<p>My son and I will be visiting the Naval Academy in a couple of weeks. He may fall in love with the place or not. But if he does, will the fact the he is closely related (great uncle) to a now retired former high ranking alum (lets just say submariner, for now) intent on doing what it takes to gain his acceptance, help?</p>
<p>29 ACT
2.55 GPA
C/P with great curve and slider
Engineering Major</p>
<p>I'm sure there are a lot of people on this site (from BGOs etc) and other USNA related sites that could provide you with more insight into what impact his relations might have, but I would think that is a discussion you would probalby want to have "offline" so that you can provide more details than you would likely be comfortable doing here. The other thing to keep in mind is the fact that getting in is only the beginning of the challenge; even if his great uncle is sucessful in tipping the scales in his favor, he still has to get through 4 years on his own. He may be more than capable of doing so, I'm only pointing out that the selection process has a purpose. I also realize lots of great kids don't make the cut for reasons that may be hard to fathom and beyond their control. Good luck to you and your son.</p>
<p>All candidates have to earn an appointment based on their own merit. Having a parent(s) who is an alumni does add some points to the candidate's multiple but will not tip the scale for a marginal applicant.</p>
<p>Compare your son's stats to the profile for the Class of 2010 to determine if he is in the competitive range.</p>
<p>While the specifics are unknown in your case, if you're asking if politics and especially "knowing the right folks" ever, often or occasionally, can come into play in the admissions process, one need only read John McCain's book. Now that was a few decades back, but it would be naive to think that despite a process designed and intended to dissuade and deter such, that there cannot be and on occasion is in fact, undue influence provided to assist certain candidates in admission to the Academy. And in keeping them there. Again, read "Faith of My Fathers." </p>
<p>But that said, I'd not put much or any stock in the notion generally. </p>
<p>I would be inclined to use GA's implied directive to examine the plebe profile to encourage diligent work on the lad's GPA. A strong improvement there could be far more important and valuable than having a subway uncle.</p>
<p>btw, on the lighter side, I don't consider my great-uncles, several of whom are pretty great, "close" kin. Do you really?</p>
<p>Good luck and go get 'em.</p>
<p>There are, however, exceptions . . . </p>
<p>I am aware of a current midshipman who has a famous alumni uncle. . . .the mid's grade at NAPS was less than 2.0. This is different than the mid who has a famous alumni father who also had a less than 2.0 grade at NAPS.</p>
<p>Life goes on . . . even at the Academy.</p>
<p>My son is a boxer, an MVP baseball player...great physical condition, and probably mentally capable of meeting the challenges of the program. His sisters are current and former students at Columbia University, so there is a genetic legacy of intellectual spark. A decision by him to apply to the Naval Academy would be his own and I would almost prefer no help from anyone, but I don't think that will be possible once the word gets out. His 2.55 GPA is a function of how well rounded he is compared to his sisters, or so he claims. The high school he attends is known for its academic rigor. He should have no problems with the course work. The visit to the Naval Academy is on a leg of a trip to the Northeast in connection with a baseball showcase in Richmond at which the Naval Academy and many other schools will have representatives scouting talent. Coming from the swamps of Louisiana, I am sure once he gets a look at the vistas surrounding the Academy he'll be impressed. I know there is the standard college tour program that repeats 4 times a day, but does anyone have any recommendations on what we should absolutely not miss doing while up there. I'm thinking we might visit a bar or two in the area where midshipmen hang out, buy one a beer and discuss their experiences. Any suggestions?</p>
<p>^^^^^
The most important factors in the whole person multiple are: class rank, followed by the SAT/ACT math core (which is weighted more than the verbal score), then the SAT/ACT Verbal score.</p>
<p>GPA is not considered by USNA unless the candidate's school does not rank their students. The 2.55 GPA will be a moot point if your son ranks towards the top of his class.</p>
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<p>Make sure the mids are of legal age before buying them adult beverages. :eek:</p>
<p>Also, mids who hang out at bars probably aren't your best source for info on the academy. I would suggest talking to the mids on duty in the main office in Bancroft Hall.</p>
<p>Any kin to Ron? If your lad can throw a fastball like him, then the baseball coach will be in his corner, pronto. Conversely, if he can throw a fastball like Great Uncle Ron, then he's wasting his talent at USNA. Good luck. GA's on the $ re: the key components and the class rank. Where it MAY be important is that the Academy will use it to rank your student should your school be one of those that does not rank. And re: the Columbia gig, it may reflect keen intellect and questionable judgement. ;)</p>
<p>When he was pitching for the Yankees, Ron Guidry was my first cousin. Over the last few years, he just been "related". Now that he's the Yankee's pitching coach, he is more closely related today.</p>
<p>My son is not the fastball pitcher that his namesake was, but he has better junk. He was a .503 hitter in high school with a .707 OB%. Athletics will not determine where he goes to college.</p>
<p>His high school does not rank its students, but he would probably fall in the lower end of the middle 1/3 of his class....we're talking Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia admits from his class, I'm pretty certain, so where he falls is nothing to be ashamed of or an indicator of his judgment. Many National Merit Finalists and Commended scholars. Its just tough as hell to get good grades at his high school. Colleges do recognize that.</p>
<p>We'll be looking at Elon, N.C. and Johns Hopkins on this trip, too.</p>
<p>dg, My son came from a small high school that had no class rank and no grades. The impression we received in talking to admissions at a number of colleges including the Naval Academy, suggested they have to capacity to look beyond grades or class rank as predictors of success. In some cases they made it clear SAT/ACT scores would play a greater roll in their efforts to apply a "score" to our son. </p>
<p>While it may first appear as a disadvantage, in some ways it may have been a net positive as applicants that don't fit the norm in terms of grades/rank etc are frequently given to a specific individual for close examination. Assuming the Naval Academy is on your son's short list I do believe it is very important he put a great deal of effort into explaining his high school, from a curriculum standpoint as well as how it ranks for example is any regional/state or national reviews. If he wants the best shot he can possibly get, then he will have to work at demonstrating he is a viable candidate in part by demonstrating the high standards and accomplishments of his high school.</p>
<p>My son put a package together for his BGO as well as the USNA admissions office and his Congressman with information to supplement the material coming from his high school. He threw everything in there that he thought would help make the case that his diploma meant something more than just demonstrating he graduated. He even sent in some pages he found on a real estate network that listed high schools by state testing standards. </p>
<p>More and more colleges are in a position to consider the applicants from home schooling as well as other type of "alternative ed" in which conventional standards such as grades and class rank may not exist. I think they have also recognized that home or alternative education doesn't equal inferior education and as a consequence are making the necessary efforts to look more closely at such candidates. </p>
<p>Good luck in your search.</p>