Do you have to apply specifically to prep?

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nervousmom79

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Is prep applied to or is it something that is offered to you through regular application process?
 
nervousmom79 said:
Is prep applied to or is it something that is offered to you through regular application process?
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If the candidate is qualified and not selected they may be offered a prep scholarship. However, a candidate can also self-sponsor and apply to one of the Senior Academy schools who have an academy prep track and prepare them for achieving a better application through improved academics, test scores, and fitness. Many of the candidates who commit to a year of prep and reapply for admission do get selected. The re-applicant acceptance rate is approximately 30% of the incoming class.
 
Many of the candidates who commit to a year of prep and reapply for admission do get selected. The re-applicant acceptance rate is approximately 30% of the incoming class.
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Folks, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE be VERY, VERY WARY of this sort of stat. I can only speak for USNA (not the other SAs, which may take a similar or a different approach), but below is their position, followed by my opinion.

USNA STRONGLY recommends that candidates who are unsuccessful on their first try attend a 4-year college. Not prep school, not community college, but a 4-year college. If a candidate cannot financially afford a 4-year college, a community college would be acceptable.

There is a HUGE difference between a sponsored prep and a self-prep. A sponsored prep (for USNA = Foundation student) is essentially guaranteed an appointment if he/she successfully completes the prep program and wants to attend USNA. A self-prep competes like any other candidate -- USNA gives zero special consideration to a self-prep and, as noted above, it may actually hurt you because you're not attending college as USNA recommends.

When prep schools tout their success rate for SAs, be sure to understand whether they are mixing self-prep and sponsored prep to get those numbers. Sponsored prep is usually 100%. Self-prep . . . much lower. Also, you can't lump all prep schools together; I've no doubt some are more successful than others and some more successful with certain SAs than others.

Finally, consider what happens if you're the 70% that don't get in on a second try (assuming this figure is correct, which I doubt). You've now spent an entire year not in college (recognizing a handful of prep schools are quasi-college and/or offer college credit) and a lot of your parents' money. What do you have to show for it -- would you have been better off getting a year of college under your belt?

[My view -- NOT USNA policy] Self-prep CAN be beneficial for certain students -- typically those who need serious help with study skills or time management; those who need an additional year of maturity/being away from home, etc.; and those who come from lousy high schools and need additional academic preparation. There are probably a few one-offs with other reasons. Self-prepping is unlikely to benefit the student who was victim of the "numbers game" -- very well qualified, just not quite good enough that year. They are much better off at college.

Finally, if you are in the successful 30% mentioned above (if accurate), why would you assume that the outcome would have been different had you gone to college?
 
usna1985 said:
Folks, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE be VERY, VERY WARY of this sort of stat. I can only speak for USNA (not the other SAs, which may take a similar or a different approach), but below is their position, followed by my opinion.

USNA STRONGLY recommends that candidates who are unsuccessful on their first try attend a 4-year college. Not prep school, not community college, but a 4-year college. If a candidate cannot financially afford a 4-year college, a community college would be acceptable.

There is a HUGE difference between a sponsored prep and a self-prep. A sponsored prep (for USNA = Foundation student) is essentially guaranteed an appointment if he/she successfully completes the prep program and wants to attend USNA. A self-prep competes like any other candidate -- USNA gives zero special consideration to a self-prep and, as noted above, it may actually hurt you because you're not attending college as USNA recommends.

When prep schools tout their success rate for SAs, be sure to understand whether they are mixing self-prep and sponsored prep to get those numbers. Sponsored prep is usually 100%. Self-prep . . . much lower. Also, you can't lump all prep schools together; I've no doubt some are more successful than others and some more successful with certain SAs than others.

Finally, consider what happens if you're the 70% that don't get in on a second try (assuming this figure is correct, which I doubt). You've now spent an entire year not in college (recognizing a handful of prep schools are quasi-college and/or offer college credit) and a lot of your parents' money. What do you have to show for it -- would you have been better off getting a year of college under your belt?

[My view -- NOT USNA policy] Self-prep CAN be beneficial for certain students -- typically those who need serious help with study skills or time management; those who need an additional year of maturity/being away from home, etc.; and those who come from lousy high schools and need additional academic preparation. There are probably a few one-offs with other reasons. Self-prepping is unlikely to benefit the student who was victim of the "numbers game" -- very well qualified, just not quite good enough that year. They are much better off at college.

Finally, if you are in the successful 30% mentioned above (if accurate), why would you assume that the outcome would have been different had you gone to college?
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I'll concur with a caveat. First, if you cannot afford to go to a 4-year school, than a good community college is a great bargain. Make sure, though, that you take courses that transfer, which means the highest math you can place into, lab based science (or two), and composition courses. As told in this and other threads, you want your first semester to match the first semester at the academy as best you can so you can demonstrate the academic chops for an academy.

Prep programs fall into two groups: military junior colleges and dedicated prep schools. The two dedicated prep schools that come to mind as examples are Greystone and Northwest Prep. Greystone has an agreement with a local college so their courses are offered for credit, while NWP courses are not. Both offer intense academic instruction as well as special courses in study habits and SAT/ACT prep. The MJCs are all regionally accredited and award associate's degrees. The prep programs at the MJCs are concurrent to the Associate's degrees, not stand-alone entities. Often student who do not get accepted to an academy in the first year at an MJC will stay a second year and complete the AA degree. MJCs are often looked on as a good plan B for this reason.

In summary, if a student is planning on reapplying, look at how to continue to grow and develop, and how to transition to an alternate path if not accepted. Universities, community colleges, MJCs, and prep schools all serve their niche, but the each student should choose that path that fills their needs.
 
usna1985 said:
Finally, if you are in the successful 30% mentioned above (if accurate), why would you assume that the outcome would have been different had you gone to college?
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I agree that student preparedness is key regardless of the path to get there. I thought it would be okay to mention that self improvement through self-sponsored prep is another option. The admission rate stated for re-applicants by USMA (not me), is all sources not just prep scholars. Those were mutually exclusive statements. There must be some intrinsic value for those candidates who persevere and suffer through the process twice! True GRIT is never a bad thing! :)
 
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