Strong Application Besides a few faults. Help?

H

Hewweh

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Joined
Nov 2, 2016
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So I feel like I have a pretty strong application.
31 superscored ACT
33 English
28 Math
29 Reading
33 Science
3.8 GPA
National Honor Society - 2 years (max)
Eagle Scout
4 years of Marine Corps JROTC and also an officer within that program
Team Captain of Cross Country (as well as lettered of 2 sports)
Class rank of 6
Our ROTC program was an Honor School
5 nominations: Presidential, Honor Military School, and then the three congressmen

The faults: no foreign language
Only three years of science

So at our school we have had a very very unsteady Spanish class that is often cancelled working weeks of the semester starting
I told the academy and my liaison on included it in her write up of me
(I am also from a very small school by the way (79 kids in my graduating class))

And we only take 3 years of science at my high school (no science senior year)

So my question is, will these two faults be overlooked by the rest of my application, or will I most likely have to attend a prep school first?
I have already been accepted into Northwest Prep but am waiting to hopefully get the Falcon Scholarship.
I would hate to not get accepted my first year due to my small school.
Thank you for your help.
 
This is the Original Poster again.
I'm not sure if this makes a difference, but I live in Idaho. I don't know if coming from a smaller state helps or hurts my chances. Thank you.
 
You're fine. The academy looks at the whole candidate score and you have a very strong application in the other aspects. Very similar to my application but with only nominations from Simpson, Risch, and a senior AFROTC nom.
Hang in there!
 
The Academy knows what classes are available at your school and it will not reflect on you negatively if you could not take certain classes they would like and were not offered at you school. My DS could only go as far as Algebra 2 at his school because nothing else was offered after that unless he went to a junior college off campus to take a more advanced math class. The Academy can see what classes were offered at your school when you enter the school code on your application. They won't count it against you if the classes were not available to you.
 
Can you take a foreign language from a community or local college, online or otherwise? My DS didn't like his language choices and is now taking a critical need language through our local community college.
 
Thank you for your guy's help. I have just been worried that the classes would be brought to keep me out or from getting a scholarship. Thank you
 
Being from a small school does not necessarily hurt you. As stated before, your school provides a profile and as long as you took advantage of what was offered, you will not be penalized. What you do not know is who you are competing against this year. While your stats are pretty solid and at or above most of the published averages, you could have a national merit scholar who is also an all state athlete on your slate. Just keep the positive attitude and be patient. The waiting game is difficult.
 
My kids were from a super small school: only two in their class. :) (twins, homeschooled) If you took the most difficult coursework available to you, and followed your own GC's recommendations for college bound students, USAFA will examine the stats from your school and make some determinations.
 
Maybe there is a community college / continuing ed program etc where you can enroll in a night / summer class for language and/or science?
Anything that speaks to your motivation would likely help your cause; more science prep will certainly help on ACT.
 
There has been great advice above on what will be looked at and it appears you are a strong candidate.

If you get an appointment I think it is important you go in knowing that the academics will be much tougher than anything you have experienced to date. You can handle it, but understand the struggle going in and it will make your road smoother. There are plenty of post from parents whose DS/DD are struggling academically. Part of the reason is the competition and quality of students is extremely high at USAFA and most have not struggled academically in high school. The other consideration is students come from all walks of life and a wide range of size and quality of schools.

You will take a foreign language at USAFA. My DS took Spanish and French through AP in high school but at USAFA is minoring in Japanese. He wanted to learn something new. He had never taken Japanese prior to USAFA. There is a friend whose DS has struggled in Calculus 1 mainly because Calculus wasn't offered at his high school. The DS never struggled academically and it has taken a lot of work to survive the first year.
 
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