Do I have any chance?

Zeringu_One

5-Year Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2014
Messages
64
My junior year has just ended and it is now time to begin my application. Please be brutally honest on my chances of getting into USMA. I have been running cross country and track for 7 years now. I have ran in the cross country state meet since my freshman year and contributed to 3 consecutive state championships in crosscountry. In 2013 I was an Allstate crosscountry runner with a time of 16:42 (three mile). I am likely to become team Captain in the 2014 season. I also have 3 letters in track. I have been the president of my class freshman through junior year and have recently been elected student body executive president. Also, I have collected many many hours of community service (300+). My community service is mostly with the American legion and my church I have been alter serving at my church since I was nine. I also work at a catering company as a part time job. Throughout high school I have maintained a 3.5 gpa and take honors classes. I have been a member of the national honors society for two years and was an officer this year. I have been nominated to attend boys state and will attend. About a year ago I took the act for the first time and scored a 22. With that being said, I have been taking classes to boost my scores and have made a 27 in English and reading on the practice test.
 
I think it is most telling that you put your strongest accomplishments first (sports and leadership) and save your weakest for last.

GPA only matters in as much that it correlates to a class rank which you didn't list.

Practice tests don't count for anything. If you don't significantly improve on those ACT scores you won't have a chance at direct entry. Academics are 60% of your application, which appears to be your weak spot. Leadership, your strength, is 30% and part of that will be your teacher evaluations. Shows you where you probably need to focus over the summer and into th fall.
 
Do you have any Advanced Placement classes in your senior year schedule? West Point (and other colleges) like to see that you've challenged yourself with a rigorous schedule.
 
Unfortunately my school does not offer ap. however I did take some honors classes. I know I have a small chance of getting in, but it will haunt me for the rest of my life to know that I didn't try.
 
Certainly

You have a chance. Obviously, your weak spot is your academic portion. The SAT/ACT should be your focus. You need to find a review course and dedicate yourself to it this summer. You can do it yourself or take a paid course. Some of these courses advertise substantial improvments in scores. Starting with a 22 is obviously going to be a challenge, but you can do it. Your other achievements are impressive.

"If you think you can do it, you have a chance. If you think you can't, you are right."
 
Of course you have a chance. Work it! How bad do you want it? If you don't get it the first time around, are you willing to keep working and try again? Fill the potholes that you know are there.


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What other cards do you hold? Are you in a region that isn't represented strongly at West Point? Are you a minority student? First generation college student? You can't change your GPA much at this point, but your ACT and SAT have plenty of opportunity to improve. Also, have you talked to the cross country coach at WP? Are your times fast enough to pique his interest?
 
Unfortunately my school does not offer ap. however I did take some honors classes. I know I have a small chance of getting in, but it will haunt me for the rest of my life to know that I didn't try.

I would talk to your guidance counselor and see if you could take some AP classes at another high school. My son's college roommate did that because his high school only offered a few AP classes. I would also check into your local community college---some states allow high school students to take classes at the CC free of charge.

Your first couple of years at West Point will be full of math, physics, and chemistry.

Be sure and take a look at the helpful "stickies" at the top of the USMA page, especially the "What Are My Chances?" thread. Here is the link to the profile of the class of 2017 so you can see how you stack up: http://www.usma.edu/oir/class profiles/class of 2017.pdf
 
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