Low SATs, successful plebe (so far)
My son had SATs in the 1100 range though the rest of his app was good (4.0 @ compet h.s., ECs, varsity team capt, etc.) His testing problem also kept him out of h.s. calculus, but he was lucky enough to get NAPS.
He's a plebe now, validated Chem I, USNA dean's list 1st sem. He thinks he could have done OK academically as a direct admit, though he feels grateful to NAPS for its other benefits (military knowledge, exposure to prior enlisted). He's always had strong study habits and time mgt skills, which count for a lot @ SAs.
Based strictly on anecdotal experience w/ son and two other kids I've met, I believe there is a category of learners who fall outside the predictive skills of standardized tests. Thank goodness for the safety net of programs like NAPS and colleges that don't emphasize test scores, or kids in this category might miss opportunities where they could excel.