Reapplicant- College Classes

S

stacella

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Jan 10, 2019
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Good evening,
My DS is going to reapply after not getting in this year. He made a BS/JD program and doesn’t need anymore math or science classes. I know they say to take specific classes when reapplying but he was wondering if he doesn’t would that be counted against him. He is going to speak with his college advisor as well and see if there are any classes similar that he could take. On a side note, as I was writing this my DS said he just heard from his “plebe “ friends, he told me today they got their phones back. So happy for everyone who is there !! Can’t believe he’s going to go through this all over again Thank you in advance for any advice / help you can give
 
This question comes comes up frequently this time of year, albeit with many different twists to it as no tow are exactly the same.
Having said that, and if you have not already, I direct you attention to the sticky above on this page that addressees many if not most of the questions you're asking regarding classes a re-applicant should take.

The college adviser is a nice asset but they aren't going to help determine this path . It's pretty prescriptive and made very clear. You choose a different path and make assumptions at your own risk .

Sidebar: Five years ago, about a half dozen ACCEPTED candidates were turned away at the last minute because of sport related late season injuries. All of them had to through a re-application process and college courses. USNA had to approve and dictated every class each of these were were to take and in the cases where they may have maxed out on a STEM course or English, they were required to take the next class up in college. No passes, no exceptions.
This is a cautionary tale. Don't take anything granite or make assumptions. Do what they ask you to do. If accepted applicants had to go through this, why would they give someone else a pass.
 
Don’t know exactly what you mean by “doesn’t need anymore math or science classes,” but he should know that his meanest competition in the reapplicant pool is taking a plebe-like schedule that includes math and science. They want to show USNA that they’re capable of excelling with that kind of workload.

I don’t think USNA believes there’s such a thing as “too much science and math” because each mid is required to take three classes of Calculus, two of Chemistry, two of Physics — and that’s just in the first two years.
 
https://www.usna.edu/Admissions/Apply/Previous-Candidates-and-College-Candidates.php

Yes, it is “suggested,” but one to be ignored at a re-applicant’s own peril.

If this DS had gotten in this year, he would be taking whatever math and science courses he tested into during the validation assessments. So, same theory applies for “most plebe-like,” take the appropriate level of math and science at the civilian college. Why let the brain lose sharpness with a year off from problem sets and lab periods? The competition won’t be doing that.

And - +1 to @MidCakePa -
there can never be too much math and science for USNA.

Maximize every opportunity to enrich the re-application.
 
+1 to all above

the direction from admissions is very clear and one ignores it at one's peril.

Calc, Chem, English (writing), History and get great grades.

If you have validated Calc 1, then take Calc 2. If you validated that, take Calc 3, etc etc.

I personally know of a superstar candidate that got waitlisted, but didn't get an appointment. He reapplied the next year, and got a 3.9 GPA from a major university, but he didn't take the right classes and didn't get an appointment. Others in his ROTC class from the same school did get appointed, and they took calc and chem.

best of luck!
 
My son was in the same boat, wait-listed out of high school (despite killer grades and near perfect SAT), took the NROTC scholly and mirrored the plebe course load just like suggested above with a 4.0 fall semester. Got in the second time. For a candidate to do any less is not going to prepare them for success AT the Academy.
 
My son is a member of the 2023 class. He was also a re-applicant. He attended a university with a AFROTC scholarship and took the freshman mechanical engineering courses (math,chem,English,etc) excelled physically, became a member of the Arnold Air Society, volunteered in the local community and finished his freshman year with a 3.2 gpa. Hope this helps.
 
I echo what others have said. If being a successful USNA reapplicant is your goal, you need to take most, if not all, of the plebe courses. The best way to demonstrate you can succeed at USNA academically is to get As in plebe courses at civilian college. If they aren't available (some freshmen have trouble getting into chem because of all the pre-med types, etc. who have to take it), some substitution (such as physics) would be ok. If you validate/place out of a course, take the next level of course (Calc II if validate Calc I). One fails to do the above at his/her peril.
 
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