ACT or Class rank?

grayhansen

5-Year Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2014
Messages
5
Does West Point put more stock in standardized test scores or class rank? Let's say an applicant has an ACT of 32, but is 80/500 in his/her class. Would he/she have a better chance than a student who has an ACT of 28, but is 30/500 in his/her class?


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I believe ACT/SAT score is most important with Math weighted more heavily, but class rank (vs gpa) is very important too.
 
I remember being told by my RC at an admissions briefing that class rank and ACT/SAT are the only parts that make up the academic portion of your WCS. He went on to further say that they are both counted equally, so one half of your academic score is ACT/SAT and the other half is class rank.
 
There is no way that is the case, I know for a fact they look at the transcript as well which is more than just a ranking.
 
Transcript to ensure that you have the requisite courses and in the cases of making a subjective evaluation for schools that don't weight GPA for class rank/schools that don't rank how difficult your schedule is. Transcript in and of itself is not in the WCS, but can definitely affect your Academic Qualification.
 
Class rank and ACT/SAT score are weighted equally yes, but just as 845something said, they will look at course taken as well. I would say standardized test scores would be the more important of the two simply because they are not subjective like a class rank is, which has more variables.
 
Class Rank

They all matter. ACT/SAT is a benchmark common to all schools. Class Rank is specific to the school itself that is impacted by various factors. Who is the better candidate at a HS, the one with a 4.0 or 3.5? It is common practice for a school to send their profile along with your transcripts. The profile outlines the course offerings and ranks them by degree of difficulty. Schools are looking for the best students theta can be successful in their programs. Did you make a 4.0 by taking basket weaving or Calculus? Did you challenge yourself by taking the most difficult courses your school had to offer (there is a balance here)? Did you balance your academic curriculum with quality ECA's and still perform well? Time management is a skill you will need to survive an environment like WP. A 4.0 at one school is not the same at another school. I think you get the point it is not as straight forward as it sounds. The point of my rambling is to tell you both matter. Don't sweat the small stuff. Focus on you and your performance. Excel in what you do. That you can control. Challenge yourself. Get your applications in early so you allow yourself the opportunity to get a waiver or correct any deficiency that may come up. Good luck!
 
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