Why do they say a few B's and C's won't kill your shot at admission?

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Nov 15, 2019
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I see on countless threads people saying they earned 2 C's and even sometimes a D... People who seem to know what they are talking about say they still have a shot at admission.

How is this possible? You need essentially straight A's to get in, and even if you don't it will kill your class rank. I have earned an A in every class which are all honors, dual enrollment, or AP, and I am barely in the top 15% of my class. The academies say that they typically take kids in the top 3%.
 
On the USNA website, it says to shoot for the top 20% of your class, so you'll be fine there. I was somewhere between top 25%-20% of my class (for reference: I had all A's and 3 B's on my transcript and I've taken 6 APs in high school, including senior year) and I received an appointment this month. Good luck!
 
Where have you seen the statistic that the service academies usually take top 3%? I have never seen that. I thought it was about 20 % and up.
 
The Academies as well as colleges will look at your HS profile to see how challenging a school it is. It looks like yours is challenging. They will look at GPA and rigor of your classes. I don't know the answer to your original question but I'd say your Academics look great!
 
I see on countless threads people saying they earned 2 C's and even sometimes a D... People who seem to know what they are talking about say they still have a shot at admission.

How is this possible? You need essentially straight A's to get in, and even if you don't it will kill your class rank. I have earned an A in every class which are all honors, dual enrollment, or AP, and I am barely in the top 15% of my class. The academies say that they typically take kids in the top 3%.
You appear to be misinformed on several things.
 
USNA seeks to create a well rounded class. If you stand out in other ways you do not necessarily need stellar grades.
 
I'm confident that Cs and Ds occurred in the following contexts
1. Early on in high school and then the applicant turned it around
2. A C or D in a tough AP course in senior year with an overall GPA of 4.xxx+

One has to always consider context.
 
I'm confident that Cs and Ds occurred in the following contexts
1. Early on in high school and then the applicant turned it around
2. A C or D in a tough AP course in senior year with an overall GPA of 4.xxx+

One has to always consider context.
Exactly, my DS got a C in a pathway class freshman year. He switched pathways and did well after. He explained it in his essays. He is a doolie.
 
@dah19 What is a pathway class?

We hear what you are saying. Our son's freshman grades are pretty decent; 5 A's, one B, but a C in algebra II. All honors classes. We purchased a 5'x3' dry erase marker board so he can walk through problems in front of us.

I thought it would also give him the opportunity to practice presentation/public speaking. It's good for him to learn to manage adversity but not with algebra II lol.

Good luck!

Tom
 
SAs look very closely at your total transcript, in the context of your school profile. They prefer that you took the hardest classes your school has to offer and excelled at them. @kinnem is correct: The poor grade may have come early with upward trajectory since then, or may have come in an extremely difficult class at a highly rigorous school. Grades and GPA are not created equal.

Remember also that while academic performance is very important, it’s not everything. SAT/ACT matter, as do leadership, athletics and CFA. If someone won offer of appointment with less-than-stellar grades, you can be sure they have other important attributes that indicate officer material.
 
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