pre-Calc
Spanish 4

Senior Year (what I'm signed up for)
AP Statistics
AP Gov
AP Physics C (Mechanics)
AP World History (self study)
AP Macroeconomics (self-study)
Senior English
Law


ECs (what they'll look like by end of Senior Year)
-Cross Country (4 years, Junior Captain, will be Senior year too)
-Lacrosse 2 years, varsity letter 2 years
-Track 2 years, hopefully varsity letter both
-Student Council, elected class rep, running for President or VP for Senior Year
-National Honor Society (2 years)
-Youth Philanthropic Fellowship--fundraising for various medical causes
-HUDDLE--(Helping Us Develop Determination, Dedication, Leadership, and Enthusiasm)--essentially teaching younger students valuable life lessons
-Academic Team (likely captain or co-captain next year)
-Model UN (2 years)
-Part-Time Job (2 years)
-Member of local aquarium club, looking to take role as newsletter editor/writer
-Young Life (2 years)

Volunteer Work
-Weekly Tutoring
-Numerous Church Service Projects
-Village Food Project--making dinners for cancer patients (monthly)
-Relay for Life (2 years)
-Homeless Stand Down event (3 years)
Various other stuff, doing more this summer
Not really sure on how many hours, I'd see around 200

Any suggestions would be great! My main focus right now is improving my test scores considerably. Thanks for reading!
 
your act may be a problem

LakeErie 69, It really depends on your area of course but your ACT may be a problem. We are in the Chicago suburbs -and looking across a variety of congressional districts-EVERY single appointment that I know of have a minimum of a 33 in English and 33 Math-except for one recruited athlete. There of course may be others from our area that I dont know of who have lower ACT scores...but I havent heard of any.

good luck-keep pluggin away.
 
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Yeah I'm retaking it in June. I plan on prepping a lot for it. Those were my scores without any prep at all. I'll bump them up significantly in June I'm sure.
 
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My son's FFR told him to take the ACT/SAT every single time it is offered until BFE/TWE/36 on each subsection. I think by the end of this year (his junior year) he will have taken the SAT/ACT seven times. Good Gravy!
:eek:
 
Vista123 said:
My son's FFR told him to take the ACT/SAT every single time it is offered until BFE/TWE/36 on each subsection. I think by the end of this year (his junior year) he will have taken the SAT/ACT seven times. Good Gravy!
:eek:
Click to expand...

Man that's a lot of tests to take.

I'm not up to speed on the acronyms. What does FFR, BFE, and TWE mean?
 
Two glaring weakness' in your curriculum is that your math only goes up to Pre-Calc and you only took Chem in 10th grade. I'd suggest that you rethink your Sr. year classes to include AP-Calc at minimum and as high a level chem as you can handle. Without these your putting yourself at a disadvantage.

Also, you're only showing 2 years of English; most colleges require 4. :eek: (Not sure most would credit APUSH/Amer Lit as an English class. But even so you're still one year short.)
 
osdad said:
Two glaring weakness' in your curriculum is that your math only goes up to Pre-Calc and you only took Chem in 10th grade. I'd suggest that you rethink your Sr. year classes to include AP-Calc at minimum and as high a level chem as you can handle. Without these your putting yourself at a disadvantage.

Also, you're only showing 2 years of English; most colleges require 4. :eek: (Not sure most would credit APUSH/Amer Lit as an English class. But even so you're still one year short.)
Click to expand...

I'll have four years of English. I forgot to put in Sophomore English. This year, I'm in a class that combines American History (APUSH) and Honors American Lit. There's two teachers, and they're seperate grades and classes. Just taught in the same classroom. It's a great class.

I'm more than likely going to switch into AP Calc.

In 10th grade I did take Honors Chemistry, which is the 2nd highest level chem class there is in my school. I don't have room in my schedule for AP Chem.

Thanks.
 
Best Advice

LakeErie69 said:
Man that's a lot of tests to take.

I'm not up to speed on the acronyms. What does FFR, BFE, and TWE mean?
Click to expand...

Yes, that is a lot of test taking but it is also most likely IMHO, the best advice you'll read about. In the next year you'll hear the term "well rounded applicant" just about daily. It seems with USNA that starts with ACT/SAT test scores. The minimums appear to be 27 and 600. We've found this from reading here and from speaking with the folks at admissions. Remember, those are minimums.

BFE, big fat envelope, usually contains appointments or nominations. TWE, thin white envelope, what most correspondence from USNA arrives in such as NASS invitation/unable to invite letters but also the "unable to offer an appointment" (don't know the official wording but you get the idea) one. Don't know what FFR stands for.
Cheers and Good Luck.
 
LakeErie69 said:
Man that's a lot of tests to take.

I'm not up to speed on the acronyms. What does FFR, BFE, and TWE mean?
Click to expand...

TWE-Thin white envelope (not good)
BFE-Big Fat Envelope (good)

FFR- - FFR - Field Force Representative

FFR is for USMA (ACT advice still applicable for USNA however)



FFRs:
a volunteer

West Point uses FFRs to help with admissions.

They are a bridge between your district and Admissions at West Point (under the Regional Commander (RC) for your region)

FFRs:
- help candidates with the admissions process
- inform and educate candidates about West Point to help them make the best decision for them
- interview qualified candidates

similar to BGO (Blue and Gold Officer for USNA)


you are welcome to not take the tests one million times-and keep your scores where they are-its all up to you.
 
Vista123 said:
you are welcome to not take the tests one million times-and keep your scores where they are-its all up to you.
Click to expand...

I'm for sure taking it again in June like I said. I'm aware these scores are not good enough at all. I'll retake it in the beginning of senior year if need be. I just don't want to be taking it every single month unless I really have to.


Thanks for clearing up the acronyms!
 
Also, I've decided to focus in on JUST the ACT. I feel like I can do much better on this opposed to the SAT. Will it hurt me to only submit JUST my ACT scores, and only continue taking just the ACT?
 
As a Cleveland area BGO (eastern burbs) since 1991 and Area Coordinator from 1997-2009, I have to wonder whether you attended any of the USNA OPINFO events we have provided over the past decade. At these events we STRONGLY recommended that every serious prospect take BOTH the SAT and ACT exams at least once as there are known differences between the design and grading of these exams and one usually proves to be more advantageous to a prospect than the other. Furthermore, we strongly encourage the prospects and candidates to submit ALL their SAT and ACT scores and let Admissions select the best math and verbal scores for the candidates. You need to plan to take every SAT and ACT exam between now and Jan 2013!

We also have discussed the significant difference between honors courses and AP courses, and generally honors courses pale in comparison to the AP's so far as USNA is concerned. You should follow the advice of dropping AP Stats in favor of AP Calculus and try to find AP Chemistry to take rather than some other course. Finally, you need the most rigorous grammar and composition course your school offers. In some instances you might consider taking a summer course at one of the local colleges to fill in for the AP courses mentioned above. You need to keep in mind, that getting an appointment to NAVY is just the starting point, you have to get THROUGH the four years as well.

I must tell you that you are in one of the most competitive areas in the US. As it stands at this time it appears that we will have 10 to 12 appointees out of 250 prospects this year. More than half of all appointees from Ohio come from this area typically. I trust you have been in contact with your Senators and MOC regarding nominations; if not get going on that as there are Service Academy days coming up in the next few weeks, and you really should attend.

Best wishes to you in your efforts, but you have a good bit of work to do.
 
1964BGO said:
As a Cleveland area BGO (eastern burbs) since 1991 and Area Coordinator from 1997-2009, I have to wonder whether you attended any of the USNA OPINFO events we have provided over the past decade. At these events we STRONGLY recommended that every serious prospect take BOTH the SAT and ACT exams at least once as there are known differences between the design and grading of these exams and one usually proves to be more advantageous to a prospect than the other. Furthermore, we strongly encourage the prospects and candidates to submit ALL their SAT and ACT scores and let Admissions select the best math and verbal scores for the candidates. You need to plan to take every SAT and ACT exam between now and Jan 2013!

We also have discussed the significant difference between honors courses and AP courses, and generally honors courses pale in comparison to the AP's so far as USNA is concerned. You should follow the advice of dropping AP Stats in favor of AP Calculus and try to find AP Chemistry to take rather than some other course. Finally, you need the most rigorous grammar and composition course your school offers. In some instances you might consider taking a summer course at one of the local colleges to fill in for the AP courses mentioned above. You need to keep in mind, that getting an appointment to NAVY is just the starting point, you have to get THROUGH the four years as well.

I must tell you that you are in one of the most competitive areas in the US. As it stands at this time it appears that we will have 10 to 12 appointees out of 250 prospects this year. More than half of all appointees from Ohio come from this area typically. I trust you have been in contact with your Senators and MOC regarding nominations; if not get going on that as there are Service Academy days coming up in the next few weeks, and you really should attend.

Best wishes to you in your efforts, but you have a good bit of work to do.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much for the advice and information. I'm in the 10th district currently, with Kucinich as my MOC until after the November elections. So should I seek a nomination from him, or Marcy Kaptir who'll be my MOC for district 9 following the elections...?

Also, do you know when an where the upcoming Academy days are? I've looked around online and can't seem to find anything.

I'll for sure be taking the tests again next fall after I do in June.
 
Start with Kucinich. He'll hold the office untimed mid Jan. 2013 so he'll be making the next set of appointments.
 
For BGOs: Would you prefer an email or a mailed letter from someone in my position introducing their self to you?
 
E-mail generally works fine for introductions. Phone calls tend to be better for planning, although that's a personal preference. But don't forget written thank-you notes!
 
This is a personal preference, but I really do prefer email contact as frequently I am away from home and it simply is simpler to check my email when I have time and am mentally prepared to work on USNA business. I can and do work with telephone contacts when possible, but keep in mind that most BGOs still are active in the work force and may not be able to take a random phone call.
 
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