CFA Quesiton

I am an official candidate for the class of 2015 and have a quesiton about the candidate fitness assessment.

For the mile run I am assuming we run on a 400 meter track? Yet my school's track is gravel (as we are a small school) and I am pretty sure my time will be lowered. Is there anything I can do about this-I am fairly close to the max and would like to hit it. Thanks for any advice.

NavalAcademyCandidate said:

I am an official candidate for the class of 2015 and have a quesiton about the candidate fitness assessment.

For the mile run I am assuming we run on a 400 meter track? Yet my school's track is gravel (as we are a small school) and I am pretty sure my time will be lowered. Is there anything I can do about this-I am fairly close to the max and would like to hit it. Thanks for any advice.

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Doesn't specifically have to be a 400 meter track. The distance needs to be one mile. If there is a school near you with a rubberized track, that could work. Maybe an indoor track if you have a YMCA or something similar. Usually those tracks are 1/9 a mile a lap.

It need not even be a "track." The instructions say a "1-mile flat running surface." Although they go on to say that the presumption is that the test would be administred on an indoor or outdoor track, it's not specifically required. Thus, I assume that if there is a road or other venue that has been officially marked (this would NOT include measuring the distance with your car ), it could be used. The distance must be "exactly" one mile and the person conducting the test is responsible for verifying this.

If you're concerned about your track, check into other venues in your area that might be more accommodating. However, you have only 5 minutes to get from your second-to-last event to the start of the mile, so you need to have the pullup bars, etc. nearby.

Here are the offical CFA instructions: http://www.usna.edu/Admissions/cfainstructions.htm

Thanks to both-the closest rubberized track is 30 min so I will probably measure out a flat distance.

I would also like to know if candidate's chances are lowered by attending a small school. I am 2nd in my class, but there are only about 45 students?

NavalAcademyCandidate said:

I would also like to know if candidate's chances are lowered by attending a small school. I am 2nd in my class, but there are only about 45 students?

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My Plebe is from a class of just over 100. So is the Doolie who's sweating it out in Colorado Springs.

Sure 2nd of 1200 looks better than 2nd of 50 but that's only part of the "whole person" score.

Put up your best, complete all the requirements to the letter, then hope.

Just make sure that the person administering the test (coach, PE teacher) verifies the distance is exactly one mile, as he/she is expected to do.

It doesn't hurt to be from a small school. There were only 61 in my h.s. graduating class. I will say in all honesty that USNA may look more carefully at your SAT/ACT scores and your CFA if you're from a small school. The reason is that it's hard to figure out if the other 44 people in your class are really smart (in which case your class rank is great) or not very smart. IOW, it's easier to conclude that someone who is 2/1000 is probably pretty smart -- a bit harder when you're 2/45.

As for the CFA, same deal. If you make varisty [name the sport] in a school of 4,000 students, you're probably pretty good at it. If you make varsity in a small school, you may be very good or you may be the only one who wants to play that sport. A strong score on the CFA indicates that you are in good shape and can handle the athletic workload at USNA.

So are my ACT and CFA scores now required to be highed? I recieved 33's in math and English (I used to think those great but now they seem closer to mediocre ) and am fairly sure I can max in the mile and crunches-yet am I now held to a higher standard because they cannot 100% trust my school records?
Thanks again for all the help.

There were 44 seniors in my son's class and he was 2/44 with a GPA of 3.98. Also played 3 varsity sports for 4 years (and 1 since 8th grade). I don't remember his ACTs but they were around yours....he is currently on the Yard as a Plebe. He was also very active in Scouting (Eagle 2008) and 3 local youth groups. In a town our size (About 600) It takes 4 communities to make up the school. Good luck.

NavalAcademyCandidate said:

So are my ACT and CFA scores now required to be highed? I recieved 33's in math and English (I used to think those great but now they seem closer to mediocre ) and am fairly sure I can max in the mile and crunches-yet am I now held to a higher standard because they cannot 100% trust my school records?
Thanks again for all the help.

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NavalAcademyCandidate,
Here's some advice from a mom. Do NOT play the comparison game at this point. You have got a very long and emotional time ahead of you and worrying about how you compare to others will only make that worse. Do the very best that YOU can do. Take advantage of every opportunity to serve and be as involved as possible in extra-curricular activities. Take the hardest classes you have available and work your tail off to do the best you can do in those classes. Make sure you are a person of honor, who has earned the respect of peers and teachers.
My son applied for the Class of 2014. We, too, are from a very small town. His rank was 4/50...with a GPA of 3.98. He took the hardest classes offered at our school and also AP Calculus via an online school. His only B+'s were in keyboarding and 2 of the three ahead of him in rank took classes like "library aid". Blah, blah, blah...bottom line, he is a great kid and a great candidate...but he still got a Thin White Envelope.
I'm not telling you this to discourage you in any way. My son has already reapplied for next year and will be attending a university nearby. He is joining the NROTC unit there and is taking all of the classes recommended in order to hopefully throw him to the top of the pile. He considers this coming year as an opportunity to grow in ways that can't possibly foresee at this point.
It's hard to go from being at the top in a small school to being just "average" when your application goes up against all of the other great candidates applying for appointments. Just remember that every moment you spend worrying about how you compare is a moment that could be spent preparing.
Oh, and one other thing...don't put all of your eggs in the Navy basket. Be sure to keep your options open and apply for every scholarship you possibly can, even if your heart is set on USNA.
Good luck to you!!
Kat

NavalAcademyCandidate said:

So are my ACT and CFA scores now required to be highed? . . . and am fairly sure I can max in the mile and crunches-yet am I now held to a higher standard because they cannot 100% trust my school records. Thanks again for all the help.

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No and no. No, you aren't held to a higher standard. And, no, it's not that they don't "trust" your school records.

Let me try to tackle the second question first. Your school is so small that there aren't enough people for USNA to make legitimate judgments about how strong the students are. They trust that you are the 2nd "smartest" (based on GPA) student in your school but, with only 44 other students, can't really assess whether that rank would hold up if there were 1000 students. You might be 2/1000. You might be 950/1000.

If your scores are CONSISTENT with your class rank, that helps give perspective b/c thousands of people take the SATs and ACTs every year. If you're #2 in your class but your SATs are 850 total (or the ACT equivalent), USNA is going to wonder about the strength of your class at school. If your scores are strong, it confirms your class rank.

Looking at ACTs/SATs can also help candidates. Assume you attend a small, private/parochial school where everyone goes on to competitive 4-yr colleges and your rank is 20/45 but you get 1400 SATs. Those scores (along with maybe some knowledge about your school) could make them feel that you're a much stronger candidate than your class rank would indicate.

As for the CFA, USNA looks at it for everyone. For home-schooled students, students not active in varsity sports, or students at very small schools where there MAY not be much emphasis on athletics (there sure wasn't at mine), USNA wants to ensure you can handle athletics at USNA and they have stated that they rely heavily on the CFA b/c it's about all they have.

Again, everyone applying to USNA takes the CFA. If your scores are in the range USNA expects of its successful candidates, you're fine. But if they're slightly lower, you don't have anything else to fall back on, the way that a varsity soccer player at a major h.s. probably does. USNA focuses on the mile, crunches and push-ups. If you do well on those, you will be in good shape.

Finally, remember it's a "whole person" concept. Recs from your teachers are very important. The classes you take are very important. Your leadership activities are very important. SATs/ACTs and the CFA are only two elements of the mix.

Thanks bunches to kmaidaho as I do need to keep other options open (I have also had much experience with people who get good grades in easy classes). And thanks to usna1985 as continuing to work would be the best thing to do, especially as it seems that I have a lot of work to do.