Prospective C/O 2016

Hi, I know that the "what are my chances" threads are quite overdone on this site, so lest I provoke a surge of communal dislike, I have a different request. I would simply like to have my application viewed to know if there are any glaring deficiencies that I should work on. Thank you in advance.

Academics:
PSAT: 218 - 76 Math 71 Critical Reading 71 Writing
SAT I: 2210 - 720 Math 760 Critical Reading 730 Writing (10 Essay)
ACT: 31 - 31 English 32 Math 33 Reading 27 Science (I do not currently plan to submit my ACT scores)
4.625 Weighted GPA at a Top 30 High School in CA
3.935 Unweighted GPA
AP French: 4
AP Biology: 5
SAT II: 780 Math II 760 Biology (M)
Most rigorous foreign language and english courses available
7 AP courses taken upon graduation
5 Honors courses taken upon graduation

School Related Extracurriculars:
300 Hours community service - Intensive Care Unit volunteer at local hospital, SPCA pet adoption, tree planting, triathlon volunteering
California Scholarship Federation Public Relations Officer (12)
Peer Helping Events Coordinator (11) and Vice President (12)
Knowledge Masters Co-Captain (12)
National Honor Society Member (10,11,12)
Varsity Debate Team (11,12)

Sports:
JV Men's Tennis Team (9,10) (Section Champion Team)
Varsity Men's Tennis Team (11,12) (Section Champion Team)
Varsity Tennis Team Conditioning Captain (We don't have team captains)
Club Lacrosse (9)
Avid Golfer

CFA Scores:
Basketball Throw: 82 Feet
Pull-Ups: 18
Shuttle Run: 8.7 Seconds
Crunches: 92
Push-Ups: 75
1 Mile: 5:55

Other:
White Male
High School class of 2012, California Congressional District 1
First in my family to serve in the military
Fluent (non-native) French speaker
Likely National Merit Commended, probably not Semifinalist due to competitiveness of CA
Letters of Rec already completed (Counselor, Varsity tennis coach, English teacher)
Accepted to NASS, USAFASS, USMA SLS. Attending all three
No known medical conditions
5'11" 150#

Thank you very much!

looks good to me. Id say the biggest thing for you to focus on now is the interview. Looks like a strong application on paper, however keep in mind that there is more to being a strong military officer than having a good resume.

there are plenty of candidates that get turned away with similar stats as yours, while others who appear less qualified get appointments. I'd say the interview is a large part of this.

HiMyNameisNick said:

Looks like a strong application on paper, however keep in mind that there is more to being a strong military officer than having a good resume.

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You are correct - there is a lot more to being a "strong military officer" than a "good resume"; however, the way the academy determines who has the potential to be a "strong military officer" is by their resume, to a large extent.

As far as the Naval Academy getting any greater insight into who you are as a person - there will only be one interview - and that's with your Blue & Gold Officer.

Your interviews with your MOCs may help you get a nomination - but they won't help you get an appointment.

"Academics:
PSAT: 218 - 76 Math 71 Critical Reading 71 Writing
SAT I: 2210 - 720 Math 760 Critical Reading 730 Writing (10 Essay)
ACT: 31 - 31 English 32 Math 33 Reading 27 Science (I do not currently plan to submit my ACT scores)
4.625 Weighted GPA at a Top 30 High School in CA
3.935 Unweighted GPA
AP French: 4
AP Biology: 5
SAT II: 780 Math II 760 Biology (M)
Most rigorous foreign language and english courses available
7 AP courses taken upon graduation
5 Honors courses taken upon graduation"

Great academic resume so far. What seems missing to me: Chemistry with a lab and Calculus. If you have taken Chem, then go for Physics.

Thanks for the advice on the BGO interview Memphis.
NavyMom - I've taken chemistry, but chose not to take the AP test as I didn't feel adequately prepared. I'm taking AP Physics and AP Calc AB next year. Thanks for your insight

Vovnia: "Letters of rec already completed....." For USNA, the application part, anyway, you are asked to provide an email address for a math and english teacher. USNA contacts them and the rec is online.

You may be able to use letters already prepared for MOC nominations. The Texas Senators used an evaluation format where they asked recommenders to answer certain questions. But, I would caution having letters done too far in advance.

Your stats look good on paper. Interview will be very important. And application components: essay especially.

There are so many applicants with outstanding statistics these days, it is important to craft your application to be memorable, to stand out. If there is something unique in your background, tell a story about it somehow.....weave your leadership experiences into other areas of your life showing you how what you learned as a leader in sports translated into some other area of your life......

I co chair a scholarship committee for my profession. So many of the letters of recommendation do nothing to help otherwise outstanding candidates. They frequently spend most of the letter reiterating what is already in the application: "Johnny was Class President and Eagle Scout.....blah, blah, blah." And that the candidate is "motivated, a self starter, enthusiastic, responsible, dependable." I want to hear what Johnny did as class president, how he motivated someone else, something concrete, not just a bunch of over used adjectives. I strongly suspect many, many outstanding candidates, whether for USNA or the scholarship committee I chair, suffer from less than well thought out recommendations. Yet, the recommender, the parent, etc read these letters and think their kiddo has gotten a glowing recommendation. Yes, but so did many, many others. Using nearly the same words.

How can you help so you don't get caught in this trap? Give the recommenders a copy of your app. Ask them, no TELL them, NOT to repeat what is already listed on application. Maybe work with them to tell a story about you that illustrates who you are as a person......

I am betting the Admissions Board at USNA sees the same tired phrases over and over and over describing candidates. We do in our 25 scholarship applications received annually. I judged Texas 4-H scholarship applications several years ago and saw nearly 400 of the same type of thing. When one comes along that somehow stands out, you take notice. You must strive to stand out.

Have someone review your essays, etc when the time comes. Translating your uniqueness, your desire to serve, your excellence onto paper is not a simple thing and should not be taken lightly. This is a deep pool of outstanding candidates you are diving into!

IMHO, for simplicity sake, if you are the "conditioning captain" then I would think you are still considered a leader aka captain.

I understand some team choose to not specifically name name a captain for various reasons but I think in this situation that this is how you should apply it. That's just how it appears to me though.

Jenny that was incredibly insightful, thank you very much! The letters of rec are for the MOC, thanks for the info about the USNA letter of rec policy!
Also thank you Jumprope, I was planning to do just that!

Vovnia said:

Jenny that was incredibly insightful, thank you very much! The letters of rec are for the MOC, thanks for the info about the USNA letter of rec policy!
Also thank you Jumprope, I was planning to do just that!

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Just a tip on the MOCs since I noticed you were from California. Always, always, always apply to every possible source, but keep in mind the MOCs here talk. Or at least our Senators do.

This past year, I received a call from Senator Boxer's office letting me know I was selected for an interview. They told me to be available for a call on a certain date in January anytime between 8 am and 5 pm. After that in December, I received a nomination from my representative. Little did I know that Senator Boxer's office doesn't award noms to those that already have them.

Unfortunately I didn't find that out until 6 hours of jumping every time my phone went off later, when they called, asked if I had another nomination, then said congratulations but we don't need to interview.

Just something to remember when nomination time comes around.

Vovnia said:

Thanks for the advice on the BGO interview Memphis.
NavyMom - I've taken chemistry, but chose not to take the AP test as I didn't feel adequately prepared. I'm taking AP Physics and AP Calc AB next year. Thanks for your insight

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Then I would say you have a very strong application. As others have suggested, you should focus on your BGO interview. This is your opportunity to let your personality and desire to attend USNA shine through. Your BGO will want to know about you academic background but will be more interested in your reasons for attending USNA, your leadership experience and how you conduct yourself during the interview.

Best of luck to you.

jennyp said:

Vovnia: "Letters of rec already completed....." For USNA, the application part, anyway, you are asked to provide an email address for a math and english teacher. USNA contacts them and the rec is online.

You may be able to use letters already prepared for MOC nominations. The Texas Senators used an evaluation format where they asked recommenders to answer certain questions. But, I would caution having letters done too far in advance.

Your stats look good on paper. Interview will be very important. And application components: essay especially.

There are so many applicants with outstanding statistics these days, it is important to craft your application to be memorable, to stand out. If there is something unique in your background, tell a story about it somehow.....weave your leadership experiences into other areas of your life showing you how what you learned as a leader in sports translated into some other area of your life......

I co chair a scholarship committee for my profession. So many of the letters of recommendation do nothing to help otherwise outstanding candidates. They frequently spend most of the letter reiterating what is already in the application: "Johnny was Class President and Eagle Scout.....blah, blah, blah." And that the candidate is "motivated, a self starter, enthusiastic, responsible, dependable." I want to hear what Johnny did as class president, how he motivated someone else, something concrete, not just a bunch of over used adjectives. I strongly suspect many, many outstanding candidates, whether for USNA or the scholarship committee I chair, suffer from less than well thought out recommendations. Yet, the recommender, the parent, etc read these letters and think their kiddo has gotten a glowing recommendation. Yes, but so did many, many others. Using nearly the same words.

How can you help so you don't get caught in this trap? Give the recommenders a copy of your app. Ask them, no TELL them, NOT to repeat what is already listed on application. Maybe work with them to tell a story about you that illustrates who you are as a person......

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In a respectful manner, how can I request my teachers to give examples/stories that demonstrate my personalities vs listing them?

I am not a teacher's pet and practically never get into any trouble but always felt like I am not the favorite/preferred student.

I'd advice that you plan to retake the SAT and try to smoke the math portion. While 720 is great and 1480 certainly is too (NA does not use writing), it's probably not going to make them go "Wow". If you can get it above 750 you'll be that much more competitive.