How Are my chances of getting accepted?

H

Hewweh

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Nov 2, 2016
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so I am very interested in joining the USAFA, and I just have to hit submit on my writing sample and I will be done. I have a brother of a friend who is in the academy, and I have been talking to him quite a bit about the lifestyle and the admissions requirement. I have participated in 4 years of Marine Corps JROTC as an officer, am an Eagle Scout, am in NHS, have a 3.84 GPA, and an ACT score of 30. The one major major thing I just found out is that the 2 years of foreign language is highly recommended, and I have not taken any because my high school has barely offered any forgein language (for two years in a row they offered it for a few weeks and then the teachers left so they dropped it. It was even taken of the advanced diploma requirements this year). I am very concerned about how this will affect my chances. I am in College Math (dual credit) as well. If anyone who has knowledge on the importance of this could help, it would be appreciated, even though there isn't really anything I can do. I am also unsure on if for the first phase of selecting I am only competing against Idaho students (I am from a Idaho), which would probably help my chances. Thank you.
 
This is the original poster again, and I figured I could provide a little more information about me. Bun CFA scores were pretty good: Push ups 50, sit ups 95 (max. He made me do 100 and I finished hat 100 with about 25 seconds left in the 2 minutes), 10 pull ups, 9.2 shuttle run, 83 or so basketball throw, and a 6:22 mile. I am a varsity athlete in two sports and have gotten my letter multiple times in each sport, as well as have been a team captain for two years. I have over 100 hours of volunteer service over the last two years. So really in my mind the only thing that would be holding back would be the foreign language. I also forgot to mention that I have only done 3 years of science in high school, as there are no science classes to take as seniors (I live in a fairly small Idaho area). Not sure if this is of any help, but thank you still.
 
If your school does not offer a foreign language and you had no opportunity to take one elsewhere (say, at Community College or online), USAFA will know this through the info they glean from your school. Seems odd to my ear that a school would offer all these athletics but no foreign language, even Spanish. which seems as ubiquitous as English these days.

For others who are in similar situations and have no access to foreign language, there are several places available online (for a fee, of course) where one can learn the basics of a foreign language.

Did you take the offered "quickie" classes? Are they graded?
 
So the story with the Spanish is that for 3 years now, the teacher has basically quit within about 3-4 weeks of school, and the class was cancelled or a substitute was placed in the class and they just had a study period and then the second semester they got to redo their schedule. I talked to my major and my ALO and they both said to let the academy know that it was not steadily offered. My ALO also said that she would put it in her write up of me. Thanks
 
Since, if you gain a Nom and an Appointment, you WILL study foreign language of some kind (they choose, not you) at USAFA, it would be in your best interest to get some type of program NOW. Rosetta Stone or similar might be available from your local public library or from interlibrary loan. Get it.

Not to sugar coat it, but this is a really huge gap in your high school education, one which you should attempt to remedy ASAP, and to the best of your financial and academic ability.

Shame on your school for neglecting this.
 
So if I start on a language program now, and notify the academy that there was no Spanish for me to take, will it count for anything? And also, if my ALO tells them and I include it what would you say my chances are of getting in with what I have presented so far? Thanks.
 
Hewweh said:
So if I start on a language program now, and notify the academy that there was no Spanish for me to take, will it count for anything? And also, if my ALO tells them and I include it what would you say my chances are of getting in with what I have presented so far? Thanks.
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There is a chance it will help. None of us can guarantee that. I think fencersmother is suggesting you start now, not only to help with your admissions application, but for your best interest as a student to expand your educational base for your future (please forgive me for speaking for you fencers; correct me if I am wrong).

As far as chances with what you have presented so far, you look competitive. That's about as much as anyone can tell you on here. GPA, ACT, NHS, JROTC, Eagle Scout all look good (ACT is a little harder to assess because your language can be extremely high, but if your math is low that could hurt. You only listed your composite). Just too many factors for any one to definitively tell you.
One other thing: Did you play a sport? Were you a team captain? These carry weight with USAFA when it comes to your WCS (Whole Candidate Score). You've listed academics and some leadership stuff. How about your athletics? Your CFA? DodMerb? There's a lot more to consider when looking at the whole/well-rounded person concept.
 
Being able to tell the MOC interviewers (&USAFA) that when you realized having no foreign language offered in HS is a problem, & that you proactively addressed it on your own is a plus. That shows initiative. Good Luck!
 
My ACT individuals were: English 30, Math 28, Reading 29, and Science 33. I have since retaken the ACT but I can tel you that the only one I possibly could have done better on is math (I haven't gotten the scores back yet). Yes I do do two varsity sports and I have for all four years of high school, and have been a team captain for 2 years straight in one of them. But my ALO said that she would include it in her write up with the Spanish situation and I will include it in the extra information portion of my writing sample. The CFA was pretty good, and I was a little below average on push ups (like 50) but I maxed out other things like the sit ups, and the other parts were at the average (basketball throw was above average). So with this information, does knowing those individual things make me seem more likely or less likely to get in? And if I do start a language program, should I let the Academy know? Thank you.
 
Have your writing sample proofread by someone (other than yourself, it’s hard to catch your own mistakes) prior to submission. Maybe an English teacher or someone else you trust would help. When you start a language program, inform USAFA via your ALO as well as through the portal if possible.
 
Thank you. I am currently writing my writing sample with my grandma (who used to be a teacher), and that is the only reason I haven't submitted it yet. Other than that, I hope I have enough to receive an appointment. Thanks.
 
I thought that I'd drop in and share my two-cents. I am also an applicant from Idaho so I know the limitations of curriculum. My high school offered very little AP courses. However, I have spoken to my ALO and he says that the admission panel isn't going to dock you if you haven't taken courses (like AP and foreign languages) if they are not offered at your school. With that being said, it WOULD help your application if the admissions team saw that you were going out of your way to accumulate some exposure in these subjects. I'm not sure what area you're in, but look into some community colleges like NIC, CWI or CSI to see if they offer on-campus foreign language classes. I know that CSI specifically has an extremely large amount of online courses that they offer from anywhere and taking those because you did not have access to them in HS is a huge plus on an application.

Above all, coming from this state, you have to realize that we are limited in educational opportunities sometimes. However, what you must also realize is that these factors are beyond your control. As my track coach told me, "Control what YOU can control." Other factors like offered courses are beyond your power, but taking the extra step to seek out those opportunities is what makes you successful. If you have any questions regarding anything else, send me a PM, I'm more than willing to help another Idahoan. I wish you luck in competing for an appointment and I hope to see you on I-Day!
 
I would also suggest that you make sure your Guidance Counselor covers the language issue at your school when they submit the school profile.
 
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