Chances for Class of 2010

Colleges and Universities A-Z Military Academy - West Point
61

<p>Who are you talking to about the GPA stuff?</p>

<p>And DODMERB is a rough ride, especially if you've ever had ANYTHING wrong with you. I had to report something with my back, which took almost 2 months to sort out (and numerous doctor visits). I was cleared, but then took the honest route and told them about my ganglion cyst on my wrist. That took another month and a half. But finally, I'm clear! Get everything done medically as QUICKLY as possible. Don't hesitate on sending paperwork in.</p>

62

<p>haha sorry... just to clerify... My stats (SATs... Class rank and GPA) were pretty close to even identical to Westpoint2010's stats... except I had alot more ECs volunteer and leadership stuff</p>

63

<p>I was just wondering if NC or TN was a harder district to get a nomination in. Also, how much pull does a nomination have, for example from someone who contributes alot of money to the person's campaign. can that put someone over another even if they have worse stats?
thanks
adam</p>

64

<p>Adam,</p>

<p>I'm really not sure about the standard "pull" question. It probably could be a factor in some areas. However, I understand that most MOCs have committees that evaluate the candidates in order to determine which will receive nominations.</p>

<p>When we began this process an awful lot of people told us that our daughter would have no chance to receive a nomination unless we "know someone". They tried to tell us that no one can possibly get into any service academy without this help. We even had someone offer to use a connection to help her obtain one. She declined the offer by saying she wanted to get in on her own merits. As it turned out, she didn't need the pull and so far no one we have met (in person or on-line) has mentioned that it is necessary.</p>

<p>I believe we have residents of NC and TN who participate on this board and will be able to answer your question about how competitive those states are. Best of luck to you!</p>

65

<p>I totally agree with you on the "pull" question, momoftwins. In fact, my mom is a staunch Democrat, and has written many letters to our Republican Representative (some of which he actually wrote back about). Nevertheless, he gave me nominations to all three military academies, and even included a personal note on the letter I received. asmith, if I were you, I would just work on my interviewing skills. They are SO VITAL when applying for ROTC or the Academies. I literally had about 10-12 interviews, all in all.</p>

66

<p>OK, thanks for the advice. Also, at what point can i expect to be finished with the application process. I am trying to keep on top of it now so when school starts i can have almost all of it done, is that possible?
thanks</p>

67

<p>Technically the application process isn't complete until you either have an appointment in hand or a rejection letter. Candidates are expected to keep their files updated throughout their senior year with any changes/additions of EC's, leadership activites, sports, medical status, etc. If you get an early start you can be done with the majority of the application packet by the end of August or early Sept, but that means scheduling DODMERB in the summer and then assuming there are no DODMERB snags. It also means tracking down your teachers for their recommendation letters early. That also assumes you go to the summer seminar at WP and take and pass the PAE there. Then you have the application process for the MOC nominations which, depending on your MOC can be done as early as Nov or Dec or as late as the end of January. It's definitely not like applying to a "normal" college. Keep track of everything and keep your eye out for "Murphy's Law" :)</p>

<p>Good Luck!</p>

68

<p>Ha ha. Yeah, you can't throw a nickel in my town without hitting a political activist, and believe me, EVERY single one of them offered to "hook me up" with their supposedly amazingly influential contacts in Jeff City. But the truth is, the nomination is a constituent service that requires a lot less political gameplaying than your typical lobbying action, so...</p>

<p>...all of these guys were pretty much just showing off, for all the good it did. I got my nomination on my own, thank you very much.</p>

<p>Also, marines4me is totally right about interviewing. Seriously,they love to ask you questions with no right answer. Don't worry about picking the correct response (b/c there isn't one)--so long as you are prepared to defend your statement, you're good to go.</p>

69

<p>ok
I am not going to SLS, i was accepted but had to reject it because of school exams. I am however going to AFA Summer Seminar and plan to do it there. I read somewhere that they will accept the scores from them. I guess knowing someone isn't need which is good. Back to the TN vs NC thing, i was just thinking TN would be easier, any insight? Also, do i need to send in the candidate questionarre even though its like the exact same thing as the summer application. If not what is th enext step, wait for the real application?
thanks</p>

70

<p>Here's what I can tell you about Tennessee.</p>

<p>At the risk of unstating the importance of a nomination, our experience is that getting a nomination in TN is relatively easy if you are a qualified candidate. The more difficult hurdle is the appointment by WP.</p>

<p>Our son's district ( which covers Nashville) had only 5 candidates interview for West Point, 8 for the Naval and Air Force Academies and 1 for merchant marine academy. Some of the candidates had applied for two or three academies. After talking to a couple of members on the review boards, all but 1 applicant received nominations. The one not receiving a nomination was considered unqualified. Of the 5 candidates for WP, two received LOA's and appointments.</p>

<p>Senatorial nominations are more difficult since there is a substantially larger pool of candidates. </p>

<p>All the coordinators at the senators' offices and our local representative were very helpful. Make sure you get to know them directly.</p>

71

<p>ok,
thanks for the info. Do the senators get and up/down vote, or do they not even take part in the process. It would seem that knowing a senator's aide would be more usefull than knowing a senator. If you get a nomination and are medically qualified, is it almost a sure bet from the academy?
thanks</p>

72

<p>asmith1187
It's not the aide you need to worry about the most (other than making sure you follow ALL application instructions EXACTLY), it's the committee (or person) that actually does the interview. I don't have the exact number at my fingertips right now but I believe historically three quarters of the people who get nominations to USMA do NOT get offered appointments, so saying it's a "sure bet" is pretty inaccurate.</p>

73

<p>asmith -</p>

<p>To echo shogun's point....getting a nomination is A key step, not THE key step. A member of congress can award up to 10 nominations for each spot available. Most use the "competitive" form of nomination, which means that WP then picks from those nominated based on WP's assessment of the candidate's profile. This means that you are competing with the other nominated candidates in your district for the appointment.</p>

<p>In most areas of the country, it's not who you know....it's who you are.</p>

74

<p>I was just wondering what kind of SAT/ACT scores that I would need to help cover up my 3.6 weighted GPA. I am in the 3rd district of South Carolina and I have no idea what other candidates average as far as stats. Also, does anyone know about when West Point starts looking at candidate scores and such?
Thanks</p>

75

<p>Your best source of info would be your local MALO, who can tell you what kind of stats it took to win your district in the past couple of years. My understanding is that class rank is used in preference to GPA (but don't quote me).</p>

<p>Based on experiences from this board, they start looking as early as July.</p>

76

<p>I got medically disqualified last year, but it should all be fine now and I'm reapplying. This next school year I will be attending Washington and Lee University and doing Army ROTC at Virginia Military Institute as well as some other extra cirricular activities. I'll also have many great teacher recommendations and a (hopefully) suburb essay.</p>

<p>1330 SAT (670 M, 660 V) (retaking)
SAT IIs: 650 Math 1C, 660 Writing, 690 US History
30 ACT
3.5 GPA (taking nearly the hardest courseload possible, including various college classes, all of which I got an "A" in)</p>

<p>Leadership Roles
Senior Patrol Leader of Scout Troop: February 17th-December 19th, 2003 (elected)
Junior Assistant Scoutmaster of Scout Troop: December 19th, 2003-Feburary 16th, 2005 (appointed)
Assistant Scoutmaster of Scout Troop: February 16th, 2005-Present (appointed)
BGHS Band Junior Representative: May 27th, 2003-May 27th, 2004 (elected)
Model UN President: May 11th, 2004-May 17th, 2005 (elected)
BGHS Band President: May 27th, 2004-May 26th, 2005 (elected)</p>

<p>Organizations
Boy Scout: April 2nd, 1998-present
Youth Group: May 2001-present
BGHS Band: August 2001-present
BGHS German Club: August 2002-present
BGHS Symphony Orchestra: Spring 2003, Spring 2004 and Spring 2005
BGHS Model UN: March 4th, 2003-present (Founding member)
BGHS Outsider's Club: Spring 2004-present (Founding member)
BGHS Student Activities Board: June 7th, 2004-May 10th, 2005</p>

<p>Honors, Achievements or Awards
Participated in a weeklong volunteer trip to Washington DC with Youth Group: Summer 2001
Awarded Boy Scout Rank of Eagle Scout: January 11th, 2004
Ohio Buckeye Boys State Delegate: June 13th, 2004 - June 19th, 2004 (elected Senator)
Organized and led a weeklong Scouting trip to the Smoky Mountains: June 22nd, 2004 - June 27th, 2004
Studied at the University of Salzburg in Salzburg, Austria: July 9th, 2004 - August 2th, 2004
Received the Delegates Award at Youngstown State University High School Model UN Conference: April 29th, 2005
Received the Patrick S. Gilmore Band Award from the BGHS Band: May 26th, 2005
Two week strenuous trek in Philmont Scout Reservation, New Mexico: June 14th, 2005 - June 28th, 2005</p>

<p>Working
Work Experience: Crew Chief at Camp Miakonda Cub Scout Summer Camp
Dates of Employment: June 10th, 2002 - July 26th, 2002
Description: Lead kids from place to place, supervise their behavior for the whole day.</p>

<p>Volunteer Experience
Camp Miakonda Crew Chief: June 11th -15th, 2001 and July 23rd -27th, 2001.
Meals on Wheels Winter: 2001, 2002 and 2003
Vacation Bible School volunteer: August 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004</p>

77

<p>I need to see if anyone at all knows the probability of my chances...so BUMP.</p>

78

<p>Looks good except for sports (varsity athletic participation in High School, or some type of organized sports activities in college that require regular practices and competition). Also given the struggle you had with the PAE you mentioned in earlier posts I would suggest getting into a daily regimen aimed at improving your score. Good Luck!</p>

79

<p>The only way you will know is to try. If you want it do not give up. If you are in ROTC it may open up additional nomination avenues, depending on the program in which you are enrolled. Something on your side is that post high school credits will receive additional points in your whole candidate score (WCS). I am formerly from NW Ohio and judging from your post you are from the 5th Congressional District, which is very competetive. As you were previously medically disqualified you will likely have to receive a medical waiver in addition to clearing the medical issue. This will put you at a disadvantage in regards to others from your district when competing for the admissions slot from the pool of nominees from your area. Your SAT/ACT and grades are good, but not outstanding. As you may know, the academic portion makes up 60% of the WCS. You list a lot of activities, primarily band and Scouts, which are good, but not a lot of real leadership meat there. West Point likes to see contact team sports, and team captains from those sports. I do not want to discourage you but just giving an assessment based on what I have seen over the past 3 years.</p>

80

<p>Odd things happen sometimes. For one thing, affirmative action puts things in your favor if you are African American, Native American, or Hispanic. I'm not sure how much it helps, but it does to some degree and that is a fact. You can even find various research on this topic online if you do not believe me. Asians usually do not benefit as much or do not benefit at all from affirmative action because Asian candidates are not a part of an "underrepresented" minority.</p>

<p>Keeping this in mind, many "seemingly" qualified candidates do not get accepted, while other candidates who seem unqualified are sometimes accepted. For instance, a kid from my school entered the class of 2008. His academics were strong, he was class president and had many ec's, but he did not participate in any sports!!! That really surprised me! Not surprisingly, he dropped out during the grueling training of beast barracks. How is someone that has not played a single sport supposed to keep up with them?</p>

<p>This kid is Indian (not Native American). I do not know whether this might have anything to do with Aff Action, but how could this even happen? No sports and getting accepted... Can anyone plz explain? He tells me that his application was strong enough that it did not need sports, but is that even possible?</p>

<p>And BTW for those who think that SLS acceptance has nothing to do with your chances of receiving a LOA, you are wrong. I just got back from the SLS (yeah it really kicked ass), and the cadet cadre there all told me that statistically, about 50-60% of those who attend SLS should be entering the class of 2010. I'd say those statistics really favor those that participated in SLS.</p>