Advice for High School

First of all, please would be nice. We're answering your questions because we care, not because we have to.
0625: Get up with the other 4-degrees and announce the uniform and meals of the day and the days until graduation for every class. Must take time the night before to memorize it.
0730: Go to class, may or may not have free periods
1130: March to lunch
1200: Eat lunch
1230: Military training or class
1530: If you are an intercollegiate athlete, you're already at practice and will remain there likely until 1800 or 1900. If not, you will most likely spend 1.5 to 2 hours doing 4-degree training with your squadron or participating in intramurals
1915: A few days a week you will have evening military training for 35 minutes
1950: Do homework, study for military knowledge tests, clean your room, Take care of your uniforms, etc.

And remember, most cadets have 18+ credit hour schedules, you'll also be taking a P.E. class during part of the semester, and this schedule doesn't include breakfast, dinner, sports, clubs, or leisure. You'll also have weekends eaten up about half the time by military training or football games.
Thank you for sharing this, Hoodlum. I am not the OP, but found this very interesting and I will be sharing it with our DS. Are you saying, then, that there is no opportunity at all on weekdays to begin working on any academic homework before approx. 8 p.m.?
 
First of all, please would be nice. We're answering your questions because we care, not because we have to.
0625: Get up with the other 4-degrees and announce the uniform and meals of the day and the days until graduation for every class. Must take time the night before to memorize it.
0730: Go to class, may or may not have free periods
1130: March to lunch
1200: Eat lunch
1230: Military training or class
1530: If you are an intercollegiate athlete, you're already at practice and will remain there likely until 1800 or 1900. If not, you will most likely spend 1.5 to 2 hours doing 4-degree training with your squadron or participating in intramurals
1915: A few days a week you will have evening military training for 35 minutes
1950: Do homework, study for military knowledge tests, clean your room, Take care of your uniforms, etc.

And remember, most cadets have 18+ credit hour schedules, you'll also be taking a P.E. class during part of the semester, and this schedule doesn't include breakfast, dinner, sports, clubs, or leisure. You'll also have weekends eaten up about half the time by military training or football games.
Thank you for sharing this, Hoodlum. I am not the OP, but found this very interesting and I will be sharing it with our DS. Are you saying, then, that there is no opportunity at all on weekdays to begin working on any academic homework before approx. 8 p.m.?
Definitely not. You should average 2 to 3 off periods every day (usually less when you have P.E.) with which you can do homework. Also, the schedule above assumes a full day, but oftentimes your DS will be done with obligations by around 1730 for the day. The courses are designed for you to spend 2 hours out of class for every hour in class though, so if you do the math with 5 to 6 classes, this adds up. Obviously not every class will require that amount of work, but that is how they are designed.
 
My cadets had a few semesters of 27 credits, including one who had FOUR lab sciences, in one semester, all while D-I athletes. Your free time is limited for a reason.
 
Whoa!!!! Did you not read the above?

SKIP THE GAMES???? Are you asking if a Division I athlete, who has been in training for months, SKIPS GAMES?
 
All cadets without other obligations (not to include "I don't want to go") are required to attend football games.
 
Regarding how much homework you get, it will vary a lot. Expect reading or some sort of pre-class work for every class every day. Then some classes have essays, some daily or weekly homework, some science labs, studying for tests, etc. There's no fair way to give an estimate.
 
Quoting from the 2017 Instructions to Candidates: "The Writing subtest for the ACT and the Essay Section for the new SAT are optional but highly encouraged."

Thank you, @Billberna , that answers my previous split on the matter.

OP, as Billberna quoted, the writing is not required, but is suggested. Hope this helps :)
 
As far as I'm aware, USMA and USNA require the writing portion of the SAT and/or ACT. USAFA does not require it, but it is strongly recommended in my experiences to take it with writing.

As far as USNA goes, the “writing” or “essay” section is neither required nor recommended. It isn’t even shown on the portal if you take it. When I spoke on the phone with an admissions counselor from USAFA, she said that it is not looked at heavily, as they assess writing ability from the writing sample in the application. The writing section is required for USMA.
 
My own kids, a bit cocky at 17ish, decided they felt the writing portion of the SAT was totally bogus. They were born into the computer age. How many students took a pencil & tiny notecard to write a 5 sentence answer to a ridiculous question? It was not an accurate measure of their ability to write, nor of their failure to own such ability.

So, they made up their own question (independently of ea other), and kinda/sorta answered it. Apparently, the good folks at the CollegeBoard didn't notice. Life's like that, sometimes.
 
Agree 100% and I hope one day they completely phase out written portions of SAT/ACT.

I would still consider taking at least one standardized test WITH writing for several reasons:
1. USMA requires it, if you are also applying there;
2. In the 1 hour + everyone is reading these forums, you could have just taken it and been done with it. Plus you are there at the testing center anyway...
3. Plans BCD may require it. And Plan D is for that school you haven't considered/never heard of - yet!
4. What if you nail it - 8-8-8? You never know!
 
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