Worried I've messed up my acceptance chances

[pgold]

Hi. I've read the FAQ "What are my chances" sticky, but I still have concerns about my application and whether or not it will be strong enough (especially regarding athletics and ECAs). I'm currently a sophomore in HS, about to be a Junior, and I've just recently decided that the USNA would be a great challenge, and that it would be a good fit for me. However, my athletic and ECA participation has not been consistent.

Academically (which has been my driving goal thus far)
- I'm 14th out of 642 in my class with a weighted GPA of 4.557 (around 3.9something on a 4.0 scale)
- Taking as many core AP classes as I can, and will be taking AP Bio and AP Chem next year. AP Physics and AP Calc senior year (Along with other AP classes)
- 1430/1520 on the PSAT with a 720 math score. I'm confident that I can improve this score on the SAT
- I'm confident that I can at least maintain my class rank, if not improve

My ECAs and Athletics have not been as qualifying due to a general lack of direction these last two year
-Freshman Year: Freshman Team Football - did not continue the next year | FCA
-Sophomore Year: Organizer and Captain of the Debate Team | placed in state for Business Professionals of America | FCA | Volunteer at the local food pantry for around 40 hours

I am worried that these past records have shown a lack of congruity. As a result of my interest in the USNA and to correct my path, I've made a commitment to join the Cross Country team and the swim team next year, and will continue with these teams into my senior year. Though I don't know if I will have enough experience in these sports to make any outstanding achievements, I will work hard and make sure they kick my butt into shape. I will also continue as captain of the debate team and FCA leader, and have joined student government to achieve a leadership position.

These ECAs and athletics I will continue through my senior year. Given that my academics are up to standard, I score well on the fitness assessment, and the interview goes well, how negatively will this lack of participation and achievement in ECAs and athletics thus far affect my chances? Sorry if questions similar to this have been answered, but I cannot find one and have nobody else to ask on the subject. Thanks.

 

[kinnem]

First, I hope you're actually choosing USNA because you wish to serve in the United States Navy. It being challenging and a good fit for you is nice, and maybe even sufficient, but don't forget that ultimately its about the service to country.

You're a rising junior. You have time to improve your athletic participation and your plan sounds reasonable. Will it look as good as someone who participated in one or more sports for all four years? Of course not.. but it will be better than what you have now. It is what it is. You can only address the things in your control and the past is not one of those.

Athletic involvement for the service academies is not about being a great athletic achiever. If you are that's great. But what it's really about is teamwork, consistency, showing you can deal with the athletics at a service academy, and should you be lucky enough to become a team captain, leadership.

Focus on doing your best with what you have. Will it win you a nomination and an appointment? Only the admissions boards know that, based on, among other things, your performance.

 

[pgold]

First, I hope you're actually choosing USNA because you wish to serve in the United States Navy. It being challenging and a good fit for you is nice, and maybe even sufficient, but don't forget that ultimately its about the service to country.

You're a rising junior. You have time to improve your athletic participation and your plan sounds reasonable. Will it look as good as someone who participated in one or more sports for all four years? Of course not.. but it will be better than what you have now. It is what it is. You can only address the things in your control and the past is not one of those.

Athletic involvement for the service academies is not about being a great athletic achiever. If you are that's great. But what it's really about is teamwork, consistency, showing you can deal with the athletics at a service academy, and should you be lucky enough to become a team captain, leadership.

Focus on doing your best with what you have. Will it win you a nomination and an appointment? Only the admissions boards know that, based on, among other things, your performance.

Thank you for your reply. Yes - I absolutely would love to serve the military and hope to join an ROTC program if I do not get accepted. However, I also realize that I will still need a good education for life after the navy. I'm setting my sights on the best of both worlds with the USNA.

 

[kinnem]

@pgold Right answer. Whether you attend USNA or ROTC your college education wil properly set you up for life after the academy. The leadership skills learned in either program and 5 years of active duty will be a tremendous asset to you in whatever you do. You'll probably be selling that asset more than whatever it is you study in college.

 

[MidCakePa]

The fact that you recognize potential shortcomings now — and are taking steps to address — is a very good thing. One way to offset the lack of consistency/continuity is to play an active leadership role in your ECs. You don’t need to be a team captain or a club president to act like a leader. You can identify issues that need fixing, in just about any setting, and lead the way in fixing them. And be sure to rally others to your cause (that’s true leadership). You’ll then be able to share these experiences throughout your application: academy and nomination essays, B&G and nomination interviews, and so forth. Showing how you made meaningful impact in an organization will trump many candidates who merely held a title but did little with it. Good luck.

 

[Old Navy BGO]

All good advice, but one thing to keep in mind --- do what you are truly interested in, not what you think looks good on your resume. There is a lot of good information on this Forum, and good examples of what it takes to get into a Service Academy, but there is no single path to success. There are no guarantees, even if you do everything right. All you can do is be yourself, strive to excel in whatever you do. You will find that success and leadership positions are are a whole lot easier to achieve if you are truly committed instead of jumping through hoops to look good on paper.