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zak09115

10-Year Member
5-Year Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2009
Messages
22
GPA:95
Class Rank: 29 out of 385
ACT:31
SAT: 1150 (idk what happened, but they only look at one or the other)

extra curr.
Ski Club - 9th grade
Lockheed Martin Explorer Post -Digital Electronics -10th grade
model un - 10,11,12
Freshman Govt
Senior Senate
Student Ambassador (Leadership thing)
Volunteer at hosp for two summers
CTE Open House (Spoke in front of groups about digital electronics at my school)
Volunteer Tutor

Sports
Freshman Football
Varsity Cross Country
Varsity Swimming

Jobs
Currently a Grocery Store stock boy
Computer Cleaner for School District over Summer
Maintenance Assistant the summer before
 
95 GPA?

Everything looks good. Nice ACT scores BTW. What about leadership? Think about doing some introspection into your leadership abilities. You'll be asked about them later in interviews:biggrin:
 
Maybe some EC activities that demonstrate leadership? Also, weird GPA scale...do you mean 95%, meaning the equivalent of a 4.0 on the 0.0-4.0 scale?
 
95% out of 100%. It isn't really that weird. If you cant figure that out, don't expect to be able to get in the academy.
 
zak09115,

You might want to back off just a bit dude. You sound just like I did when I first join (i'm sure you guys can remember all of that...). Remember, you are actually talking to a cadet that is at the academy (PDub). It is kind of weird to have 95% GPA since you didn't tell us the scale that it was on. Typically everyone uses 4.0 scale so we immediately assumed that was what you meant. We all make mistakes and screw up, even the people at the academy. You might want to reconsider before you start insulting some of the people who have made it where you might never go. If you can't figure out kindness, humility, and teamwork, don't expect to be accepted to the academy. Good Luck on your app.

Later,

Brian
 
BSA basically summed it up nicely. You are taking to a REAL Cadet and if anyone he can help you. So you might just want to listen. And with the 95 obviously we know it is a percentage. But we didn't know what the was on a 4.0 scale. Because that is what the Academy goes off, and what most school go off. So like BSA said just backoff a little bit.
 
Wow. We have such a good vibe going on here.

...it's like daddy just hit mommy at the dinner table and we're all still trying to eat...:eek:
 
Is that gpa weighted or unweighted. What is your weighted? here's why I am asking. Anybody can have a 95% if they only take the easy A's. Having a 95% uw with 9 AP's is terrific, 95% with chorus, art, gym and teen living isn't!

Also, this site is known to be friendly with great camraderie. People may say something you don't want to hear, but at least they are being honest.

What bothers me the most about your post is that you said I have a 31 and my SAT is low, but I don't care they only take 1. Don't fool your self, you should be re taking both of them. Unless your ACT is a straight 31 in all components. The median is 29 for Verbal, let's say you have a 28 V and 34 M, that gives you a 31. The PAR is 60% of your WCS. Do you want to get lower points for your ACT because you are below the avg? You have time to keep taking and they take the best. Your SAT is low for the AFA no matter how you break it. If you have a 650 M, which is the avg, than you have a 500 V which is 10 pts above being non competitive for an appt. Split down the middle and you are 30 pts below the avg for M, and this is a math orientated curriculum.

The I don't care also bothers me because of the feeling like I am using the rules for my advantage to make it easier on me. The AFA is not a take the easy path kind of education. It is the I am going to never ever give up until I have given 100% + some more or until they call the ball. With 6 mos more before the books close out, you have multiple opportunities left to try harder before they call the ball.

Finally, your stats maybe fine for th AFA, but it might not be good enough for a nom, and yo need a nom to get in. If you are from competitive areas that SAT/ACT may actually hurt you more than you think. Places like Co springs have many many applicants, thus the reason the MOC's talk so there is no duplication, plus if you ask for a nom to USNA and USAFA, you will only get it for 1 not both because they want to spread the wealth. You have not given us a clue from what state you are coming from, and that does make a difference. If you are coming from No VA I would say your chances are avg for a nom, because of the low SAT/avg ACT. No VA has 20 public hs, the avg SAT for 18 of them is 1400 out of 1600 and a 33. They typically have 300+ asking for noms. Now coming from somewhere like Western NC, than you have a good shot for an appt.

Something you all need to remember, the goal is not to meet the earliest board, it is to get the appt. No appt can be given out until the entire slate has submitted their package. Be selfish and be the last one, so it can be the best one. I would not submit this package yet because I would take the SAT and ACT over again. You can have the results by Thanksgiving. What if you took it again and this time you scored even 1 pt higher on the ACT, that means a higher PAR. You do not want to be sitting here in April with a thin letter thinking I should have taken over the ACT and SAT, or I should have tried harder on my CFA. Those are 2 things you have direct control over right now. Your GPA is in the past and will have little movement, the other two can still be in the future if you choose.

It is also important to realize with the economy the way it is, just like in state univ., the academies are getting more applicants, which means the caliber is increasing since they are mandated pn how many appts they can give unlike a university. Look at some of the ROTC scholarships now and you will see out the door stats, many of these kids did not get an appt(most from comp areas like Ca, VA, Md, NY, Co, Tx and Fl).

FWIW we made DS re take when he had a 31, he ended with a 33 or 34 can't remember. We made him retake a 1320 SAT and he ended with a 1390(670V/720M).
 
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Thanks Pima,

Good insight. It is nice to see you posting again. I am kind of in the same position as your son. Have a 1340 SAT (720M, 620V), but I don't know if I should try again. I have very little, if any, time to study for it, so I don't know if it is worth me trying again and throwing away a bunch of money. My ALO told me that I should probably spend more time "studying" for the CFA than the SAT or ACT, that is where I can get the most increase in points.

Later,

Brian
 
I would agree with that assumption since you are above the median. I must admit DS never studied for either ACT or SAT. I think the more you take it the more accustom you become to the type of questions. Plus, your courses become more difficult so you now can answer a question that five mos ago you guessed at.

Here is what I would suggest, take it again, but study for the V side only. 720 is a great score and they superscore, so it is no harm no foul for you. If you can bring up the V to a 650-670 than you would be sitting better. This is where DS gained the majority of his pts. He was 690/630 on his 1st set, and as you can see him went up in both, but the larger increase was V.

For the CFA, I always suggest working on it to everyone. DS every night did push up and sit ups, he ran every morning and we had a pull up bar put in his room. Luckily, he was a lifeguard and a national TKD champ so his workout was always geared to upper body strength for one and agility for the lower body on the other. Practicing your CFA is not hours and hours daily. One sat. morning in the next 6 weeks won't make a difference.

The main question only you can answer is the what if? What if I re-took it maybe than I would have an appt, what if I worked out more? You know your weakness, so it is time to take control and answer it your self.

Are you close to maxing the CFA?
100 B Ball
18 pull ups
85 push ups
95 sit ups
6 min mile

If the answer is yes than you know that the only place yo have room is the SAT. If your answer is no, I only have a 60 B ball, 10 pull ups, 60 push ups, 70 sit ups and a 7 min mile, than there is your answer too.

I can't remember the shuttle, I think it is 8 sec range.

You are from C Springs so for MOCS you are from a very competitive area, your ALO knows the overall make up of all of their applicants. So listen to them, he might see something that we don't. For example, since you are home schooled you do not have school athletics and thus, he/she wants you to max on the CFA to prove that you are physically fit to remove the fear from the board. Every applicant is different, another candidate could have a lower CFA, but be the capt of varsity lacrosse which will offset the CFA points.
 
hmmm let me ask a quick question regarding the CFA.

BB - 79
Pull up - 8
Shuttle - 8.8
Pushup- 75
Sit up - 85
Mile- 6:50

Im taking my test next week. I honestly dont see a huge improvement coming in any of these if I wait longer. But with the post above do you think it would be worth waiting longer and trying to squeeze out a few more points?

Thanks,

Kevster



P.S. please correct me if im wrong... but isnt the max for pushups 75 not 85?
 
Yah I do apologize. I did snap at you guys. But back to what Pima was saying, I have been taking every honors course and AP course possible except for a couple just cause my counselor couldn't fit it in my schedule. I am retaking the SAT's and probably the ACT's. Yah the critical reading is just a pain in the neck for both tests. I don't know what I am doing wrong, probably just thinking too much about each question. Also, I am in New york state. I don't know how competitive that is, maybe you do.
Also, some MOC don't have an exact form of recommendation, so how should i ask teachers to make recommendations? I'm applying to my senators and congressman, each wanting three recommendations. I am going to tell my teacher's to just make copies of their recommendations two times and just use the same one for each MOC. Does that sound ok? Also, could I just use that same recommendation to send in as the extra 3 recommendations the AFA advises?
 
hmmm let me ask a quick question regarding the CFA.

BB - 79
Pull up - 8
Shuttle - 8.8
Pushup- 75
Sit up - 85
Mile- 6:50

Im taking my test next week. I honestly dont see a huge improvement coming in any of these if I wait longer. But with the post above do you think it would be worth waiting longer and trying to squeeze out a few more points?

Thanks,

Kevster



P.S. please correct me if im wrong... but isnt the max for pushups 75 not 85?
Yes it is 75. I maxed out on that one.
 
Hate to tell you, but NY is a spread the wealth state, they talk to each other and try their best not to duplicate. I would not expect 3 noms from that state. Are you asking 3 teachers for your recs, don't you have a coach or somebody else that can show you in a leadership form to ask?

keyster,

your pull up is median...we are still in aug. Go to a sport store, buy a pull up bar, place it in your doorway and every time your enter or exit do 8 (since you can do that already), next week raise it to 9, the week after to 10, by mid sept you should be able to push out 11+ if you honestly do that regime. An 11 will look better than an 8, the rest are great scores.

FWIW I do not know the point difference between 8 and 11 pull ups, but since the board will not meet until Oct., there is no sense to push it, esp. if you have no nom yet! No nom= no board review.

Also, your packet will not be reviewed without the ALO rec since that is a part of the WCS. So again, no ALO rec, no board review, no WCS, and no apptmt.
 
Yah I do. I'm gonna use my Swimming coach, Principal, and my apbio or cross country coach. I am not expecting 3 nominations. All i want is one.
 
All you need is one.


Just remember NY is competitive and in your case, now knowing that you are in a competitive state I would re take the SAT and ACT.

If I recall correctly NY is late in noms, close to Dec/Jan time frame so you have the ability to keep updating your AFA file until the nom is submitted. Use that to your advantage. Other states like CO have their noms in @ Nov, so they have a shorter window.
 
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