Summer Camps/Class Rank

JJ2323

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Hey I am currently a Junior in high school and had a couple questions about the summer camps of the Naval Academy and the admissions process. First, will either the STEM camp or the summer seminar help in the admissions process to the college? If so, which camp will help more? Second, I go to a small school with a class size of 100. I am ranked 24 out of 100 which doesn't sounds very impressive, but that is because my school district is demographically very smart. I have a 4.18 weighted GPA so close to an estimated forty percent must have above a 4.0. Do I have the option not to submit class rank? Does the Naval Academy take into account how the students in my class are mostly all bright with higher grade point averages? Lastly, should I take the SAT or ACT or both? Should I take the writing portion of the test? I have already taken the SAT but not the ACT or the writing portion.
 
I don't think you can take STEM anymore, that's just through 10th grade. The Summer Seminar "helps" by opening up an application on you, letting you fall in love with the idea of Annapolis, recording a CFA and your detailer will comment on your week there. It doesn't give you points towards admission. I think you are required to send in class rank, they rely pretty heavily on it, I believe but your counselor will also send in a School Report which will tell them all they need to know about your school's situation. You didn't mention athletics and leadership opportunities but they are highly important to the USNA.
 
Does the Naval Academy take into account how the students in my class are mostly all bright with higher grade point averages?
It is possible that instead of having bright students in your class, that you school simply hands out A's like candy and this leads to everyone having high GPAs; this is a phenomenon known as grade inflation. GPA is not standardized, so it is not really accurate to characterize one person as smart and one as stupid simply because the former has a higher GPA. There are high schools out there where it is basically impossible to graduate with higher than a 3.0, and there are high schools out there where it is basically impossible to graduate with lower than a 4.0. This is why the service academies look at class rank rather than GPA, as it is not fair to compare someone who went to a school where getting a B is damn near impossible to someone who to went to a school where simply showing up gets you an A.

A better measurement of how "bright" the students at your school is the average ACT/SAT score at your school. If this average is high, USNA will likely take the competitiveness of your school into account. If this average is low, then your school probably has grade inflation and the students at your school aren't as smart as their GPAs might lead some to believe.

I went to a high school with a lot of smart kids(roughly a fourth of my graduating class scored a 30 or above on the ACT, for reference only one in twenty people score a 30 or above) and my class rank suffered because of this. However, I was told that because my high school was well above average academically that this would be taken into account when looking at my class rank. Evidently, it wasn't taken into account "enough" by USNA as I was still rejected.
 
take the SAT and ACT. USNA will superscore. take them as many times as possible.

can't emphasize this enough!
And I can't emphasize enough to prepare for them and not just showing up. SAT reports all your tests when you request to send to a school. Some schools (your plan b's) may consider number of attempts and some do not like many tries with min improvements or they go up and down.
 
Actually, doing well at NASS can give you a small bump in your application to USNA, as can many, many other things. It's primarily there for your benefit, however.

USNA focuses on class rank for the reasons stated above. While the competitiveness of your school is taken into account, USNA is made up of very competitive students. Thus, when you are competing in your h.s. against other strong students, it's important for you to stand out.

USNA doesn't evaluate the writing portion of the SAT. However, other schools to which you may apply likely will.
 
Actually, doing well at NASS can give you a small bump in your application to USNA, as can many, many other things. It's primarily there for your benefit, however.

USNA focuses on class rank for the reasons stated above. While the competitiveness of your school is taken into account, USNA is made up of very competitive students. Thus, when you are competing in your h.s. against other strong students, it's important for you to stand out.

USNA doesn't evaluate the writing portion of the SAT. However, other schools to which you may apply likely will.
I only have PSAT scores to submit for application, but I will apply then!!
 
To make shed some light i come from a smaller school with 84 kids. I got my acceptance to NASS on Tuesday. I was ranked 23 out of 84 not impressive. My PSAT scores were a 1370. So just apply and hope to get in. It also helps with the CFA if you get in! Good luck!
 
Does the Naval Academy take into account how the students in my class are mostly all bright with higher grade point averages?
It is possible that instead of having bright students in your class, that you school simply hands out A's like candy and this leads to everyone having high GPAs; this is a phenomenon known as grade inflation. GPA is not standardized, so it is not really accurate to characterize one person as smart and one as stupid simply because the former has a higher GPA. There are high schools out there where it is basically impossible to graduate with higher than a 3.0, and there are high schools out there where it is basically impossible to graduate with lower than a 4.0. This is why the service academies look at class rank rather than GPA, as it is not fair to compare someone who went to a school where getting a B is damn near impossible to someone who to went to a school where simply showing up gets you an A.

A better measurement of how "bright" the students at your school is the average ACT/SAT score at your school. If this average is high, USNA will likely take the competitiveness of your school into account. If this average is low, then your school probably has grade inflation and the students at your school aren't as smart as their GPAs might lead some to believe.

I went to a high school with a lot of smart kids(roughly a fourth of my graduating class scored a 30 or above on the ACT, for reference only one in twenty people score a 30 or above) and my class rank suffered because of this. However, I was told that because my high school was well above average academically that this would be taken into account when looking at my class rank. Evidently, it wasn't taken into account "enough" by USNA as I was still rejected.

Sorry but this is one of those times when I say "I can't even begin!"
 
To make shed some light i come from a smaller school with 84 kids. I got my acceptance to NASS on Tuesday. I was ranked 23 out of 84 not impressive. My PSAT scores were a 1370. So just apply and hope to get in. It also helps with the CFA if you get in! Good luck!
Getting into NASS and having a great class rank, grades, scores, leadership, etc. doesn't guarantee you'll get an appointment- I was rejected yesterday. Apply to all the academies you would consider. I received an appointment to Merchant Marine Academy, West Point and prep to USAFA. =)
 
Getting into NASS and having a great class rank, grades, scores, leadership, etc. doesn't guarantee you'll get an appointment- I was rejected yesterday. Apply to all the academies you would consider. I received an appointment to Merchant Marine Academy, West Point and prep to USAFA. =)

I've realized that, I've been stalking these forms for a few years now. This thread was just about summer seminars and about going to small schools as the OP put in his question. I go to a smaller school and I just felt it was right to chime in. I never said or thought I was a lock for an appointment no one is.
 
I would recommend attending the summer seminars at all of the service academies, if you can. My son attended those for West Point and the USNA, and has received offers from both. He did not get into the Air Force Academy's program, nor the Coast Guard's. He applied late in the game on those.

You never know what these visits might reveal. You may fall in love with a SA that you had not previously considered.

My son's take is that summer programs give the prospective candidate a chance to evaluate the school. He felt that there was some counter-evaluation going on by the staff at both camps while he was there. He also felt like attending the summer programs helped his profile when actually applying. Being able to confirm that you attended a summer program shows the academy that you are not applying "blindly", but have some sense of what the place will be like.
 
Hey I am currently a Junior in high school and had a couple questions about the summer camps of the Naval Academy and the admissions process. First, will either the STEM camp or the summer seminar help in the admissions process to the college? If so, which camp will help more? Second, I go to a small school with a class size of 100. I am ranked 24 out of 100 which doesn't sounds very impressive, but that is because my school district is demographically very smart. I have a 4.18 weighted GPA so close to an estimated forty percent must have above a 4.0. Do I have the option not to submit class rank? Does the Naval Academy take into account how the students in my class are mostly all bright with higher grade point averages? Lastly, should I take the SAT or ACT or both? Should I take the writing portion of the test? I have already taken the SAT but not the ACT or the writing portion.
Personally, I am taking the SAT and the ACT with the writing portion for both.
 
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