<p>Our son is currently a youngster at the Naval Academy. He applied for (and did NOT get into) the summer seminar. What helped him the most was his participation in our local Sea Cadets chapter. It showed that he had some familiarity with the navy and that he wasn't making this decision blindly. If you don't have Sea Cadets nearby, then look into a Jr ROTC program.<br>
One more thing: I notice you mention "tennis" and tons of other (non-athletic) activities. If you don't participate in any other sports, you might want to try that instead of "more community service." USNA likes varsity athletes who are well rounded. But most importantly they like applicants who really want to be there and understand what they are getting themselves into. Good luck!</p>
<p>I wish I had sea cadets or a jr rotc program. There aren't really any near me. In addition to tennis, I also do track.</p>
<p>If anyone is ever contemplating between doing NJROTC/Sea Cadets (because of the Naval service background) and a varsity sport.....varsity sport wins...this was right from a CGO's mouth.</p>
<p>If somehow you can manage both...that is quite an accomplishment, but from the after school committment, it makes it hard.</p>
<p>If you don't participate in a varsity sport, NJROTC/Sea Cadets is a good choice.</p>
<p>If you apply and become accepted to Summer Seminar, the statistic is 38-40% of Summer Seminar attendees will become accepted to the Academy. There are 1800 kids that are accepted to Summer Seminar, so if 38% are accepted, 684 SS attendees will make up approximately 60% of an incoming class. I just wanted to clarify that.</p>
<p>Not all choose to attend.</p>
<p>Very solid advice here. In Pennsylvania the USNA draws the most interest - last year about 2:1 compared to USMA and 3:1 compared to USAFA so nominations to USNA may be the most competitive. Other options - CGA, USMMA, or the other service academies depending on your career goals or overall sense of fit.</p>
<p>Used my son's log in by mistake - he's currently a Basic out in Jack's Valley (USAFA).</p>
<p>I've heard that PA is very competitive for nominations, but not as competitive in Philadelphia. Do you know if this is true? I hope it is. :p</p>
<p>I would be surprised if it was not as competitive. Philadelphia is huge. You would think more people would want to attend a military college, but there is also the possibility of going to college in Philadelphia, so maybe more people want to stay closer to home? I mean I am looking at some Philadelphia colleges for back ups. There are some good colleges and they are closer to home.</p>
<p>competition goes by congressional district - the last election redrew the boundaries and a lot of gerrymandering took place. I think there are 4 congressional districts that are part of Philly.<br>
Even though you are in the city, your district may extend into the suburbs.
First determine what district you are in, then determine where the boundaries are. Expect a lot of competition from anywhere in Eastern PA.</p>
<p>I don't think that one can count on any district in the entire US as not being competitive. All it takes is a single highly competitive candidate to snag the MOC's lone nomination. Most districts, more often than not, will have one or two of these highly competitive individuals. Once that slot is filled, the remainder of the candidates end up in the national pool, which is highly competitive.</p>
<p>My friend's brother graduated from USNA in '06, and he has the same congressman that I do. Apparently, the congressman told his family that he wished he gave out more nominations. Does that imply that not many people apply to him?</p>
<p>PA has 19 congressmen and 2 senators. Each may have 5 midshipment at the Academy at once. The latest statistics show 229 midshipment from PA. That is 124 in excess of congressional nominations. Also the SE PA Parent's group which advertises itself as serving the greater Philadelphia area lists 75 families of current midshipmen. I am sure that not all parents are members.</p>
<p>I have no idea what the third or fourth hand rendition of a possible statement means. In this case I would just as soon think that he was stating that, since he had so many qualified candidates, that he wished that he could give out more appointments.</p>
<p>For 2011 Class there were 179 candidates and I believe 70 appointments (this is not offers of appointment but rather those offered and planning to attend USNA.) in PA.</p>
<p>Remember that general population #s don't impact statistical likelihood of appointment with a caveat. Congressional seats are generally apportioned based upon population, so it's no more or less competitive (based upon numbers in inner city Philadelphia than it is in the stix of Potter County. The caveat is that Senatorial appointments, generally 2 annually, will generally be available to any/all in the state (altho they do not necessarily consider all pre-candidates automatically.) So ... with regard to Senators ... much better odds of appointment when coming from Idaho or Arkansas than NY or PA or CA or other highly populated states.</p>
<p>Most certainly it is more competitive in MD, VA and a few other more military states but for a different reason. There are more candidates per applicant pool because of location, military families living there, etc. Undoubtedly, there are many outstanding candidates from those areas who may not receive an appointment.</p>