<p>ok.. i REALLY want to go to USNA.. and i know i have a LONG way to go. so i was going to post where i'm at (in terms of what the academy is looking for). but i've already messed up because i pretty much waited till this year (my junior year) before i decided to really kick it in gear (and if that doesn't automatically kick me out of the running, then i'm at a huge disadvantage compaired to all the other kids in my class who also want to go to the academy)</p>
<p>alright.. my freshman year i couldn't do anything (athletic wise) because i had blown out my acl ligament for the second time and was recovering from my second surgery.. and my grades suffered a little bit (went from one or two B's in previous years to mostly B's) ok well let's just say that my freshman year doesn't help me, at ALL.. except grade wise..</p>
<p>sophmore year- final grades were 3 A's, 3 B's (high B's.. 88, 86, 88) and one C (79.. which i'm sure is going to hurt me pretty badly) but i still i have a like 3.4 gpa (including freshman year) and i'm 80-something out of like 187 give or take a few (low.. i know)
this thursday i was thinking of going down to my volunteer fire dept. to join, would that help? then i'm gonna vol. at the nursing home and find other various vol. jobs around town</p>
<p>i was thinking of doing student council and maybe debate club but i'm not sure about that one because i think it requires a whole class period and i don't have any class periods to "give up" would UIL work instead?</p>
<p>sophmore year i got back into sports.. played tennis (got first place at district in girl's doubles) and threw the shot put (got third at district) (neither of them were varsity... but i plan for them to be this year) i was also thinking of going out for basketball or softball or powerlifting </p>
<p>what else could i do to raise my chances of getting into USNA? (other than grades..i alread know that... and those WILL come up..)</p>
<p>i've taken algebra, geometry, 2 years of spanish (that was the 79), 2 years of english, a computer class, world history, and a bunch of other texas required classes
i'm taking physics and pre-calculus my senior year, i still have two years of english, and that's it according to the list of classes to take that i received from the academy.. there is a problem though.. my school doesn't offer trigonometry and what is "advanced algebra"?</p>
this thursday i was thinking of going down to my volunteer fire dept. to join, would that help? then i'm gonna vol. at the nursing home and find other various vol. jobs around town</p>
<p>i was thinking of doing student council and maybe debate club but i'm not sure about that one because i think it requires a whole class period and i don't have any class periods to "give up" would UIL work instead?</p>
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<p>Question: Are you doing these activities because you want to or are you doing them because these activities will look good on a resume?</p>
<p>i first wanted to be a firefighter before i even knew about the USNA so that's where that came from, the nursing home i think would be really cool... all the things you could learn from the people there, debate club and UIL: i've been looking for an excuse to do them for a while and was gonna sign up for them last year (before i had officially decided that i wanted to go to the naval academy) but wasn't able to sign up for them because my school doesn't do a very good job of letting you know of everything available to you so i had no idea that they were going on till it was too late.. </p>
<p>but to answer your question.. the things that i listed are the things i WANT to do.</p>
<p>There are several things on which USNA focuses. </p>
<p>The first is academics. You want to take the most advanced science & math courses that you can and do your best in them. I'd try to take Chemistry. And, if you can take Calculus (vs. pre-calc) your senior year, so much the better. </p>
<p>The second is athletics. Over 80% of admitted students were varsity athletes. Staying with one sport over time is generally better than jumping from one to another. Injuries happen but, once you're healed, return to sports. Team sports are also good. </p>
<p>The third is leadership. It's not just joining a bunch of clubs. It's picking one or more activities that you enjoy and progressing through them. These can be in school or out of school. The key is to demonstrate commitment and leadership. </p>
<p>Work can be a leadership opportunity -- and some students must work to support themselves or their family -- but work experience isn't per se necessary. </p>
<p>Finally, you want to do well on your ACTs/SATs. There are good arguments re whether these are true predictors of performance (and I'll not raise these here), but doing well on standardized tests helps you and doing poorly won't. So, if you don't test well and can afford it, consider a prep course.</p>
<p>Can't add more concrete advice than USNA1985 has already offered, but I CAN, perhaps, give you some encouragement.</p>
<p>My first two years of High School were un unmitigated DISASTER. Horrible grades, few clubs, only one sport (and that was a club, not a sport), PSAT's lower than the President's approval numbers. IOW, if there was ever an example of how NOT to do your first two years of high school if desiring a USNA appointment, I was it.</p>
<p>My Junior and Senior years I didn't score lower than a B in anything, did two varsity and one intramural sports, was involved in more clubs than I'm in the mood to list (and became president of four of them), and managed to get my SAT's into the four-digit score level. I ended up going to NAPS, and from there to the Academy.</p>
<p>If you can pull off such an improvement, AND (and this is the important one) demonstrate a near-fanatical desire to attend USNA, then you will still be in the running. It won't be easy, but it CAN be done.</p>
<p>All that said, listen carefully to what Jadler asked you and give it some serious thought.</p>
<p>Before people tell you how great they are and defied odds with PSAT scores lower than the approval ratings of a President ask for "demographic information". I.E. Affirmative Action</p>
<p>"my school doesn't offer trigonometry and what is "advanced algebra"?"</p>
<p>I had the same question a while ago and found out that if your school doesn't offer trig, the admission board at USNA will not hold that against you. The reason that schools don't offer trig is because they have organized it into geometry (sin, cos, tan) and Algebra II. Just make sure if you sign up for something such as NASS and they ask you what classes you have taken, just make a note saying that trig isn't offered.</p>
<p>Advanced algebra is another name for Alg II. The name of the text-book my school used is Advanced Algebra. It's the math class that's taken before pre-calc and after geometry. Personally, I really enjoyed Alg II and it had to have been my favorite math class so far.</p>
<p>Also, does anyone know how much being in orchestra for a total of 9 years will help an application? Thanks.</p>
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Disclaimer for the above post. ^^^</p>
<p>Before people tell you how great they are and defied odds with PSAT scores lower than the approval ratings of a President ask for "demographic information". I.E. Affirmative Action
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<p>Hi, Confused! Bored now that school is out? :rolleyes:</p>
<p>As for your (repeated) assertion, I'll reply the same way I did that last time you brought this up: Dream on, loser. :)</p>
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Also, does anyone know how much being in orchestra for a total of 9 years will help an application?
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<p>In and of itself, it will most likely be counted as any other activity/club. If, however, you were involved in some leadership capacity (Section leader? Tutor? Instructor?) than that would be an added plus.</p>
<p>Either way, include it in your application and let it speak for itself.</p>
<p>Wish I could play a musical instrument... :(</p>
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Before people tell you how great they are and defied odds with PSAT scores lower than the approval ratings of a President ask for "demographic information". I.E. Affirmative Action
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<p>This comment says more about you than anyone else.</p>
<p>Start now!... by the way what school do you go to? i live in TX as well... the TX trig equivalent is Pre-Cal (although it is tied into geom and alg 2 is isnt thouroughly explained until pre-cal)... well NHS is a helper but not necessary and leadership positions in clubs/community etc... get online and go to Kay Bailey and John Cornyn's websites for nomination applications and call your congressman's office... get on USNA website and fill out prelim app and get the ball rollin!</p>
<p>Just a heads up, you need to get on the DODMERB thing as soon as they send you the first letter. After you take your physical, you will be either automatically disqualified or asked for more information because of your knee surgeries. Get to know an orthopedic surgeon(preferably military) who can give you the appropriate tests, then write you a good letter. I got in after having an ACL repair, and I can tell you DODMERB was the hardest part of the entire application for me. Expect special agility and mechanical tests to measure your let strength, and if they disqualify you, rebut it. I had to send in more information to them, and then rebut their disqualification after that. Good luck, it will be hard, but it can be done.</p>
<p>I live in Plano, TX. Is it a just a Texas thing that they don't have trigonometry? Is pre-calc or another math class just a semester in other schools that have trig?</p>
<p>Hey MTR, we're just up the road in McKinney. </p>
<p>Texas is strange (about many things but especially) about math. The trig is supposed to be integrated into Alg 2 and geometry. Still, I don't believe the Spider got a good enough dose of it until he took calc. Of course he wnet to McKinney North where the cheerleaders ran wild. </p>
<p>Confused/Ratational...when are you gonna admit that you are just a tiny bit fascintated with the idea of attending a service academy? It's probably not too late to change your ways and abandon the dark side :) The shot about affirmative action is low, though and just wrong.</p>