Struggling as a Sophomore to keep my grades.
Will i be able to get accepted to VMI or even West Point if i keep this up?
I have a flat 3.0 GPA (I am taking 2 AP classes & taking Algebra2Trig, Going to take Pre-Calc Junior year)
Below-Average in class rank though. School has no jrotc program
Extracurricular Activities:
Marching band
100+hours Hospital Volunteer (Should i still continue?)
Black belt Taekwondo
Varsity Track
Eventually going to get Eagle Scout
Part-time job
Are there anything else that would help improve the chances of acceptance BESIDES GRADES?
My dream was to attend West Point since i was little… Reality says no. so i aim to at least get into VMI
Check VMI’s Common Data Set beginning with page 5. 86% of those admitted in 2013 were within the top 50% of their class. They accepted well over 50% of applicants. If you are female they accepted 120 of 189 female applicants in 2013 and 138 of 263 females in 2014. It’s here on PDF
http://www.vmi.edu/content.aspx?id=8047
I think rather than superior grades they are looking for a personality type. Finish Eagle and keep up with track. Those two will help a lot! Begin the yes sir, no sir routine with adults; they like military bearing. There will be an interview.
The Common Data also says volunteer work is “Very Important” in consideration for admission.
Print the Common Data set and take the classes they recommend. They say three years of math and foreign language required but four recommended so take the extra year! It looks like only 12% of those admitted have a 3.0 or less so get your grades up as much as possible. If your school has AP or Honors classes you get a 5.0 for an A and 4.0 for a B. You can boost your GPA quite a bit in junior year.
The Citadel in SC is another state military you can look into. Virginia Tech also has a Corps of Cadets that gives those students a military school experience. By looking at Common Data sets you can get a reasonable idea of your chances. Remember to have a couple of safety schools! You can go somewhere with ROTC. You are very smart to start doing research in 10th grade. Good luck!
With your Taekwondo and Varsity Track, you might get into VMI but West Point would be very unlikely.
I agree that you should check out The Citadel. Also look at Norwich University, which is sort of like VMI but in Vermont. It is where ROTC was founded.
If you want West Point and VMI, then you should apply to them. However, you also need to make a solid “Plan B” for the possibility that you will be rejected. Almost nobody is guaranteed to get accepted into a particular school. Thus, almost everybody should at least apply to at least one cheap, easy to enter, college or university where you think you could be happy. This is commonly called a “safety.”
Well, your GPA is a concern. Have you considered getting tutored in the classes that are giving you trouble? Or working on the lessons online at Khan Academy (so if algebra is hard for you, go to the algebra section on Khan Academy and try to learn it that way).
VMI is an excellent alternative to WP. We attended there this fall and were extremely impressed by what they offer. Your experience there would be similar to your experience at WP in that both schools offer a 24/7 military immersion experience. I’d also encourage you to look at other senior military colleges as well. We only visited VMI so I can only speak about that college.
You have been given excellent advice by the two previous posters. Good luck! You are so smart to begin planning now!
Don’t worry. I’m in 9th grade and I am really struggling in 10th grade Analytic Geometry. I failed the first semester. In 8th grade, I took 9th grade Coordinate Algebra. I failed the first 9, passed the second, failed the third, and passed the fourth. My GPA in 8th grade weighted was about a 4.35. I really want to work hard on the last 9 weeks of 9th grade (I think I passed the 3rd). I remained in NJHS in 8th. I think we stay in until Jr year. You really should check out Khan Academy, great website, especially the programming. You should be okay. You seem like one of those people who are really more intelligent than what their grades reflect. I know the feeling. Just try harder to get your grades up and you will be fine. Do your research. Good luck.