I Don't Think I Am Good Enough For The Service Academies

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esmee16

5-Year Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2009
Messages
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Hi, I am Esmee. I was born and raised in the United States by Asian immigrants. I am a freshman premier college prep school in Central New York. It is highly competetive with 100% of all graduates attending a 4 year college. There are 4 graduates from the school who are currently attending a service academy. I honestly don't think I am good enough at this point. I hope you can give me suggestions on what I can do to be in the zone for acceptance to a service academy.

GPA: 94.57/100
Class Rank: None.
Honors Classes: Global History (I don't have a rigorous courseload. I take only one honors classes out of the six possible at my school. Course placement is based on 8th Grade performance, so I can't do anything about it.)

Extracurricular Activities: (I know the service academies emphasized on sports, but I have tried out and all the teams cut me.)

Writers' Guild
Literary Magazine

Self studied German (probably won't help, but I am proficent in it. I just really love Germany.)

Physical Stats:

Vision: 20/80 (uncorrected), 20/40 (corrected)
Mile Run: 13:00 minutes (imporved by three minutes every year)
Sit ups: 27 per minute
Push ups: 9
Pullups: 0

Would it be better for me to just not go to a service academy? Should I just instead go a university near home (like Syracuse) and become a less rigorous job than the army?
 
Are you male or female? What grade are you in? Either way you need to improve those physical scores ASAP.

Knowing a foreign language certainly does help.

Try to get leadership roles in those clubs and get really involved.

It never hurts to try and apply. You shouldn't give up before it even begins.
 
I think you have more going for you than you think. I underwent a massive physical change in the span of four months during my junior year - put on nearly twenty pounds of muscle. I honestly wouldn't worry about the physical aspect of it just yet - you're just a freshman, your body is still growing, and getting harder/better/faster/stronger takes time. Just keep on working at it, and I'm sure that within the next three years you'll get to where you need to be.

Becoming proficient in German via self-study is clearly a sign that you can do pretty much anything if you just put your mind to it. Though you may be stuck in regular classes this year, do everything you can to get into more advanced classes next year. If you can, take summer courses to get caught up.

As America's Finest said, try to get leadership roles. Keep trying to join sports teams, I'm sure you can find something you're decent at. Track or cross country will specifically help you improve your mile time, and are a lot of fun in the process imo.

In reality, you have a loooooot of time ahead of you to prepare. Make the best of it. You're just in 9th grade, and yet you think you're not cut for the academies? Be optimistic about it, work to be the best you can, and then don't worry about anything else. Chriscorp had an awesome post in another thread about how the only other person you're competing with to get into an academy is yourself; be the best that you can be, and that's all you can do.

Keep doing a good job!
 
Head back to your eye doctor for another exam. Have them attempt to correct you to 20/20 - no more.

Distant visual acuity not correctable to 20/20 in each eye is a DODMERB disqualification.
 
Keep trying out for sports teams. Play in recreational leagues if you have to in order to get better. A lot of freshmen get cut but come out and make the team the next few years because they work hard.
Your grades are good and German will help. You said your parents were asian immigrants? Do you know their language? Because I can almost guarantee that is a DOD critical language and will help A LOT in admissions. If not ask for them to speak it around the house more and you'll pick up a lot through the three years you have left to apply.
 
Yes, I can speak Vietnamese fluently, but I can barely read and write in it.
 
I would add that you need to believe in yourself. You control a lot in your life and you have ample time before applying to make yourself a competitive candidate. Before others will believe you belong at a service academy you need to believe you belong at a service academy!
 
In applying for admission to any of the service academies, there's only one certainty: you won't get in if you don't apply. With hard work, you can definitely succeed.

Some things to work on:
Strive to do your best and get the best GPA possible in your classes, even if they aren't honors courses. Make an impression on your teachers so that they will recommend you for honors courses your sophomore year. I had no honors courses available to me my freshman year, and so I was not allowed to take honors courses when I transferred schools my sophomore year. However, my teachers recommended me for all honors courses my junior year.

Improve your physical strength. Start with just a few sets of sit-ups and push-ups every night, and aim to run/walk two miles three times a week, and build up on the amount you do over time. Or, try joining a club team outside of school doing something you enjoy, whether it's swimming, track, basketball, soccer, etc. Even if you don't make the team this year, there's still next year if you work at it.

Leadership roles. Remember, the academies aren't looking for a long list of EC's. Find something you enjoy and try out for a leadership position in that club.

Above all, have fun! If you aren't enjoying yourself, and you're merely looking to fill in boxes for the academies, you'll only regret it later on. You've got plenty of time, so don't worry. :]
 
If you're interested in the academies, you are still very young and still have an opportunity to make yourself competitive.
I'm a girl and when I first got to high school I was only in two honors classes. With some hard work I got into all honors and AP classes by this year, my senior year. Even at the begining of this past summer, I oculd not do one push up and could only do 30 situps. I can now do 70 situps and 30 pushups in two minutes. It is a lot of hard work, but if I can do it, you can definetly do it.
If you really want to go to an academy, just give everything you've got everyday. You're hardwork will be worth it in the end :smile:
 
Esmee,

It's awesome that you've already started looking at going to a service academy. Like you, my physical abilities weren't so hot, my freshman or sophomore years. But with some extra training outside of sports teams this past year, I scored higher than average in every event on the CFA. You can improve your scores, no problem. Like nsiderbam said, you'll change physically. I gaurantee it.

As for the schoolwork, take whatever honors classes are available to you. The point is that you challenge yourself in whatever ways you can, so try your hardest to get into harder classes next year. (to tell you the truth, colleges don't really look at your freshman year much, except to see that you've improved since then).

ALSO, self confidence is key!!! You sound like you've got some great things going for you! (Hello??! German and Vietnamese are pretty uncommon and marketable skills!)

Anyway, feel free to contact me privately if you'd like to hear any more details about the admissions process and what-not. I'm a senior girl with an LOA, nomination, and completed app. Just waiting on the official letter :)

Best of luck!
 
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