Lots of Questions Relating to Preliminary/Summer Seminar Applications

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May 9, 2022
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I'm currently a Sophomore about to move up to my Junior year. As of right now, my unweighted GPA is a mere 3.6, and this is because I signed up for AP U.S. History when I'm actually a math person. Despite my hardest, it's tanking my GPA needless to say. Next year, I'll be taking a schedule that is math heavy: including AP Calc. AB, and Physics Honors alongside my normal classes, which will in turn boost my GPA. I want to apply to the Summer Seminar, but I'm concerned that my Summer Seminar Application won't be as strong as my Preliminary Application that I would fill out towards the end of the year if I don't apply to the Summer Seminar, and since the Summer Seminar application is also used as the Prelim., will this heavily reduce my chances of moving on to the next stage after the Prelim. Application?
Next: The Naval Academy says that if you meet the minimum academic standards, you'll be notified that you're an official candidate. What are the minimum academic standards?
How many people move on to the next stage after filling out the prelim. application?

Lastly: Given my GPA, should I fill out a Summer Seminar application or wait until the end of the year and fill out the Prelim. Application when my GPA is a bit higher because of Semester 2.
 
The question is whether you want to attend NASS. If you do, complete the application. If the only purpose in completing the NASS application is to create a preliminary application (and not to attend NASS), then wait. However, the timing for NASS and the prelim application is going to be pretty similar for a rising senior.

A few things to consider. NASS is not necessarily merit-based. You can pull up all sorts of threads on NASS that will discuss how it is used as a recruiting tool. The very "best" are not always the ones attending NASS. Moreover, some who are accepted to NASS won't be accepted to USNA and some who are accepted to USNA were turned down for NASS.

USNA does not publish academic "minimums." A 3.6 with AP courses combined with decent standardized test scores will almost certainly qualify you to become an official candidate. You won't become an official candidate until you're a rising senior.

There is no maximum number of official candidates. Everyone who meets the minimum standards (which are not published) will become an official candidate.
 
^ All good info above. Also, the last couple years, anyone completing the Preliminary Application (and I presume the NASS application since that rolls into the Preliminary Application) was considered an Official Candidates , there was no screen. That was started when they launched the new Admissions platform a couple years ago, and I don't know if that is going to permanent change.

Don't overthink the Admissions process -- if you want to attend NASS, apply when the application opens right after the New Year; if not, submit the Preliminary Application. Get your best application submitted in timely manner. Don't delay thinking that your grades may be better sometime in the future.
 
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