Bad GPA(sophomore in HS)

[Magii]

Im in my last trimester of sophomore year and it looks like I will get around a 3-3.2 gpa unweighted. I did track in the spring and hockey(not varsity or jv but a program in which you play 9-12 graders who aren’t as good as varsity). If I got my grades up next year and made jv or varsity for hockey would I have a better chance of getting in when I apply?

Edit: I also volunteer once every month at a place which helps homeless people come put of homelessness and gives furniture away. I build cabinets their if I need to be specific.

 

[THParent]

You apply with what you have. If you continue to improve in your Junior year, you will be able to put your best foot forward and let the chips fall as they may. You either get an Offer of Appointment or you don't.

"I build cabinets there, if I need to be specific"
Perfectly fine here, but don't make mistakes like that in your application or essays.

 

[MidCakePa]

Your GPA is not as important as whether you’re taking the hardest classes your school has to offer — especially in STEM — and are excelling in them. SAs examine your entire transcript and measure it against your school profile to ensure you did just that. So GPA is merely a sidelight.

That said, having a poor year — relatively speaking — is not a bad thing per se. It’s obviously best to have a consistently strong record for all four years. Next best is an upward trajectory in grades. Worst is a downward trajectory. So aim for the second scenario and avoid the third.

 

[Old Navy BGO]

Nobody here can tell you if you are competitive... a bad semester doesn't help, but isn't necessarily a deal breaker.

First, turn it around next year -- Junior year is particularly important because your Math/English teachers will be submitting an evaluation. Second, knock the ACT/SAT' out of the park.

USNA is a university, and admission is very competitive. In order to get the be qualified for Admission (i.e. the Admisson Q), you need to show that you have the ability to succeed in a rigorous academic environment. If the Admissions Board doesn't think you can succeed academically, all the sports and service hours are meaningless.

Finally, your OP doesn't mention leadership, another critical element of Admission. It doesn't matter what you do, and sometimes leadership doesn't even carry a title, but you need to be a leader in your school.

Bottom line, next year is critical ....there is plenty of information on this Forum describing attributes of successful candidates. You know what you have to do. Good Luck

 

[Magii]

Your GPA is not as important as whether you’re taking the hardest classes your school has to offer — especially in STEM — and are excelling in them. SAs examine your entire transcript and measure it against your school profile to ensure you did just that. So GPA is merely a sidelight.

That said, having a poor year — relatively speaking — is not a bad thing per se. It’s obviously best to have a consistently strong record for all four years. Next best is an upward trajectory in grades. Worst is a downward trajectory. So aim for the second scenario and avoid the third.

I only took one AP class and am doing the same for next year, so Im assuming Im more or so behind on the academic part judging by what you said.

 

[Magii]

You apply with what you have. If you continue to improve in your Junior year, you will be able to put your best foot forward and let the chips fall as they may. You either get an Offer of Appointment or you don't.

"I build cabinets there, if I need to be specific"
Perfectly fine here, but don't make mistakes like that in your application or essays.

Oh I know about the mistake I made I just said it to include more information even with the weird phrasing.

 

[Magii]

Nobody here can tell you if you are competitive... a bad semester doesn't help, but isn't necessarily a deal breaker.

First, turn it around next year -- Junior year is particularly important because your Math/English teachers will be submitting an evaluation. Second, knock the ACT/SAT' out of the park.

USNA is a university, and admission is very competitive. In order to get the be qualified for Admission (i.e. the Admisson Q), you need to show that you have the ability to succeed in a rigorous academic environment. If the Admissions Board doesn't think you can succeed academically, all the sports and service hours are meaningless.

Finally, your OP doesn't mention leadership, another critical element of Admission. It doesn't matter what you do, and sometimes leadership doesn't even carry a title, but you need to be a leader in your school.

Bottom line, next year is critical ....there is plenty of information on this Forum describing attributes of successful candidates. You know what you have to do. Good Luck

By leadership do I NEED to put something down, I feel like I do lead in sports(at least in the hockey locker room for support and criticizing what we did wrong) but have never been a captain for it. Same with track but a lot of these are people getting voted in by their friends and such, I won’t make excuses though. Again I feel like I’m a leader when I can be in projects and when I’ve done sports but I don’t know if that’s enough.

 

[ColoredBeans]

Not all high schools offer a lot of AP courses, so when you say you are taking 1 sophomore year and 1 junior year there is no point of comparison. For reference, my DS' school only offered 6 AP courses and he took 3. Based on the academic load of the honors courses at the school, sports, extracurriculars, etc... that was a very competitive#. And 2/3 were in STEM areas which is relevant to the Academy. IMO what is important is that you are taking a rigorous course load relative to your HS' offering. Demonstrate that you can succeed in the rigorous academic environment of your own HS. Then excel on the SAT/ACT which will allow the Admissions team to compare your academic abilities with a standardized test score across candidates from different sized high schools. Best of luck to you. Don't let one bad semester hold you back.

 

[dah19]

The SA admissions look for specific leadership positions that you have held. Not all leadership positions are sports related. Look for the opportunity to be the president of a club or your class. Team captain is a valid one, but there are also some available in the community. My DS was the captain of his Police Explorers Post for 3 years and don't forget scouting. I would say that leadership helped out tremendously in my DS's application (he did not have a varsity letter). Find something that sets you apart and makes you interesting.

 

[Magii]

The SA admissions look for specific leadership positions that you have held. Not all leadership positions are sports related. Look for the opportunity to be the president of a club or your class. Team captain is a valid one, but there are also some available in the community. My DS was the captain of his Police Explorers Post for 3 years and don't forget scouting. I would say that leadership helped out tremendously in my DS's application (he did not have a varsity letter). Find something that sets you apart and makes you interesting.

For community ones could you give more examples, or should I just look up something along the lines “leadership opportunities”.

 

[MidCakePa]

Most importantly, participate in the community (school, church, neighborhood) in a way that’s truly meaningful to you. Don’t just hold a title, buy make a truly significant impact. It’s not that hard for Admissions to figure out who’s a title chaser or club collector. You’ll need to show how you made that particular community better. By picking something you’re truly interested in, you’re significantly more likely to make a real difference.

 

[Magii]

Most importantly, participate in the community (school, church, neighborhood) in a way that’s truly meaningful to you. Don’t just hold a title, buy make a truly significant impact. It’s not that hard for Admissions to figure out who’s a title chaser or club collector. You’ll need to show how you made that particular community better. By picking something you’re truly interested in, you’re significantly more likely to make a real difference.

Oh I know I an trying to get a title to apply don’t get me wrong but I would actually want to use it to make a change, just struggling with ideas so I threw it out if I should look something up.