No One Can Chance You

J

jackiejyp7

Jackie
5-Year Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Messages
137
After receiving my appointment, some thoughts kept circling in my mind. A few years ago, I had wanted others to "chance" my profile, see if I had a good shot at the Academy. But after going through the process and coming out with an appointment, I realize that is not a regular college where your stats and an essay and merely the factors. The WCS score looks at you as a WHOLE person, everything that you can offer. The Academy wants to meet certain goals of how many scholars, athletes, leaders, and females they have for each class. So they will evaluate everything that you've done, not just your transcript. So maybe you're not a 4.0 student but managed an A average with outstanding leadership qualities, maybe you're the student scholar athlete, maybe you're the wiz kid on quiz bowl, maybe you're the next big thing. West Pooit I believe will see that, they will see what they want in an officer for the Army and as a student for their school. Instead of asking others to chance you, merely ask yourself: What can I offer? If you have much to answer to that question, you should be in great shape. But don't forget. The most important thing they want to see is your character. That can be seen through how thoroughly and quickly you complete your file, the effort you make with your admissions reps, how well you did in the interview, if you stuck with volunteer work all 4 years of HS, how passionate and sincere your essays are, etc,. So don't be discouraged if you're not the 4.0 student, varsity athlete, 400+ hours volunteer worker. You have your strengths, just remember what they are and present your best self always in your files. Make every portion your best, the CFA too. I am a 3.8 student, but from freshman year went from regular classss to honors to AP and now take a full overload of AP and College courses. I went from being a person with no leadership qualities to being President of the medical club, my youth group, stage manager, varsity captain, amongst other things. Contributing volunteer hours, if they come from the heart, WP will know because it will show on your resume just how much you did with the little time you had. That being said, don't think that underdogs can't become the alpha dogs. Just work hard and I promise you, something good will come out of it. Don't chance yourself, you never know what could happen.
 
I completely agree and have been having similar thoughts myself. I also received an appointment. You have to remember that West Point is an institution graduating officers who will lead men and women, not machines who only supply scores.
 
This was very inspiring! And I totally agree with everything! See you on R-Day!
 
It's almost like there's a sticky for this at the top of the page!
 
BigBear yeah I knew that I just feel like applicants will realize it more coming from someone who has gotten an appointment and stop asking to chance.
 
Comparing yourself to the classes before you is a good indication, but like all of you have said, nobody can really tell you.
 
If I may, I like present the other side.

A part of my FFR duties I don't like is advising noncompetitive candidates or explaining why they won't be allowed to complete their application. When I tell candidates that they are not competitive, sometime I get "how can you say I am not competitive without a completed application" or "I have so much to offer."

I don't disagree, but there is a business aspect to admissions process. And it's not fair. But life is not fair. More than 10,000 plus initial applications. The Admissions Office cannot wait until the application deadline to allow everyone applicant who wishes to complete their application to evaluate all the applicants and make appointment decisions. Suppose if we triple or quadruple the size of the Admission Office, than they might be able to do it. That is not going to happen. West Point is about producing Army officers, but there are other ways to become an Army Officer also. Every applicant has something to offer, but so does your competitors. What it takes to be a competitive candidate is known (i.e. good grades, good SAT/ACT, leadership roles, varsity sports, and etc). We make decisions and all decisions have consequences. There is something called luck also. So when I have candidates that contact me (FFR) starting sophomore year doing all the right things (I don't know how these candidates got my contact information, but if they got it because it's available) and a candidate with weaknesses (as he or she didn't really think consequences of decisions he or she made during first three years of high school) that contacts me a month before the application deadline I limited on what I can do to help.

So, when ask yourself "What can I offer?" add "that makes me a competitive candidate." If you are academically weak, no amount of commitment, dedication, leadership, sports participation, is going to change that.
 
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