Competition anxiety

[Lilturtl]

Hey everyone I’m applying for the class of 2029 this year and I’ve been getting super paranoid that I’m not competitive enough. I know that no one on here can give a fully accurate assessment on if I would get accepted or not but any kind of feedback on stuff I could improve would be really appreciated.

Academics:
Gpa Weighted: 3.84
Gpa Unweighted: 3.48

Act - 34

Little tidbit about my gpa I messed up really bad my first two years and had a 3.5 yearly gpa both years. Junior year I finally locked in and got a 4.47 yearly gpa bringing the weighted average up to 3.84.

By the end of senior year I will have taken 16 ap classes and 3 dual enrollment at gsu.

In my class I’m ranked lower since my first 2 year grades are dragging me down and right now I stand at

Sports:

Squash - placed 2nd at junior state 3rd at junior regionals

Taekwondo - I’m a WTF certified black belt and used to be a instructor

Track - I joined the track team this year and it probably won’t help much on the application

Clubs:

-FBLA - Member
-TSA - E car team member
-RhoKappa, NTHS, and NEHS - member
-Future Med writers - founding member and Social Media manager (club has 160 people)

Other stuff:

-Boy Scouts - was aspl and quartermaster of my 200 person troop - getting eagle in November
-Work at chick fil a as a trainer
-apprentice electrician
-tutor for 3 years
-624 community service hours (got the gold presidential service medal twice)

If anyone has any tips or stuff I could impoverish please do tell. Tysm for all ya’ll’s help!

 

[Rafale27]

Track - I joined the track team this year and it probably won’t help much on the application

It's all about what you make of it. The Naval Academy is not looking for you to join extracurriculars, sports teams, and achieve high grades all for the act of applying. You should strive to do these activities because of how it will make you a better, more well-rounded student, athlete, and leader.

I joined XC and track my junior year because I thought there was an area missing from my application. It ended up being the best thing that happened to me. I made varsity as a new runner and turned what I thought was something to "check off the box" into a passion and a hobby that I will probably hold for the rest of my life.

You seem to be very involved and have good grades. I would encourage you to seek to make the most out of your experiences. Admissions looks for you to demonstrate knowledge and experience from your extracurriculars. You have to be able to say to yourself that you took something away from XYZ, not just that you joined it to check a box off on an application.

 

[Academician]

Yes, you are a very good candidate. No one can tell you if you will or will not receive an appointment, except the SAs themselves.

Your academics appear to be exceptional, so keep up the good work. USNA will appreciate the strong performance as a junior combined with your strong ACT score and the AP courses you have taken.

Keep leaning into your ECA's. Earning your Eagle Scout is a big deal so be sure to complete your project and 'pin on' the rank as soon as you can. Be sure to discuss the impact you have made in all of your 'roles' in your essays and during your interviews.

I'm sure others will continue to provide additional advice. Best of luck!

 

[Lilturtl]

Yes, you are a very good candidate. No one can tell you if you will or will not receive an appointment, except the SAs themselves.

Your academics appear to be exceptional, so keep up the good work. USNA will appreciate the strong performance as a junior combined with your strong ACT score and the AP courses you have taken.

Keep leaning into your ECA's. Earning your Eagle Scout is a big deal so be sure to complete your project and 'pin on' the rank as soon as you can. Be sure to discuss the impact you have made in all of your 'roles' in your essays and during your interviews.

I'm sure others will continue to provide additional advice. Best of luck!

Thank you for the confidence boost but im a bit worried about my grades since out of my class of 617 im 375 which puts me in the bottom half of the class. Plus the 4.47 was only the gpa for junior year and my 3 year average factoring in the two 3.5's 1st and 2nd year averages out to a 3.84.

 

[justdoit19]

Thank you for the confidence boost but im a bit worried about my grades since out of my class of 617 im 375 which puts me in the bottom half of the class. Plus the 4.47 was only the gpa for junior year and my 3 year average factoring in the two 3.5's 1st and 2nd year averages out to a 3.84.

“Grades” are not the end all, be all of an appointment. Far from it. Think about it….some schools are harder than others. I had one child in our urban public system, two in a Blue Ribbon private system. Real time examples of how the grading is not a representation of the material offered/mastered (or not). Also other influences on the grading system.

Don’t get hung up on this one piece. You cannot change it now, anyhow. Your ACT/SAT’s will better indicate your academic credentials. Not your class rank.

Beyond this, you could end up with a prep/foundation offer. That’s a golden ticket. So know you will be given a fair look despite your class rank.

You started slow. But finished strong. That’s great. And what you should focus on, imo. No excuses, just facts.

Good luck to you!

 

[MidCakePa]

Take a look at the latest USNA class profile. You'll notice something: For all the stats shown, there's no hint of GPAs. That's because GPAs are a slippery thing, with no national standard or consistent application. So admissions looks at your whole transcript, in the context of your school profile. They prefer students who take the hardest classes their school has to offer -- especially in STEM and English -- and excel at them. Class rank can hint at that, but it's an incomplete stat as well. All admissions committees, at every school, also think well of upward trajectories. They're not as good as steady high achievement, but they're the next best thing.

At this point, your cake is mostly baked. So focus on what you can control -- "eyes in the boat," is the Navy saying. In your application, paint the best picture you can. And work on Plan B, C, D. Onward!