Scores on the SAT and ACT
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PackersRule4
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I'm more familiar with ACT. You want to be as competitive as possible and if you aren't a recruited athlete then test scores become more important. I'd shoot for above average. The Naval Academy only looks at your ACT English and Math scores so 30+ combined is advisable. The higher the better. While test scores are just a small data point in the dozens they evaluate, it's still important to do as well as you can.
Here is the the Academy's class profile for the class of 2020, which includes the middle 50% for both the SAT and ACT.
https://www.usna.edu/Admissions/_files/documents/ClassPortrait.pdf
Obviously try to score as high as possible but the closer you can get to be near the upper 50% or higher, the better your chances become. Bust just remember that the Academy doesn't just look at test scores but rather the whole individual.
Thank you, that link is very useful to look at.
Academics make up 60% of the WCS. Test scores are a major component of that. Test scores are not a small data point among others.
usna1985
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There are two separate but related issues -- scores you need for USNA and scores you need to obtain a nom where you live. In some hyper-competitive areas, you may need higher scores to be competitive for a nomination than you do to be admitted to USNA.
I'm more familiar with the SAT. To be very competitive for USNA, your math should be 700+ and verbal 650+.
Of course, many students are admitted with lower scores and board scores are only one component of your application. So, you could have 800/800 and not be admitted or, as noted, have good/not great scores but be terrific in many other areas and receive an appointment.
Where I live, 650/700 (or ACT equivalent) is essentially the floor for noms. In other places, it could be the ceiling.
I'm more familiar with the SAT. To be very competitive for USNA, your math should be 700+ and verbal 650+.
Of course, many students are admitted with lower scores and board scores are only one component of your application. So, you could have 800/800 and not be admitted or, as noted, have good/not great scores but be terrific in many other areas and receive an appointment.
Where I live, 650/700 (or ACT equivalent) is essentially the floor for noms. In other places, it could be the ceiling.
PackersRule4
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I realize academics are a large a potion of the WCS. But at NASS I was told that standardized test scores aren't as important as other academic qualifications. While they can disqualify you, they don't guarantee you getting in. People will be turned down with 35s and others, like one of the detailers at NASS will have a 26 and not be a recruited athlete and still get in.
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SAT/ACT scores are only one part of what USNA looks at. No one on here works in admissions, so we don't know the exact formula used to calculate the WCS. That 60% figures relates to an older study about WP and USNA doesn't necessarily use the same formula and there is no way to be sure it hasn't changed over that period of time. When taking any standardized test, I would strive to do as well as possible. You really don't know how many questions you might get wrong, so I am not sure there is any point in 'guessing' how well you will do until you actually take the test. The scholastic Q includes a lot more then just your ACT/SAT scores. Plenty of older threads on that topic.
usna1985
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The SAs, to a greater extent than most colleges/universities, have huge demographic range. Among other things, board scores help USNA "compare" a candidate from a 100-person school in northern Maine to someone from a 4000-student inner city school in Los Angeles to a candidate from a private Catholic school in San Antonio, Texas.
However, as you can well imagine, there are many, many other elements of each person's application. So, the SAT/ACT provides a data point. How much it counts is, as Time2 stated, not something anyone here knows.
You should also consult with your BGO. Experienced BGOs have a pretty good idea of the scores that GENERALLY are needed to be successful in that geographic region. That knowledge can help you decide whether to retake or not. (As an aside, some will say retake until you achieve perfection. As a practical matter, if you stand at 750/750, you have to question whether it's really worth the time and money for the potential incremental improvement).
However, as you can well imagine, there are many, many other elements of each person's application. So, the SAT/ACT provides a data point. How much it counts is, as Time2 stated, not something anyone here knows.
You should also consult with your BGO. Experienced BGOs have a pretty good idea of the scores that GENERALLY are needed to be successful in that geographic region. That knowledge can help you decide whether to retake or not. (As an aside, some will say retake until you achieve perfection. As a practical matter, if you stand at 750/750, you have to question whether it's really worth the time and money for the potential incremental improvement).