High School Leadership and Chances Question

buster7896 · Apr 13, 2013

Hello everybody,

As you can probably see, Im new here, and have many questions!

But first I will introduce myself a little bit, I am a sophomore in high school and have wanted to attend the Naval Academy since I first went there on an elementary school field trip.
Course wise, I am taking:
-Pre-Calculus
-AP History
-Latin 3
-Chemistry
-English 10 (the only one offered to my grade)
-and an Arts class
That being said, I have just locked in my course load for next year which will be:
-AP Calculus
-HL World History (an IB class)
-AP Government
-HL Physics (an IB class)
-German 1 (they are phasing out Latin at my school)
-HL English (an IB class)

I also had a 90th percentile rating in all of my PSAT categories, I know its not the real thing, but I haven't gotten the opportunity to take it yet.

Please let me know if you know anything about the IB courses, Ive heard they are similar to AP though, but have never had a definitive answer as to how the service academies view them.

I do not have many extracurricular activities but they are:
-Varsity Lacrosse (last year and this year)
-School volunteer club (fundraising and community service)
-I was a coach for a youth program a few months ago and am in the process of getting another coaching job for this summer.
-I am also working on getting an internship with my Congressman (Steny Hoyer)

Now down to my main questions,
I have heard that being accepted to the Naval Academy is harder when you are from Maryland (which I am), is this just people talking, or is this true?

My final question is about my class's leadership positions. My school's student government is a joke, which is obviously a problem but I cannot change that. Mostly upcoming seniors are elected through a big popularity contest, Im not saying Im anti-social or anything, I just don't throw the huge house parties that get them popularity (I actually try to avoid them). I am worried about this because most people that I have seen that are accepted are class presidents or VP's, which I will have trouble with, but have been trying to out-weigh with coaching.

I also would like any and all suggestions for other groups or activities I could become apart of.
Thank you for your time and any help is greatly appreciated.

SuaSponte · Apr 13, 2013

Team Captain would be very beneficial (looks like you'll be in the running unless it's very easy to get Varsity Lax at your school). Student Government can happen, some teachers like to see the more studious kids get positions and can give aid. Finally, my FFR for West Point is pushing Boys State very hard, I can imagine it's helpful for USNA too.

Melitzank · Apr 13, 2013

I have heard that being accepted to the Naval Academy is harder when you are from Maryland (which I am), is this just people talking, or is this true?

Nope, it's true. Same for VA applicants.

time2 · Apr 14, 2013

There is more competition for a NOM in areas where there is a large military presence and therefore, more people are applying. The academy determines who is 3Q across the entire country on the same basis, which is a separate part of the application process.

There is no set mix of sports/ECA's you need to have to get an appointment. At some schools, student government positions may be little more then figureheads who actually do very little. If that is true for your h.s., then you would be better off pursuing things that do matter to you, don't participate in activities just because you think it will improve your chances.

Also a great thread here that covers all of these types of questions in more details...... http://www.serviceacademyforums.com/showthread.php?t=6327

iceman2018 · Apr 14, 2013

Work on stuff you have control over and do not waste time comparing stats with other applicants. Do your best in your academics and also athletics and community service. If there's an opportunity for JROTC , Sea Cadets or Young Marines look into it because it will give you some idea of military courtesies and discipline. Keep up the good work and Good luck!

Vista123 · Apr 14, 2013

buster7896, you are off to a GREAT Start!

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
now is the time to join another extracurricular activity. In fact try two. Try out two of them even if they are something you may not think you would like. Are you a trivia buff, try out scholastic bowl. Are you into politics or international relations? What about model UN? Don’t forget the fact that the service academies are really engineering colleges so what about a science, technology, engineering or math club then? Even if you join the chemistry club or engineering club as a check mark for the application, once you get there you may really like it. Give it a shot. One good way to pick a suitable club is to ask your favorite teacher what club they sponsor. If you know you already like the teacher, they probably would not sponsor a club you dont like.

TEAM CAPTAIN/CLUB PRESIDENT
You know that another check box is a team captain or club president but you haven’t done either and are not on track for either. That is ok. There are some options here. Run an activity within the club. Put together a suggestion to improve your club that you are already in (IE membership drive, fundraiser, community service event for your Lacrosse team), offer to run it. Be able to describe leadership actions within that activity. Talk to your coach, can you run a cross training activity for your Lacrosse team?

Start a new club. I know of someone who started a military history club at school and was able to be the president. I also know of someone who started an ultimate frisbee team and was captain. This isn’t just to check the box marked 'club president or team captain'. This is to really learn leadership skills that you will need going forward on whatever path you take.

Keep up the great work!

1964BGO · Apr 15, 2013

Consider Boys State or Nation, Hugh O'Brien Youth, . A mission trip for a worthwhile project, eg, disaster recovery, etc. Work for leadership positions, and have documentation of your accomplishments. If you become a team captain or class officer use your position to accomplish something from that position. If you don't get the team captain, class officer slot, work with that leadership to accomplish something noteworthy, but be careful not to undercut the leadership. You will find that a major push during Plebe Summer is to develop your sense of team and teamwork. We want people who are achievers and leaders, but with a strong sense of team - its the way the military has worked and works.

buster7896 · Apr 17, 2013

Thank you everyone for the replies and help!
I will definitely try to go for Team Captain next year, but there is a lot of competition on my team for 2 or 3 spots.
I also am still going to try to be elected to the student government, no matter how low my chances may be, its still worth a try.
I have also been nominated by my school for the Hugh O'Brien Youth program next month, so all I need to do is finalize some stuff for it and I should be ready!
Do you guys have any further recommendations for EC's? I can take all I can get.
Thanks again to everyone for the awesome suggestions and help!