Getting accepted to the Academy after one or more years of college

Colleges and Universities A-Z Naval Academy - Annapolis
1

<p>I read a statistic somewhere on the Internet that 30% of new students at the Naval Academy have already completed one or more years of college or preparatory school.</p>

<p>For those of you that are in that boat, can I ask you a question? What do you feel was the secret of your success the 2nd (or 3rd or 4th) time around?</p>

<p>Some possibilities I've been thinking about are participation in NROTC with good aptitude scores, getting better grades in college than in high school, another chance to take the SAT's and improve your scores, having more sports activities in college than in high school, more leadership opportunities to pad the application, etc. It can't be NASS, because if you are out of highschool, you can't go to NASS.</p>

<p>The thing is, if you are applying to USNA just one year out of high school, your application already has to go in before you've even had a semester worth of grades in college. Maybe you can get 1st quarter grades, if you are lucky.</p>

<p>I've also seen some ads for preparatory schools. For example, Northwestern Preparatory Academy ( Northwestern</a> Preparatory School ). But why would a preparatory school make you a better applicant for the USNA a year out of high school, then for example going to the Virginia Military Institute and kicking some butt there and getting good grades?</p>

<p>Maybe a BGO could address this question also? When someone who is out of high school for more than a year applies to the USNA and succeeds (when they had failed in their application from high school), what is their typical secret?</p>

<p>(Maybe a book could be written about this topic!)</p>

<p>About me: I didn't even apply for the USNA because I thought my GPA and SAT scores were too low to get accepted and get nominations with, especially since I live in THE MOST competitive congressional district near the nation's capital. I think I will try to apply anyways next year no matter what college I end up in (VMI and Embry-Riddle are at the top of my list right now among places I am already accepted to), but I may have to change my residency though to get any nominations.)</p>

2

<p>I can respond, in part, since my daughter just got done with Northwestern Prep last December. Take what I say with a grain of salt, because daughter is still waiting to see if she has an appointment this year.</p>

<p>First, I won't say that NWP is the only way to go. Different approaches all work and it's all in what you want. Having said that, NWP has an excellent program, geared directly to getting candidates into an Academy on their second or more try. The Durbecks who run the school are great people and are really knowledgeable about all the ins and outs of the process. They have a 90% plus rate over many years of getting students into an Academy. The students also make friendships that will last a lifetime.</p>

<p>They help improve your application by having you take the SAT and ACT test several more times and also study fundamentals that are important to the Academys. They help the students finish the Application, test or retest the CFA after lots of PT and they also send a transcript to the Academy in plenty of time for it to be with your application. Then, you come home and go to your local college for a Semester and wait for a big letter.</p>

<p>There are lots of ways to get in on a second try or post High-school, but NWP has worked for us (so far.)</p>

<p>Good luck and PM me if you want to talk more about NWP.</p>

3

<p>If you are a college student applying, you will need to send in your 1st semester grades. You should also take a class load that resembles plebe year at USNA (english, calculus, chemistry...)</p>

<p>My son was 3Q'd with two appointments for the class of 2011 and did not receive an appointment. He is currently a freshman studying Mechanical Engineering and participating in NROTC. His admission packet is complete, has 2 nominations in hand and is just waiting for the appointment.</p>

<p>Hope this helps.</p>

4

<p>Timeliness was a key for me the second time. I applied late in the game the first time, which effected my application.</p>

<p>Besides that the second time was showing them what changed in the year that I applied. It wasn't much different from the first time besides that.
** Stellar recommendations from my senior year teachers. I worked hard until the end of the year to prove to them my honest intentions. Finding a recommendation when I was one fish in a pond of 300-400 students per class in college was asking too much.
** I asked everyone that might impress an admissions board write me a recommendation as well -- think principals, coaches, employers -- and mail it to Admissions even though they didn't ask for it. Pertinent recommendations that give them a better idea who you are a great idea.<br>
****** If you're interested in competing on a team, send a copy of your coach's recommendation with your stats to the coach at Naval. Don't flood them with nonsense, but if you have something real to add to your file don't be afraid to mail them a copy.
** Retook the ACTs/SATs. I did okay the first time, but I took both over to improve my scores -- I studied my ass off for them.
** Do your DoDMERB remedials EARLY. Send copies of everything to the Medical Office at USNA -- it'll get your remedial stuff looked at faster.
** In college, I didn't end up taking anything that looked remotely like the courseload if I were to do a first semester at USNA, but my BGO calmed my nerves by telling me that \success was more important than the "perfect" classes; so I picked a challenging courseload and did well.
** Impress on your interviews with nominations -- apply everywhere!
** Use your Personal Statement to impress upon the board that you are what they want, your drive, your motivation.</p>

<p>Your application file gets compressed into a 5-minute PowerPoint slide, so give them things to bullet on a slide that are impressive enough for them to look at more intensely, and when they do for them to go, Hmmm this kid has something.</p>

<p>G'luck!</p>

5

<p>Hey Clif, question for you.. the recommendations that the Academy/nominations use do NOT have to come from your college teachers? I am applying for c/o 2013 and was how the recommendations worked, specifically.</p>

<p>Definitely appreciate the advice! Thanks!</p>

<p>Koho</p>

6

<p>Koho,</p>

<p>I was still in high school when I started my application; since I didn't have college professors yet, it was appropriate for me to use my high school teachers for my application. For my nominations I did the same since I sent them in as early as they would receive them, which was during my first semester, so I hadn't had professors long enough to write me recommendations.</p>

<p>If you have more specific questions PM me.</p>

7

<p>I went through the same process, waitlisted until fairly late for the class of 2011, then finally got the letter (w/ 2 noms). Opted for taking an NROTC scholarship to Virginia Tech. Managed to pull out a 3.2 in engineering, which is good for any first semester engineer here. ROTC's are required to live as part of the Tech Corps of Cadets, separate from the civilian pop, and had our own freshmen indoc (which ended just yesterday). Reapplied immediately after the rejection letter, however I refrained from submitting any of required doc's until Jan (12 days after completing app, I had my appt) due to the fact mentioned above, that USNA will NOT make a decision on your application until after your first semester of college, thus I wanted my application to take into account the full range of activities I would participate over that amount of time. </p>

<p>To break it down, I believed when I applied the second time a few major factors helped myself:</p>

<p>-Dedication - Desire to reapply, even after putting in a year at college
-NROTC - Being a competent member of the NROTC unit shows your ability to succeed (and hopefully thrive) in a Navy environment. (i.e., there is less of a chance of the candidate going for USNA, not to be the best Naval officer possible.
-Corps of Cadets - The cadet system here is completely separate from the civilian population, with an intensive freshmen year, harkening back to Tech’s origins as a rival to VMI before civilians starting attending the college. USNA will always value one who can take the hard route and still thrive.
-Grades – Taking courses similar to that of a plebe, pursuing a technical major, and achieving decent grades will demonstrate that you can perform on a college level.</p>

<p>The above are just a few things I’ve derived from my short time around naval officers, BGO, and other sources. Be the highly motivated and dedication individual that above all wishes to become an officer in the Naval service.</p>

8

<p>
[quote]
I went through the same process, waitlisted until fairly late for the class of 2011, then finally got the letter (w/ 2 noms). Opted for taking an NROTC scholarship to Virginia Tech. Managed to pull out a 3.2 in engineering, which is good for any first semester engineer here. ROTC's are required to live as part of the Tech Corps of Cadets, separate from the civilian pop, and had our own freshmen indoc (which ended just yesterday). Reapplied immediately after the rejection letter, however I refrained from submitting any of required doc's until Jan (12 days after completing app, I had my appt) due to the fact mentioned above, that USNA will NOT make a decision on your application until after your first semester of college, thus I wanted my application to take into account the full range of activities I would participate over that amount of time. </p>

<p>To break it down, I believed when I applied the second time a few major factors helped myself:</p>

<p>-Dedication - Desire to reapply, even after putting in a year at college
-NROTC - Being a competent member of the NROTC unit shows your ability to succeed (and hopefully thrive) in a Navy environment. (i.e., there is less of a chance of the candidate going for USNA, not to be the best Naval officer possible.
-Corps of Cadets - The cadet system here is completely separate from the civilian population, with an intensive freshmen year, harkening back to Tech’s origins as a rival to VMI before civilians starting attending the college. USNA will always value one who can take the hard route and still thrive.
-Grades – Taking courses similar to that of a plebe, pursuing a technical major, and achieving decent grades will demonstrate that you can perform on a college level.</p>

<p>The above are just a few things I’ve derived from my short time around naval officers, BGO, and other sources. Be the highly motivated and dedication individual that above all wishes to become an officer in the Naval service.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>RKavanaugh,</p>

<p>that is very interesting. i just went to a VT Corps presentation at the Northern Virginia Center on friday. a question came up of whether the Corps ever loses anyone to the service academies. the presenter, 1LT Alexander Kibler, who is a VTCC traveling recruiter, said he knew of no one who left VTCC for any of the service academies.</p>

<p>you should go introduce yourself to him! LOL.</p>

<p>could tell me something? did you get an NROTC CO's nomination from VTCC this time around? Do you know how many NROTC CO nominations were given out by the VTCC NROTC commander this year? i know the maximum is 3 - i'm just wondering if CAPT Rubenstein gave out all the nominations he could this year and if it was competitive to get a nomination from him.</p>

<p>Would you also mind sharing your stats with us (SAT, highschool GPA, how many nominations you got this year, and what sport you participated in this year)?</p>

9

<p>RKavanaugh --</p>

<p>Very interesting. While I was hesitant to complete my application early for the reasons that you waited, I found completion of an early application was more in my favor. Too often things go wrong, so I figured to be better prepared. As the semester progressed, I sent additional information to the Admissions Board as was necessary to keep them updated on what I was doing. I commend your ability to complete the application so quickly.</p>

<p>To anyone looking to apply again, you have to make decisions for your self that will benefit you the best. Consult your BGO; they are invaluable.</p>

<p>G'luck all!</p>

10

<p>The first time I was rejected, I was taking college classes but also still in high school.</p>

<p>I wanted to make sure I didn't get rejected again, so I did everything possible to bolster my application. In addition to my prior church leadership and community volunteering, some of the things I did when I went to college: play every intramural sport offered (flag football, volleyball, tennis, soccer, swimming, and softball) and captained teams for half of them. I joined the speech and debate team, did well, and became captain over the summer. I ran for Student Government President and won. I joined the choir and made All-State. I started organizing everything I could on campus (coat/blanket drive, voter registration drive, etc.). </p>

<p>Academically, I got a C in Chem 1 and B in Precalc my first semester and then straight A's except for a C in Chem 2 in 19 credit hours in the second semester. Before sending my transcripts, I took summer school (9 hours of a 5-week course...not necessarily recommended!!!) and got straight A's. I had straight A's in high school with above-average SAT/ACT scores (I believe 670/710 M/V SAT and 31/34 M/E ACT), but my college academics weren't that great when I applied.</p>

<p>Other than that, I just sought out as many opportunities and as much recognition as possible. Our school doesn't automatically put people on the Dean's List - you have to apply. So, I made sure to apply every semester I was eligible (all but the first), I also got invited to three honors societies (officers in two of them and just asked to be an officer in the third), got elected as an officer in the Mathematics Awareness Association...I just tried to get out there as much as I could. I also tutored, judged HS speech competitions, and worked a part-time job while taking 19 hours in the spring and fall.</p>

<p>Since I had college teachers that knew me the year before, I asked them to fill out my teacher evaluations.</p>

<p>It was rough and probably mostly unnecessary, but I was determined to not give them a reason to reject me a second time. I received my nomination and an NROTC scholarship to VMI last year, but was rejected from USNA. This year I received my nomination again and received an LOA to USNA and USMA.</p>

<p>If anyone has any questions, feel free to PM me. I don't troll this board too often, but having been through it twice, I know some of the ins-and-outs of applying.</p>

11

<p>hooyahmicah,
did you end up at VMI this year with the NROTC scholarship? or did you turn it down?</p>

12

<p>hooyahmicah: where were you when I was applying again? Haha -- serious props on perseverance!</p>

13

<p>DSL1990, the VTCC rep you talked to is wrong, however it is an easily excusable mistake as less than one percent (2-3 cadets) of any class will leave for a service academy. In fact, a sizable number of cadets here turned down one or more service academies, sometimes to choose a different service, other times to experience a bit more freedom than an academy would offer. As regard to your question of obtaining an NROTC nomination, I did not pursue it greatly as I already had received a Presidential nomination, and was fairly confident in my ability to obtain a congressional (having obtained one the year before) nomination. I know of one other cadet who will be transferring to USNA, however I am unsure of his specific application. CAPT Rubenstein is an excellent officer, and I am sure that if you brought forth your best efforts to the NROTC unit that he would be inclined to help you in any way he could.</p>

<p>As regards to my exact College & H.S. stats:
College:
1st Semester courses – General Chemistry w/ Lab, Calculus, Linear Algebra, Engineering Exploration, English Honors, Naval Science (3.2 GPA)
2nd Semester courses – Physics w/ Lab, Calculus, Vector Geometry, Engineering, Naval Science, Roman History, Naval Science</p>

<p>High School:
Leadership:
Eagle Scout (August 2006)
Senior Patrol Leader (Previously Jr. Asst Scoutmaster, Instructor, etc.)</p>

<p>Academics:
1420 SAT (700 Reading, 720 Math)
3.5+ GPA (8th-12th)
-8th: 2.75
-9th: 3.5
-10th: 3.286
-11th: 3.857
-12th: 3.857</p>

<p>Senior Year: IB History II, IB English II, IB Physics II, AP Calc AB, Engineering Design, IB Economics, Weight Training
Junior Year: IB History of the Americas, IB English 1, IB Physics 1, Trigonometry/Math Analysis, Architecture, Web Design, Weight Training
Sophmore: IB/AP Government, Pre-IB English 10, IB Chemistry, Algebra 2, Basic Technical Design, Latin III
Freshmen: Pre-IB World History, Pre-IB English 9, Pre-IB Biology, Geometry, Latin II
8th Grade: Algebra 1, Latin I
*IB is similar to AP or Honors courses</p>

<p>School doesn't rank students</p>

<p>Sports:
School Cross Country 4 yrs
School Indoor Track 3 yrs
School Outdoor Track 4 yrs
Summer League Swimming 4 yrs
Tae Kwon Do 4 yrs - Black Belt</p>

<p>Hope that helps DSL.</p>

14

Hey I know you are already out of the academy I would suppose since you wrote this message in 2008 but I am a junior at a high school in New York, and am applying for the USNA class of 2021. If you could briefly direct message me on facebook, Gregg Ambrose Grothmann.