Chances of getting into West Point, Air Force Academy, or ROTC scholarship?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hello, I am currently a sophomore and I am interested in a career in the military. I want to go into the Army (first choice) or Air Force (second choice) as an officer.

Academics:
For both years of high school I have maintained a 4.0 GPA. This year I have taken 4 college courses (Psychology, Sociology, Intro to Criminal Justice, and Juvenile Delinquency and Justice) I finished the first 2 with A’s (96.5% and 95% if I remember correctly) I have not completed the other two yet but currently have a 99% in both.

I have not taken the ACT or SAT yet (planning on taking the next ACT) but I have taken the PSAT and got a score of 168 (55 critical reading 61 math 52 writing).

There are around 25 people in my class and I am tied with 2 other people for 1st in class assuming it goes by GPA.

Extracurricular:
Sports- I played volleyball this year but did not letter and do not plan on playing again next year
Other: I was vice president for Student Council last year and President this year, I was historian for our Greenhand FFA chapter last year, historian for FBLA this year, involved in Scholar’s bowl both years and I think I lettered this year (will not know until end of year)

I plan on running for Student Council again and will likely get a position (may not be pres or vice but probably will get at least one title), Plan on running for FFA officer and may have chance at getting it- if not I will still be a FFA member, will likely get FBLA position next year (there are like 10 officer spots and we have low member numbers plus I have been very actively involved this year), will do Scholar’s bowl next year, will likely letter

Other information- My father was in the Army for 24 years so I can apply for presidential nomination. I plan on applying for all nominations I am eligible for including both senators, presidential, and congressman.

I am going to try and get a job at McDonald’s over the summer (I am only 15 until late August so my job options are kind of limited). I don’t know if they look for jobs or anything like that.

I think that academically I am good but I am worried about not playing/lettering in sports. I am in good physical shape and I work out everyday after school but I do not like sports.

How likely do you think I am to get a scholarship through the Air Force Academy, West Point, or ROTC?

2

The Air Force Academy and the USMA do not offer scholarships. If you are interested in your chances for an Appointment…it is very difficult to guess without SAT/ACT scores. BTW - you might want to reconsider quitting volleyball, or at least consider participating in another TEAM sport. It helps…a lot.

3

PSAT is really low.

4

Average PSAT scores for Juniors (again I am a sophomore) was 143. 168 isn’t very low especially considering this was the first time I had taken a test like this.

5

For the academies, I highly suggest participating in a sport or finding a good alternative as it is a key role in your application. For ROTC scholarship, aim for leadership roles. 168 if an accurate prediction of your SAT score is on the low end. However, it is not the actual test yet but make sure you improve in all categories. AFROTC scholarship is highly competitive and do have many applicants who are in 2-3 sports with letters and hold many leadership roles. However, sports is not a changing factor if you demonstrate fitness through the PFT and leadership in other areas.

Good luck, and do your research.

6

@hre123‌
To clarify, a 168 PSAT might be above average for those who take it, but it is below average for the service academies or for ROTC scholarships. That’s okay. You have time to continue to learn more. It will be more than a year before you can apply for these programs.

I agree with others, it is very important to play a sport, preferably a team sport. Physical fitness is a huge factor in the military, and is the single best predictor of a successful military career. Plus, the military likes that competitive attitude, and sports teams are great way to develop your leadership skills.

7

how do you have a 4.0 but a 168? Colleges might look down on this…

8

GPAs are often curved and vary considerably between schools. Standardized tests were suppose to evaluate everyone by the same standards. One of the reasons that SAT/ACT scores are so important to most colleges and SAs. Whether 168 will accurately forecast what the SAT/ACT score will be is a moot point and a debate for another thread. Until we see an actual SAT/ACT score…all we can do is guess.

Currently the OP is in 10th grade and hasn’t bothered to respond in his own thread…I won’t spend anymore time investing in it either.

9

Thank you @NROTCgrad‌ for recognizing that I still have another year to improve my test scores before I can even apply.
@aglages‌ I did reply to one person and have just gotten around to checking the thread again. I’ve had school and don’t spend every waking moment refreshing my threads. Also I’m a female.
@openguy‌ I have a 4.0 because I work hard in school and my grades reflect it. A 168 isn’t as low as you are making it out to be, I was highest score in my class and scored higher than most of the juniors that took it. It may not be West Point material but it will look good to normal colleges.
@DefineGravity‌ thank you for your help.

10

I do volunteer recruiting for West Point and graduated from there in the early 1980s. It’s pretty important that you be involved in some sport. It is important to be able to run and have some upper body strength. Nice grades does your school offer honors or AP? Being a female helps because the number of female cadets is growing. You don’t need perfect SAT or ACT to get in but your a stronger candidate if you can score over 28 or maybe 2000. Reach out to your congressman and find out whether he or she has academy days where you can meet academy admissions reps or learn more. Where you live is important. In some congressional districts there are a lot of kids competing and in others not so many. PM me if you have any other questions and good luck!

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@Wje9164be‌ thank you for your comment. My school does not offer any honors or AP classes and this year is the first year they have offered online college courses through a community college near us. I go to a very small school and they are a bit behind other schools in what classes they offer. I live in the first congressional district of Kansas if that helps any. My congressman is Tim Huelskamp.

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http://huelskamp.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-huelskamp-announces-military-academy-nominations

A posting from your congressman for last year’s appointments. Your congressman has a form on his website that you can use to apply for a nomination but my guess is that you would not need to do that until your senior year. There are a few things about military academ appointments which aren’t widely understood. The first is that at any point in time a congressman can have five cadets at each military academy. So while he can nominate a number of candidates and he can choose to select which of the nominated cadets west point should accept, the number of actual openings will depend upon how many cadets he already has there. There are also cadets who are picked out of a pool of candidates who have not been the congressman’s primary choice. The other important point is that a congressional nomination is not the same thing as being accepted by the academy. Both need to happen for you to be admitted. The academy needs the congressman to nominate you and the academy needs to accept you based on your academic strength and leadership potential. Sports involvement is important but it does not have to be through high school, particularly if your school is only 25 students. Good luck!

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@hre123‌ well as long as you’re at the top of your class, I assume you will be good then. For background, I got a much higher PSAT my sophomore year, and I don’t have a 4.0.

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@Wje9164be‌ thank you so much for all of your help!!

15

OP doesn’t need a congressional nomination as he says his father is a military retiree. He can get his appointment through the Presidential Nomination pool.

16

You’re right, I fidny pick up on that

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@NoVADad99‌ I plan on applying for all nominations in hopes it will increase my chance of getting one.