Competitiveness decreasing? (2017/2018 profile)

civic29

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www.usma.edu/oir/class profiles/class of 2018.pdf

www.usma.edu/oir/class profiles/class of 2017.pdf


Above is the class profile for 2018 and 2017. The average ACT score went from a 29 in just about every area to a 28 flat. (with the ACT writing score average coming up to a 28 and the science dropping to a 27) The percentile of those in the lower scores went up to 3% in some areas! (37 cadets!). Keep in mind there were more applying for the class of 2017, but only by 400 applicants, a minute number in comparison to 11000

Take a moment to review and give your thoughts on why that may be. If anything it seems like competitiveness has been decreasing!

Another interesting fact 1205 of the 1223 admitted compete in a varsity sport. (only 18 of those admitted did not have a varsity letter! years past 200+ didn't have varsity sport), those without one better start working toward one!

Is it possible that WestPoint is starting to change from academics weighing so much to focusing on athletics and the "whole candidate's" leadership?

What do you think of these results. I may try to create some chart or graph to compare the changing results from year to year in all the areas.

So what do you think is causing that trend?
 
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Perhaps those 18 were home schooled.

I think they may participate in club sports or maybe be home schooled, but years past 200 appointees didn't have a varsity sport under their belt, it surprises me that so many were in a varsity sport!
 
Perhaps those 18 were home schooled.

Or they had a very unique athletic-type hobby that did not quite fit into the mold of a traditional varsity sport.

Or they had super, super high test scores - West Point does love to brag about its scholars.

Either way, your best bet to getting in is to be a well-rounded scholar-leader-athlete.

Of note to the statistics posted by OP, they do not include race or ethnicity. URM's increased significantly as a percentage of the class of 2018. IIRC, blacks went from ~ 9% of 2017 to 14% of 2018.

Also note the gender stats. In 2017, the percentage of qualified men and women admitted was similar, 55% to 54%, respectively. For 2018, 48% of qualified males were admitted vs 59% of qualified females. Good luck, fellas, your "competition" is certainly not decreasing.
 
What I'm wondering is how it dropped by a whole point! That is a large percentile. That means either the outliers are more prevalent or the top of the bell curve is pushing to the left. Either way ACT scores are decreasing wether it be due to more applicants in the diversity section, or the fact they where trying to get more women for that year, who may have not had the scores but had other areas they were looking for.
I have always wondered the stats of those with a 16-20 on the ACT in a subsection. There must be some kids who score in the high 30s in english reading and science but have a 19 in the math, or maybe they also took the SAT??? I'm guessing they are coming from the prep program and still end up doing well (or so I would hope)
 
Scouting participant dropped by a lot. Boys/girls state attendees increases
 
No surprise there. Scouting participation has been dropping in the broader culture for years.
 
Shame. Some of the best memories I have are hiking in New Mexico, canoeing in Minnesota, waking up to fresh snowfall in South Carolina, and just plain hanging out with friends in the woods. Scouting needs some better recruiting methods that tell people it's not all about knot x and y; it is more about the outdoors. I hate knots with a passion and got my Eagle. At least that's how my troop did it. We did a camping trip every month.
 
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Shame. Some of the best memories I have are hiking in New Mexico, canoeing in Minnesota, waking up to fresh snowfall in South Carolina, and just plain hanging out with friends in the woods. Scouting needs some better recruiting methods that tell people it's not all about knot x and y; it is more about the outdoors. I hate knots with a passion and got my Eagle. At least that's how my troop did it. We did a camping trip every month.

You really do need to check out UNG. :D
 
Where we live, home schooled students can participate in clubs and teams, and many earn varsity letters.

Not all places are like that, I believe there is probably 1-4 cadets that are home-schooled as there are few opportunities to excel or prove yourself in. I think the others are probably club sports or martial arts participants
 
Not all places are like that, I believe there is probably 1-4 cadets that are home-schooled as there are few opportunities to excel or prove yourself in. I think the others are probably club sports or martial arts participants

Really?
Out of 4400 cadets, you think 1-4 were home-schooled?
Interested in knowing what led you to that conclusion.
 
Really?

Out of 4400 cadets, you think 1-4 were home-schooled?

Interested in knowing what led you to that conclusion.


I was thinking more incoming class, but I was just guessing as I don't see how many homeschoolers would find themselves in many varsity athletics or leadership positions. Home schoolers are about <1-3% of the population depending on the year and then you have to weed out how many get a quality education from home. Now that I think of it I would predict base in my very very limited knowledge there is maybe 20 each school year?(80 total) but that's just me assuming things, and we all know what happens when we assume.


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Of note to the statistics posted by OP, they do not include race or ethnicity. URM's increased significantly as a percentage of the class of 2018. IIRC, blacks went from ~ 9% of 2017 to 14% of 2018.

Also note the gender stats. In 2017, the percentage of qualified men and women admitted was similar, 55% to 54%, respectively. For 2018, 48% of qualified males were admitted vs 59% of qualified females. Good luck, fellas, your "competition" is certainly not decreasing.

Ding ding ding :rolleyes:

"Good enough" is all that matters if it helps USMA hit a diversity goal
 
I guess when someone does much better on one of the test then the other, SAT or ACT, they only have half intelligence, personally I would take the 25ACT score with the person the has walked the walk first. Just like in the real world now, its all about the whole resume, not just the part that lists your education
 
www.usma.edu/oir/class profiles/class of 2018.pdf

www.usma.edu/oir/class profiles/class of 2017.pdf


Above is the class profile for 2018 and 2017. The average ACT score went from a 29 in just about every area to a 28 flat. (with the ACT writing score average coming up to a 28 and the science dropping to a 27) The percentile of those in the lower scores went up to 3% in some areas! (37 cadets!). Keep in mind there were more applying for the class of 2017, but only by 400 applicants, a minute number in comparison to 11000

Take a moment to review and give your thoughts on why that may be. If anything it seems like competitiveness has been decreasing!

Another interesting fact 1205 of the 1223 admitted compete in a varsity sport. (only 18 of those admitted did not have a varsity letter! years past 200+ didn't have varsity sport), those without one better start working toward one!

Is it possible that WestPoint is starting to change from academics weighing so much to focusing on athletics and the "whole candidate's" leadership?

What do you think of these results. I may try to create some chart or graph to compare the changing results from year to year in all the areas.

So what do you think is causing that trend?

First, you should look up the definition of the word "trend." Just comparing differences between in 2017 and 2018 is not a trend.

Thing about summaries are that they are summaries. Can't put every information on the summary sheet. For example, West Point grants varsity equivalency. Perhaps they did not count them as varsity letter winner before but they do now.

If you have too much time on hand,you should compare national ACT trend and ACT score trends in other schools test your thesis.
 
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