ACT Score Worrying & New

Well, I have a few other kids MN-Dad... and those grandbabies!!!!! Now, we have (please sit) A REDHEAD!!!!! <3

OK, my kids were smart & athletic -but so are most applicants/candidates & wannabes for the SA's. And yes, kids who score a 27 on the ACT do gain that appointment. Is it easy for anyone there? Nope. Even the best athletes, the most gifted work-a-holic academics, struggle sometimes, and not just with the sports or school work. There are struggles with authority, roommates, isolation, uniforms, hair length, drinking, pot, medical issues... even homesickness.

But all that said: do strive to do your very best on standardized tests, on school work, in your job, on your team, with your family chores... even do the dishes or make your bed or mow the lawn without being nagged. When you are a leader of airmen, your best will be expected. Start now.
 
Goto a SAT/ACT camp or test prep center. Regarding being a top collegiate athlete & student...it is very difficult. Son tells me it is hard for athletes to double major or major in aerospace engineering or EE with Comp engineering just because of the time spent out of the classroom. He says Econ or political science are popular majors for athletes?

Can't tell you how many academy athletes have engineering majors; and were at or currently at AFIT getting their graduate degree.

I never read a word from anyone that said Academy athletes are stupid. .;)

MN-Dad; I posted that I knew many individuals who had 34-36 ACT scores who DIDN'T receive an appointment; and some who had a 27 ACT who DID receive an appointment. Poster "unknown1961" said that the cadet they sponsor, said: the cadets who got in with a 27 ACT are "Athletes". That's what brought this on.

Honestly; even a 27 ACT is pretty good. Especially considering that nationally; most college applicants get BELOW a 20 on their ACT tests. But when a current cadet says such a thing; we know they are IMPLYING that if the individual with a 27 ACT wasn't an athlete, then they'd probably not be good enough to get an appointment. It's a stereotype. I also added back that one of my applicants received an appointment with a 3.6 gpa and a 27+/- ACT. And this individual WAS NOT an athlete.

Anyway; that's how this started. I did caveat my original reply that I was hoping that the poster and their sponsored cadet were just "Joking". We definitely understand the ragging each do to each other. The IC and the NON-IC. But there is a stereotype; especially among traditional schools; which may be more accurate; that recruited athletes are "Less Than Par" academically. I'm simply pointing out; this is generally NOT TRUE when it comes to the academies. It does them no good to recruit an athlete, no matter how good they are at their sport, if they can't make it through the academy academically. This isn't the traditional university where they have degrees in modified majors of communications, humanities, or the arts where they are designed for anyone to be able to pass them.
 
To the OP:

If you want an appointment to a Service Academy with an ACT score of 27 or lower - you better be bringing something else special to the dance to set you apart in another area - typically that would be the ability to compete in D1 sports and still survive academically.

Since it is largely agreed that academics and standardized testing are the most heavily weighted aspects of your whole candidate score (WCS), your 22 is not competitive and that you need to focus on your plans to improve that. Also, it depends on many other factors like where you live and who you will be competing against.

I don't necessarily agree that standardized tests are the best measure, but they are probably the fairest measure a service academy can use. Even with a 'low' (all things being relative) ACT score - you might be a good candidate for the Prep school down the road.

Even if you are a high level D1 recruit with a 22 - the SA's can't /won't appoint you.

As far as being African American - do you have a compelling story that goes along with it? Did you overcome poverty with drug addicted parents? I honestly don't think USAFA cares if you are black/white/brown/green - Diversity to them is more about getting people with a variety of life experiences and stories. First one in the family to attend college, first generation American, went to high school in France, overcame a challenging life experience. (I know others have a different perspective on this)

A few years ago, USAFA graduated a young man that grew up fundamentally homeless and they deferred entering another appointee because his meager income working after school was need to pay for his family's basic necessities. Those are compelling life stories that will resonate with admissions - assuming they have the academic/leadership necessary.

Overall to get an appointment is hyper competitive especially if from certain states/congressional districts. Work on the standardized test scores, the rest of your resume would seem to be highly competitive.
 
Our twin A was a OP Res major, Twin B a Physics major. No double majors.
 
To the OP:

If you want an appointment to a Service Academy with an ACT score of 27 or lower - you better be bringing something else special to the dance to set you apart in another area - typically that would be the ability to compete in D1 sports and still survive academically.

Since it is largely agreed that academics and standardized testing are the most heavily weighted aspects of your whole candidate score (WCS), your 22 is not competitive and that you need to focus on your plans to improve that. Also, it depends on many other factors like where you live and who you will be competing against.

I don't necessarily agree that standardized tests are the best measure, but they are probably the fairest measure a service academy can use. Even with a 'low' (all things being relative) ACT score - you might be a good candidate for the Prep school down the road.

Even if you are a high level D1 recruit with a 22 - the SA's can't /won't appoint you.

As far as being African American - do you have a compelling story that goes along with it? Did you overcome poverty with drug addicted parents? I honestly don't think USAFA cares if you are black/white/brown/green - Diversity to them is more about getting people with a variety of life experiences and stories. First one in the family to attend college, first generation American, went to high school in France, overcame a challenging life experience. (I know others have a different perspective on this)

A few years ago, USAFA graduated a young man that grew up fundamentally homeless and they deferred entering another appointee because his meager income working after school was need to pay for his family's basic necessities. Those are compelling life stories that will resonate with admissions - assuming they have the academic/leadership necessary.

Overall to get an appointment is hyper competitive especially if from certain states/congressional districts. Work on the standardized test scores, the rest of your resume would seem to be highly competitive.
This thread has been eye opening. I've always known the Academy is where the elite go. I want to be apart. If I need to study to 3am every morning to compete with these incredible students, I will. But if I fall short of an appointment, I will have no regrets. The part Im stuggling on is being efficient when studying. It would be helpful if people dropped links to their favorite test prep books or websites.
 
Tigerplane - there is a lot to this thread.

There were several pieces of good advice on how you might improve your ACT score. All of them center around study and working at it. Yes, there is a wide range of ACT scores for every incoming class. Many can't understand how a applicant with a 27 ACT or a 3.5 GPA get appointments while applicants with a 36 ACT and 4.25 GPA don't get into a class. You will feel the same way unless you understand the total SA process including the total person evaluation, selection process and what other factors are involved in giving out appointments.

The one thing you will find is there is no one answer or set of criteria that guarantees you an appointment. All you can do is work hard and compile the best application possible. There is great advice on this board in several threads on taking a challenging curriculum, posting higher than median test scores, not only leading but showing how you succeeded as a leader, scoring well on the fitness test and building relationships where possible with your ALO and MOCs.

As for the arguments on athletes v. non-athletes there is no one size fits all. The intelligence of a Cadet is not impacted by their athleticism. Everyone at USAFA goes through BCT. Everyone takes the same classes and has the same support available to them. Athletes and non-athletes are busy at USAFA. I think it is silly to make any generalized statement about either group. All that graduate will one day become officers in the USAF which is pretty damn impressive in my opinion.
 
This thread has been eye opening. I've always known the Academy is where the elite go. I want to be apart. If I need to study to 3am every morning to compete with these incredible students, I will. But if I fall short of an appointment, I will have no regrets. The part Im stuggling on is being efficient when studying. It would be helpful if people dropped links to their favorite test prep books or websites.
I can answer the question about test prep books for the ACT. We have used both the Kaplan test prep books and the Official ACT Prep Guide books. In our experience, the Kaplan books sometimes had questions that were poorly designed or poorly written and my DS would wrack his brain wondering why the given answer was what they said in the book. We felt the Official guides were done better, as well as the practice exams that are at this link: http://blog.prepscholar.com/complete-official-act-practice-tests-free-links . Time management and endurance are issues, so that is a good reason to try to work through an entire test in one morning sometimes. Another challenge can be getting through 60 math problems in 60 minutes - you need to find strategies to manage the time and know when to recognize that a problem requires too much time and when it needs to be put off to be attempted again at the end of the section.

Also, both my kids report that the newly redesigned SAT seems easier to them than the ACT. Just something to think about. The SAT has two math sections, one with a calculator and one without a calculator. You need to practice time management, again, with the ones where you aren't allowed a calculator. Similarly, there are gridded response problems. I recommend you do those first during the test and get them out of the way. The rest of the questions are all fill in the bubble for math, and when you get down to the final five problems undone and you only have 20 seconds left, at least you can bubble in guesses. You can't do that with gridded answers.
 
Daretodream answered your post superbly. I'm glad they brought up the subject of the "Total Person" evaluation.

This is all about perspective. If you think of the academy as "College" and you're comparing it to applying to USC, University of Michigan, Texas State, or any other number of universities, then you will never understand the academies. The academies are not a place you "Go Off to College". The academies are a place where you go to be trained as "Military Officers". Part of that training, requires a College Degree. The military happens to provide that college education in return for a guaranteed service commitment. There are also other options, such as ROTC or for those who already possess a college degree, they can go straight to OCS/OTS. Again; the "COLLEGE PART" is simply the military's way of providing you with the academic, social, and cultural background that is "A PART" of their main focus and priority. Training you to be a Military Officer and Leader.

As such, because the academics (College Degree) is just a part of making you into an effective military and leader, the academy looks at many facets of your life, experiences, and potential when it comes to awarding an appointment or not. They look at your leadership, team skills, integrity, selflessness, whether you volunteer to help your community and less fortunate, your physical fitness, your involvement with others; socially and personally, your ability to overcome adversity, and so on. All of this combined with your academics gpa/act/sat; COMPARED to your competition; will determine whether the academy will award you an appointment or not.

Again; the academy is NOT a "College Program". It's NOT a "Scholarship Program". It's NOT a "Works Program". It's NOT a "Social Program". It's a place for the military to train you to become Military Officers and leaders. It just so happens, that your "FIRST ASSIGNMENT and JOB" is "STUDENT". They are teaching you besides military leadership skills; academics and social skills and diversity of thought. Along with specific skills in your major that may apply to the eventual job you will have in the military. Also just happens that you're getting a "College Degree" out of the deal. But that's NOT THE MAIN PURPOSE.

The same happens with most Air Force enlisted folks. When I came into the air force (I was enlisted); my JOB was to be an Electronic Technician/Engineer. The military was going to train me to be a team member; eventually a military leader; and electronics communications tech. Just so happens, that after about a year of training, my school "TOO WAS AN ACCREDITED SCHOOL" and I had about enough credits for an Associate In Applied Science degree in Electronics Systems Technology. That was my first degree. An academy cadet happens to go to 4 years of school instead of 1 year, and you get enough credits "From an accredited school" to award you a Bachelor of Science degree.

Of course, this is where MANY PARENTS don't want to admit it. You (Little Johnny or Mary) is NOT "Going off to College". You are JOINING THE MILITARY. Just like the 17 year old high school grad who is "ENLISTING". The only difference is; your first job is basically that of "STUDENT". Understand this concept, and it's real easy to understand: "Why a 35-36 ACT and 4.25 GPA applicant DOESN'T receive an appointment; while a 27-28 ACT 3.6 GPA applicant DOES recieve an appointment". Because it's about a LOT MORE than academics.
 
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If you think of the academy as "College" and you're comparing it to applying to USC, University of Michigan, Texas State, or any other number of universities, then you will never understand the academies.
If you are applying to the Ivy's or Stanford, getting in is never just about the academics. It too is about the whole person. At the most competitive schools (just like the Academies), 20+% plus of the student body are recruited athletes. Some competitive colleges for instance have a program that is analogous to an "ALO". They are former graduates volunteers in the field that interview potential students and fill out reports to admissions along with their recommendations. Our son met and was interviewed a couple of times with such a person here in MN who was an alumni from Stanford. Of course competitive colleges also have many examples where they don't pick a 36 ACT students who was #1 in their class.

So it is commonly known that the top ranked colleges ALSO look at many facets of your life, experiences, and potential when it comes to picking their student body. Not if you are medically qualified. But they look for diversity. They want representation from the entire country and other parts of the world. They too are focused on picking leaders that stand out from the pack. Their application also asks all kinds of questions about the whole person.

Again; the academy is NOT a "College Program".
Yes it is. We covered this before. They are in the NCAA (http://www.ncaa.com/schools/air-force ). The Academies meets the definition of a college: Noun "An educational institution or establishment, in particular one providing higher education or specialized professional or vocational training. You don't get to change the definition of what a college is. USAFA factually is an educational establishment providing higher education. Period. That means it is a college. Yes, a very different type of college with a very specific goal. But rest assured it is a college. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/college .

So without question, my "little Johnny" went to college. If USAFA wasn't a college, he would not have attended. Nor would 90% of the current student body. If you main point is you want to get it in the thick skulls of some parents (who phone call USAFA and micromanage etc) by assuming they can hover and control their son or daughter, we agree. Yes, they are factually in the military. But to say it isn't a college is simply not true.

It's NOT a "Scholarship Program".
Of course it is! I'll pull out the dictionary again. If you disagree, debate with the definition:

Definition: scholarship: noun
Financial aid provided for a scholar because of academic merit. Money awarded to a good student to enable him to go on with further studies. http://dictionary.reverso.net/english-definition/scholarship program

Also just happens that you're getting a "College Degree" out of the deal. But that's NOT THE MAIN PURPOSE.
Sigh.. The main purpose of any college that you attend should never be about cramming information in your head (academics) unless the classes are exclusively online. College gives you a chance to build a network of friends, helps improve your communication skills, expand your extra-curricular activities, etc. MIT for instance has a specific goal of having students figure things out by themselves (the exact opposite of USAFA). Stanford cultivates entrepreneur like activities. I suppose you could spin it and say "Stanford's main goal is to educate future entrepreneurial leaders." O.K. Sure. But they don't take 6th quarter calc because they assume they will one day use it. It is part of the bigger MAIN PURPOSE of teaching students how to learn (specifically technical material) along with educating other non-academic purposes.

The Academies are a dramatically different college experiences centered on military discipline with the intense interest of developing future militaries leaders. But make no mistake, for 6-8 hours day, you attend academic classes just like any other college and be expected to study more hours every day. That is the main purpose for those 4 years.

Furthermore, like many other college students, our son went to Hong Kong to study for a semester (other Cadets went to other parts of the world). It wasn't a military class. It was academics. But it was offered to become well rounded just like any other college abroad program. It too was a scholarship. Because if it was only about academics, the class could have been taken in the USA or online. Yet another group of students at the Academy has a (college) purpose to become a scholar. My son was in that program and sent to the Aspen institute 3X, was interviewed and mentored by Ex-Rhodes military officers to apply for various scholarships. It was a major focus of his Academy experience. All the while he was trained academically to apply for a medical scholarship too. In fact all Academy future doctors and dentists then applied to HPSP. The "S" stands for "Scholarship".

Sure. You need to give back years of service for the Academy, and for that matter, 4 more years for the HPSP. But you are getting paid while you fulfill your commitment. It is not a loan. If you follow through, you don't have to "pay it back ($$)". In fact, USAFA students get paid rather well. In some cases (doctors for instance and depending on the discipline) they are paid nearly $200K a year.

Hell yes it is a scholarship! Uncle Sam will have over $1M of training into our son; and even more for pilots.

Of course, this is where MANY PARENTS don't want to admit it. You (Little Johnny or Mary) is NOT "Going off to College". You are JOINING THE MILITARY.
I won't admit it because you are trying to change the definition of two key words (College and Scholarship). When I see the definition in Websters change, then we will agree. In the meantime, you are simply sharing your opinion on how the Academies are dramatically different. Well of course they are.

When society (students, parents, teachers) think cadets at USAFA don't attend "college", that's a very good reason for college bound students to not apply. Our son wouldn't have. In other words, as an ALO and on a very popular forum, I think your customized definition of two non-debatable meaning of a word is literally a disservice for attracting applicants. It's smart to educate everyone so that they know that the Academy is a dramatically different college experience. Thank you for doing that as they should have the right expectations. Students who are proud of their accomplishments by getting a scholarship shouldn't get confused that they didn't get one, because they did. I propose we stick with Webster's definition versus trying to change the meaning to prove a point. :)
 
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Financial aid provided for a scholar because of academic merit. Money awarded to a good student to enable him to go on with further studies. http://dictionary.reverso.net/english-definition/scholarship program

^ I'll argue that by that very definition, no SA gives a "student' a scholarship. Each cadet has military service, current and ahead, and a distinct line of required duties. So those monies don't come (just) because of academic merit. And, scholarships come w/o strings attached AFTER the "student" finishes school. Obviously, cadets and mids have a huge obligation AFTER the end of the education. So, it is not just "financial aid" but a job. Many officers have, as their "job" graduate studies. We don't think of a year at Narragansett or Army War College or AFIT as a "scholarship."
 
^ I'll argue that by that very definition, no SA gives a "student' a scholarship. Each cadet has military service, current and ahead, and a distinct line of required duties. So those monies don't come (just) because of academic merit. And, scholarships come w/o strings attached AFTER the "student" finishes school. Obviously, cadets and mids have a huge obligation AFTER the end of the education. So, it is not just "financial aid" but a job. Many officers have, as their "job" graduate studies. We don't think of a year at Narragansett or Army War College or AFIT as a "scholarship."
The definition of the word does not discuss anything other than financial aid based off of merit. That's exactly what happens. You apply and IF accepted, then you get financial aid based off of merit which pays for your college education.

It's not a traditional job (getting paid to work). It's school! YES, you are in the military while you are in school (college). You learn about academics (6-8 hours of their waking hours), plus leadership, ethics, physical fitness and military training. All of these topics are to educate, NOT work at a "job".

If you disagree, correct this website https://www.usna.edu/Student-Life/General-Information-for-Midshipmen.php (did you notice of the URL ends with a .edu)?

"There is no tuition or financial aid at the Naval Academy. The Navy pays 100% of the tuition, room and board, medical and dental care costs of Naval Academy midshipmen. This means ALL students who attend the Naval Academy do so on a FULL SCHOLARSHIP in return for 5 years of active duty service upon graduation. " (Active duty means they get paid.)

Everyone of us understands that USAFA or any of the Academies are different with a specific mission. But 1st and foremost, my son attended USAFA to go to "college" and one key reason he went was because of the "scholarship". That doesn't change the fact that he will have a job with a commitment (5 + 4 year==9). All the while he collects a very nice paycheck. His employer (AF) made him sign a contract because they invested over a $1M. His employer will be paying him another $1.x million in salary over those 9 years. That sounds like a pretty darn good deal to me. All very much merit based financial aid (scholarship) with a crap load of "college".
 
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I think many of you would be amazed how few people know/understand the service academies.

When you emphasize that it is 'not' a scholarship and it is 'not' college - you hurt the message USAFA is sending to potential candidates.

When I go to inner city schools and speak to counselors to discuss USAFA - I don't split hairs about how 'scholarship' is defined and I certainly don't tell them it's not a college because they are hoping their best and brightest will both attend college and get scholarships to do so.

And I am sure most folks in admissions are telling candidates that it's not only a college, but it's a damn fine college that leads to becoming an officer in the USAF and that it's not only a full ride 'scholarship' they get paid along the way. Plus if you elect to leave before starting you junior year, there is no payback for that scholarship/financial aid you received.

And as mentioned in the previous post - USNA.edu calls it a scholarship.
 
I think many of you would be amazed how few people know/understand the service academies.

When you emphasize that it is 'not' a scholarship and it is 'not' college - you hurt the message USAFA is sending to potential candidates.

When I go to inner city schools and speak to counselors to discuss USAFA - I don't split hairs about how 'scholarship' is defined and I certainly don't tell them it's not a college because they are hoping their best and brightest will both attend college and get scholarships to do so.

And I am sure most folks in admissions are telling candidates that it's not only a college, but it's a damn fine college that leads to becoming an officer in the USAF and that it's not only a full ride 'scholarship' they get paid along the way. Plus if you elect to leave before starting you junior year, there is no payback for that scholarship/financial aid you received.

And as mentioned in the previous post - USNA.edu calls it a scholarship.
You are spot on! As I said before, if someone was able to convince our son it wasn't a scholarship or a college, he would not have applied. Since you are out in the field educating potential applicants, I'm happy to hear that we agree. :)
 
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I'm a soon to be junior in high school. I've taken the ACT this summer and got a 22. This is worrisome because I am shooting for a 31. What are some tips for raising my score? I was thinking about trying the SAT to see if it is any easier. Pls Help!!! Being a fighter pilot has been a dream of mine since as long as I can remember. I currently play varsity football. I have 4.25 weighted gpa. I am in JROTC. Captain of the Cadet Challenge team. I'm in NHS and plan to attend Boy's State and JCLC. I also volunteer at church every other Sunday plus at other events but not sure if that counts as community hours. I also plan to run for an officer position on student council. Any other things should I aspire to do? I know this controversial but does being African American really help in admission?
  • As a rising junior do not worry about a 22 ACT score yet - relative just went from 21 on February test to 28 on June test with no additional test prep.
  • Definitely try the SAT to see the comparison. There can be a huge difference and it is best to focus on the test. You don't have to schedule the actual SAT if time and cost are a factor - there are many free practice tests available.
  • Prep, prep and more prep! There are many free sources available in addition to online and in class courses that you pay for. USMA has a link to an army sponsored free test prep site and Khan Academy has free online SAT prep.
  • Take the actual test as many times as you can.
  • I am not familiar with how well USAFA is meeting recruiting goals, but an African American applicant probably has some advantage as they look to meet goals for that category. If they are having difficulty meeting the goal, you will have great advantage. If they have a large pool of highly qualified African American applicants, you will have no advantage.
 
jl123 - I think I understand your advice and don't necessarily disagree with it, but if you are a junior in high school with a 22 ACT and want to get an appointment to a SA then you need to worry about your test score. There are only a few opportunities before the application process to retake the ACT or sit for the SATs. A 22 is not a competitive score. The poster needs to focus and work hard on improving the score which is what I think they are attempting to do by requesting for guidance in starting this thread. I agree with you that a 22 that is not competitive can quickly turn into a 28 that is competitive.
 
I am not familiar with how well USAFA is meeting recruiting goals, but an African American applicant probably has some advantage as they look to meet goals for that category. If they are having difficulty meeting the goal, you will have great advantage. If they have a large pool of highly qualified African American applicants, you will have no advantage.

I think this is demeaning to state and I don't believe that it is true any longer. It suggests that some candidates get appointed because they fit into a category - minority/female as examples. I believe more women get appointed nowadays because (a) USAF career fields have expanded to include more women and (2) more highly qualified women apply than had previously. I think the same is true for 'minority' candidates as more become aware of the opportunity - more apply and thus more get appointed.

My DD had a 35 on the ACT, mostly maxed the CFA, was recruited for 2 sports, was valedictorian of her class with an weighted GPA just under 5.0, validated 8 classes when she arrived at USNA and is currently #1 academically while competing in a D1 Sport and is also ranked almost as high militarily.

So to imply that she might have gotten appointed to both USNA and USAFA because she fit neatly into the 'female' category is insulting and I would assume it is equally insulting to minority candidates.

Take a look at how the SA's now define diversity - it is significantly different than skin color, sex, and ethnicity. It's not perfect, but it's a lot more than people imply.

Plus as a graduate with a sister that was in one of the early USAFA classes that included women - it offends me for people to perpetuate the story of 'categories'
 
I think this is demeaning to state and I don't believe that it is true any longer. It suggests that some candidates get appointed because they fit into a category - minority/female as examples. I believe more women get appointed nowadays because (a) USAF career fields have expanded to include more women and (2) more highly qualified women apply than had previously. I think the same is true for 'minority' candidates as more become aware of the opportunity - more apply and thus more get appointed.

My DD had a 35 on the ACT, mostly maxed the CFA, was recruited for 2 sports, was valedictorian of her class with an weighted GPA just under 5.0, validated 8 classes when she arrived at USNA and is currently #1 academically while competing in a D1 Sport and is also ranked almost as high militarily.

So to imply that she might have gotten appointed to both USNA and USAFA because she fit neatly into the 'female' category is insulting and I would assume it is equally insulting to minority candidates.

Take a look at how the SA's now define diversity - it is significantly different than skin color, sex, and ethnicity. It's not perfect, but it's a lot more than people imply.

Plus as a graduate with a sister that was in one of the early USAFA classes that included women - it offends me for people to perpetuate the story of 'categories'
As one Yale college admissions director simply stated, "...it's not how fast or how well you completed the race but what was your incline...."
 
If you were my son or daughter, I'd be telling you your #1 goal is to get your ACT score up! I highlighted ! because you need to start NOW. That means, today; Sunday 7/9/17. Clear your calendar. Work on it for 40 hours + a week throughout this summer. That means taking practice tests and figuring out what your short comings are today and start fixing and learning. You need to figure out what is tripping you up. Is it that you are running out of time? Is it because you haven't taken specific classes? Did you forget some of the material that you need to relearn?

With a score of 22 (assume all sections equaled a 22), that means you got about 25 questions wrong on the English portion out of 75. You got 26 wrong out of 60 on the math section and 15 wrong out of 40 on the reading. In other words, you have a lot of work to do. See https://mindfish.com/act-score-chart . This chart will allow you to see how many more you need to get right before you get a 31; in other words, you need to get 14 more test questions right on the English section to get a 31. But why stop at 31? Notice how "easy" it is to get up to say, a 33? You need to learn just a few more questions right. So aim for the stars.

Our son had to get his score up too. We put him in a summer program (Kaplan). It was expensive but he did bring up his score by six points. In 9th grade he had a 25. 27 in 10th grade. He ended up getting a 33. His biggest problem was that he was a slow test taker. So he had to guess on 25% of the test (last questions) as he ran out of time. But he also needed to polish his skills on some classes he wasn't going to take until he was a senior. The skills that he learned on the Kaplan program (how to test faster was his biggest downfall) helped him at the Academy and now in medical school. But alarms should be sounding in your head right now. If you have to cancel plans for vacations, quitting your summer job or anything else in order to improve your score, that is what you need to do.

Also, you need to quickly see what types of questions you are getting wrong and maybe readjust your junior class schedule to make sure you take them as a junior versus waiting till you are a senior. That is another reason why you should be taking a practice test and see where you are NOW. Finally, you can buy the test question answers from ACT before you take the test (not after). Know what you got wrong is the best way to know what you have to study.


Diversity helps in admission. Period. Diversity could means a white male with a single parent who had to work to help support his family or any other diverse reason which might have absolutely nothing to do with skin color. You could be "diverse" because you are a standout marksman or top caliber soccer player who happens to be white or black; male or female. But no, the academy isn't going to give you points for being black. Why should they?

I hope I am not reading your words to mean that you are crossing your fingers for getting rounded up because you are black. That's a self defeating attitude. You should be thinking about how you can grab to bull by the horns and conquering getting more test questions right. Wishing and hoping is will be a failed plan. Tackling your weakness by hard work (studying and learning over-and-above school) should be your strategy. Most people won't take the time and energy to dedicate their spare time and summer vacation to do what they need to do to raise their score. So if you fall short and don't make it in, it will be your own fault. So don't wait. Start now because you have a lot of ground to make up. Report back on your progress. There is no doubt you can do it (by looking at your GPA). But you have a lot of work to do. I'm rooting for you! :)

I dont think this is a controversial questions. Many colleges and Universities specially state they are looking for a more diverse student population and they dont mean white male with a single parent. I dont know how they get there, meaning I have no idea if they give minorities additional points or they lower the standards. I also dont think he is asking if he will get in because he is African American but he is probably curious if in the name of diversifying the armed forces, if the academies are looking for certain groups or when reviewing the applications, they give more consideration or points to one group over another. I am not saying it is a good thing, or they should or even do so, but civilian colleges do it all the time. This is an anecdotal about USC. My friends daughter applied to USC with a 4.0+. Many of her friends also applied to USC with high grade point averages and excellent SAT/ACT scores. None of the were accepted. The one thing they had in common was they were all Jewish. Now I am not saying that USC discriminates against Jews because they dont . They have tons of Jewish kids there. However, they may have had accepted enough white Jewish kids for the year. Or maybe they they had enough white Jewish kids from southern California or maybe it was one big coincidence and they were rejected for whatever reason. The thing is , if a college is promoting one type of group, it has to push back on another type of group. Now my friends daughter got accepted to University of Chicago which is twice as hard to get into then USC. To me colleges create a type of quota system for different groups and when one group has its quota filled, they are done
 
We can disagree; and we can even believe we are talking semantics. I get that. But the purpose of the academies are not the same as traditional universities.

Yes, traditional universities, especially the more sought after ones, do look at more than just academics. But their motives and purpose are not the same as the academies. The purpose of the military academies is develop trained military officers and leaders. That is it's purpose. The traditional universities actually don't care about what happens to you once you graduate. The want you, or a proxy to pay for your education. They want you to pass the courses and graduate to maintain their reputation. Then, you're on your own. Whether you become an engineer, CEO, entrepreneur, or homeless on drugs; they really don't care. The military brings you into the academy for one specific reason. To prepare you to be a military officer and leader.

Yes, when talking about the academy to a 17 year old, we have to sometimes put it into terms they are familiar with. Scholarships, College, summer break, spring break etc. Even the athletes we have to talk at a level they understand. The academy has "Signing Day" for athletes, even though the rules don't apply. I.e. An athlete "Committing" to the academy isn't held to that. They can change their mind or even quit. You can't just do that at a traditional school that recruited you on scholarship or you committed to. But, it makes the athlete going to the academy feel special and similar to those who were recruited to a traditional school. But the academy sports is NOT the same as other schools. There are some similarities; but the academy doesn't give scholarships. That's why they can bring in 50-60 freshman football players. They aren't on scholarship. But some rules, like contacting players they are trying to recruit, practice schedules, etc. do apply.

Bottom line is: Yes, there are a lot of similarities between the academies and traditional universities. But no, it isn't designed specifically as a "College Degree Program". It's #1 purpose is to train and prepare individuals to become Military Officers and leaders. If not, then there is absolutely no reason in the world for any of the academies. Simply let individuals go to college and when they get their degree; let them sign up for the military and send them to OTS. This is not to take away from ROTC or OTS. The academy is just a 3rd way of preparing individuals to become military officers.

I never said that the academy didn't allow you to get a Bachelor's Degree. I never said it wasn't an accredited university. I simply said that it isn't the primary purpose of the academy to get you a college degree. It's primary purpose is to train you to be a military officer and leader. Just like my technical school as an enlisted in the military. It's purpose wasn't to get me an Associate's Degree. It's purpose was to train me to do MY Military Job. It just so happens that the school they sent me too was an Accredited College where I got college credits towards my associate's degree.

MY main purpose of bringing this up is: If you UNDERSTAND the main purpose of the academies; and you UNDERSTAND their motives; then Basic Training, the academic year, and the four years at the academy will make MUCH MORE SENSE. You'll understand WHY it is the way it is. But if you think it's suppose to be like a traditional university, then you'll never understand; you'll probably be miserable; and you may or may not become the best officer that you could be when you graduate.

I've listened to many cadets at the academy; as well as alumni that I've brought back to visit high schools. There's certain times of the year when we tried doing this. This way, the 16-17 year old high school student could ask questions of someone more their same age. So many times when the cadet/alumni is asked "What's it Like" at the academy? Or what's it like compared to a NORMAL college? Their answers are usually similar. They'll hesitate and say: "Well...... it's Different". They'll say how the academy has a different REASON for you being there. They'll say: "Yes, there's 6 or so hours of classes a day, but there's another 10 hours a day of "MILITARY" stuff. Including some weekends. And the list goes on.

Anyone who tries to compare a military academy with a traditional university; the same way you'd compare 2 traditional universities; is going to have a difficult time when they get there. And to be honest; I don't think the kids (Future Cadets) are really the ones with the misunderstanding. I think most of them know they're "JOINING THE MILITARY". Most of those who have a difficult time understanding, are usually parents.
 
I think this is demeaning to state and I don't believe that it is true any longer. It suggests that some candidates get appointed because they fit into a category - minority/female as examples. I believe more women get appointed nowadays because (a) USAF career fields have expanded to include more women and (2) more highly qualified women apply than had previously. I think the same is true for 'minority' candidates as more become aware of the opportunity - more apply and thus more get appointed.

My DD had a 35 on the ACT, mostly maxed the CFA, was recruited for 2 sports, was valedictorian of her class with an weighted GPA just under 5.0, validated 8 classes when she arrived at USNA and is currently #1 academically while competing in a D1 Sport and is also ranked almost as high militarily.

So to imply that she might have gotten appointed to both USNA and USAFA because she fit neatly into the 'female' category is insulting and I would assume it is equally insulting to minority candidates.

Take a look at how the SA's now define diversity - it is significantly different than skin color, sex, and ethnicity. It's not perfect, but it's a lot more than people imply.

Plus as a graduate with a sister that was in one of the early USAFA classes that included women - it offends me for people to perpetuate the story of 'categories'
I understand your reasoning, but in point of fact you are wrong. I was giving the OP an honest answer to his question. To suggest otherwise is offensive.

Categories, demographic classifications or whatever term you prefer to use are not "stories", but simply demonstrable facts. It is neither demeaning nor offensive to state that fact - there are categories that the service academies and all colleges use to track their success at meeting their admissions goals and, when necessary, accept candidates with lower objective scores than would otherwise be required.

For example, USMA Class of 2016 reports the number of appointments for: Recruited Athlete, Black, Hispanic, Women, and USMAPS (prior service). They also tracked the number in each category that were appointed with a WCS Score below 6000 (a score below which they would likely have not been appointed). Here are those statistics:

Category # appointed # appointed WCS < 6000
Athlete 218 125
Black 103 45
Hispanic 116 44
Women 187 41
USMAPS 197 92

Perhaps USAFA is so successful that it no longer needs admissions goals or to give any advantage whatsoever to recruited athletes, minorities, etc. However, I doubt that is the case. In the unlikely event that USAFA is the "unicorn" of service academies, I did qualify my statement by saying that I am not familiar with USAFA's success with respect to recruiting goals and merely told the OP that if he falls into a category in which USAFA is having difficulty recruiting, he will have an advantage.
 
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