I’d like to weigh in briefly on a topic that we often see on this forum: what are my chances? The admissions statistics for the past years can be found online. From a class rank, grade and test score perspective, it is easy to see where one stands. Here are some numbers for the Class of 2020:
· 40% of the class were in the top 10% of their high school class; 80% were in the top 25%.
· 80% had a high school GPA of 3.5 or higher.
· Math scores, for the 25th to 75th percentiles, ranged from 610 – 690 on the SAT and from 26 – 32 on the ACT.
· Verbal ranged from 580 – 660 on the SAT and 26 – 30 on the ACT Reading.
I would venture that the majority of applicants fall within these ranges. If you fall below these numbers, getting an appointment would likely be a long shot unless you have something super working in your favor. The hard fact is roughly only one in five applicants received an appointment for the 2020 class. Most years there will be a parent on this forum who goes off on a rant complaining that highly qualified DD or DS didn’t receive an appointment. The math, however, is what it is. Four out of every five applicants, many with very good credentials, will not receive an appointment at the end of the day.
I’m not writing this to discourage people from applying. The only way one can be sure of not receiving an appointment is to not apply. However, queries like “what are my chances” don’t really serve much purpose. No one on this forum is going to be able to tell you anything more than what the admissions statistics indicate. All you can do is put together the best possible application, make sure you get everything in on time, keep your grades up through your senior year, stay in shape, and then keep your fingers crossed and hold your breath until you hear back from the Academy. Good luck to the applicants for the Class of 2021.
· 40% of the class were in the top 10% of their high school class; 80% were in the top 25%.
· 80% had a high school GPA of 3.5 or higher.
· Math scores, for the 25th to 75th percentiles, ranged from 610 – 690 on the SAT and from 26 – 32 on the ACT.
· Verbal ranged from 580 – 660 on the SAT and 26 – 30 on the ACT Reading.
I would venture that the majority of applicants fall within these ranges. If you fall below these numbers, getting an appointment would likely be a long shot unless you have something super working in your favor. The hard fact is roughly only one in five applicants received an appointment for the 2020 class. Most years there will be a parent on this forum who goes off on a rant complaining that highly qualified DD or DS didn’t receive an appointment. The math, however, is what it is. Four out of every five applicants, many with very good credentials, will not receive an appointment at the end of the day.
I’m not writing this to discourage people from applying. The only way one can be sure of not receiving an appointment is to not apply. However, queries like “what are my chances” don’t really serve much purpose. No one on this forum is going to be able to tell you anything more than what the admissions statistics indicate. All you can do is put together the best possible application, make sure you get everything in on time, keep your grades up through your senior year, stay in shape, and then keep your fingers crossed and hold your breath until you hear back from the Academy. Good luck to the applicants for the Class of 2021.
