College Re-Applicant

USMA2026Cadet

USMA2026Cadet

USMA '26
5-Year Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2019
Messages
260
Some backstory on my scenario; the other week I realized that I would not be able to complete the full application for 2025. I had a lot of personal circumstances come up over the past few months that really dug me into a rut, but as I've been and have pulled myself out of it, it was too late to complete two SOEs and pass the CFA (I took it but failed the push-ups). I then emailed my congressional staff and asked them to rescind my nomination and give it to another qualified candidate (if there was one), so I wasn't taking someone's spot who deserved to get at least evaluated by the admissions committee. That took a lot out of me to do, but I believe it was the best course of action. As I prepare to enter a four-year university and ROTC, I'm fully committed to re-applying for the class of 2026. If anything, I view it as if God wanted it to happen then it would've (speaking about me being thrown off from the last few insane months), but this will give me a whole year to prepare myself to a much greater extent for USMA. I was wondering if any current or former college re-applicants had any tips for me and others in my boat? I'd appreciate any and all advice.

Of course, I will be getting my SAT, CFA, and GPA all increased. But with ROTC, PMS relations, or just general college life for preparing to re-apply, any tips? Thank you!

If there's one thing I've taken from this forum the past two years, it's that SA admission is a marathon, not a sprint. ;)
 
Double college reapplicant here.

The biggest thing is to not look at the situation as a wasted year, embrace ROTC and what it has to offer. It depends on the program, but as an MS1 most of what your PMS will know about how you are as a cadet will come from your primary instructors (typically a CPT and SFC) so make sure you show up to PT every single early morning and volunteer when the chances come. If you show them you truly care about serving as an Army officer they will help you with whatever you need when it comes to reapplying to USMA. Overall. AROTC is a great opportunity to improve physically, and gain knowledge on important topics that will eventually be needed such as land navigation, tactics, and the Army in general.

As for the normal college part, take challenging classes that a plebe typically would, and make sure your grades are stellar across the board. This is an opportunity to seriously boost your application. Being at a "normal" university, you'll have much more time to study and prepare for classes than a cadet at USMA would, so use that to your advantage.

When it comes to reapplying, you'll pretty much have to redo everything. Your DoDMERB will carry over, and your SOE's as well. But being a college student, they require 2 more from college professors (6 total). Since you were unable to finish yours from this application, that will most likely be something you'll need to ask your RC about.

I hope this answers a little bit of what you're wondering. Good luck to you moving forward!
 
Thank you @TheReReApplicant! Quick question, do you know when my app will roll over to 2026? I don't believe I have to complete the CQ again, but will my app be frozen with the "Your file has recently been closed by Admissions for this year" until the SSK opens?
 
I could be wrong but from what I remember, it will stay on your 2025 application until around August. This is the same time most other candidates for the class of 2026 will have their first access to most of the application items. Since they have already deemed you competitive and opened your file this year, you'll have that access with the first wave of the new applicants. You won't have to do the CQ again, rather it will look the same as it does now, just with everything having the red "X" again.
 
TheReReApplicant said:
I could be wrong but from what I remember, it will stay on your 2025 application until around August. This is the same time most other candidates for the class of 2026 will have their first access to most of the application items. Since they have already deemed you competitive and opened your file this year, you'll have that access with the first wave of the new applicants. You won't have to do the CQ again, rather it will look the same as it does now, just with everything having the red "X" again.
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So until the SSK opens I'm assuming. Last year it was 1 June, though normally it's 1 August.
 
The best way to show USMA that you’re capable of succeeding at West Point and beyond is to succeed in college.

That means taking a plebe-like schedule — calculus, chemistry, English, history — and excelling at it. Take freshmen-level courses or higher — nothing remedial or resembling underwater basket weaving.

Don’t just participate in ROTC but excel at it. Be a leader from day one, with your attitude and aptitude. Don’t give anyone a reason to NOT support your upcoming second attempt at USMA. Participate in athletics, whether it be club sports or intramurals. Keep yourself fit and active.

That’s the closest you’ll come to replicating a WP plebe experience, which features a lot of demands and very little free time. Do all that and you’ll be well on your way to a commission, via either USMA or ROTC. Both are good and honorable ways to get those butter bars.
 
Take this with a grain of salt, but I was told it really wouldn't be worth retaking the SAT as a college student, since it is a test aimed at high schoolers after all.
 
I guess to start from the ground up: You have to define what you want and how hard you want it.

I know personal circumstances can impede and interrupt your drive and your focus, but whatever it is there is no excuse in the end if you don't make it. You need to define what you want (in this case an appointment) and you can't allow anything (barring physical injury) to prevent you from getting it. This is the mindset you must have every hour, every day, every week.

Learn from this failure as well, you should ask yourself: "What did I do wrong, and what can I do better next time?" For example, notice that the 2 SOE's should have been done in July or August, when the portal first opened for second-step-kits, and should not have been procrastinated or delayed until now. I know you are a smart person, and a dedicated person, what you need to do is to find a goal and work towards it every hour of every day. Even little goals like, "I am gonna do pushups everyday until I can do 54 in 2 minutes" or "I will run 2 more intervals than normal to shave off 10 seconds of my mile time" are what you need to find and set for yourself.

Finally, most pain is mental. I remember during my humiliating first CFA, right after running an eight-fifty mile, my FFR told me that "Pain is just weakness leaving the body." He meant that if you just ignore the pain and keep pushing, you can accomplish more than you think. You need to apply this to your mindset as well in this coming application cycle. You need to show WP that you learned from this failure and that you made right this time. This needs to be reflected in everything you do, from the CFA to your GPA to your SAT's.

You can do this man! I hope this helped you gain some perspective. I hope to see you at USMA as a plebe one day!
 
Nomak54 said:
Take this with a grain of salt, but I was told it really wouldn't be worth retaking the SAT as a college student, since it is a test aimed at high schoolers after all.
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That’s interesting. I’m planning to retake it later this spring / summer but not once college begins. I have a 1350 now, so a 1500+ would be ideal and would likely go a long way for my WCS.
 
professorm804 said:
I guess to start from the ground up: You have to define what you want and how hard you want it.

I know personal circumstances can impede and interrupt your drive and your focus, but whatever it is there is no excuse in the end if you don't make it. You need to define what you want (in this case an appointment) and you can't allow anything (barring physical injury) to prevent you from getting it. This is the mindset you must have every hour, every day, every week.

Learn from this failure as well, you should ask yourself: "What did I do wrong, and what can I do better next time?" For example, notice that the 2 SOE's should have been done in July or August, when the portal first opened for second-step-kits, and should not have been procrastinated or delayed until now. I know you are a smart person, and a dedicated person, what you need to do is to find a goal and work towards it every hour of every day. Even little goals like, "I am gonna do pushups everyday until I can do 54 in 2 minutes" or "I will run 2 more intervals than normal to shave off 10 seconds of my mile time" are what you need to find and set for yourself.

Finally, most pain is mental. I remember during my humiliating first CFA, right after running an eight-fifty mile, my FFR told me that "Pain is just weakness leaving the body." He meant that if you just ignore the pain and keep pushing, you can accomplish more than you think. You need to apply this to your mindset as well in this coming application cycle. You need to show WP that you learned from this failure and that you made right this time. This needs to be reflected in everything you do, from the CFA to your GPA to your SAT's.

You can do this man! I hope this helped you gain some perspective. I hope to see you at USMA as a plebe one day!
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I really appreciate that, thank you! I’m definitely going to be prioritizing a lot more things this time ‘round.
 
Nomak54 said:
Take this with a grain of salt, but I was told it really wouldn't be worth retaking the SAT as a college student, since it is a test aimed at high schoolers after all.
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DS improved his ACT scores while in college and it was extremely important in gaining valuable WCS points, it ultimately got him his appointment. Testing and GPA are worth 60% of your WCS,
 
Roadking said:
DS improved his ACT scores while in college and it was extremely important in gaining valuable WCS points, it ultimately got him his appointment. Testing and GPA are worth 60% of your WCS,
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There is a WCS score calculator online that you can roughly find out where you are. Do you think that's accurate?
 
Super proud of any re-applicant!! That shows grit right there, as the process is grueling. @MidCakePa nailed the “what to do” advice, as always. I’ll add a little bit beyond that.

During your next year of school, be MINDFUL that you ARE reapplying. Develop relationships with your professors that will be evaluating you. Stand out. Look for ways to lead, even if not ‘President of xx’. Be the person everyone is rooting for, BC you deserve it. In ROTC, stand out as a teammate. Help your mates.

Be smart in the social choices you make (all it takes is a tag in an underage drinking photo that goes viral...that kind of thing). Continue to work to improve your application! You will be asked to talk about your growth over the year. And will have great essay material. Also, be open to the journey you are on as you may fall in love with it.

Don’t beat yourself up for not completing your package, OP. Sometimes we glide gracefully over the hurdles life puts in our path, and sometimes we crash, get up, and head towards the finish line.

Good luck to every reapplicant! To those who ultimately join a SA, you are valued and respected by your peers, and have a lot to add. Both of my youngest’s roommates are reapplicants. One from a self prep-program, and one from state U. Rooting for you all!
 
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foxtailsean said:
There is a WCS score calculator online that you can roughly find out where you are. Do you think that's accurate?
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Nope. Doesn’t take into account the intangibles. At all. My boys took similar surveys, after their appointments BTW. It was a hoot 🤪.
 
Re-taking SAT/ACT's are critical for re-applicants. I recommend continuing to test as a senior to try to boost your scores so that you can focus on grades and ROTC in college. The WCS calculator you see online is also completely wrong so don't put much stock into what it says.
 
JK2009 said:
Re-taking SAT/ACT's are critical for re-applicants. I recommend continuing to test as a senior to try to boost your scores so that you can focus on grades and ROTC in college. The WCS calculator you see online is also completely wrong so don't put much stock into what it says.
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Could you specify which part of the WCS calculator is not accurate? Do they have a wrong rubric?
 
Unless an online calculator is actually housed in an SA website, or officially sanctioned by an SA, I’d be very wary of how much to trust it.

First, you don’t know who concocted it, what information was used, whether it’s actually accurate. (And no, having a few posters say “It told me I’d get in and I did!” does not count. That’s called anecdotal and coincidental.) You also don’t know whether the SA boards have changed relative weightings of certain inputs over time.

Second, the so-called algorithm doesn’t account for qualitative inputs such as interviews, personal essays and teacher assessments. Those are not insignificant factors that affect one’s chances of admission.

So sure, maybe the model can be directionally correct at times. But really, what are you going to do with that information? Would you actually dramatically change your approach? Probably not.
 
Look at which teachers USMA will want an evaluation from and make sure to take those classes in the fall if possible. Is it Math, English, PE, Science? Each SA is different.
 
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