I know this is an extremely open-ended question, and, ultimately, it is not something that can be deciphered by anyone except for the people who will decide my admission in a few months. However I’m looking at the US Naval Academy for college and it is easily my top choice for college right now. Unfortunately I learned about the academy a bit too late. By the time I was truly interested, the opportunity to apply for the Summer Seminar had passed and I had put off the first round of SAT/ACTs. I’m currently a guy and a rising senior who lives in the 18th Congressional District of NY.
Academics:
GPA: 3.75
SAT: 1200
ACT: 28
I will have only taken 2 APs but all of my other classes have been honors
I rank at about the top 20% of my highly competitive private high school
Extracurriculars:
Congressional Debate Team
Vice President of the Speech team where I do Extemporaneous Speaking
Human Rights Club
President of the Yearbook Club
Athletics(Definitely my weakest spot and yes I know how VERY important it is)
I played JV Lacrosse my Freshman Year and Summer between 9th and 10th grade
I plan on running track and wrestling my senior year
I know how important a Varsity sport is and no I haven’t played one so someone please tell me if I screwed myself 3 years ago when I quit lacrosse
Other activities/Awards?
I’ve done Boy Scouts for 13 years where I’ve earned my Eagle Scout, my 1st Palm, and more than 100 merit badges
I have a First Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do
I’ve taught leadership for a Boy Scout program called the National Youth Leadership Training for 3 years(My mom claims this is very important but I feel very different so I’d like some input here"
I’ve also qualified for the National Speech and Debate tournament twice and the State tournament once
Honestly, I think the Boy Scout program is one of the strongest parts of your application. Also I am a black belt too and that counts as a Varsity letter. You should try to get on a fall Varsity sport if you can or manage one maybe to get another Varsity letter. Your gpa is very good if that’s unweighted and okay if it’s weighted, but since you are top 20% that seems pretty good. You should try maybe raising your SAT or ACT score cause they are below average as of rn, and if you have any other leadership experience you should put that down as well. My athletics are pretty week as well and one of the best ways to make up for this is to do really well on the CFA (Candidate fitness assessment), and score above average on all the tests. I started training everyday for a week now and you should too.
Are you sure the black belt counts as a Varsity letter? I did outside of school so does it still count?
Also do you know when we have to take the CFA by? I started training a week or two ago but if it has to be taken in September, I don’t think that I’ll be ready
@AnthonyR27 I believe the CFA can be taken up until January but its recommended you take it earlier. On the black belt I am 100% sure for applying to West Point it counts so I don’t see why it would not for Naval Academy.
Are you applying to both schools?
definitely Naval Academy, just the campus and everything plus I think the student life is a lot nicer
The black belt will not count as an equivalent to a varsity letter. It will be about the same as a JV team membership. In order for it to equal a varsity letter, you would need to show higher progress in the discipline including regional or national championships. Run Track and Cross Country if you can to give yourself more athletic exposure and possibly to earn a letter.
The CFA is pass/fail so scoring higher will not make a difference on the application as long as you make the required scores.
ACT should be higher so try and take it again. 1200 SAT is not competitive, but USNA takes the higher of the two so focus on the ACT. Top 20% class rank is OK but top 10% would help you much more. USNA will have a profile of your high school so if it is truly a top competitive school the 20th percentile will be fine.
Your eagle scout and your youth leadership training involvement will be a huge plus for you. Listen to your mom.
@oldpilot1972 how should I go about putting the leadership training into my application?
Take a practice CFA on your own now so you know where you stand.
@Sportsman88 where can I find the “passing” scores for the CFA?
They don’t publish it. For reference, you need a 10:30 1.5 mile to pass the PFA while at USNA. You need 45 push ups and 60 sit-ups. Your stats are a little low so I would aim for a better CFA. Running track/cross country will at least help you prepare physically.
@Sportsman88 alright thanks. I know my stats are kinda low, but those SAT/ACT scores were the first tests I took so I expect to have much higher scores due to the massive amount of studying I’ve done this summer
You should be able to list the leadership training in your candidate activities record. If it doesn’t fit into the available categories, there is an open area to add any other information.
@oldpilot1972 If I wrestle in the winter, but my application is already submitted can I still put that on my application?
Yes. Any activities that you plan to do as a senior should be included. You may not earn a varsity letter so don’t include that unless you are sure.
Are you working with a Blue and Gold officer?
@Sportsman88 yes I am why?
Because that’s a great route for some of these questions.