<p>As of now, I have a 4.17 average GPA, got a 4.6 this 1st semester of my junior year (straight A's). I'm also getting my eagle scout very soon and was wondering how much it helps. I heard it helps a lot, but to what degree? My SAT scores come out pretty soon, I took the January test and I'm pretty sure I got around 2100, maybe a little lower or higher. I've done Football for 4 years and Varsity track for 2 along with being the President of a really active Red Cross Club.</p>
<p>I've heard of people in my situation get rejected, but others with their eagle were accepted. Does it help that much??</p>
<p>So much depends on where you live; if your region is super-competitive you need anything that can make you stand out. Eagle shows you started a program at a young age and saw it through to completion…even when you were busy w/ HS, sports, clubs, etc. Some say it’s huge, others not so much. Some of the MOC’s think it’s huge, and it will come into play when you apply for a nom.</p>
<p>Being an Eagle Scout shows much more than you joined a program and saw it through to completion. It shows demonstrated leadership, which is very important at any of the Academies.</p>
<p>As for how much it helps, who’s to say? When our oldest, an Eagle Scout, was at West Point, he was surrounded by Eagle Scouts. There are lot’s of 'em there, but that’s no surprise. When our nephew was waiting for his nomination interview, of the six candidates waiting with him, five were Eagle Scouts. </p>
<p>It DOES help, a lot, just like the other pieces of the puzzle that make up you as a whole person. Moreover, remember, once an Eagle, always an Eagle. Is it a guarantee? Not at all. Can it make the deciding factor? Absolutely.</p>
<p>As said above it certainly can help you, but keep in mind that only about 200 out of the last class (2013) of nearly 1300 accepted candidates were Eagle Scouts (or the equivalent for women) (class of 2013). </p>
<p>I’m just curious: If an applicant’s parents never got him into scouting (and it is unlikely that, say, an 8 yr old would be able to push the issue), then he would never have the opportunity to pursue the Egale, through no fault of his own. Would he point that out in his application, or leave it unaddressed? I ask this as a casual reader of the forum, not as a potential applicant.</p>
<p>I wouldnt even address it—as said above most cadets at West Point were not Eagle Scouts so its hardly a “make or break” item on your application.</p>
<p>I thought I’d throw my $0.02 worth in. My son is an Eagle Scout, got LoAs to all 3 of the SAs he applied to. We are in one of the very competitive states. My son received noms to USNA (his first choice) from both of our Senators. Now has his appointment to USNA. Anytime he had an interview (whether it be with his liaison officers or the MOCs), one of the things that he was asked the most questions about and received the most comments about was his Eagle Rank and the project he did. </p>
<p>I agree with other posters on this thread. Being an Eagle Scout or having a Girl Scout Gold Award is by no means necessary to get an appointment, but it’s like a lot of the other pieces of the puzzle that the SAs are looking for, the more pieces you have the better the picture (borrowing majmattmason’s analogy here).</p>
<p>If you are thinking about applying in the future to an SA, you are a scout now, and you are debating about finishing your requirements for Eagle or Girl Scout Gold Award, then by all means do it. If you are not a scout then don’t worry about it.</p>
<p>I’m from California and the competition, I feel, isn’t as rough as it would be in the east coast. I think I’m the only person, if not one of 3 at the most, of my graduating class (of 397 students) to apply to West Point. Hopefully, everything I’ve done so far is good enough since I just received the mail stating that I was accepting to SLS. Does going to SLS help a ton with the actual application process later?</p>
<p>AgentOh2, congratulations on being accepted to SLS!</p>
<p>I suggest you go across to [United</a> States of America Service Academy Forums - Powered by vBulletin](<a href=“http://www.serviceacademyforums.com%5DUnited”>http://www.serviceacademyforums.com) select “Military Academy -USMA” and search through the recent threads (A few people from California have stated that they have got into SLS.) There are numerous great discussions with folks asking these and many other USMA questions that you will have as you work through the application process. </p>
<p>Re. your SLS question, I have read that the various Summer Seminars are largely recruiting tools, and your geographic location can be a big deciding factor as to whether or not you get in. I understand that you will be reviewed at SLS and this will go into your admissions file. A great review may help that extra bit, but a poor review will have more impact to keep you out. Many, many people report that they didn’t get into SLS but received Appointments, and others who attended SLS have not received Appointments. My son did not apply to USMA’s SLS last year, as he was initially only interested in the Navy and so applied to and attended USNA’s Summer Seminar. (He later decided to apply to USMA as well and has since received Appointments to both USMA and USNA and is struggling to make a decision. He is researching future career options and is going on overnight visits to both of them in April.)</p>
<p>It is a very long admissions process (incl. medical and nominations) that requires a huge amount of “hurry up and wait”.
Good luck, with the entire process and make sure that you are in great shape for SLS so that you can get a good score on the Physical Fitness test - it is great to get that out the way early on.</p>
<p>Alright thank you so much!! And if it’s not a bother I have a few questions about the actual physical exam (the CFA). I recently suffered a shoulder injury while playing football which damaged a nerve as well as sprain a muscle in my rotator cuff. I’m healing, but at a slow pace, however, I can do almost everything that is required on the test except the pull ups. Is that a very crucial part of the test?</p>
<p>Everything else I feel that I can get achieve or get near the perfect score, except the push ups right now (which I get between 60-65 when the ideal/top score is 75) and the mile (I’m about 40 seconds off). Does this seem decent?</p>
<p>How would being a JROTC Officer or club officer compare to being an Eagle Scout…they are also responsible for conducting projects and demonstrate leadership?</p>
<p>In response to the guy who talked about how parents have to push their kids into scouts to become eagle. I joined scouts at 14 years and 8 months through my own choice without them asking or mentioning it. I am now getting life this month and eagle this summer and am about 16 and a half, getting eagle isn’t about who is the smartest or strongest it’s just all about work, leadership, and self discipline</p>
<p>Probably best to start a new thread then tack onto one that is 3 yrs old. Most of those individuals are long gone from here.</p>
<p>The general consensus when this topic has been discussed in the past is that Eagle Scouts gets you about as many points as varsity team captain. I think for some, they outgrow scouting in h.s. when they have a wider variety or sports or ECA’s to participate in. Your whole candidate score is the sum total of all things you have accomplished in h.s… No one activity is a magical key to an appointment and there are various combinations of activities one might be involved with.</p>