<---This Girl Wants To Go To West Point

Kelsi

Kelsi

Class of 2019
5-Year Member
Joined
May 4, 2014
Messages
50
Hi everyone. :) My name is Kelsi and I am really wanting to attend West Point. I've wanted to do so ever since I was in 8th grade. I'm attending Girls State this month and was also my schools HOBY Ambassador my sophomore year. My current ACT is a 25 with my math sitting at a 17 :( My GPA is a 3.7 and I am involved in several extracurriculars. My mom and dad are helping me apply and they think I may have a good shot at it. Does anyone know how my chances might look? Is there anything else that I might need to do? Any questions or advice is welcomed.
 
First of all that's not enough background information for the people of forum to say whether or not you have a good chance. USMA looks at the classes you take, class rank, athletics etc
What really should be worrying you is the math on ACT
I'm not sure if there's a minimum, perhaps someone who knows more about ACT scores can answer that but you definitely will want to raise that score before you submit it for your application. I'll state some general advice
You should get involved in sports, a varsity letter would help, or if you can be a captain of a team, that shows leadership
For classes, take the hardest classes possible from your school's offered courses Luke AP classes or IB if your school offers IB
I'm not sure what extracurricular you do but something that shows leadership is good, like starting a club, managing a particular event or becoming the president if your school offers National Honour Society, you should try to join
This is all I can think up off top of my head at the moment
Good luck on your application and remember that you can always attend civilian college then reapply if you don't get an appointment

Sent using the Service Academy Forums® mobile app
 
Thank you for the info. I know there's a lot I lack saying. In a addition to Girls State and HOBY I have letters in Soccer, will be a Black Belt in Taekwondo next summer, Student Council Officer, various community volunteering which includes the Department of Veterans Affairs and the local elementary school (which I love to do). I love talking with the veterans at the VA and hearing their first hand accounts of the history they were involved in. Good things :) Anyway, I'm an NRA Life Member and a member of the Cherokee Nation - and, I take AP classes (a total of 4 when it's all said and done).

I've got three letters of recommendation. One is from a retired colonel who is a West Point grad and the other two are from retired Navy Admirals.

I don't really do these board things but I am so eager to hear what others think of my credentials/resume' thus far.

Thanks again for the info. Any other information or advice is welcome. Thanks in advance y'all.
 
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Kelsi said:
Any other information or advice is welcome. Thanks in advance y'all.
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Overall, your credentials look pretty good. .....except for your ACT. You really need to study for, and retake that test as many times as possible to try and get close to 30. That includes trying to get your math and all the test subjects as close to 30 as possible. I am not saying that you can't, or won't get in under 30 (plenty of people do) but 30 should be your goal. Actually 36 should be your goal but you can "settle" for 30.:biggrin:

Also take the SAT at least a couple of times. Some people do better on that test rather than the ACT. Whichever you seem to do better on....study for it and re-take it until you can achieve the scores you want/need. With the SAT you want to try and hit 700s in each area.

Good Luck! :thumb:
 
Please read the stickies at the top of the USMA forum page. There is a timeline for things that need to be done for admission as well as a "What are My Chances" section----look at the overall profiles for previous classes to see where you need to improve.
 
This summer, enroll in an SAT or ACT prep class. Do the online practices and tests. Work on them every day. Your other info looks very good...especially the Cherokee Nation, as that is going to put you in the under-represented minority. You might want to call WP and see if you can talk to the minority recruiting officer.
 
How is your ability with math really? Your grades look like you can handle it, so do you have test anxiety?

I probably sound cynical, but here is what I think... WP is not going to turn an almost qualified Native American applicant away due to one deficiency. They would offer you prep school to work on boosting that math. You have a highly desirable demographic and they don't see many applicants like you.

DD was at prep school with a black woman who had amazing academics but horrible physical fitness. USNA sent her to prep where she managed to pass her fitness test - just barely. She was accepted.

If they want an applicant - and in your case, they do - they will try very hard to make it work.

Nicole
 
I'm scheduled to take the ACT again in June and will be getting a tutor (fingers crossed). I'd hate to get in based on a quota so I hope my other information is more than enough to support acceptance. Thank you very much for your time and information, ma'am. I truly appreciate it. :)
 
Nicole,

I have A's in Physics and Algebra in high school. Anxiety plays a roll on the test...a lot! :) I definitely would be willing to go to the Prep school but I hope I can boost my score on the ACT to at least a 23 or more. Thank you for the info, ma'am. Very appreciated.
 
I have been reading these forums for a couple years now. Along the way, I don't know exactly where, I formed the impression that the ACT score to shoot for is at least a 25. I'm probably wrong as I am not privy to any official secret information, but that's what I've got.

I really appreciate that you don't want to get in based on a quota! Actually I never used the term quota, and I don't think the SAs have quotas. But the fact is that in elite college admissions today there are too many qualified applicants. Everyone is smart and everyone is an athlete that does community service. So what else do they bring to the table? Almost everyone needs a hook to gain acceptance.

You know your hook, and it's a good one! However, you certainly don't sound arrogant and one to take that for granted. You still have time to improve your profile and I believe you will. You have received good advice up-thread. Get a tutor and also take the SAT.

Best of luck to you! Nicole
 
I really do appreciate the advice. Thank you :)
 
Apply to AROTC

Don't forget to apply for an AROTC scholarship as a plan B. You might also consider applying to USNA and NROTC Marine Option. It's not much more work since you'll be pulling similar information together for all of them. You really need to pull up those math scores. Really. I mean it.
 
Kelsi said:
I'd hate to get in based on a quota so I hope my other information is more than enough to support acceptance.
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Love you attitude!:thumb: Work hard at making yourself the best possible candidate and leave the prep-school slots for those that cannot gain direct entry without some extra help/consideration.
 
Dear Kelsi --

I am a high school teacher and have advised a number of students at our school who are interested in the service academies, including several who have gone to the respective Prep school (mostly USNAPS) before going on to the Academy. A few thoughts, building off what others have said. Most importantly, as others have noted, your ACT right now would almost certainly not be competitive for direct entry. So, what can you do? Here are some suggestions:

1. If it's financially possible, think about trying to take the SAT at a date early in the fall. Some students do significantly better on the SAT rather than the ACT, and it is worth seeing if you might be one of those students. Obviously, you would not want to go into the SAT "cold." Go to the College Board home page and you will see there are a great deal of resources available to help students prep for the SAT. If you do think you will take the SAT, get familiar with the format as early as you can and start practicing, practicing, practicing. If you feel you are lacking some of the underlying math skills that the SAT focuses on, maybe you could ask a math teacher at your school to recommend a textbook that you could use to help you brush up on that material. If you have access to a reasonably high speed internet connection, over the summer why not access the famous "Khan Academy" series and focus on your math skills.

2. If you feel like it is not feasible to try to take the SAT, then just focus 100% over the summer on working on your ACT. Look on the ACT home page for free resources available to help students, and see the above advice about borrowing a math textbook over the summer and working with the Khan Academy online courses. Also, remember that you do NOT need to pay for an expensive SAT or ACT prep course to prepare. In addition to many free resources put out by the testing companies, you can buy a test prep book for $20 or so (and probably get a used one even cheaper, or ask around at your high school to see if there are graduating seniors who might have old Stanley Kaplan or Princeton Review test materials). Practice can really help.

3. Consider contacting the West Point admissions office and asking to be put in touch with a minority outreach admissions rep. You have a great attitude about not wanting any favors, but it is a fact that the military academy considers Native Americans an under-represented minority (you'll sometimes see the acronym "URM"), and is interested in helping get them to USMA and set them up for success at USMA. This is a personal decision for you, of course, but remember that West Point also gives preference to applicants from underrepresented geographic areas (it is easier to get in as a candidate from some states than from others) and to recruited athletes.

4. Start thinking about USMAPS as a possible option. You cannot choose to apply to the Prep School -- the Academy makes that determination -- but currently with your math score you would be considered not academically qualified and the only realistic option would be to attend the Prep School for a year first. It is a great goal to work to get your math score into the academically qualified range, but psychologically you may also want to recognize that USMAPS is another way to attain your ultimate goal of attending West Point.

Good luck to you!
 
I appreciate that, sir, but my heart is set on the Army. Thanks for the info and congratulations to your son.
 
AcademyFriend1 said:
Dear Kelsi --

I am a high school teacher and have advised a number of students at our school who are interested in the service academies, including several who have gone to the respective Prep school (mostly USNAPS) before going on to the Academy. A few thoughts, building off what others have said. Most importantly, as others have noted, your ACT right now would almost certainly not be competitive for direct entry. So, what can you do? Here are some suggestions:

1. If it's financially possible, think about trying to take the SAT at a date early in the fall. Some students do significantly better on the SAT rather than the ACT, and it is worth seeing if you might be one of those students. Obviously, you would not want to go into the SAT "cold." Go to the College Board home page and you will see there are a great deal of resources available to help students prep for the SAT. If you do think you will take the SAT, get familiar with the format as early as you can and start practicing, practicing, practicing. If you feel you are lacking some of the underlying math skills that the SAT focuses on, maybe you could ask a math teacher at your school to recommend a textbook that you could use to help you brush up on that material. If you have access to a reasonably high speed internet connection, over the summer why not access the famous "Khan Academy" series and focus on your math skills.

2. If you feel like it is not feasible to try to take the SAT, then just focus 100% over the summer on working on your ACT. Look on the ACT home page for free resources available to help students, and see the above advice about borrowing a math textbook over the summer and working with the Khan Academy online courses. Also, remember that you do NOT need to pay for an expensive SAT or ACT prep course to prepare. In addition to many free resources put out by the testing companies, you can buy a test prep book for $20 or so (and probably get a used one even cheaper, or ask around at your high school to see if there are graduating seniors who might have old Stanley Kaplan or Princeton Review test materials). Practice can really help.

3. Consider contacting the West Point admissions office and asking to be put in touch with a minority outreach admissions rep. You have a great attitude about not wanting any favors, but it is a fact that the military academy considers Native Americans an under-represented minority (you'll sometimes see the acronym "URM"), and is interested in helping get them to USMA and set them up for success at USMA. This is a personal decision for you, of course, but remember that West Point also gives preference to applicants from underrepresented geographic areas (it is easier to get in as a candidate from some states than from others) and to recruited athletes.

4. Start thinking about USMAPS as a possible option. You cannot choose to apply to the Prep School -- the Academy makes that determination -- but currently with your math score you would be considered not academically qualified and the only realistic option would be to attend the Prep School for a year first. It is a great goal to work to get your math score into the academically qualified range, but psychologically you may also want to recognize that USMAPS is another way to attain your ultimate goal of attending West Point.

Good luck to you!
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Thank you very much for taking the time to type your informative response. I will definitely look into that. I also would definitely go the USMAPS route if offered. Thanks again.
 
Are any of your AP classes in Physics, Chemistry, or Calculus? I know you said you made A's in Physics and Algebra but were they regular, honors, or AP? My cadet found AP Statistics very helpful.
 
Dixieland said:
Are any of your AP classes in Physics, Chemistry, or Calculus? I know you said you made A's in Physics and Algebra but were they regular, honors, or AP? My cadet found AP Statistics very helpful.
Click to expand...

The AP classes I've taken are World History, US History, Biology, Government, World Lit and Composition I & II. Is that good?
 
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