Odds of getting a nomination and an appointment to West Point?

usma23apache

usma23apache

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Jul 30, 2017
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Hello everyone,
I am entering my junior year of high school this fall and would like some input on what about my resume is good and what I need to work on.

Academics:
I've been in mostly honors classes the past two years, and this year I'm taking mostly APs with a few honors and regular classes
GPA: weighted 103.67 unweighted 97.48
SAT: 1380
I'm also in a science research course that lasts three years. By the end of senior year I will have participated in numerous competitions and have written a substantial research paper.
Medical laboratory internship this summer

Athletics:
I run year round XC and track. I can run a 4:50 mile and 16:45 5k
I'm captain of the XC team this year
Also unlike the stereotypical runner I'm somewhat build so push ups and pull-ups aren't a problem.

Extracurriculars:
I'm in the process of starting an organization this year that teams students with disabled veterans and has the student shovel the veteran's driveway.
Youth court which is a program where students conduct real trials for kids who have committed minor crimes to help them get back on track (I've been in with the group for 5 years now)
Mentor for 2 incoming freshman this year.

Thanks for your input in advance!
 
I know I am old because in my time 4.0 was the best you could do(or at least what i thought) but what is 103.67 or 97.48
 
Humey said:
I know I am old because in my time 4.0 was the best you could do(or at least what i thought) but what is 103.67 or 97.48
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I'm sure it's his/her actual grade average where grades range from 0-100. Some are weighted (AP course) so there are bonuses given. Some schools give A's (4.0) when a grade is 93-100. Others give A's (4.0) when grades are 90-100. So the academies and all colleges, in fact, need to convert a GPPA on a transcript to "their GPA". Grades like this will pose no problem, and OP would have a 4.0 or better GPA in any case.
 
Looks decent; retake SAT / ACT multiple times and get your scores up. You didn't show breakdown of Math vs Reading/Verbal; the SAs superscore so you can improve one even if the composite score does not change. Don't forget the written essay counts too.

Ultimately nominations come down to what congressional district you live in and how competitive other applicants are. Your resume could be tops in a rural district but miss the cut in an affluent area with top tier public schools; these districts can often be only 30 miles apart. Out of your control but this is the luck of the draw for nominations.
 
Not doubting, I believe the OP. BUT... when I hear of so many unweighted 4.0s and near 4.0s, it makes me wonder about the credibility, or more accurately I guess, the rigor of the school. Some kids are indeed brilliant, and this one probably is. I just got to thinking, 4 years, 24-28 teachers. Some good ones, some great ones, some bad ones, impossible egos, etc.

It is especially puzzling when students gpa is stellar and their SAT or ACT is poor. All just Thursday morning musings.

To the OP. You look good. You never know, but you look good.
 
The reported GPA by your school means little to the evaluation process. They look at your class rank; (which is determined by your actual GPA), classes available to you, classes you took and then the overall profile of your school and develop your academy GPA.

This is the way the academy attempts to normalize grades across different school.
 
When you complete your application on line, you will provide a contact person at your school that West Point will interact with. They will provide the information.
 
Id the Academy is nable to obtain a class rank, they will crunch some numbers and figure out a class rank for you.
 
Maplerock said:
...when I hear of so many unweighted 4.0s and near 4.0s, it makes me wonder about the credibility, or more accurately I guess, the rigor of the school....

It is especially puzzling when students gpa is stellar and their SAT or ACT is poor.
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Not directed at this student, but to @Maplerock's point, grade inflation is rampant. According to these recent articles:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...y-half-hs-seniors-graduate-average/485787001/
http://www.dailywire.com/news/18709/everyone-special-almost-50-high-school-students-hank-berrien#

Two researchers conducting a study found the percentage of high school seniors graduating with an A average has risen sharply in the last 20 years, even though SAT scores have been dropping.

According to the study conducted by Michael Hurwitz of the College Board and Jason Lee, a doctoral student at the University of Georgia’s Institute of Higher Education, almost half (47%) of high school seniors in 2016 had an A average, a percentage that had risen from 38.9% in 1998.

In that same time span, average SAT scores fell from 1,026 to 1,002 on a 1,600-point scale.
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Grade inflation is such a disservice to students, especially when standardized test scores don't corroborate. By that time, however, it's usually too late to remediate and whatever colleges these abused kids get into will often pose an academic struggle on top of the hit to their self-esteem.
 
VelveteenR said:
Grade inflation is such a disservice to students, especially when standardized test scores don't corroborate. By that time, however, it's usually too late to remediate and whatever colleges these abused kids get into will often pose an academic struggle on top of the hit to their self-esteem.
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An acute problem in University of California system. Many sad stories of students admitted to UC schools with inflated high school grades and are academically unprepared for college level work - flunk out or can't meet requirements to be admitted to their major.

Unfortunately, UC system weighs grades equally from all high schools - an "A" from a weak school that inflates grades is same as an "A" from a strong school - results in rejecting good students in favor of unprepared students to create the illusion that the public school system works for everyone.
 
Thanks for the input everyone. I will add that my school doesn't actually rank but we get percentages and currently I'm in the top 5% of the class. But yes, I agree with the previous posts; grade inflation is certainly an issue now a days especially in affluent school districts
 
My 2 cents: depends where you live. Those are solid stats most places...but if you live in NoVa...not so much.
 
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