- Joined
- Jul 4, 2010
- Messages
- 1
I am sorry if you think it is offensive to have such a large post. Any help would be appreciated much more than you think. If you don't want to read my story but still want to reply, please skip to the next bold part.
Hello everyone. This is my first time posting on here, but I have been lurking for a few months now.
I just finished my freshman year of high school in June. I know that my future lies with service to our country, and I know that West Point would be a great opportunity to reach this goal. I know of no people that have ever attended West Point in my district, and I think it is not very competitive; I live in Indiana.
Here are some details to paint a picture of how I am doing after my first year of high school:
-4.0 GPA (Unweighted, but our school does not weight them either)
-I am taking the hardest classes I can get, several honors courses. I will be taking Pre-Calc and either Chemistry/Physics next year. AP classes will come in my Junior and Senior years, and I will probably have at least 5 of those.
-Several school awards for excellence in certain subjects (certificates)
- Latin Club
- Spell Bowl
- Class Treasurer
- Student Council Member
- School Play
I did not participate in any athletics even though I was presented with an award for having the highest GPA in PE.
I have an Amateur Radio General License.
-Community Service
-I have about 50 hours right now
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Suggested plans for improvement:
Clubs: Next year, I would like to be in at least 70% of these Latin Club, Student Council, Class Officer, Spell Bowl, Academic Bowl, Diversity Council, Ambassadors, Key Club, Environmental Science Club, SADD, and maybe Pep Club
Grades: I will maintain my GPA, and I tend to do well on tests. I think that I will do well on the SAT and ACT. NHS membership at our school is basically awarded with a simple application and a high GPA; I think this will be easy to join my Junior year.
Athletics: I think that I am a good runner (less than 6 minute mile), but yet I did not do sports my first year. I will do Cross Country and Track. I am starting to train for the CFA, as my upper body strength is inhibited from the year of high school without sports. I think I will be capable of passing the CFA well in about one year.
Leadership: I will run for every officer position I can. I do not know if this will be enough.
Community service: I am doing several hours of community service each day at the Humane Shelter, and I plan to have at least 150 hours of community service by the start of my Junior year. This will be the easiest section for improvement.
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Questions:
I want to start my file at West Point as soon as possible. How soon can I do this?
Is it okay if I have the majority of my community service at one place?
Will I be able to rebound (as in making my file look better, not athletically) from not doing athletics my first year?
In addition to the previous question, would an above-average CFA counteract partial lack of athletics?
Will I be at a disadvantage because my school does not weight grades?
The USMA website says to get recommendations from Junior year teachers of certain classes. What if I have already taken some of those classes?
I have glasses and do not want to go through any part of the military with them. Do people get Lasik at West Point or can they get it beforehand? This might be for the medical section...
How can I improve my leadership section?
When do I apply for SLS?
Once I start my file, will I receive instructions on what to do next?
Should I be worried if I only receive one nomination?
Is there anything obvious that I seem to have ignored?
It is 2:00 A.M. at home, so sorry if certain sections make little sense. I will be able to respond to any replies immediately after about 1:00 P.M. tomorrow.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for reading. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hello everyone. This is my first time posting on here, but I have been lurking for a few months now.
I just finished my freshman year of high school in June. I know that my future lies with service to our country, and I know that West Point would be a great opportunity to reach this goal. I know of no people that have ever attended West Point in my district, and I think it is not very competitive; I live in Indiana.
Here are some details to paint a picture of how I am doing after my first year of high school:
-4.0 GPA (Unweighted, but our school does not weight them either)
-I am taking the hardest classes I can get, several honors courses. I will be taking Pre-Calc and either Chemistry/Physics next year. AP classes will come in my Junior and Senior years, and I will probably have at least 5 of those.
-Several school awards for excellence in certain subjects (certificates)
- Latin Club
- Spell Bowl
- Class Treasurer
- Student Council Member
- School Play
I did not participate in any athletics even though I was presented with an award for having the highest GPA in PE.
I have an Amateur Radio General License.
-Community Service
-I have about 50 hours right now
---------------------------------------------------------
Suggested plans for improvement:
Clubs: Next year, I would like to be in at least 70% of these Latin Club, Student Council, Class Officer, Spell Bowl, Academic Bowl, Diversity Council, Ambassadors, Key Club, Environmental Science Club, SADD, and maybe Pep Club
Grades: I will maintain my GPA, and I tend to do well on tests. I think that I will do well on the SAT and ACT. NHS membership at our school is basically awarded with a simple application and a high GPA; I think this will be easy to join my Junior year.
Athletics: I think that I am a good runner (less than 6 minute mile), but yet I did not do sports my first year. I will do Cross Country and Track. I am starting to train for the CFA, as my upper body strength is inhibited from the year of high school without sports. I think I will be capable of passing the CFA well in about one year.
Leadership: I will run for every officer position I can. I do not know if this will be enough.
Community service: I am doing several hours of community service each day at the Humane Shelter, and I plan to have at least 150 hours of community service by the start of my Junior year. This will be the easiest section for improvement.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Questions:
I want to start my file at West Point as soon as possible. How soon can I do this?
Is it okay if I have the majority of my community service at one place?
Will I be able to rebound (as in making my file look better, not athletically) from not doing athletics my first year?
In addition to the previous question, would an above-average CFA counteract partial lack of athletics?
Will I be at a disadvantage because my school does not weight grades?
The USMA website says to get recommendations from Junior year teachers of certain classes. What if I have already taken some of those classes?
I have glasses and do not want to go through any part of the military with them. Do people get Lasik at West Point or can they get it beforehand? This might be for the medical section...
How can I improve my leadership section?
When do I apply for SLS?
Once I start my file, will I receive instructions on what to do next?
Should I be worried if I only receive one nomination?
Is there anything obvious that I seem to have ignored?
It is 2:00 A.M. at home, so sorry if certain sections make little sense. I will be able to respond to any replies immediately after about 1:00 P.M. tomorrow.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for reading. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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