Is this forum representative?

2Steaktacos

5-Year Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2011
Messages
78
Reading over some of the stats on this forum I am amazed and intimidated.:confused: Would you say this forum is represents a typical profile of those who are applying? Or would you say that if you are posting here you may be naturally part of the upper tier-given that it is still summer and you are already on this message baord. :rolleyes:
 
This is the best place in cyber space to figure out what you are up against, how to improve, and really evaluate where you stand. There are those with stellar EVERYTHING and get rejected. No one is a "shoe in" whether it is a SMC, SA admission or ROTC scholarship that you are competing for. The young people on here as well as their parents represent a pretty good cross section of who is out there.
 
There's really no way to tell; there's too many facets to consider. My advice is not to worry about it. Comparing yourself to other people will only make you depressed and sad, or stressed and nervous. Just do everything you can.
 
Good advice above - dwelling on comparing yourself against someone who is not competing directly against you is a waste of time and energy and very well could lead to depression or other forms of anxiety. The best use of your time, energy, and resources is to focus upon making yourself the best qualified candidate you can become! Plain and simple! There are too many variables involved in this process to do otherwise. Were you to ask, I strongly suspect that every BGO active in this forum will tell you that they have seen exceptionally qualified candidates go down while other presumably lesser candidates get the nod. One problem you will encounter is that you will not know all of the candidates who are competing on your slate well enough to take shortcuts with any degree of certainty that you have not undone yourself. That is why I keep coming back to the mantra that your job one is to be the best you can be! Best wishes.
 
Candidates and their parents who happen to find this forum should use it as a resource and only 1 data point. The same basic questions get asked every year, so a better use of one's time would be to search back over older threads and see what was discussed the last time a particular topic came up, rather then starting new threads on the same topics each year. In a relatively short period of time, you can see the various opinions that have been previously provided. It appears that some people stumble upon this forum and make no effort to research prior posts.

Some participants offer better advice then others, that is reality on any internet forum. You have to decide who knows what they are talking about and who merely likes to sound like they do. Much like that recent TV commercial, just because someone posts something on the internet doesn't guarantee it is true. Some probably embellish their accomplisments, but we really have no way to prove/disprove that.

All of the variations on the 'what are my chances' threads are a waste of time since there are elements of the application no one here can evaluate. We won't ever get to interview you so we can't possibly determine how your MOC interviews will go or even what critique your teachers may have provided. I am sure everyone thinks they are the perfect student, but teachers who have had years of experience may see it differently. Some candidates might have amazing stats on paper, but get terrible teacher evaluations and/or might do poorly in their MOC interview. We simply have no way to judge that.

Dwelling on satistics, percentages and probabilites won't increase your chances of getting an appointment. However, studying for your next exam or working to improve your sports performance will.
 
There's really no way to tell; there's too many facets to consider. My advice is not to worry about it. Comparing yourself to other people will only make you depressed and sad, or stressed and nervous. Just do everything you can.

I agree.. in that don't let a comparison stop you from taking your best shot and going for it, nor let it stress you. It may not be the best thing though not to look around at the stats .. It is competitive and I dont think anyone can do this and not take note of what is out there for competition. I would be afraid because some kids do need that "reality check". DS really needed one when it came to discussing applying to SA's.. he wasn't nearly competitive enough, barely qualified with SAT scores and PT scores. Coming from small town USA where you are ranked in the top 5 in a class of 50 you may not realize what is a realistic goal, and I was glad he didn't put all his hopes and energy into going to a SA. DS did take a hard look at the competition for Annapolis, because it caused a very bright kid to make plan B his plan A and he is now in NROTC at a SMC and doing very well. After looking at an SMC because he realized the SA appointment wasn't likely, he totally bought into the smaller classes, additional options SMC's offer, yet with the same outcome hopefully.. a great degree in a disciplined environment.. to be a Navy officer. Not every kid will make it into WP, Annapolis or AFA and it doesn't mean they aren't as qualified to lead in the end. Considering all that is required to gain an appointment.. I think it is foolish at least not to see where you are comparatively. Again as previous posters stated. Do your best and take your shot because there are many variables besides stats, but if the stats say you are a long shot.. don't stress over it.. work on what you can to improve yourself and make a plan B in case plan A doesn't work. JMO
 
The only thing I will add is don't underestimate the "luck" factor.

As other posters replied, give 100% and see what happens. No clue on the final outcome until your give your 100%.

Giving 100% will also benefit you in other ways.
 
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