Admission question about USMMA

Colleges and Universities A-Z Merchant Marine Academy - Kings Point
1

<p>I have a question about kings point when it comes to getting accepted to the academy. I know there are many crucial requirements that need to be met. I meet almost all of these requirements.
-I am 17 and I am going to be a senior so i would be in the class of 2010
-I meet all medical and security requirements
-I have a Congressional nomination
-Some extra things about me is i am a captain of a varsity sport i have gotten over 40 hrs every summer in service hours i am a USA YMCA certified lifeguard i have been licensed as a merchant marine captain 100 tons in excess and i have my towing license
-Right now i attend a private catholic College preparatory school with the toughest curriculum in my city because every other high school runs on block schedule my school runs on an 8 class a day schedule everyday of the week my school also takes sport extremely seriously if you miss practices your off the team (unless due to injury or sickness) so you can't just play the sport half assed your committed. I am part of my schools student government and campus ministry team. I am also in all honors core classes meaning i use college txtbooks for math science and English. I also take advanced electives and honors level spanish. </p>

<p>now my big question is considering all of the above my big flaw is the SAT
my SAT scores are below average at combined total score of 1380 math and CR combined are 910 separate scores are CR-460 Math-450 writing-470</p>

<p>i know those are very low especially compared to the required scores and my results above are after taking the test twice i do plan on taking them one more time and taking the ACT at least once.</p>

<p>My question is Considering everything else i have accomplished will my SAT scores alone keep me from getting into the Academy?</p>

<p>I really appreciate any responses and would really like if a current cadet would answer and/or message me and i can be emailed at <a href="mailto:PrepRmblr@yahoo.com">PrepRmblr@yahoo.com</a> thanks for your responses and time</p>

2

<p>You already have a nomination? :confused:</p>

3

<p>Consider this…
If you goal is to GET in, it’s a ‘what are my chances’-style question.
You’ll never know until you try… Call/Talk to Admissions.</p>

<p>If you goal is to GRADUATE, then understand that Plebe-Killer classes (Calculus/Physics/Chemistry)… well, they got that name for a reason.
Do you consider yourself prepared to tackle those classes successfully?
Do you have really great study habits and skills?</p>

<p>They will absolutely BUILD on the algebra and foundation you have established in High School/etc… They will NOT go over those fundamental questions. It will be fast paced. VERY.</p>

<p>The SAT is a common yardstick.<br>
It may be highlighting gaps that you seriously need to address.
Alternately, the ACT may be more your style. Take it and see.</p>

<p>Good luck to you. You’ve worked hard in MANY aspects . If you also bring your ‘A’ game to academics, I wish you luck.
If, for some reason, the SAT and ACT tend to agree… it will be gut-check time for you to examine what you really want to do.
KP is academically rigorous … (understatement of the century :slight_smile: )</p>

4

<p>Hey a greatly appreciate your response and to be 100% honest i know i am prepared for those killer-plebe classes my HS has already put me through chemistry biology trig algebra and algebra 2 in my senior yr i’m taking advanced physics and i’m skipping pre-calculus and going to calculus 1. Not only that all the classes i took used college textbooks they were extremely advanced and i had each of those classes everyday 7 days a week for an hr for the whole school yr. I go to the only high school with that curriculum in my city all other high schools in my area take math 1 quarter dne for the yr science 1 qrtr dne for the yr. My school is very advanced when it comes to academics. Plus my school is very strict we wear uniforms we get demerits we can’t have long hair or beards my school loses about 20-30 kids by a classes graduating yr. I also play a varsity sport which means everyday for 3 months i go to school til 3 then str8 to practice until 6 everyday. Then every weekend i travel to tournaments for my sport. I have extremely good study habits and good time management skills that most don’t have until they go to college. One of by biggest accomplishments is I have never taken a sick day and i have never forgotten to do a homework assignment (and i mean complete it at home the night before not at school). My only problem is the SAT is it really possible that it would keep me out of KP?</p>

5

<p>besides the nomination some of this doesn’t make any sense to me…

As per 46 CFR 10.201(f)(2) you need to be 18 to sit for that license…
Are there any other “extra things” you want to tell us about?</p>

6

<p>“Is it really possible” , ummmm Yes.
Should you talk to Admissions… .ummmm, Yes.
Should you start your DODMERB (physical for the service academies and active duty members) because it can take a long time, and resolving issues can be prolonged… ummmm, Yes.
Should you make sure you have a succinct response about your SAT scores… ummm, Yes.
Should you take the ACTs, ummmm. Yes.
Should you be ready to explain how, if your school is so advanced and structured, that your scores on the SAT do not demonstrate the level of mastery typical of other candidates, ummmm. Yes
Should you have a study plan for improving those scores, ummmm. Yes</p>

<p>Should you be ready to provide documentation to support “licensed as a merchant marine captain 100 tons in excess and i have my towing license” as a 17 year old, although DD points out you have to be 18 to sit for exam, ummmm, Yes.</p>

<p>Should you be ready to explain how you have a Congressional Nomination in hand, even though interviews are typically done in the Fall of your Senior year and nomination slates are submitted annually by/in January… ummmm, Yes.</p>

<p>. . .
I would make sure my foundation and understanding was ROCK solid – especially in the Hard Sciences(Calc/Chem/Phys). I wouldn’t worry about skipping ‘up’ a level, so that Calculus shows on your transcript… I’d be more concerned that I have comfortable experience and demonstrated mastery of the concepts.
…
And remember…
SPORTS will NOT keep you at KP.
Doing well enough in ACADEMICS will let you continue playing SPORTS.</p>

<p>Good luck.
I appreciate your enthusiasm.
But when you consider KP, unvarnished accurate assessment of your strengths and weaknesses and WHY YOU want to attend is essential.</p>

7

<p>“-I am 17 and I am going to be a senior so i would be in the class of 2010”
I don’t want to put too fine a point on this but…The class of 2010 graduates in 331 days so you are really going to have to hurry.</p>

8

<p>just a word of advice if you haven’t figured it out already… don’t embellish things when it comes to KP, you will get called out on it. best of luck though</p>

9

<p>I don’t think you are being honest. You wrote, “licensed as a merchant marine captain 100 tons in excess and i have my towing license”. So you are a Merchant Marine Captain and you are 17 years old? You also wrote, “I have a Congressional nomination”. I don’t even think you could have had an interview yet. So what is going on here…?</p>

10

<p>ok deepdraft1 if you were well informed you would know that i am able to sit for a captains license because i have one and you have to be 18 to use it so stop trying to make me look like im lying!!</p>

11

<p>ok let me set everything straight ok i am sorry if i confused people with what i wrote but i promise everything i say is the honest truth.</p>

<p>Last winter i took a 6 week captains license course. I passed all the sections of the test including a masters upgrade and a towing license i am one of the few people to attempt getting the license at such a young age. I passed the test at 17 and i got a certificate proving this, however i do have to be 18 to submit all the paper work and be able to use this license. I plan on doing this when i am 18 and if anyone has questions about this ask away because regardless of what you may think i took and passed the USCG OUPV Masters captain license class for 100 tons and when the paper work is submitted it does become a merchant mariners license.</p>

<p>As for the nomination i am sorry if was a little bland on saying i have the nomination. What i meant was there’s a 100% chance i will be getting the nomination once i am interviewed for reasons im not willing to say.</p>

12

<p>FutureKP2010 (I suspect you really mean FutureKP2014):
DeepDraft, as a Merchant Mariner for more years than you’ve been alive, has provided us with a great insights in the specifics and workings and complexities of that trade.
He knows that of which he speaks.
And he was exceeding professional/helpful to illuminate it.
If you want to be mad at anyone, pick me. He’s wayyy out of your league.
All we did was point out some puffery that seemed at odds with an ‘inconvenient fact’:)</p>

<p>Nomination/interview:
Congressmen generally have civilian panels who do the interviews with Academy hopefuls, and present a recommendation to the Congressman. Perhaps DD, or some other expert may sit on that panel… would you respond to him in your interview by saying 'Stop making it look like…" ? One of the hallmarks of many (not every ) interview is seeing how the candidate reacts under stress.</p>

<p>In short,
MEAN WHAT YOU SAY, and
SAY (only) WHAT YOU MEAN.
No more. No Less.</p>

<p>Others have read what you have written, and also have the same observation. They are actually helping you, by showing you how part of your statements are being interpreted.</p>

<p>So, consider:
– Instead of claiming “i have been licensed as a merchant marine captain 100 tons in excess and i have my towing license” (which seems, at best, premature), state “I have passed all the TESTS for a license as a merchant marine captain 100 tons in excess and i will have my towing license” as soon as I am old enough to sit for it". (true, and a distinguishing factor)
– Instead of claiming "I have a congressional nomination… " I’d sit on that. It seems to be false/premature, as well… I would not call what you said as “BLAND”(your word) . Others categorize it more plainly. After all, your City/State is evident in your profile… so that narrows the list of players. Better not to have made that statement, I’d suspect.</p>

<p>Is2Day is also correct about the embellishment. I think we are all noting the same thing. Learn from it. </p>

<p>And, no matter WHAT the accomplishments otherwise, “Lucy, you got some ‘splain’ to do” about your SAT scores. </p>

<p>No amount of smoke/mirrors/distraction is going to detract from the central question: The Academy is only going to accept candidates that they feel can successfully graduate". If you want to be among those, you have some hard work in front of you.
And it would begin with a fair and frank phone call to USMMA Admissions department. You can find Academy contact information at the bottom of the home page at USMMA.EDU.</p>

<h2>Again, good luck.</h2>

<p>Texting is going to be the DEATH of written communications. Toss in some punctuation and capitalization from time to time. (you are sooo not alone in this… but I’d put in the extra effort, as practice for what you write to Admissions;) … (just my own pet peeve… laugh and carry on)</p>

13

<p>You wrote, “As for the nomination i am sorry if was a little bland on saying i have the nomination. What i meant was there’s a 100% chance i will be getting the nomination once i am interviewed for reasons im not willing to say.” </p>

<p>The five eligibility requirements for USMMA are:</p>

<p>"Be at least 17 years of age and must not have passed their 25th birthday before July 1 in the year of entrance. </p>

<p>Be a citizen of the United States either by birth or naturalization, except for a limited number of international midshipmen specially authorized by Congress. </p>

<p>Meet the physical, security and character requirements necessary for appointment as U.S. Naval Reserve, Merchant Marine Reserve midshipmen. </p>

<p>Obtain a Congressional nomination to the Academy; submit a completed application; and qualify scholastically. </p>

<p>Be of good moral character."</p>

<p>How would you feel if you knew one of your peers had a guaranteed nomination? If you do get an appointment to USMMA, will you feel like you really earned it? Sure you have your nomination, but do you REALLY think you meet the last requirement?</p>

14

<p>ELIGIBLE(to compete) is NOT the same thing as NOMINATED(to complete).</p>

<p>and</p>

<p>NOMINATE(to compete) is NOT the same thing as ACCEPTED(into the Academy).</p>

<p>and</p>

<p>ACCEPTED(into the Academy) is NOT the same thing as GRADUATED from USMMA.</p>

15

<p>I know it may sound harsh but these people really are trying to help. They are taking their experiences and observations and trying to pass them on to you. So far you have been a little short with at least one upperclassman who has experienced this process, one parent who has observed it and one Captain who has spent a lifetime in this industry. My advice would be to dial it down just a notch. You sound a little defensive and if you show up at Indoc with what the upperclassmen perceive to be an “attitude” they will ride you until you quit. Don’t tell me that can’t happen, it can and does,…all the time. You can’t get through that place without the help of upperclassmen. Nobody gets through alone.</p>

16

<p>Zonker, I know the differences between a nomination, an appointment, and graduation. A nomination is an eligibility requirement. You must meet all of the eligibility requirements to gain an appointment. A “100% chance” of nomination is not fair, and I interpret it as cheating. They would be gaining an unfair advantage over others vying for a nomination. Cheating is immoral, and would make FutureKP2010 ineligible for an appointment.</p>

17

<p>Yes, FutureOfficer. I know you do.
You rightly outlined what is the very first step along this process.
And did so quite well.</p>

<p>My point was to outline more for FutureKP, not you :slight_smile:
Getting in is not the goal (although for prospective candidates, it sometimes seems to be the only one)
The subsequent steps are harder.</p>

<p>I was wanting FutureKP to consider how long the process is… And what it takes to make it through. I’m really concerned about the Plebe year, and attempting it with SATs significantly lower than the entering class.</p>

<p>It sounds like he wants it… and that is a necessary first step.
But being prepared for it… preparing effectively is harder. </p>

<h2>I’ve seen kids wash out due to not being ready for the pace and volume of the academic buzz-saw.</h2>

<p>100% chance of nomination… remember,
‘Don’t count your chickens before you have your nomination in hand’… Ok, I may have mixed up my metaphors/sayings a bit. You know what I mean.</p>

<p>FO73’s point about Ethics, is however, central to the issue as well.
He should be aware that everyone there has a highly refined B<strong><em>S</em></strong> detector. Even if he were to get in, as KPMOD pointed out, boastful edges are soon identified and worn away during your tenure at KP, especially during Indoc and Plebe Year.</p>

18

<p>Well Zonker in that case your point was good. ;)</p>

19

<p>

</p>

<p>Passing some 6 week “6 pack” license course and getting a completion certificate is a little different than having the local CG REC issue you the license… Well informed? All I know is the law IAW the CFR’s which states… </p>

<p>“(a) Each applicant shall establish to the satisfaction of the OCMI that he or she possesses all of the qualifications necessary (such as age, experience, character references and recommendations, physical health or competence and test for dangerous drugs, citizenship, approved training, passage of a professional examination, as appropriate, and, when required by this part, a practical demonstration of skills) before the OCMI will issue a license or certificate of registry.”</p>

<p>“(f)(2) A license as limited master of near coastal vessels of not more than 100 gross tons, limited master of Great Lakes and inland vessels of not more than 100 gross tons, mate of Great Lakes and inland vessels of 25-200 gross tons, mate of near coastal vessels of 25-200 gross tons, operator of uninspected passenger vessels, or designated duty engineer of vessels of not more than 1,000 horsepower, or apprentice mate (steersman) of towing vessels, may be granted to an applicant, otherwise qualified, who has reached the age of 18 years.”</p>

<p>

Actually, I’ve had an Unlimited Masters License for more years than he has been alive (6 issues and first class pilotage)… but whose counting… :slight_smile:
Oh, and FutureKP2010, work on your grammar and SAT’s if you’re striking to get into KP…</p>

20

<p>futureKP,
as was said, we’ve all got good BS detectors. as the saying goes, "the only difference between a fairy tale and a sea story is one starts, ‘once upon a time,’ and the other starts, “this ain’t no s***'”. BS is the lifebread of coffee time conversations, so we’re not easily fooled anymore.
while i do not have any where near the experience of DD1, i can still say as someone that just finished up 8 months out at sea as a cadet that your attitude WILL NOT fly on a ship. i think i do have a little authority to chime in on the subject. as someone that was regarded as an exceptional cadet on my last ship, i can tell you that bragging about ANYTHING is foolish. remember our motto. ACTA NON VERBA. put your money where your mouth is. if you’re a stellar kid, don’t tell us that you’re a stellar kid, SHOW US. </p>

<p>also know that we’re not trying to bash you, we’re trying to help you. if you were looking for a pat on the back, then you’re looking into the wrong school. i can say that you probably won’t get any “atta-boys” in your time at KP, should you get in. if you do, they will be rare and spread out. you don’t go into this school or this industry for the accolades, if you do, you’ll be sorely disappointed. you go here to learn, do the best you can, and go home knowing you made a difference. </p>

<p>criticism is not something to fear and cause a ruckus about, it’s something to LEARN from. if everyone in life just said “wow, you’ve got this taken care of, you’re an expert at this” there’d be no point in going on with life. without criticism and critique, there can be no growth. </p>

<p>basically, cowboy up or go sit in the truck.</p>