Is this advice for 'chances' on track?

stella

5-Year Member
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Dec 2, 2012
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Our daughter is receiving some early advice on what to do to improve her chances for an academy. Curious as to whether that advice is on track. Her stats as an 11th grader...

- 3.86UW GPA - 4.3W
- All Honors Courses
- Student at math/science gifted school in our state (cost free, highly selective); Enrolled in university level courses such as Immunology
-Qualified/Selected for Duke University Talent Development Program
-Qualified/Selected for UNC Chapel Hill Recruitment summer program
-Attended University Engineering Program (by invitation only)
-National Venture Scholar
-3 years varsity track (sprinter and field events)
- 1 year varsity bball, 2 years jv
-Intrammural Soccer Cpt. as junior (generally only seniors are selected)
-Percussion Section Lead (youngest—selected as Freshman); Drumline (by audition only…and only female)
- 100+ Hours Community Service (summer as camp counselor for Catholic camp for refugee children)
- Founder and student head of Chancellor Direct Sponsored Safety Assessment Program at school
-Teen Executive Bd. Member and Newsletter Editor of local chapter of a National Service Organization
- Lead Alter Server at Home Parish (trains other servers and serves at Masses when Bishop present, such as Ordinations, Confirmations, etc.)
- Lead Junior Usher at home parish
--Selected to attend several Leadership Programs (one at school, one statewide, one via national program…all cost free by nomination and acceptance only)
- Working 5+ hours per week

Standardized Tests:
PSAT in 11th Grade 62R, 65M, 61W
SAT in 10th Grade: 570reading 640math 590writing (scheduled to take again this year, in 11th grade)
(Note: Had to take SAT earlier to qualify for the gifted school program)


ADVICE RECEIVED SO FAR…
-Continue with sports and try and be team Cpt. for one or the varsity sports
-Bring up SAT Reading Score and Math, but priority on the reading score (thought is they should go up since these scores were early 10th grade with no test prep and 11th grade PSAT were good)
-Take the ACT soon too

Any other thoughts...for USNA or other academies?
S
 
but priority on the reading score
Not. For USNA, the math score is way, way, way more important than CR. For USMA, and ROTCs, it is way more important. This next comment is completely an ad hoc observation, but based on hundreds of posts about this: A Math score of 600 is approx equivalent in importance/weight to a 680-700 score in CR. The academies offer Bachelor of Science degrees only. There is no BA degree from an Academy. At the Academies, every student must take and pass Calculus, Chemistry and Physics. The algebra skill and reasoning ability measured by the Math section of the SAT is fairly well correlated to how well a person will do in Calculus, Chemistry and Physics in college... which is why Engineering schools at most colleges also put much more emphasis on the Math portion than the CR portion of the SAT.
 
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Not. For USNA, the math score is way, way, way more important than CR. For USMA, and ROTCs, it is way more important. This next comment is completely an ad hoc observation, but based on hundreds of posts about this: A Math score of 600 is approx equivalent in importance/weight to a 680-700 score in CR. The academies offer Bachelor of Science degrees only. There is no BA degree from an Academy. At the Academies, every student must take and pass Calculus, Chemistry and Physics. The algebra skill and reasoning ability measured by the Math section of the SAT is fairly well correlated to how well a person will do in Calculus, Chemistry and Physics in college... which is why Engineering schools at most colleges also put much more emphasis on the Math portion than the CR portion of the SAT.

I think what my daughter was told was that her current 10th grade SAT math score of 640 was fine and it would likely go up some when she takes the test again this year in 11th. However, the reading 10th grade score, which was below 600, was not okay and needed to come up a good bit.

Good point about the Math/Science focus. She will have had college Physics, Chem and lots of math by the end of this year as she is at a Math/Science school. But what I am getting is thta the 640 in math still needs a good bit of work, correct?
Thanks for any insight!
S
 
Math SAT score is more important than CR/Writing.
Tell her to familiarize herself with the CFA. Work on pull-ups (most girls struggle here) and the basketball throw (I went to NASS with a recruited football QB and even he didn't max the throw!!).
 
Check out the admissions websites for profiles/portraits on previous classes.
 
I think what my daughter was told was that her current 10th grade SAT math score of 640 was fine and it would likely go up some when she takes the test again this year in 11th. However, the reading 10th grade score, which was below 600, was not okay and needed to come up a good bit.

Good point about the Math/Science focus. She will have had college Physics, Chem and lots of math by the end of this year as she is at a Math/Science school. But what I am getting is thta the 640 in math still needs a good bit of work, correct?
Thanks for any insight!
S

I took the SAT twice, fall and spring of my junior year, with no prep courses at all. My first score was high enough most of my friends thought it odd I wanted to go for it again, but I did. I still went up 150 points (on the 2400 scale) (80 on the 1600 scale) without a whole lot of additional studying, so I would certainly say that with some work you can pull up those scores plenty.

Another consideration about the academy however, in the original post you mention that she is in an Immunology course. If your daughter is seriously interested in medicine, the Academy may not be the route she wants to take. There isn't a nursing program and I think about 5 a year tops can go to med school.
 
Advice from Naval Academy - Prior LOA Recipient

* Make sure she attends Girls State if possible
* Attend one of the service academy Summer Seminar's(Navy-Bias)
* Take SAT prep class regardless of pre test expectations, tips are excellant and just enhances a good test taker to be locked on for the exam(good investment)
* What's her class rank against her peers?
* AP Scholar, with honor,with distinction?
* Fitness plays a role,don't underestimate the fitness test

* Be on time with all application materials,update them and improve them as you go!

* As one person noted earlier,make sure this is something she wants to do,it's not Duke university. This is where the Summer Seminar will give them a taste,some are more motivated and some are clearly not interested after that experience.

Sincere Best Of Luck!:thumb:
 
Loads of Advice...Thank you all!

* ...As one person noted earlier,make sure this is something she wants to do,it's not Duke university. This is where the Summer Seminar will give them a taste,some are more motivated and some are clearly not interested after that experience.

Sincere Best Of Luck!:thumb:

All of you are giving great additional advice and it is appreciated. She is very much hoping to attend the Summer Seminar. She wants a taste of things. As you mention, this is not Duke or Carolina, etc. This is a whole different ball game. She also is working hard at understanding what it will mean for her AFTER the academy in terms of being an officer. It is very hard, coming from outside of the military, to understand the full package!

As for class rank...they do not rank. She will indeed repeat the SAT.
While she loves sports, her sports are bball and track. The person advicing her said to run cross country in the fall if only to get training on how to run distances...and cross country will start with training in the summer.
Never even heard of Girl's State until this board! Govenor's School is the big thing in this state. Her advisor said she was set with leadership stuff she has done...except to lead her sports team. Hmmm...
She will have to drive this ship, I am just passing along information she can choose to follow up on or let go of. Motivation will determine which one she chooses! Same with other college stuff...we help, but she has to make this call (especially, I think, with applying to an academy). On my end, I LOVE learning all of this, just for general knowledge. Fascinating process!

You all who have BTDT or have children who are or did go through the process should be very, very proud.
S
 
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