How Important are SAT/ACT scores? And How Do I Study In Order To Improve

Sports are important. They are probably third in importance in my mind after standardized test scores and academic performance (Class rank and GPA). If I were interviewing your son I would ask why he didn’t do any sports. Just because the program isn’t varied is not going to cut it for an answer. Potentially his High Adventure would fill some of it, but that is not a long-term involvement activity like a sport over years. The reason sports are important is not just the fitness aspect. It is dedication, being coachable, and self-motivated.

This seeems like a good thread for my yearly (it seems like) discussion when people ask these things. So, here goes.

There is a perception that if a person gets things checked off a list, then they will get an appointment. As if the Academy is looking for someone who can check off these 8 items so therefore they will be a good leader. That is thinking backwards. The Academy wants people who would have checked off those things whether they were going to an academy or not. They want the people who are involved in athletics, student government, Boys State, academic clubs, mentoring programs, academic honor societies, etc. because that’s what they are already. Not because they joined or checked the box to tidy up their application for USAFA. That is why the ALO interview holds so much sway. They can deduce whether this person is the one who did things because they wanted to and not just to check a box. The Academy knows when they have the right candidates whether they fit the perfect mold or not. That is why you will sometimes see a person with slightly lesser “paper” stats get an appointment over the higher candidate. Being a leader is not who you are on paper, it is who you are in real life.

I will hold my son up as an example because most of you don’t know him since it’s been so long. He had every stat that USAFA was looking for before he even decided to apply. It was our relatives who were Academy grads who actually approached him and said that he was exactly what they were looking for in applicants. So he applied and the rest is history.

There. I feel better now. Let me know if you have more questions.

Stealth_81
You would have to know more about our district to understand the perspective. We don’t have any “Academy grads” in our family. My son’s goals don’t involve checking boxes. Never have and never will. He can stand on his own merits and will put in the necessary work to do more than just ”pass” the CFA and amy other requirement. Success is a result of his natural work ethic. He is motivated by family members like his grandfather who never had the opportunity to go to college, but joined the army at 17 and rose to the rank of Sergeant Major. His grandfather is one of many relatives who had very little support or examples, but picked themselves up and became successful due to an innate drive and love of their country. He also has a father who came out of poverty to become a highly successful attorney. His mother’s a pretty tough little cookie, as well. ;) My son comes from the best this country has to offer and I have no doubt he will be successful, no matter what he chooses. Candidly, if I were an interviewer, first on my list would be looking for a candidate who demonstrates integrity and a healthy dose of humility over athletics. Respectfully, a trained seal can be taught to throw a ball. The ability to gain the trust of that seal and get it to follow you even when you don’t have a herring in your pocket? That’s a leader and that’s my son. Thank you
 
Sports are important. They are probably third in importance in my mind after standardized test scores and academic performance (Class rank and GPA). If I were interviewing your son I would ask why he didn’t do any sports. Just because the program isn’t varied is not going to cut it for an answer. Potentially his High Adventure would fill some of it, but that is not a long-term involvement activity like a sport over years. The reason sports are important is not just the fitness aspect. It is dedication, being coachable, and self-motivated.

This seeems like a good thread for my yearly (it seems like) discussion when people ask these things. So, here goes.

There is a perception that if a person gets things checked off a list, then they will get an appointment. As if the Academy is looking for someone who can check off these 8 items so therefore they will be a good leader. That is thinking backwards. The Academy wants people who would have checked off those things whether they were going to an academy or not. They want the people who are involved in athletics, student government, Boys State, academic clubs, mentoring programs, academic honor societies, etc. because that’s what they are already. Not because they joined or checked the box to tidy up their application for USAFA. That is why the ALO interview holds so much sway. They can deduce whether this person is the one who did things because they wanted to and not just to check a box. The Academy knows when they have the right candidates whether they fit the perfect mold or not. That is why you will sometimes see a person with slightly lesser “paper” stats get an appointment over the higher candidate. Being a leader is not who you are on paper, it is who you are in real life.

I will hold my son up as an example because most of you don’t know him since it’s been so long. He had every stat that USAFA was looking for before he even decided to apply. It was our relatives who were Academy grads who actually approached him and said that he was exactly what they were looking for in applicants. So he applied and the rest is history.

There. I feel better now. Let me know if you have more questions.

Stealth_81
Sports are important. They are probably third in importance in my mind after standardized test scores and academic performance (Class rank and GPA). If I were interviewing your son I would ask why he didn’t do any sports. Just because the program isn’t varied is not going to cut it for an answer. Potentially his High Adventure would fill some of it, but that is not a long-term involvement activity like a sport over years. The reason sports are important is not just the fitness aspect. It is dedication, being coachable, and self-motivated.

This seeems like a good thread for my yearly (it seems like) discussion when people ask these things. So, here goes.

There is a perception that if a person gets things checked off a list, then they will get an appointment. As if the Academy is looking for someone who can check off these 8 items so therefore they will be a good leader. That is thinking backwards. The Academy wants people who would have checked off those things whether they were going to an academy or not. They want the people who are involved in athletics, student government, Boys State, academic clubs, mentoring programs, academic honor societies, etc. because that’s what they are already. Not because they joined or checked the box to tidy up their application for USAFA. That is why the ALO interview holds so much sway. They can deduce whether this person is the one who did things because they wanted to and not just to check a box. The Academy knows when they have the right candidates whether they fit the perfect mold or not. That is why you will sometimes see a person with slightly lesser “paper” stats get an appointment over the higher candidate. Being a leader is not who you are on paper, it is who you are in real life.

I will hold my son up as an example because most of you don’t know him since it’s been so long. He had every stat that USAFA was looking for before he even decided to apply. It was our relatives who were Academy grads who actually approached him and said that he was exactly what they were looking for in applicants. So he applied and the rest is history.

There. I feel better now. Let me know if you have more questions.

Stealth_81
 
You would have to know more about our district to understand the perspective. We don’t have any “Academy grads” in our family. My son’s goals don’t involve checking boxes. Never have and never will. He can stand on his own merits and will put in the necessary work to do more than just ”pass” the CFA and amy other requirement. Success is a result of his natural work ethic. He is motivated by family members like his grandfather who never had the opportunity to go to college, but joined the army at 17 and rose to the rank of Sergeant Major. His grandfather is one of many relatives who had very little support or examples, but picked themselves up and became successful due to an innate drive and love of their country. He also has a father who came out of poverty to become a highly successful attorney. His mother’s a pretty tough little cookie, as well. ;) My son comes from the best this country has to offer and I have no doubt he will be successful, no matter what he chooses. Candidly, if I were an interviewer, first on my list would be looking for a candidate who demonstrates integrity and a healthy dose of humility over athletics. Respectfully, a trained seal can be taught to throw a ball. The ability to gain the trust of that seal and get it to follow you even when you don’t have a herring in your pocket? That’s a leader and that’s my son. Thank you
 
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You would have to know more about our district to understand the perspective. We don’t have any “Academy grads” in our family. My son’s goals don’t involve checking boxes. Never have and never will. He can stand on his own merits and will put in the necessary work to do more than just ”pass” the CFA and amy other requirement. Success is a result of his natural work ethic. He is motivated by family members like his grandfather who never had the opportunity to go to college, but joined the army at 17 and rose to the rank of Sergeant Major. His grandfather is one of many relatives who had very little support or examples, but picked themselves up and became successful due to an innate drive and love of their country. He also has a father who came out of poverty to become a highly successful attorney. His mother’s a pretty tough little cookie, as well. ;) My son comes from the best this country has to offer and I have no doubt he will be successful, no matter what he chooses. Candidly, if I were an interviewer, first on my list would be looking for a candidate who demonstrates integrity and a healthy dose of humility over athletics. Respectfully, a trained seal can be taught to throw a ball. The ability to gain the trust of that seal and get it to follow you even when you don’t have a herring in your pocket? That’s a leader and that’s my son. Thank you

What if there is a person on the slate that has integrity, humility and sports?

Too often it’s overlooked that this is a competition between excellent candidates.
 
Hi! I am very new to this forum, as I am a class of 2026 hopeful, so I apologize if there is already a thread on this subject. I have a question regarding my SAT and ACT scores. I have taken the SAT twice and I am about to take the ACT again next month. I feel like I have done my best and scored pretty well, however now that I am looking through this forum and seeing everyone else's scores, I am not so sure anymore. I am above the minimum scores, but not by much. So, how important are these scores? What is the range of scores I should shoot for? And, how/what do I study, especially for the ACT, to get higher scores?
Get the ACT book and do lots of practice tests. Shoot for improvement. You might not have seen your best ACT score yet.... just like your current PR in pull-ups and mile run probably won't be your all-time best. Keep pushing and we'll be rooting for you.
 
What if there is a person on the slate that has integrity, humility and sports?

Too often it’s overlooked that this is a competition between excellent candidates.
I don’t disagree with you. My son brought up the topic of attending a service academy. He’s going to be the primary navigator of this process and like most teenagers doesn’t want me to barrage him with questions. I don’t know a lot about the process and am trying to do my own research on the sly. Frankly, I’m a little dismayed at not seeing more information about the importance of honor and service to your country. I know it’s rather old-fashioned, but I’m an army brat and really take those ideals to heart. I want this country to still be here for my grandchildren. We have a lot of hotshots. That’s great and necessary, but we also need leaders who aren’t in it for self-glorification. Yes. I understand that can definitely include lettered athletes.
What if there is a person on the slate that has integrity, humility and sports?

Too often it’s overlooked that this is a competition between excellent candidates.
 
I don’t disagree with you. My son brought up the topic of attending a service academy. He’s going to be the primary navigator of this process and like most teenagers doesn’t want me to barrage him with questions. I don’t know a lot about the process and am trying to do my own research on the sly. Frankly, I’m a little dismayed at not seeing more information about the importance of honor and service to your country. I know it’s rather old-fashioned, but I’m an army brat and really take those ideals to heart. I want this country to still be here for my grandchildren. We have a lot of hotshots. That’s great and necessary, but we also need leaders who aren’t in it for self-glorification. Yes. I understand that can definitely include lettered athletes.
Somewhere else I wrote that at the beginning of the class of 2025 application cycle, I thought my son was Hercules. Now that the cycle is coming to an end you will see that there is a sea of Hercules' that he is up against, and many, many are way stronger. There isn't a lot of opportunity to explain any of those ideals or the connections to the family heroes. In those nom interviews you have 15 minutes with a panel of strangers to prove you want to serve your country that much more than the person before or after you. My kid got one a nom from a state senator, one of 10 lucky candidates from over 400 whose names got passed on to WP. But he wasn't the top one or two. And his overall candidate score was brought down because other's overall score was better. Yes, their are exceptions to the rule and some do get appt without sports, but there are a lot of life lessons to be learned in sports, that future officers need. Tell you kid to join track this Spring and cross country in the fall. It will get him in shape for what is down the road. Good luck to your son. Good thing you are here early on, I wish my DS and I would have found this forum much earlier!
 
For those who are taking the SAT, I would recommend the "SAT Prep Black Book: The Most Effective SAT Strategies Ever Published" by Mike Barrett. There are a lot of SAT Prep resources out there, but I would recommend this book. It's simple and effective and it worked very well for me.
I second this prep book, just going through the book for about 20 minutes a night for a month leading up to my retake got my score up almost 200 points.
 
Just to share my own experience (even though there is obviously no definite way to know if you are in or out before you get the notification), I have yet to be appointed or rejected from USAFA's Class of 2025 but I did receive an appointment to USMA with a 1290 SAT. In my opinion it was the weakest point of my application. Regardless, I recommend studying as much as you can to improve your score because you still have a lot of time.
 
Candidly, if I were an interviewer, first on my list would be looking for a candidate who demonstrates integrity and a healthy dose of humility over athletics. Respectfully, a trained seal can be taught to throw a ball. The ability to gain the trust of that seal and get it to follow you even when you don’t have a herring in your pocket? That’s a leader and that’s my son. Thank you

As I said above, the ALO interview is where your son would display those qualities.

Also, if you think that being an athlete is simply throwing a ball then you’re not going to ever understand why athletics are coveted by the Academy. Many athletes are great leaders which is why sports team captainships is another huge positive for an application. There are a lot of candidates with athletics who have all the other qualities that your son has as well.

If your son chooses not to take the opportunity to participate in athletics, then he will need to make up ground in other areas. Keep in mind that some of those athletes are also getting 4.0 GPA, 36 ACTs, Eagle Scout, and class presidents. That is the competition.

I am not trying to offend, I am trying to explain how it is.

Stealth_81
 
Frankly, I’m a little dismayed at not seeing more information about the importance of honor and service to your country. I know it’s rather old-fashioned, but I’m an army brat and really take those ideals to heart. I want this country to still be here for my grandchildren. We have a lot of hotshots. That’s great and necessary, but we also need leaders who aren’t in it for self-glorification.

So what about the kids (yes, they are generally kids) that have no family military background, no experience with CAP, JROTC, etc. and they don't know yet if they want to serve? Those kids do apply, with a sense of purpose and great leadership potential, and the SAs make officers out of them that will excel in the military. Those kids didn't know it at 17-20, but through the process they certainly knew it at 21-24.

Are those applicants less qualified than an applicant that somehow knew "the importance of honor and service to your country" from an early age?

News flash: many of those applicants that simply wanted to be challenged and do so with a higher sense of purpose were then made in to some of the finest officers the military has ever seen. "Hotshot" or not, it happens - every year x100s of kids.
 
Sports are important. They are probably third in importance in my mind after standardized test scores and academic performance (Class rank and GPA). If I were interviewing your son I would ask why he didn’t do any sports. Just because the program isn’t varied is not going to cut it for an answer. Potentially his High Adventure would fill some of it, but that is not a long-term involvement activity like a sport over years. The reason sports are important is not just the fitness aspect. It is dedication, being coachable, and self-motivated.

This seeems like a good thread for my yearly (it seems like) discussion when people ask these things. So, here goes.

There is a perception that if a person gets things checked off a list, then they will get an appointment. As if the Academy is looking for someone who can check off these 8 items so therefore they will be a good leader. That is thinking backwards. The Academy wants people who would have checked off those things whether they were going to an academy or not. They want the people who are involved in athletics, student government, Boys State, academic clubs, mentoring programs, academic honor societies, etc. because that’s what they are already. Not because they joined or checked the box to tidy up their application for USAFA. That is why the ALO interview holds so much sway. They can deduce whether this person is the one who did things because they wanted to and not just to check a box. The Academy knows when they have the right candidates whether they fit the perfect mold or not. That is why you will sometimes see a person with slightly lesser “paper” stats get an appointment over the higher candidate. Being a leader is not who you are on paper, it is who you are in real life.

I will hold my son up as an example because most of you don’t know him since it’s been so long. He had every stat that USAFA was looking for before he even decided to apply. It was our relatives who were Academy grads who actually approached him and said that he was exactly what they were looking for in applicants. So he applied and the rest is history.

There. I feel better now. Let me know if you have more questions.

Stealth_81

I completely agree. My SAT scores are well below USAFA average and my ACT scores barely squeak in. Those things aside, I’m heavily involved in my school and community and layer my athletics and academics and leadership. My school requires community service so I have plenty of that too. A couple of solid interviews scored me a nomination and an impressive ALO interview is probably what secured my appointment. But I will always know that the academics at the academy will be the most challenging part for me because of my scores and mediocre grades. Don’t just check the boxes; really work hard to own the things you involve yourself in.
 
You would have to know more about our district to understand the perspective. We don’t have any “Academy grads” in our family. My son’s goals don’t involve checking boxes. Never have and never will. He can stand on his own merits and will put in the necessary work to do more than just ”pass” the CFA and amy other requirement. Success is a result of his natural work ethic. He is motivated by family members like his grandfather who never had the opportunity to go to college, but joined the army at 17 and rose to the rank of Sergeant Major. His grandfather is one of many relatives who had very little support or examples, but picked themselves up and became successful due to an innate drive and love of their country. He also has a father who came out of poverty to become a highly successful attorney. His mother’s a pretty tough little cookie, as well. ;) My son comes from the best this country has to offer and I have no doubt he will be successful, no matter what he chooses. Candidly, if I were an interviewer, first on my list would be looking for a candidate who demonstrates integrity and a healthy dose of humility over athletics. Respectfully, a trained seal can be taught to throw a ball. The ability to gain the trust of that seal and get it to follow you even when you don’t have a herring in your pocket? That’s a leader and that’s my son. Thank you
Stealth_81 is about as trustworthy as you can get here. I understand neither of you are trying to butt heads here, and so I'd like to offer some outside perspective.

I'll open up by saying, yes, your son is competitive without a sports resume. That being said,

I was an applicant to the c/o 2024. I had about everything you see in appointees - straight A's, top 3% academically, 1510 SAT, several diverse leadership roles covering hundreds of people, hundreds of hours of community service, multiple AP courses with passed tests, family military legacy, many people mentored and trained, multiple jobs at the same time, recommendations from Navy admirals and nationwide public speakers, started clubs, helped guide workplaces and clubs through leadership transitions, service missions, two nominations, great interviews, considered almost a shoe-in by ALOs, cleared medical, and coming from a school district that sends 5-10 students per high school to service academies every year.

What I was missing what any kind of athletic credit. I never played a sport in high school so that I could focus on leadership opportunities through the theatre department. I didn't put enough effort into my CFA training and scraped by with a barely passing score. I saw my peers with objectively "less impressive" resumes make it into the academy because they had average CFA scores or a semester or two of sports on my resume. Sucks when you work so hard for something but you miss out because you didn't listen to the instructions well enough. I reapplied, added sports to my resume in my first year of college, and vastly improved my CFA scores. These, amongst other reasons, is what propelled me to an appointment to USAFA 2025.

Now I understand your situation of where you live, how COVID has affected you, and how your situation looks apart from mine or from others', don't think I don't. We're all here to help each other and give each other advice and help get each other into the academies, and when you have people like Capt_MJ, flieger83, Insider, and Stealth_81 willing to give you advice, there's not much of a better source to hear from. They know more than most of us likely ever will.

Couple points I'm trying to make here: First, DS needs to knock it out of the park on the CFA. Like Stealth_81 said, the athletic portion of the application does look at the dedication, teamwork, discipline developed through team sports, but it also helps gauge (along with the CFA) if a candidate will be able to handle the athletic and physical stresses of BCT, Doolie year, and the rest of the time up there. If sports aren't really a possibility, and you can show aspects of dedication, teamwork, and discipline through other resume items (which I have no doubt your son can), that just leaves the CFA. Admissions still needs to see good CFA scores, and if sports aren't on the resume, they probably expect to see even better scores than you might expect.

Again, I don't know exactly what your situation looks like, and if sports (of any kind, honestly) legitimately is not a possibility, then ignore this paragraph. It will come out in the interviews that he truly did not have the opportunity to compete, and USAFA will take that into special consideration. Though if they are, keep in mind that DS is competing with other candidates who have incredible resumes like his, but still also found a way to get some team sports on there. USAFA likes to see that little extra bit of effort to diversify a resume. Everyone else is right that just trying to check boxes isn't a great mindset, but when a candidate goes out of their way to lock in every little advantage that they find, that shows a huge lot about commitment, which admissions is looking for. That's why reapplicants tend to do well, is because they get brownie points for showing their commitment to USAFA and to the AD Air Force.

None of us are here to attack you, your son, or your family, believe me. We are all here to see success and every single person here is pulling for DS to get that appointment and kill it as a cadet. I've read what you've put down about him, and he's got the skills to pay the bills. He reminds me of me. But last year, I was in the mindset that what I had was good enough and that I didn't need to change how I did things in order to get in, and it came back to bit me. I write all of this to warn you guys not to fall into the same mindset. USAFA is incredibly competitive and many of us have to step outside the comfort zone to max out our chances of getting in. You're right in that an interviewer is going to look for a candidate who demonstrates integrity and a healthy dose of humility over athletics. But that's not all they look for. Saying that an interviewer looks at character first is not equivalent to saying that they don't then move onto looking at the resume. Appointment to USAFA is a huge puzzle, and a file is going to look better when it has no pieces missing. There are a lot of people on this forum, and when you see people that have been here for 10+ years, I can only suggest reading every word of their responses. They might say something you don't want to hear, but in the end, it's because they know better than we might. They've seen what makes a candidate become an appointee, and some of them are even part of Admissions.

TL;DR: Your son has a competitive resume. You're not setting him up for disappointment. Get your son to max out the CFA. Have him play any sports that he can, but if that is not a legitimate possibility, let USAFA know and they will take it into account. Remember that there is still a year left for him and that he ought to use that time to give himself the best chance possible - no cutting corners. And in the end, heed the advice of those older and wiser than we. It'll turn out better almost every time.
 
Stealth_81 is about as trustworthy as you can get here. I understand neither of you are trying to butt heads here, and so I'd like to offer some outside perspective.

I'll open up by saying, yes, your son is competitive without a sports resume. That being said,

I was an applicant to the c/o 2024. I had about everything you see in appointees - straight A's, top 3% academically, 1510 SAT, several diverse leadership roles covering hundreds of people, hundreds of hours of community service, multiple AP courses with passed tests, family military legacy, many people mentored and trained, multiple jobs at the same time, recommendations from Navy admirals and nationwide public speakers, started clubs, helped guide workplaces and clubs through leadership transitions, service missions, two nominations, great interviews, considered almost a shoe-in by ALOs, cleared medical, and coming from a school district that sends 5-10 students per high school to service academies every year.

What I was missing what any kind of athletic credit. I never played a sport in high school so that I could focus on leadership opportunities through the theatre department. I didn't put enough effort into my CFA training and scraped by with a barely passing score. I saw my peers with objectively "less impressive" resumes make it into the academy because they had average CFA scores or a semester or two of sports on my resume. Sucks when you work so hard for something but you miss out because you didn't listen to the instructions well enough. I reapplied, added sports to my resume in my first year of college, and vastly improved my CFA scores. These, amongst other reasons, is what propelled me to an appointment to USAFA 2025.

Now I understand your situation of where you live, how COVID has affected you, and how your situation looks apart from mine or from others', don't think I don't. We're all here to help each other and give each other advice and help get each other into the academies, and when you have people like Capt_MJ, flieger83, Insider, and Stealth_81 willing to give you advice, there's not much of a better source to hear from. They know more than most of us likely ever will.

Couple points I'm trying to make here: First, DS needs to knock it out of the park on the CFA. Like Stealth_81 said, the athletic portion of the application does look at the dedication, teamwork, discipline developed through team sports, but it also helps gauge (along with the CFA) if a candidate will be able to handle the athletic and physical stresses of BCT, Doolie year, and the rest of the time up there. If sports aren't really a possibility, and you can show aspects of dedication, teamwork, and discipline through other resume items (which I have no doubt your son can), that just leaves the CFA. Admissions still needs to see good CFA scores, and if sports aren't on the resume, they probably expect to see even better scores than you might expect.

Again, I don't know exactly what your situation looks like, and if sports (of any kind, honestly) legitimately is not a possibility, then ignore this paragraph. It will come out in the interviews that he truly did not have the opportunity to compete, and USAFA will take that into special consideration. Though if they are, keep in mind that DS is competing with other candidates who have incredible resumes like his, but still also found a way to get some team sports on there. USAFA likes to see that little extra bit of effort to diversify a resume. Everyone else is right that just trying to check boxes isn't a great mindset, but when a candidate goes out of their way to lock in every little advantage that they find, that shows a huge lot about commitment, which admissions is looking for. That's why reapplicants tend to do well, is because they get brownie points for showing their commitment to USAFA and to the AD Air Force.

None of us are here to attack you, your son, or your family, believe me. We are all here to see success and every single person here is pulling for DS to get that appointment and kill it as a cadet. I've read what you've put down about him, and he's got the skills to pay the bills. He reminds me of me. But last year, I was in the mindset that what I had was good enough and that I didn't need to change how I did things in order to get in, and it came back to bit me. I write all of this to warn you guys not to fall into the same mindset. USAFA is incredibly competitive and many of us have to step outside the comfort zone to max out our chances of getting in. You're right in that an interviewer is going to look for a candidate who demonstrates integrity and a healthy dose of humility over athletics. But that's not all they look for. Saying that an interviewer looks at character first is not equivalent to saying that they don't then move onto looking at the resume. Appointment to USAFA is a huge puzzle, and a file is going to look better when it has no pieces missing. There are a lot of people on this forum, and when you see people that have been here for 10+ years, I can only suggest reading every word of their responses. They might say something you don't want to hear, but in the end, it's because they know better than we might. They've seen what makes a candidate become an appointee, and some of them are even part of Admissions.

TL;DR: Your son has a competitive resume. You're not setting him up for disappointment. Get your son to max out the CFA. Have him play any sports that he can, but if that is not a legitimate possibility, let USAFA know and they will take it into account. Remember that there is still a year left for him and that he ought to use that time to give himself the best chance possible - no cutting corners. And in the end, heed the advice of those older and wiser than we. It'll turn out better almost every time.
Thank you so much for your incredibly thoughtful response.
 
As I said above, the ALO interview is where your son would display those qualities.

Also, if you think that being an athlete is simply throwing a ball then you’re not going to ever understand why athletics are coveted by the Academy. Many athletes are great leaders which is why sports team captainships is another huge positive for an application. There are a lot of candidates with athletics who have all the other qualities that your son has as well.

If your son chooses not to take the opportunity to participate in athletics, then he will need to make up ground in other areas. Keep in mind that some of those athletes are also getting 4.0 GPA, 36 ACTs, Eagle Scout, and class presidents. That is the competition.

I am not trying to offend, I am trying to explain how it is.

Stealth_81
I genuinely appreciate your input. Ultimately, it will be up to my son to refine his goals and decide what he needs to do to make them happen. The idea of him pursuing this direction makes me proud of him and scared for him at the same time. He’s a young man to everyone else, but he’s my firstborn baby to me and I’m just a little proud of him. I will remain so, no matter what, He wouldn’t be happy at all to know that I’m discussing him in a forum, so I’m signing off for now. Again, I appreciate your advice and apologize for going all “mama bear” on you. ;)
 
Get the ACT book and do lots of practice tests. Shoot for improvement. You might not have seen your best ACT score yet.... just like your current PR in pull-ups and mile run probably won't be your all-time best. Keep pushing and we'll be rooting for you.
That is so true! I haven't thought about my scores that way before. Thank you so so much for the encouragement.
 
I was able to bring my ACT up from a 27 to a 33 by doing lots of practice tests. These are much better then the books in my opinion and you are able to see what you’re doing wrong if you dive into and debrief those complete practice tests
 
Is it to late to take the ACT or SAT over to get a better score this go around?
 
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