If you're frustrated waiting for the BFE, this maybe why.

http://www.businessinsider.com/thes...selective-than-some-ivy-league-schools-2015-3

West Point is a very selective and difficult school to receive an appointment. All the service academies are a two step process. (except the Coast Guard Academy-does not require a nomination)

Push Hard, Press Forward

And last year only 8% were accepted (15,059 applied, 1212 appointed) and only 6.3% if athletes (265) are excluded. Obviously, Navy and Stanford have NCAA sports teams but I wasn't sure about the rest of the schools on this list.
 
Yowza! Thanks for posting.
I just reposted it on the parents FB page.
 
15 thousand applicants? That seems a little high. What exactly qualifies one as an applicant?
 
15,000 is about the same number they have been getting the last few years. It's probably just everyone who submits an application. The number that actually start an application is probably a lot higher. Other schools get a lot more. Texas A&M had almost 40,000 applicants this year.
 
15,000 is about the same number they have been getting the last few years. It's probably just everyone who submits an application. The number that actually start an application is probably a lot higher. Other schools get a lot more. Texas A&M had almost 40,000 applicants this year.

Texas A&M and West Point are very different. One produces arrogant graduates who, after four years of isolation in a bleak military-themed environment, forever have trouble integrating into the real world that lies beyond their insular network of "ring knockers." The other is West Point.
 
According to the USMA Class of 2018 profile:

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

The 15,000 number is the number of application files started, not the number of applications submitted

This indicates the ACT mean was 28 in the 2018 class. Everything I have read on entering classes before 2018 was the ACT mean was 29 as it was for the 2017 class. Granted, ACT tests vary in difficulty but one wouldn't think by a whole point. I wonder what the mean average will be for the 2019 class?
 
This indicates the ACT mean was 28 in the 2018 class. Everything I have read on entering classes before 2018 was the ACT mean was 29 as it was for the 2017 class. Granted, ACT tests vary in difficulty but one wouldn't think by a whole point. I wonder what the mean average will be for the 2019 class?

It could just be that the mean in each year was 28.4 vs 28.6. They are rounding the stat to the nearest whole number.
 
It could just be that the mean in each year was 28.4 vs 28.6. They are rounding the stat to the nearest whole number.

True, but the 2017 class had a mean of 30 in Reading while the 2018 class had a 28. So, we know that is more than a point difference even with rounding. English, Math, and Science were one point (rounded) higher in 2017. Only Writing at 28 was the same.
 
15 thousand applicants? That seems a little high. What exactly qualifies one as an applicant?


A fine question, and the answer is something that you should remember.

West Point and Annapolis define applicant (for these selectivity numbers) as someone who started an application file. So, if you went to USNA's website, went to admissions, filed out a form and submitted and never gave USNA a second thought.... in their eyes you're officially an applicant. Of course, a high number of those "applicants" never actually complete an application. It's like clicking "LIKE" on GE's Facebook page, and GE counting that as a job applicant.

Neither West Point, nor Annapolis are turning away 92-93% of the people who complete applications.... they just aren't.

But, by including these phantom applications, USMA and USNA look much more selective.
 
Texas A&M and West Point are very different. One produces arrogant graduates who, after four years of isolation in a bleak military-themed environment, forever have trouble integrating into the real world that lies beyond their insular network of "ring knockers." The other is West Point.

Sledge, I could not agree more. An ROTC grad said to me the other day, after finding out I went to USMA, "you know, I'm often surprised to find out which officers went to West Point...but I'm never shocked to learn who went to Texas A&M."
 
West Point actually has a relatively high acceptance rate for those who finish the application and are academically, medically, and physically qualified. Not including those who earn a nomination, by percentages alone, it's a slightly lower than 50% chance to get accepted once triple qualified. That's why West Point looks at those who start the application, because unlike common app schools where you can simply send your application to 10+ schools at once, West Point's application process is so long and unrelenting that the number who finally finish is probably only half those who start.
 
I can see counting all who completed an application, but including those who started but didn't finish an application seems a bit of a stretch. I started to run a marathon this morning but had to quit after a block. So I'm a marathon runner....:zip:
 
I disagree. You have to begin the process to even see if you might qualify. Instead of requiring everyone to complete the entire applicaiton process, the army wisely puts up red lights when they find that a candidate does not meet their criteria. This saves everyone time. But that person still did apply and tried to gain admittance.
 
Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought one could complete the application and it would "Flag" deficient areas. I never heard of it stopping the application from being completed. Now if you are talking about going for DODMERB, Interviews etc. I can see it not getting there. But I thought an application still could be completed.
 
The '15,000' is the number of files opened. You can send an inquiry to WP and do nothing else and it will be counted as a file.
A file opened does not mean an application. There is a screening done by the RC. They will determine whether to close your file or open your portal up for the application process.
 
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