Lowest HS GPA

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KitKatOnMyDesk

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Current/Past cadets, if you were admitted with a low High School GPA, what was it?

I'm wondering if it can be made up for in other areas like SAT or letters of recommendations, etc.
 
Please understand that just about every single HS in America grades differently, whether their grading scales or how loose/tight they are with their grading itself. No value you receive from this inquiry would give you any meaningful guidance good or bad.
 
Speaking as someone who hasn't entered an SA but has read the instructional material for the applications, focusing on the minimums is not going to get you very far in this endeavor. The cadets that do get admitted are very competitive in terms of their leadership, academics, and athletics, so rather than worrying about a specific GPA, try to find ways to improve your academic standing regardless while participating in leadership and athletics to make a more complete profile.
 
Also I would think students with lower GPAs that got into a SA had something else particularly going for them.

But also any college/SA wants to know you will succeed... depends on how low a GPA are we talking about? 3.5? 2.6?
 
KitKatOnMyDesk said:
Current/Past cadets, if you were admitted with a low High School GPA, what was it?

I'm wondering if it can be made up for in other areas like SAT or letters of recommendations, etc.
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I know a guy who got into the USCGA Scholars program with a 2.1 GPA. (Around 85% of people in the scholars program make it into the Academy afterwards)

You can make up for it, but you need to REALLY make up for it. Overcompensate in everything that isn't GPA. My guy managed to get in because he had a 1450 on the SAT, 32 on the ACT, had 365 hours in community service, and got recruited to play football. The sports recruitment was probably one of the most important parts there. If you're a D1 athlete, you might have a chance if you study hard for your SAT and put in effort in your community.

Of course, don't underestimate essays and letters of recommendation. They can turn a good application into a great one, so make sure you're always doing your best to stay in touch with your teachers and coaches. Make sure to contact your admissions officer as well.

Service Academy acceptance rates betray the true difficulty of entrance. Ivy League schools have entrance rates in the single digits because most people who apply are sloppy geeks with 4.0 GPAs and 1600s on the SAT armed with sob stories about how their dad died a veteran of Stonewall or they had no friends in middle school. The Ivy gets to pick their lot from hundreds of those. Everyone who applies to a Service Academy wants to become an academic, athlete, and eventually an officer in their service. The weakest candidates you're probably going against are some AFJROTC kids who did JV track and XC for 4 years, had 1310s on the SAT and were a part of their High School's NHS programs. The strongest candidate you're going up against is a polymath soccer prodigy who's dad earned the Medal of Honor fighting in Kuwait, had a 5.4 weighted GPA throughout high school, a 36 ACT, held a Department of Defense internship from the age of 16, earned a gold Volunteer Service Award with 250 hours of community service as a Master Sergeant in their Civil Air Patrol unit, and went to the summer seminar.

Never look for what 'minimum' you can do. Work hard in everything and find out what you do to stand out and be special- it's not about what you think the school wants from you, it's about why you know you know you belong there.

Edit: A cursory glance says the lowest accepted cadet had a 2.7 GPA and 1170 SAT. Not sure about the credibility of my source, or whether or not they had jaw-dropping athletic performance and a maxed PFE score.
 
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justme said:
Please understand that just about every single HS in America grades differently, whether their grading scales or how loose/tight they are with their grading itself. No value you receive from this inquiry would give you any meaningful guidance good or bad.
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So true. My school and I believe the entire district now is on a rolling grade book. Multiple remediation and retests until they pass. Students can make up absences by spending an hour after school with a teacher. Kids leave at all times during the day walking past administrators who are powerless to do anything. The graduation rate must be protected at all cost while the higher-ups pretend we are still a top notch organization.

The high flying students however can still get theirs if they want it. Awesome facilities, dedicated teachers, and many course choices still exist. We continue to put out students ready to succeed in the world, having been accepted to the finest universities.
 
justme said:
Please understand that just about every single HS in America grades differently, whether their grading scales or how loose/tight they are with their grading itself. No value you receive from this inquiry would give you any meaningful guidance good or bad.
Click to expand...
I can confirm this as well. My oldest graduated from Ohio State, and during her high school visit to the campus, the admissions staff mentioned something interesting. They explained that while GPAs vary, they are very familiar with the grading standards of high schools across Ohio’s 55 counties. They know which schools have more lenient grading practices and which ones are more rigorous. For example, they recognized that a 3.9 GPA from one district might not reflect the same level of challenge as a 3.5 GPA from another. Admissions officers account for these differences when evaluating applications and making their decisions.
 
Good stuff already. I have said many times, that if my own boys looked at the resumes posted here on the forums, they may have been dissuaded from applying. Thinking they couldn’t compete. They both are now out in the fleet.

Thankfully, it’s a whole candidate look. Do your BEST. Show them you are a leader. Make them say no.

Remember: an application to a SA, also puts you into consideration for a prep/scholar offer. Which is a no brainer YES.

Good luck!!
 
justdoit19 said:
Good stuff already. I have said many times, that if my own boys looked at the resumes posted here on the forums, they may have been dissuaded from applying. Thinking they couldn’t compete. They both are now out in the fleet.

Thankfully, it’s a whole candidate look. Do your BEST. Show them you are a leader. Make them say no.

Remember: an application to a SA, also puts you into consideration for a prep/scholar offer. Which is a no brainer YES.

Good luck!!
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The future mother of my new grandkids is a USNA grad, her brother is there now, and her sister is a USMMA grad. My grandsons set the bar high in the smarts department but my new ones will surely give them a run for their money.
 
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