National Merit Finalist impact ?

J

jro

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Jan 24, 2012
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From what I've read, there are a ton of high-scoring cadets at USAFA. And of course, none of them need scholarships to pay their tuition/room/board/etc. But I was wondering whether designation of an applicant as a National Merit Finalist would have a big impact on his USAFA application? Some Universities really recruit NMFs with full-rides like athletes.
 
The academies look at the whole person. So yes, an nms will help on your application, but it itself isnt going to get u an appoitment. I and others know individuals who were the best academically, with 4.0 and aced the sat and act and didnt get an appointment because they only had academics. no leadership. no sports. No extra curricular. No volunteer time. Etc. So yes, nms is good, but its just 1 more part of your app and resume.
 
Funny story about this for my DD class of 2014. By nature is a pretty quiet person and does not willingly tell people about her academics. During BCT evidently the cadre have access to records with this type of information (National Merit Scholars and academics) on it. Of course one of the cadre had to let all the other cadre know and then announced it to all of the Basics. She was not a happy camper, but she lived another day. :eek: I also believe that with everything else, the NMS just added to her complete package. Now had she decided that Alabama or University of Oklahoma was more her style, it would have made a big difference.
 
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Thanks kdc. My son recently decided to apply to USAFA, so I'm digging through these forums to learn more about what makes a competitive applicant. When you say it was announced to all of the Basics, does this mean the entire entering class of cadets? Thanks, JR
 
It is important to look at the class profiles, it gives you a pretty good picture of the cadets who were offered appointments. i.e. for the class of 2015 17% were class presidents or vice presidents and 11% were Valedictorians or Salutatorians, 82% were varsity athletes, etc, etc. The profile is available online.
 
jro said:
Thanks kdc. My son recently decided to apply to USAFA, so I'm digging through these forums to learn more about what makes a competitive applicant. When you say it was announced to all of the Basics, does this mean the entire entering class of cadets? Thanks, JR
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No, just her squad mates Demon A flight (squadron 13 after BCT). Don't get me wrong she is proud of her accomplishments, but doesn't want them to define her, if that makes any sense. From elementary school on everyone she knew defined her by those standards and it wasn't always in positive manner. She learned to just keep those things to herself. Obviously at the Academy she is just another cadet and she likes to keep it that way. Of course when she mentions her major (Physics) it starts all over again. She could have been a great English major, but preferred the challenge of science and math.
 
That's awesome. She must be super-bright. I was a biophysics major in college, so I took more classes with physics majors than most students, but I didn't have to take the upper-upper-level physics courses. The physics majors were on a whole different level from me; they easily understood theoretical concepts that I could never wrap my head around.
 
One of my FIRSTIES! is a Physics major and, let's just say: there are Physics majors, and then their are PHYSICS majors. haha

There are so many kids at USAFA that have really outstanding records and skills of all types - the NMF will be oohed and ahhed over, and might give one some "extra" attention as noted above. By 3* year, no one will notice. But, have the trifecta of the Superintendent's list... that might get noticed.
 
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