Thoughts on USNA SAT Scores

an654 said:
Mind you, I am a total novice (this is my first post), so this may be a dumb question. Is there any sort of sliding scale involved with the test scores and GPA for USNA? My son has a weighted 4.30 and an unweighted 3.99. Is there an allowance at all for a lower standardized test score with that GPA., or will he still need to hit the same benchmarks as everyone else? Same the other way...do the super-high test scores allow for lower GPA.'s? Hope my question makes sense.
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In addition to what @NavyHoops just posted...Think Whole Candidate Score in three primary areas: 1. Scholastic Ability (school rank, Candidates class rank, grades, SAT, ACT, courses taken [AP, Honors, etc.]. 2. Physical fitness (CFA performance). 3. ECAs: Team Sports, Leadership, positions, much more. A good guide to get a sense of typical Appointees is the Class Profile posted on USNA Admissions. Demographics, location, and other factors come into play. Focus on what DS can control.

Many, many highly qualified candidates do not get appointed. To be Appointed a candidate must receive a Nomination. There are only so many slots. DS MUST have a plan B, C and D... if they really want to serve as an officer in the Navy or USMC.

Your DS should read the USNA website (e.g., USNA Mission Statement, admissions, noms, academy life, sports, Honor Concept, service selection & communities, degrees offered, prospective students information and much more. The more he knows the better he can engage in interviews with Nomination committees and his BGO. Research the many topics discussed on this forum, including CFA prep., interviews, essays, HS course selection, etc. Make a written plan with checklists for all SA's and Nomination sources he is eligible for. Let your DS take the lead on all this. USNA is Not College. Go Navy!
 
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Great advice above by @Don't Give Up the Ship and @NavyHoops .

For sure let DS take the lead. Be comfy here on the forums. I scoured them for a year or more prior to DS's application cycle. I wouldn't have known about the NROTC scholarship without it, which became DS's plan B. Tons of valuable info here. I did occasionally email a post to DS, but most of the time, the info I gleaned here helped me understand the process he was in, and provided tips, and resources I could share with him.

He drove the process, I drove the car while he either slept or prepped for interviews, lol.

Definitely N*ot College.
 
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If you do not have the time or means to take a prep course (or even if you do), I highly recommend for any person taking the SAT and/or ACT to get your hands on as many practice tests as you can. Lock yourself in a room, and start the stopwatch. Get used to the pressure of working against the clock.

I truly believe at this point it is more important to know how to take the actual test instead of learning a few more vocab words. And the only way to do that is to take timed practice tests. My kids' biggest problems with their first SAT exams was they simply ran out of time. They left a lot of unanswered questions that they didn't even get a chance to look at. Then they took timed practice exams and figured out when to skip a question and return, when to get it down to two answers and take your best guess, that sort of thing. And they got used to the pressure. You want to be able to get the opportunity of answering every question.
 
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I "second" the benefit of taking practice tests. When I first started my SA journey (in the Dark Ages), I had a 520 Math score. That wasn't going to cut it. There was no internet and tutors / courses were still in their infancy. I got Barrons's books, released old tests, etc. I treated studying for the math SAT as a school class, in that I did at least 45 minutes of practice at least 6 days a week. Did that for a couple of months. Moved up to a 590. Kept at it -- still just using books from the library, books that we bought and released SATs. Third time I scored a 700.

I also think courses can be very helpful. Just do your research on what you get for your money. [No recommendations here]. Figure out whether you / your child does best with in-person instruction, on-line video, self-paced work, etc. There isn't a "best" program, but the structure of certain programs will be more beneficial to certain students, based on how they learn best.
 
Don't Give Up the Ship said:
In addition to what @NavyHoops just posted...Think Whole Candidate Score in three primary areas: 1. Scholastic Ability (school rank, Candidates class rank, grades, SAT, ACT, courses taken [AP, Honors, etc.]. 2. Physical fitness (CFA performance). 3. ECAs: Team Sports, Leadership, positions, much more. A good guide to get a sense of typical Appointees is the Class Profile posted on USNA Admissions. Demographics, location, and other factors come into play. Focus on what DS can control.

Many, many highly qualified candidates do not get appointed. To be Appointed a candidate must receive a Nomination. There are only so many slots. DS MUST have a plan B, C and D... if they really want to serve as an officer in the Navy or USMC.

Your DS should read the USNA website (e.g., USNA Mission Statement, admissions, noms, academy life, sports, Honor Concept, service selection & communities, degrees offered, prospective students information and much more. The more he knows the better he can engage in interviews with Nomination committees and his BGO. Research the many topics discussed on this forum, including CFA prep., interviews, essays, HS course selection, etc. Make a written plan with checklists for all SA's and Nomination sources he is eligible for. Let your DS take the lead on all this. USNA is Not College. Go Navy!
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This is all so helpful. Thank you so much. He has done a pretty good job of checking as many boxes as possible--captain of the basketball team, leadership positions in three clubs, etc.--but the more he researches, the more questions he has. Lol. He asked me about the test scores and has tons of questions about the nomination process. As all of you know, it's a lot of moving parts. I'm most worried about the nomination process because it seems like it is the one thing he can least control. He'll give it his best shot, though, and will have Plans B, C, and D in place as well. Thank you so much again. These replies have been great.
 
an654 said:
This is all so helpful. Thank you so much. He has done a pretty good job of checking as many boxes as possible--captain of the basketball team, leadership positions in three clubs, etc.--but the more he researches, the more questions he has. Lol. He asked me about the test scores and has tons of questions about the nomination process. As all of you know, it's a lot of moving parts. I'm most worried about the nomination process because it seems like it is the one thing he can least control. He'll give it his best shot, though, and will have Plans B, C, and D in place as well. Thank you so much again. These replies have been great.
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Remember each member of congress may have a different procedure, questions, personal statement prompts, etc. As long as he is applying for all nomination sources to which he is eligible, that is pretty much all anyone can do, beyond improving their application quality.

What he can control is how well he executes each of those and the interview. I personally think that the mock interview DS did with a parent group was key. He should reach out when it is time and see if SA parent groups near you have them or might offer them (DS signed up with the West Point parent club for these mock interviews when he attended a SA forum held by a local congresswoman, they emailed him during his app cycle and offered the mock interview).

He should be able to articulate why he wants to serve in the Armed Services as an officer. He should be able to discuss the career paths of any SA he is applying to. He should be able to discuss his Plan B, C, and D-Zulu and have a clear indication that they also would lead to serving as an Officer.

A clear, organized process helps tremendously. DS had a 4-foot whiteboard and a multi-subject binder. He wrote all passwords, the date of any email sent, the date test scores were requested to be sent, dates for interviews, notes for follow-up, the date he requested transcripts be sent, etc. Then he would note a check mark when he confirmed receipt.
 
Heatherg21 said:
Remember each member of congress may have a different procedure, questions, personal statement prompts, etc. As long as he is applying for all nomination sources to which he is eligible, that is pretty much all anyone can do, beyond improving their application quality.

What he can control is how well he executes each of those and the interview. I personally think that the mock interview DS did with a parent group was key. He should reach out when it is time and see if SA parent groups near you have them or might offer them (DS signed up with the West Point parent club for these mock interviews when he attended a SA forum held by a local congresswoman, they emailed him during his app cycle and offered the mock interview).

He should be able to articulate why he wants to serve in the Armed Services as an officer. He should be able to discuss the career paths of any SA he is applying to. He should be able to discuss his Plan B, C, and D-Zulu and have a clear indication that they also would lead to serving as an Officer.

A clear, organized process helps tremendously. DS had a 4-foot whiteboard and a multi-subject binder. He wrote all passwords, the date of any email sent, the date test scores were requested to be sent, dates for interviews, notes for follow-up, the date he requested transcripts be sent, etc. Then he would note a check mark when he confirmed receipt.
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I had not heard of the mock interviews. Our MOC does not conduct a SA day, so there was no chance of connecting with a parent group that way. I'll make DS aware of this and see if he can find anything around here. Thank you so much.
 
an654 said:
I had not heard of the mock interviews. Our MOC does not conduct a SA day, so there was no chance of connecting with a parent group that way. I'll make DS aware of this and see if he can find anything around here. Thank you so much.
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I have no idea if other clubs do this, but it would be worth it for him to inquire about your state parent clubs. They can be a tremendous resource for parents if your kiddo does attend an SA.

Possibly, your DS could enlist some of his teachers, a coach, and possibly a retired or active duty member to host a mock interview. Shows initiative on his part and a desire to improve.
 
DD did not have any opportunity to mock interview except with me . She did her nomination panel interview online because of Covid and one of the best pieces of advice which we found on this forum was to practice via zoom . I was in a different room asking questions that we had found here and filmed her . She was shocked when she saw how she was slumping , uhming during questions and not making eye contact. We did several run throughs. I strongly recommend he practices with someone filming him prior to his nomination interview. DD went into her nomination panel interview well prepared and confident.
 
an654 said:
I had not heard of the mock interviews. Our MOC does not conduct a SA day, so there was no chance of connecting with a parent group that way. I'll make DS aware of this and see if he can find anything around here. Thank you so much.
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The USNA Alumni Association (an independent non-profit organization) supports the independent Naval Academy Parents Clubs. Note the Alumni Assn is usna.com, while the Naval Academy is usna.edu.

Look for the link near the bottom of the page to find a Parents Club for your area.

Parent Dashboard - www.usna.com

www.usna.com

And welcome new member of just over a day!
Be sure to find The Acronym List on the home page.
 
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usna1985 said:
I "second" the benefit of taking practice tests. When I first started my SA journey (in the Dark Ages), I had a 520 Math score. That wasn't going to cut it. There was no internet and tutors / courses were still in their infancy. I got Barrons's books, released old tests, etc. I treated studying for the math SAT as a school class, in that I did at least 45 minutes of practice at least 6 days a week. Did that for a couple of months. Moved up to a 590. Kept at it -- still just using books from the library, books that we bought and released SATs. Third time I scored a 700.

I also think courses can be very helpful. Just do your research on what you get for your money. [No recommendations here]. Figure out whether you / your child does best with in-person instruction, on-line video, self-paced work, etc. There isn't a "best" program, but the structure of certain programs will be more beneficial to certain students, based on how they learn best.
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That is impressive. 520 to 700! You should be proud of that feat.
 
Especially considering on the "old school" test, incorrect answers were a detriment to your score. You LOST points when you got something wrong.
 
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