Admission hopes

[MH2332]

hello I'm here to ask if not being the best academically, but have a history of playing sports and other extra curricular activities as well as doing well on the CFA and SAT, what are my chances at getting admission. Prep school at least? USMA

 

[USMAcand9821]

It all comes down to your district/state/nomination slate competition and if you don't beat them and don't get the TWE, it then comes down to how you stack up against others on the NWL. I've read reports of people on here getting an appointment with ACT scores of 26, SAT's at 1200, below average GPA, etc.. Admissions uses a formula to calculate your Whole Candidate Score, and this allows for candidates to compensate for not as good grades with better than average test scores, leadership, or CFA scores. So no, having a less than average GPA won't kill you, but your score is definitely lower than it would be if you had higher grades. Have you by chance received a letter acknowledging that you are 3Q'd in your portal? If you haven't it doesn't necessarily mean you aren't, because some RC's don't do it. And I have no knowledge about prep school admission (why they pick who they pick.. stuff like that). Hope this helps a little!

 

[brovol]

I think a great ACT/SAT can compensate for less dazzling grades. It's actually class standing that counts, not GPA. And then it's a question as to how well everything else looks, as compared to your competition. Without seeing your actual numbers, it's hard to even guess.

 

[DrMom]

MH2332, the value of the SAT scores cannot be stressed enough. You want to be in the zone between 25-75% for the test scores. You can find those stats on class profile pages and on the College Apps pages. You increase your odds just by being in that range. If you are a junior, I cannot stress enough the advantage of spending time doing SAT Prep (or ACT prep). The SAT Prep is now available free online through the College Board and Khan Academy. If your high school offers an SAT prep class, take it even if it means giving up a few Saturdays and week nights. Take it in the weeks leading up to the test for the maximum benefit. If you can get close to or cross 600 on each section, you will be well suited in the range. Taking the test multiple times will increase your scores. The academies superscore so there is no risk.

 

[brovol]

MH2332, the value of the SAT scores cannot be stressed enough. You want to be in the zone between 25-75% for the test scores. You can find those stats on class profile pages and on the College Apps pages. You increase your odds just by being in that range. If you are a junior, I cannot stress enough the advantage of spending time doing SAT Prep (or ACT prep). The SAT Prep is now available free online through the College Board and Khan Academy. If your high school offers an SAT prep class, take it even if it means giving up a few Saturdays and week nights. Take it in the weeks leading up to the test for the maximum benefit. If you can get close to or cross 600 on each section, you will be well suited in the range. Taking the test multiple times will increase your scores. The academies superscore so there is no risk.

I agree 100%. The ACT/SAT is the single most important component of the application. The RC's will tell you this. It is objective, and every kid is evaluated using the same measurement.

The test scores, and particularly the superscore, can be improved with time and dedication. My son went from a 29 to a 32+, with 34 scores in math and science. He boosted science by 5 points and was able to get every subscore at or over the 30 hump, just by doing practice tests in two different books, and taking the exam several times.

So many kids talk about community service hours, and that's fine, but it won't effect your WCS, like test scores will. Take some of those hours and spend them studying for and taking the ACT/SAT.