SAT scores and Military Colleges/Universities

P

perestroika

New Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2017
Messages
8
Obligatory: Brand new member to the forum and I read through all the rules. Hoping this is the right sub for the following post and sorry if I break a rule unknowingly.

So I have a question- How much weight do SAT scores have on the applications? I'm currently a junior in High School. I'm homeschooled and I've been getting what would be a 4.0 GPA if I went to a regular school. I've been getting a solid 4.0 GPA ever since 8th grade. Recently became an Eagle Scout (Former SPL aswell) and I do a ton of community service both through the Scouts as well as another youth group I belong to.

I'm just worried that when I do take my SATs, and the time comes to send out college apps, that if I don't do well enough...my application won't be really "good" or "really considered". How true could this be? Or is this just overthinking on my part? I know I can do the work, I show it through my grades as well as through my persistence on keeping up and accomplishing other things (ie- Eagle Scout and volunteering).

Not sure if this helps at all, but, I'm currently looking at The Citadel and Norwich University for when the time comes.

Thanks in advance to all of you and your help. Again, sorry if this is the wrong sub for this post. I'm brand new and a little confused on where to post this.
 
It may be that you do well and worried for nothing.
Take the test, see what you get.
 
AJC said:
It may be that you do well and worried for nothing.
Take the test, see what you get.
Click to expand...

True, and I'm going to do my best regardless. I'm just wondering....if I dont do well, how much weight does the SAT score(s) actually hold on the apps and how bad will it hurt my chances?
 
SAT is one way they compare applicants.
The schools will not see the scores unless you send them.
Take the test more than once.
Start now.
 
perestroika said:
True, and I'm going to do my best regardless. I'm just wondering....if I dont do well, how much weight does the SAT score(s) actually hold on the apps and how bad will it hurt my chances?
Click to expand...
AJC is right: just take it and take the next sitting so that you have opportunities to retake the test. Also take the ACT. People do better on one or the other and all schools accept both. Also look at your schools and see if they require an SAT Subject test and the ACT Written portion.
But in answer to your question: the tests matter. Schools look at the whole picture but the tests are a big part.
Buy the ACT and SAT study guides and do some practice tests too.
 
Completely agree with AJC and Unknown 1961. Take both tests (SAT and ACT) if you can - the difference in the scores can be significant. You can find out what the various schools look for relatively easily. If you enter something along the lines of "freshman profile for NAME OF SCHOOL" in most search engines you can get a pretty good idea of the general scores and such for each school (I really liked the college data.org site for this). Most schools are pretty familiar with home schooling and the attendant issues with home schooling - you won't be their first rodeo in that arena in other words. Try to visit different schools - they have their similarities and their differences. A&M has a specific spend the night program for Eagle Scouts which you can find out more about if you enter something along the lines of Aggie Eagle Program Texas A&M Corps of Cadets into your search engine of choice. The cost of a school is an issue - so have pretty explicit conversations with your family about what is, and what is not, possible. If you are interested in an ROTC scholarship - get started on researching those programs as well. There are few really silly questions - but that said, do your due diligence and show in your question that you've done some research on the issue and aren't just taking the lazy route. So, take some tests, go to a bookstore if you are lucky enough to live where there are still bookstores and/or order a book or practice manual and get familiar with the tests - see what you are scoring. Then take a test or two for "real" - nothing takes the place of live fire training as it were. AJC and Unknown are 100% on the mark, there is such a wide range of schools and grades that the standardized tests - for good or ill - provide competitive schools with a way to compare students. In other words, being number one in a class of one is a horse of entirely different hue than being in the top 10% of a very competitive high school with 4,000 students in it. That isn't a knock on homeschooling or being from a small rural high school, it just takes into account the issues facing a school like Texas A&M with an entering freshman class of 12,000+ or Virginia Tech with the tens of thousands of applications that it receives - or that the federal service academies receive. You are showing great maturity and responsibility by getting started now. The Citadel and Norwich are great schools, you couldn't go wrong either place. That said, there are many paths to the top the mountain so explore as many different paths as you can before you choose one. Best of luck and let us know how it turns out.
 
Hi there, I am also a "homeschooled" student like you, (I definitely don't go to a regular private/public school) except I am a senior

I was accepted to Norwich '2021 on an academic merit scholarship, my SAT was 1310 (rather low if you ask me despite the fact I took it 5 times) math 610, reading 700..... My admissions counselor told me that my SAT was definitely /not/ the ultimate deciding factor because they also liked my High school curriculum, sports, and community service involvement.

My advice to you is do what prep you can and then take the SAT this year, your junior year, see how you do and how your scores compare then take it again. My scores improved drastically from my first SAT to my second after I took a SAT prep class my parents paid for. Practice as much as you can and take it as many times as is feasible until you get a score that is competitive.

FWIW when I applied to Norwich, I went to great lengths in my essay to how my alternative education prepared me for college, how I overcame the adversity I faced, and that my unique life experience would add to the diversity of the Corps. So be sure to sell yourself :-)
 
Perestroika, have you spent any time looking up the schools and programs to which you wish to apply? My favorite site is College Apps http://collegeapps.about.com/ You just type in the name of the school and the SAT, GPA, stuff just pops up. I suggest making a list of schools--make it a big list, you are just getting started...(maybe an Excel spreadsheet)...with college name, GPA norm, SAT range or average. Then you will know where you stnad when you take the SATs or ACTs. Plan to take the tests in May or June of your junior year--for a base line--and then again in Sept/Oct of your senior year. You can do the free online SAT Prep to improve any weak areas. There are many home schooled kids who get into the service academies and into the senior military colleges so you are not at a disadvantage at all. Good luck.
 
Be sure to take the PSAT in October of your junior year. That's the one used for National Merit Scholarships. Important. $$$$ for plans B - Z.
 
perestroika said:
Obligatory: Brand new member to the forum and I read through all the rules. Hoping this is the right sub for the following post and sorry if I break a rule unknowingly.

So I have a question- How much weight do SAT scores have on the applications? I'm currently a junior in High School. I'm homeschooled and I've been getting what would be a 4.0 GPA if I went to a regular school. I've been getting a solid 4.0 GPA ever since 8th grade. Recently became an Eagle Scout (Former SPL aswell) and I do a ton of community service both through the Scouts as well as another youth group I belong to.

I'm just worried that when I do take my SATs, and the time comes to send out college apps, that if I don't do well enough...my application won't be really "good" or "really considered". How true could this be? Or is this just overthinking on my part? I know I can do the work, I show it through my grades as well as through my persistence on keeping up and accomplishing other things (ie- Eagle Scout and volunteering).

Not sure if this helps at all, but, I'm currently looking at The Citadel and Norwich University for when the time comes.

Thanks in advance to all of you and your help. Again, sorry if this is the wrong sub for this post. I'm brand new and a little confused on where to post this.
Click to expand...

Only thing I can add for you is most colleges will use the highest SAT or ACT score you achieve - regarless of how many times you take the test, so it does not hurt to take the test a second or third time and get lower scores. However, few do worse the second time they take the standard tests. Also, some colleges do take the best math and best verbal scores from different tests. The Citadel I know does not do this - perferring to use the best standard score on the same test. A 4.0 GPA is impressive - but more impressive are the nature of the courses taken and level - AP and Honors courses are given more weight than standard courses. Make sure you check out the colleges as to what they expect you to have taken in high school. For example, if you want to take up engineering - be sure to have taken calc.
 
Take SAT and ACT now and until you can no longer take them. Nephew raised his math from 480 to 600 from Jr. to now. Made a difference in a nomination. USNA will accept them after the application closes as long as you took it prior to Jan 31.

Do athletics, start running, pull ups, etc.
 
DrMom said:
Perestroika, have you spent any time looking up the schools and programs to which you wish to apply? My favorite site is College Apps http://collegeapps.about.com/ You just type in the name of the school and the SAT, GPA, stuff just pops up. I suggest making a list of schools--make it a big list, you are just getting started...(maybe an Excel spreadsheet)...with college name, GPA norm, SAT range or average. Then you will know where you stnad when you take the SATs or ACTs. Plan to take the tests in May or June of your junior year--for a base line--and then again in Sept/Oct of your senior year. You can do the free online SAT Prep to improve any weak areas. There are many home schooled kids who get into the service academies and into the senior military colleges so you are not at a disadvantage at all. Good luck.
Click to expand...

I have actually, thanks for the tip. Sorry for my late reply, but during such time, I took your advice and have started what you mentioned above. Thanks for the tip and the help!
 
No trouble P. When we started down this path. I had #3 make a spreadsheet of his schools including the average GPA and SAT/ACT range. Also, it included the admissions deadline and items like letters of recommendation, transcript and other requirements--so that he was starting off knowing the requirements and ready to track meeting them. Good luck to you! With the SMCs, you will see that you do not have to be an 800/800 to get in. Not Harvard or Stanford, these are schools that attract kids who feel called to serve--and good leaders come from across the test taking spectrum.

Just scrolled back to the top...apparently, I am a big believer in the Process Management Spreadsheet.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top