whatyetmaybe
New Member
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2018
- Messages
- 9
It has been some time since I last perused this forum, but the hiatus is indicative of my outcome. I fell short after three attempts. During my endeavors to gain admission, this forum was an escape that provided hope. I remember often falling down a rabbit hole of threads to see the stats of someone in a similar boat. I found comfort in seeing the stats of others. I figured that I could get in myself if I saw someone with lower stats. What I failed to realize is that every single candidate is unique. There are no two candidates alike, thus no amount of searching will find the perfect stats to get you in. You control your own stats and working hard to get them up will surely get you closer to admission. That being said, my greatest pet peeve while perusing was finding an old account and not seeing how the journey ended. I do not wish to be a hypocrite. My path began in high school and continued two years after for a combination of 3 attempts. I never received a congressional nomination, but received an NROTC nomination twice. I improved my testing scores each year to have a cumulative 28 ACT, with a 32 English and 28 Math. My final SAT was a 1380. My high school gpa was a 3.38 out of 4, placing me in the top 20% of my grade. In college, I had a cumulative 3.4 gpa on my second application. Aside from academics, I was on sports teams, Eagle Scout, class president, and NROTC. The greatest hindrance I faced was my geographical location- very competitive state and I live in a district where two folks had perfect SAT scores my first go-around. Lots of competition. My second problem was math. I have always excelled in every subject except math- always a consistent C+. I traveled down to USNA and met with Dean Latta after writing to him. He told me directly that my performance in calculus the subsequent year would very likely determine whether I gained admission or not. I ultimately got a C and a TWE last year.
Looking back, I was someone who calculated their entire life to achieve a singular goal- attend USNA. Come my third attempt, I was beginning to ponder unthinkable thoughts. Had I gotten accepted on that third attempt, I likely would not have attended. I will never know for sure because I didn't have the decision to make, but I found something more wholesome than ever before in my life. My peers in ROTC are family. I have met some of my best friends in our unit and the thought of leaving them became incomprehensible. I would give the world for them and anyone who serves will understand this.
I believe everything happens for a reason and perhaps attending USNA wasn't for me. One year after receiving my final TWE, I stand a year away from commissioning, have some of the best friends in the world, and was sworn in as the student body president of my university. I can confidently say that my experience with applying to USNA brought about all of these events. I came to my university with the intentions of staying here temporarily, but found it to be more of a home than anything. I will always carry a small amount of regret for not trying hard enough to attend USNA, but it dwindles each year as I see the blessings this journey has brought. While my chapter has closed, yours may have just begun. Don't be afraid to do something different, whether that's writing to the Dean of Admissions for a meeting, interning for your congressman (or, better yet, their highest donors), or applying again from college. You control your own destiny and if you believe USNA fits in it, do whatever it takes to see it through. Don't give up the ship.
Looking back, I was someone who calculated their entire life to achieve a singular goal- attend USNA. Come my third attempt, I was beginning to ponder unthinkable thoughts. Had I gotten accepted on that third attempt, I likely would not have attended. I will never know for sure because I didn't have the decision to make, but I found something more wholesome than ever before in my life. My peers in ROTC are family. I have met some of my best friends in our unit and the thought of leaving them became incomprehensible. I would give the world for them and anyone who serves will understand this.
I believe everything happens for a reason and perhaps attending USNA wasn't for me. One year after receiving my final TWE, I stand a year away from commissioning, have some of the best friends in the world, and was sworn in as the student body president of my university. I can confidently say that my experience with applying to USNA brought about all of these events. I came to my university with the intentions of staying here temporarily, but found it to be more of a home than anything. I will always carry a small amount of regret for not trying hard enough to attend USNA, but it dwindles each year as I see the blessings this journey has brought. While my chapter has closed, yours may have just begun. Don't be afraid to do something different, whether that's writing to the Dean of Admissions for a meeting, interning for your congressman (or, better yet, their highest donors), or applying again from college. You control your own destiny and if you believe USNA fits in it, do whatever it takes to see it through. Don't give up the ship.
