chances + advice

[hopefull2022]

Hello Guys, just wanted to get a feel for what yall think my chances are
11th grade
Academics :
1280 sat
4.24 gpa
1/175 class rank
NHS
5 ap classes
Carnegie Mellon Alice challenge winner 2018

sports + extra curricular
basketball
- captain
- 2x section champs
- 4 year varsity member
- 3 year letter winner
track and field
- 2x letter winner
- placed 4th at county meet
- made districts placed 11th
AAU Basektball
Student council
overseas community service
part time job
camp leader at basketball clinics
Young kids basketball ref

 

[almondqqq]

I think you have a very good shot! One thing I would work on it to get that SAT score up to a 1350. Other than that it's really impressive! I would think alot about your essays as well. The stats are nothing if the academies don't think you're passionate. Try to think to write something unique about why do you want to part of USAFA! Good luck!

 

[Midwesternman]

As many people have said, and I'm sure will say, there is no way we can tell you your chances. We aren't the admissions team, so we don't know exactly what they want for the class of 26. That being said, if you meet the minimum, you absolutely have a shot. Control the things you can, and don't worry about the things you can't. Focus on improving yourself and making your application package as well-rounded as possible (it looks like you have already done this). Stay aware of the timeline, make sure you know when applications open and close when your nomination sources need your information, and so on. Work hard, show leadership, and prepare physically. Beyond that, nobody knows what will happen. No two academy applications are the same.

 

[OldRetSWO]

As many people have said, and I'm sure will say, there is no way we can tell you your chances. We aren't the admissions team, so we don't know exactly what they want for the class of 26. That being said, if you meet the minimum, you absolutely have a shot. Control the things you can, and don't worry about the things you can't. Focus on improving yourself and making your application package as well-rounded as possible (it looks like you have already done this). Stay aware of the timeline, make sure you know when applications open and close when your nomination sources need your information, and so on. Work hard, show leadership, and prepare physically. Beyond that, nobody knows what will happen. No two academy applications are the same.

I'm not sure how much experience you have with Service Academy Admissions but your statement "if you meet the minimum, you absolutely have a shot" is about as off base as it gets. I've been involved with Service Academy Admissions for just about 30 years now and I have NEVER EVER seen a regular candidate straight from high school get in with minimum level SAT scores. NOT ONE!
From reading the info that the OP listed, he is not likely to be a sports recruit and he is on a reasonable academic track with AP classes and GPA so he is not a likely USAFAPS pick. In general, recruited athletes and Airmen coming in from enlisted service are where you will tend to see the lower levels of SAT scores.
Now there is one caveat - IF this candidate is from a district where the MOC gets very few applicants and names a barely minimally qualified applicant as a PRINCIPAL NOMINEE then the SAT score becomes less important. That said, I haven't seen that crop up too often.

Over the last three years, I've done 15 or so Congressional Service Academy interviews each year and NONE of them were much below 1400. Prior to that I did Senatorial Interviews over a couple of decades and while I did see a few candidates in the high 1200s, they were not competitive.

Work on your SATs or ACTs

 

[USAFA10s]

Came here to say what @OldRetSWO said - get that SAT or ACT UP - with that class rank and grades my guess is if you really put in the time and effort you can get much better score

 

[hopefull2022]

I'm not sure how much experience you have with Service Academy Admissions but your statement "if you meet the minimum, you absolutely have a shot" is about as off base as it gets. I've been involved with Service Academy Admissions for just about 30 years now and I have NEVER EVER seen a regular candidate straight from high school get in with minimum level SAT scores. NOT ONE!
From reading the info that the OP listed, he is not likely to be a sports recruit and he is on a reasonable academic track with AP classes and GPA so he is not a likely USAFAPS pick. In general, recruited athletes and Airmen coming in from enlisted service are where you will tend to see the lower levels of SAT scores.
Now there is one caveat - IF this candidate is from a district where the MOC gets very few applicants and names a barely minimally qualified applicant as a PRINCIPAL NOMINEE then the SAT score becomes less important. That said, I haven't seen that crop up too often.

Over the last three years, I've done 15 or so Congressional Service Academy interviews each year and NONE of them were much below 1400. Prior to that I did Senatorial Interviews over a couple of decades and while I did see a few candidates in the high 1200s, they were not competitive.

Work on your SATs or ACTs

Came here to say what @OldRetSWO said - get that SAT or ACT UP - with that class rank and grades my guess is if you really put in the time and effort you can get much better score

what should my target score be? I know a friend who got in first try with a 1320 from my school.

 

[OldRetSWO]

what should my target score be? I know a friend who got in first try with a 1320 from my school.

Target score is 1600 - that should be where you want to be.

That said, it depends on the competitive level of your district, not school district, CONGRESSIONAL district which is going to have a lot of high schools. That said, as I said before all of the kids I've interviewed in the past couple of years were over 1400 but that is in a pretty competitive district. Here, It would take a high 1400's or 1500s to stand out from the SAT perspective. There are lots of places where a 1300 will probably put you in the mix but you shouldn't aim for just 1300 (minimal improvement from current). If your 1280 was your first test, I would hope to see you get to a 1400 or better with some prep.

 

[USAFA10s]

what should my target score be? I know a friend who got in first try with a 1320 from my school.

https://www.usafa.edu/app/uploads/Class-of-2024-Info-Sheet.pdf

For the class of 2024 the mid 50% range was: 630-710 Reading/Writing and 643-740 Math - you should shoot for as high as you can! Definitely above the top of that range. I got around a 1300 my first attempt (about 650 on each section) but with just a little focused studying and practice before the next time I took it, my final scores were 750 and 760. All I did was take practice tests over and over until the question style became familiar - that made me fast enough on the test that I had plenty of time to get through it and check my answers thoroughly

 

[Stealth_81]

what should my target score be? I know a friend who got in first try with a 1320 from my school.

Your target should be 1600. Otherwise you’re leaving WCS points on the table.

There is so much to an appointment that saying that your friend got in with a 1320 means nothing without the context of the rest of their application. In general, most applicants without other special considerations should have a 1400+ to be competitive.

Stealth_81

 

[BUFF-Driver]

Here are some tips to increase your ACT score. In addition, I've been working on an eCourse that could help with the whole application. Let me know if you'd like enrollment (no cost). Here are the Test Score Improvement Tips I have to offer:

Motivation: Standardized tests count for over a third of your application's score. If this isn't motivation for you to focus on your SAT, I don't know what is.

Effort: Now that you have the motivation, you need to devote significant effort to improve your score, like the previous advice stated.

Here is what you can do to improve your score:


1. Practice practice practice. Practice old tests that the test companies publish. And take the real test for practice too. The Academy won't care if your early scores are terrible. Each time you take the test and get a better score, that's the score the Academy will look at. So take the real test. A lot! Sure it’s a pain! It’s also painful looking at the school you wish you could have gotten into from afar…if only you had practiced your standardized testing more. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence suggesting that the best way to get better at the ACT/SAT is to take the ACT/SAT. When you take practice tests on your own, do the whole shebang. Lock yourself in a room with a timer and simulate the real test. This will probably gobble up one of your Saturdays every time you do it. Good. That means you’re committed. You need game day conditions to train your body and mind to pace itself correctly on actual game day.

2. Take prep courses. Some well-regarded test-prep companies offer a whole smattering of personal, online, and in-person test-taking workshops. Don’t be afraid to spend time and money on these resources. They will be a drop in the bucket compared to the benefit of being accepted into the Air Force Academy.

3. Have patience. Your brain is still developing until you’re 25, so even the difference between a junior year test and a senior year test can make a big impact on your score all by itself. You’re still taking courses in high school that cover the material that you need for the test. So learning more during high school will also give you a boost in score all by itself. This is why it’s important to keep testing even well into your senior year, all the way into January, so you get the max benefit of brain development and education under your belt to give you octane on your test.

Test Prep:
Kahn Academy
Kaplan
Princeton Review
College Prep Genius

These are well-regarded companies. Some cost more than others. Most importantly is to do them, regardless of the one you pick.

Good luck!

 

[Midwesternman]

I'm not sure how much experience you have with Service Academy Admissions but your statement "if you meet the minimum, you absolutely have a shot" is about as off base as it gets. I've been involved with Service Academy Admissions for just about 30 years now and I have NEVER EVER seen a regular candidate straight from high school get in with minimum level SAT scores. NOT ONE!
From reading the info that the OP listed, he is not likely to be a sports recruit and he is on a reasonable academic track with AP classes and GPA so he is not a likely USAFAPS pick. In general, recruited athletes and Airmen coming in from enlisted service are where you will tend to see the lower levels of SAT scores.
Now there is one caveat - IF this candidate is from a district where the MOC gets very few applicants and names a barely minimally qualified applicant as a PRINCIPAL NOMINEE then the SAT score becomes less important. That said, I haven't seen that crop up too often.

Over the last three years, I've done 15 or so Congressional Service Academy interviews each year and NONE of them were much below 1400. Prior to that I did Senatorial Interviews over a couple of decades and while I did see a few candidates in the high 1200s, they were not competitive.

Work on your SATs or ACTs

Looking back, I should clarify that, by "having a shot," I meant that you are at least not disqualified by not meeting the minimums. Your shot could be a 1500 yard into 70mph crosswind at a soda can with a 22 lr, but it is still a shot.

 

[VasilyZaytsev]

A 1280 SAT is an amazing score and places you in the top 10% of all testers. You have a very good application, but there are always areas to improve, and it also depends on multiple factors; Some beyond your control. As people have said, you can improve your odds by improving your SAT score. The easiest way to do this is to retest a couple more times and focus on subject tests individually. The academies super-score. Regardless of your end results, you should be proud of such a solid score. A 1280 with your GPA will give you a full merit based scholarship at nearly any state university, and get you an Honors College interview. Congrats!

 

[OldRetSWO]

A 1280 SAT is an amazing score and places you in the top 10% of all testers. You have a very good application

I'm trying very hard to not be sarcastic here but to put it very mildly, a 1280 is neither "Very Good" nor among the top 10% of
the population that applies to the service academies. I'll repeat something I said in post #7 of this thread:

all of the kids I've interviewed in the past couple of years were over 1400

That is well over 30 candidates by the way.

A 1280 will probably not be the highest score in most districts.

 

[hopefull2022]

A 1280 SAT is an amazing score and places you in the top 10% of all testers. You have a very good application, but there are always areas to improve, and it also depends on multiple factors; Some beyond your control. As people have said, you can improve your odds by improving your SAT score. The easiest way to do this is to retest a couple more times and focus on subject tests individually. The academies super-score. Regardless of your end results, you should be proud of such a solid score. A 1280 with your GPA will give you a full merit based scholarship at nearly any state university, and get you an Honors College interview. Congrats!

Thanks I think I was in 87% for test takers this year. My goal is to get a 750 on math and improve my English to a 640. This will put me at a 1390. I feel this is realistic since I have just under two weeks to study for the test and I looked over my last test and out of the 11 I missed revised my dumb error on 10 of them immediately. Thanks for advice

 

[Peter2025]

Thanks I think I was in 87% for test takers this year. My goal is to get a 750 on math and improve my English to a 640. This will put me at a 1390. I feel this is realistic since I have just under two weeks to study for the test and I looked over my last test and out of the 11 I missed revised my dumb error on 10 of them immediately. Thanks for advice

Kind of restating what's been said above, shoot for a 1600. Take a test every day (or at least a few sections) and review your mistakes. I took the SAT probably 3/4 times my junior/senior year only to raise it 90 odd points, but I knew I had done almost everything I could to get the highest score possible. IMO, math is incredibly easier to get an 800 on as there is a set of problems (the type of problem that is) the test pulls from, so if you practice the tests and review mistakes, you will very likely improve your score a lot.

Keep working, it ALWAYS pays off in some form or another!

"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." -Norman Vincent Peale.
"If you aim for nothing you'll hit it every time." - "Zig" Ziglar.

EDIT: I was 97% and 99% on EBWR and math, respectively, and still got a TWE from Navy. Put your absolute best into getting the highest score you can. Rant over...

 

[hopefull2022]

Kind of restating what's been said above, shoot for a 1600. Take a test every day (or at least a few sections) and review your mistakes. I took the SAT probably 3/4 times my junior/senior year only to raise it 90 odd points, but I knew I had done almost everything I could to get the highest score possible. IMO, math is incredibly easier to get an 800 on as there is a set of problems (the type of problem that is) the test pulls from, so if you practice the tests and review mistakes, you will very likely improve your score a lot.

Keep working, it ALWAYS pays off in some form or another!

"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." -Norman Vincent Peale.
"If you aim for nothing you'll hit it every time." - "Zig" Ziglar.

EDIT: I was 97% and 99% on EBWR and math, respectively, and still got a TWE from Navy. Put your absolute best into getting the highest score you can. Rant over...

Did u get In to USAFa first try?

 

[Peter2025]

Did u get In to USAFA first try?

I did, though that is not the case for a surprisingly large portion of the wing. If you want to attend and don't get in first try, reapply!

 

[hopefull2022]

I'm trying very hard to not be sarcastic here but to put it very mildly, a 1280 is neither "Very Good" nor among the top 10% of
the population that applies to the service academies. I'll repeat something I said in post #7 of this thread:


That is well over 30 candidates by the way.

A 1280 will probably not be the highest score in most districts.

No offense I’m just confused why you keep saying u need a 1400 to get in. The average sat score for the academy is a 1320 so shouldn’t a 1320 as well as a good all around resume give u about a 50% chance of admission? Also I looked at some stats and 55% of qualified females got in. So what is qualified? Obviously my goal is to score as high as possible but I’m involved in a ton of extra curricular activities as well as the largest class load my school offers so a 1600 is a very unrealistic goal. I only have a tiny bit of free time a day to study so I am trying to make use of it best and get an honest target that is achieveable in 12 days as well as keep my grades up and keep my athletics on point. Also isn’t class rank a pretty important factor? Thanks in advance.

 

[Peter2025]

No offense I’m just confused why you keep saying u need a 1400 to get in. The average sat score for the academy is a 1320 so shouldn’t a 1320 as well as a good all around resume give u about a 50% chance of admission? Also I looked at some stats and 55% of qualified females got in. So what is qualified? Obviously my goal is to score as high as possible but I’m involved in a ton of extra curricular activities as well as the largest class load my school offers so a 1600 is a very unrealistic goal. I only have a tiny bit of free time a day to study so I am trying to make use of it best and get an honest target that is achieveable in 12 days as well as keep my grades up and keep my athletics on point. Also isn’t class rank a pretty important factor? Thanks in advance.

I wouldn't shoot for the average stat, you have no way of knowing what else those candidates had in their files. Shoot for the best you can. @OldRetSWO has a lot of experience in this process, and, although it might be possible to get in with a lower score in some cases, his advice to get the highest score you can get will do nothing but help you. Why cross your fingers and hope when you could get a higher score?

 

[Sciencnerd]

No offense I’m just confused why you keep saying u need a 1400 to get in. The average sat score for the academy is a 1320 so shouldn’t a 1320 as well as a good all around resume give u about a 50% chance of admission? Also I looked at some stats and 55% of qualified females got in. So what is qualified? Obviously my goal is to score as high as possible but I’m involved in a ton of extra curricular activities as well as the largest class load my school offers so a 1600 is a very unrealistic goal. I only have a tiny bit of free time a day to study so I am trying to make use of it best and get an honest target that is achieveable in 12 days as well as keep my grades up and keep my athletics on point. Also isn’t class rank a pretty important factor? Thanks in advance.

No, you don't necessarily NEED the 1400, but you should never just shoot for average. No one expects 1600 SAT scores, but they do want above average. "Don't tell me to shoot for the sky when there are footprints on the moon," describes this perfectly. I'm going to give an answer to the "what is qualified" question that is pretty default here. No one knows. We aren't the people that will be reviewing your file and we can't make the decision. The best you can do is make it look like you are Academy material and BE academy material. Every single person at USAFA had a different application and tell a unique story. There is no clear answer for what is and isn't qualified. So keep on being a Scholar-Athlete-Leader, and work for it. Even if you don't get it at first, reapplying shows tons of grit and you will be much more likely to get in. But again, it all depends on what the infamous THEY think of you. Good luck!