An honest evaluation of myself + Questions

D

dadencale

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Joined
Feb 28, 2020
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104
Hi!
Like many, I am a rising senior that is beginning the admissions process. I have updated my portal countless times, marking it with my accomplishments and accolades. I can't help but think to myself "Am I really competitive?" my parent's (Father being a lt. Col in the Marines) doesn't seem to think I have what it takes and it is filling me with negativity.

For reference, I am entering senior year with the hardest course load imaginable, a 4.33W and a 3.81UW GPA (I am in the top 15% of my class of 550) and an albeit average ACT of 26 (only taken twice without studying) I have been involved throughout high school as well, earning all-state in band, being the section leader of the wind ensemble, jazz ensemble, and pit orchestra. as well as being selected as the captain of a 250 person band. I have also invested time in my personal development having played piano for 10 years (Earning multiple awards) I also have 75+ hours of community service and I help direct my church's music program. A lot of the doubt comes from my decision to pursue competitive drumline over a sport, I played a sport my freshman year but have pursued drumline all three years. My drumline this year was ranked THIRD in the WORLD, I have been the section leader of the bass line, cymbal line as well as the electronics captain. I have also earned different awards due to my participation in this activity. I am worried that I will not be as competitive due to this! I am looking to start 1-2 clubs in my senior year and I am very excited for that. I was selected to attend boys state as well as NASS. I've played sports as well, having been the captain of my club soccer team freshman year (a D1 European team)

I am having a hard time working through the doubt of my parents, service academies have been a goal since freshman year. I may have lost sight of the goal at times in the process but here I am, applying.

My questions are:

1.) Since I moved states going in to my Junior year of high school, what do I do about recommendations? I don't really have teacher connections in my new or old state due to my lack of time with them.

2.) Is there any chance that SLE will be moved online? I was looking forward to this program more than Navy but now that Navy is the only one (Besides USCGA) having a seminar, I can't help but be confused.


Thank you for any and all help!
 
There is no reward for minimal attempts and highest scores. My advice is to take the ACT again, and study this time. A good resource is call prep factory.
For recommendations, find the person that would give you the best recommendation, given whatever time they have known you. You can’t do this process without it, so even the person who has known you the least and will write a good recommendation is better than none at all.
 
milmomsomeday said:
There is no reward for minimal attempts and highest scores. My advice is to take the ACT again, and study this time. A good resource is call prep factory.
For recommendations, find the person that would give you the best recommendation, given whatever time they have known you. You can’t do this process without it, so even the person who has known you the least and will write a good recommendation is better than none at all.
Click to expand...


I've been studying copiously, I am averaging a 34 on math but a 30 overall. last I took the ACT was September, COVID messed testing up ahah

Thank you!
 
dadencale said:
1.) Since I moved states going in to my Junior year of high school, what do I do about recommendations? I don't really have teacher connections in my new or old state due to my lack of time with them.
Click to expand...

I am sure you made a good impression on several teachers / band directors -- most teachers I know are excited to write a Service Academy recommendation.

Have you thought about reaching out to the Band Director at USMA (and other schools you are interested in)? Can you make a video showing off your Band skills the way hopeful NCAA athletes do?

Finally, speaking as a parent -- have you told your folks that this is your dream and that you really need their help and support to do your very best? Maybe if you tell your Dad that you are committed to matriculation at a service academy and that you will do anything to get there -- including a year at Prep School -- he will come around. It will be harder without parental support, but this is your challenge and plenty of young men and women make it to service academies very independently. Maybe there is a USMA alumni chapter near you and you can find a mentor.

If this is what you want -- don't give up. Plenty of stories on these boards about young people who persevere and achieve their dreams. These stories are exactly why I like visiting these forums.
 
I’m a USNA mom of 2 Mids. And what I like to share and encourage others about, is that sometimes I think people feel like the have to be a PERFECT candidate. Highest test score. Top of the class. Varsity team captain of 3 sports. Of course all that is great, but a SA truly is looking at the whole person. There are intangibles that cannot be measured with a score. And those are equally important. Also difficult to measure, especially on a forum. Both of my kids are not perfect. But they were appointed!

You sound amazing. You ‘gave up sports’ for a drum line. Make sure that’s a positive! Tell them why (DS gave up football to focus on track...make it a positive, not a negative). The other connection I had with your post is your change of teachers for “rec’s”. I don’t know the USMA process, but suspect it’s similar. Can you use your prior year teacher (pre-move) for an evaluation? And if not, that’s not so different than most, as kids get new teachers every semester. Who will be able to evaluate you classroom behavior/work even if you are new to the school. And perhaps your letters of recommendations (if usna uses those...but surely a Nom source will?) can come from your previous school person who does know you well.

DS’s math mentor and track coach who knows him very well moved his junior year. He still used him as one of his recommendations for MOC.

Lastly, maybe your dads “lack of support “ is actually from his years of service? Maybe he simply doesn’t want you to have that same life. No idea. BUT, from your post, you seem like a great candidate! Work on those test scores. Probably have to get those up, but if you have tested without studying...I suspect you can!

Good luck. Lots of support here! These are great people!
 
I highly recommend taking an ACT prep class, it helped two of my kids move score up 3-4 points.
 
Have you had an honest conversation with your dad about why he doesn't feel you are SA material? Is it the low ACT score - or something else? Is he possibly trying in his own dad-like way to test your resolve to ensure this is a choice you are making and not one being made because you think attending a SA is what your parents want for you (reverse psychology)? As a military dad, SA grad, and recruiter - I have intentionally distanced myself from my own son's journey because I know the danger of not going to a SA for the right reasons. When candidates go because it is what others expected of them, that is not a good recipe and often results in them self eliminating from the program.

From the sounds of it, you have the makings of a good candidate. The ACT is something that would be holding you back today - so double down on that. It would likely have more return on your investment of time than your proposed idea of starting 1-2 clubs your senior year. Frankly, great idea, but there is very little time for you to have meaningful activity with those groups. IF you can show great leadership and impact - go for it. If it is the typical "let's spend months figuring out what we want to do and how we want to organize" -- that would be a significant waste of time (your most precious resource as this stage of the game).

I too chose band over athletics at the end of 9th grade. In my situation, I was below average for our football team and knew I could accumulate accolades in band. In my opinion, the CFT will show your athletic aptitude. You are still able to demonstrate excellence and leadership under your current chosen path. SA accept all kinds - athletes, mathletes, band kids, and community leaders. Stick to what makes you special and double down on those efforts. Don't aim to be above average because EVERYONE APPLYING IS ABOVE AVERAGE. Don't be like everyone else - stand out and be great at something. It sounds like you have found your activity for that. Congrats on your performance at PASIC!

Others who have gone before you made the same choice and were accepted because of their entire body of work - not just athletic prowess. If it helps, the drum line captain from the 2016 PASIC champs graduated and went to USAFA where he went on to play in their Drum and Bugle Corp.
 
Have you tried the SAT? I actually had the same ACT score (26), but my SATs were much better and I got appointed to 2024. Usually people that struggle with one do better on the other.
 
CatDog99 said:
I am sure you made a good impression on several teachers / band directors -- most teachers I know are excited to write a Service Academy recommendation.

Have you thought about reaching out to the Band Director at USMA (and other schools you are interested in)? Can you make a video showing off your Band skills the way hopeful NCAA athletes do?

Finally, speaking as a parent -- have you told your folks that this is your dream and that you really need their help and support to do your very best? Maybe if you tell your Dad that you are committed to matriculation at a service academy and that you will do anything to get there -- including a year at Prep School -- he will come around. It will be harder without parental support, but this is your challenge and plenty of young men and women make it to service academies very independently. Maybe there is a USMA alumni chapter near you and you can find a mentor.

If this is what you want -- don't give up. Plenty of stories on these boards about young people who persevere and achieve their dreams. These stories are exactly why I like visiting these forums.
Click to expand...



Am I able to be recruited for that? obviously not in the traditional NCAA athlete sense, but is that something that happens?
 
Congrats on your successes to date. Our son did not play traditional sports or any high school sport for that matter. He did do Taekwondo for 12 years, but he also kept band 2 years and continued to advance musically on his own (no room in class schedule for band--had to fit in stem classes) learning and playing guitar and being paid to perform.
The academies are not looking for cookie cutter kids. They want a well rounded, diversified class that has talents across the spectrum.
You have many opportunities to discuss what makes you a great candidate, what skill set you have, what experience has taught you. Interviews and essays are the perfect platform for that. This is the time to be confident in yourself, not to brag with arrogance, but to clearly demonstrate and verbalize why you are a good fit and what strengths you have that will make you a good officer and leader--not to mention classmate.

You have team experiences, you will be a teammate for your entire military career-be a good one. Your band and soccer experience is a place for you to show your leadership and ability to work well with others to achieve a common goal.

Make sure you are training for the CFA in order. Make sure you practice for interviews. Practice and use Khan for ACT and retake when possible.

I have seen some scores on this forum that were through the roof. Our DS did not have atmospheric scores on SAT or ACT, he hit the SA averages, but he received 3 appointments and NROTC this year. And he doubted his chances on many occasions. They are looking for more than a test score or a varsity letter. Have faith and confidence in yourself.

And, dad's are tough. If you haven't had a sit down with him, maybe now is the time to ask him to go for a walk with you and explain why this has been and will continue to be your goal. In the end, you are the one going down this path, and if it is right for you, steer the course despite other's opinions.

Good luck to you.
 
dadencale said:
Hi!
Like many, I am a rising senior that is beginning the admissions process. I have updated my portal countless times, marking it with my accomplishments and accolades. I can't help but think to myself "Am I really competitive?" my parent's (Father being a lt. Col in the Marines) doesn't seem to think I have what it takes and it is filling me with negativity.

For reference, I am entering senior year with the hardest course load imaginable, a 4.33W and a 3.81UW GPA (I am in the top 15% of my class of 550) and an albeit average ACT of 26 (only taken twice without studying) I have been involved throughout high school as well, earning all-state in band, being the section leader of the wind ensemble, jazz ensemble, and pit orchestra. as well as being selected as the captain of a 250 person band. I have also invested time in my personal development having played piano for 10 years (Earning multiple awards) I also have 75+ hours of community service and I help direct my church's music program. A lot of the doubt comes from my decision to pursue competitive drumline over a sport, I played a sport my freshman year but have pursued drumline all three years. My drumline this year was ranked THIRD in the WORLD, I have been the section leader of the bass line, cymbal line as well as the electronics captain. I have also earned different awards due to my participation in this activity. I am worried that I will not be as competitive due to this! I am looking to start 1-2 clubs in my senior year and I am very excited for that. I was selected to attend boys state as well as NASS. I've played sports as well, having been the captain of my club soccer team freshman year (a D1 European team)

I am having a hard time working through the doubt of my parents, service academies have been a goal since freshman year. I may have lost sight of the goal at times in the process but here I am, applying.

My questions are:

1.) Since I moved states going in to my Junior year of high school, what do I do about recommendations? I don't really have teacher connections in my new or old state due to my lack of time with them.

2.) Is there any chance that SLE will be moved online? I was looking forward to this program more than Navy but now that Navy is the only one (Besides USCGA) having a seminar, I can't help but be confused.


Thank you for any and all help!
Click to expand...
Others have already addressed your questions regarding your application so I thought I'd touch base on your first remarks. To an extent, do not listen to what others are saying about your chances. If you want to go there, just give it a shot. I was rejected this year, but I am extremely glad that I applied and gave myself a shot. Even though I was rejected from USMA, I got into several schools that my college counseling said I would not have a shot at. Bottom line is apply because you never know what is going to happen. You are qualified and if you get the ACT score up a strong applicant. The college admission process is random and unpredictable but it never hurts to give it a shot ;).
 
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