<p>I’m a HS soph and have quite a bit of time before i have to start the application process, but I have a few questions.</p>
<li><p>I may have been diagnosed with asthma when I was 6, I’m not sure what the doctor put in my medical record, but I don’t have it now. Is that grounds for DQ?</p></li>
<li><p>Is one sport good enough? I run Cross country and have lettered in it this year and last year. I’ll be the captain next year. Should I try a second sport next year? </p></li>
<li><p>Is it real bad if I don’t do well in a noncore class?</p></li>
<li><p>How should I go about getting my nominations? Should I call my represenatives and senators offices and ask what they would like me to send, or just send a letter like the sample letter.</p></li>
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<p>Congradulations on your efforts and forward thinking! Here are a few suggestions: a) you need very good grades - 4 year GPA combining AP courses with good math and sciense courses. [3.5 as the lowest]
b) more than 1 sport is needed - why not track in the spring?
c) you need a lot of community service and leadership roles in those organizations. d) Do very well with your ACT and SAT tests - practice those exams and retake them if necessary. Lastly don't aim at what is just needed - strive to do your very very best! Your efforts speak volumes over just getting the minimums accomplished. All 4 years at an Academy you should be trained to perform at your best - in fact pushing beyond what you now think posssible is the ideal. Ask how many different clubs should I join? - how many sports should I particupate in? How high can I get my grades and GPA? For your asthma you need to tell them and you'll be asked to take a stress test (not clear what that test is - look at this site there is a lot of talk about Medical DQ's.) Set your sights high not aim for the minimums. Good luck you can't do bad if you really try - the effort is what is really looked at. DO YOUR BEST what more can be asked of you? Good Luck!</p>
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<li><p>I may have been diagnosed with asthma when I was 6, I'm not sure what the doctor put in my medical record, but I don't have it now. Is that grounds for DQ?
no. the keyword is that it never happened... yadadamean?</p></li>
<li><p>Is one sport good enough? I run Cross country and have lettered in it this year and last year. I'll be the captain next year. Should I try a second sport next year?
why are you not in track and field? but sucess in one sport is good enough.</p></li>
<li><p>Is it real bad if I don't do well in a noncore class?
what's a non-core class? keep your GPA as high as possible</p></li>
<li><p>How should I go about getting my nominations? Should I call my represenatives and senators offices and ask what they would like me to send, or just send a letter like the sample letter.
go to their websites or call them up. getting the application for a nom is really informal</p></li>
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<p>remember- you compete with people in your district...</p>
<p>its very important to do well in math and science. if your not doing well this year, try harder next semester. junior year is very important for grades. for the nomination, i just called my congress man's office and asked what needed to be done to get a nomination. a few days later i recieved an application in the mail. not sure about the asthma thing. try to join a club and try even harder to become an officer in it. also do some community service.</p>
<p>Thanks. The class is spainish 2, but my GPA is a 3.9 right now. I'll look into doing track next year or tennis. I'm in JROTC and we do several community service projects and I'm a flight leader. Also I'm a class officer.</p>
<p>Great start, Valky. If you haven't signed up to receive info from USMA you may want to do so on their website. You will also want to read "The West Point Candidate Book" by William Smallwood. It will give you a good picture of the application process.</p>
<p>I looked up the asthma on the DoDMERB website. Actually I found the disqualifying codes. It says after the 13th birthday so I think theres no problem there. I got on the mailing list around 6th grade, but I'll check out the book momoftwins. Also for leadership, theres a good chance that I will be the vice drill team and the group commander next year in AFJROTC.</p>
<p>Asthma is a hurdle and a paperwork headache, but it certaintly isn't an impossible obstacle. Many times they will require a methacholine challenge test, other times a pulmonary functions test. Also, the thing about your 13th birthday is asking about when you had your most recent attack, not when you were diagnosed. As you probably guessed, I had to get a waiver for asthma this year. I ran 4 years of track, 2 years of cross country, and 2 years of golf. Your list of activities looks strong, but there's always room for improvement. Keep those grades up (that is priority #1) and take the college entrance tests early and often (I took my first ACT sophomore and ended up taking it 3 more times after that). Those tests are just like any other skill - practice makes perfect. The previous posts also give good advice.
I should also say that you have no idea how much of an advantage you have in starting early like this. West Point admission is a task that requires a high school career full of hard work, not just a Saturday afternoon spent on filling out a college application. You have a great head start; don't waste it. Good luck!</p>
<p>envee06 is correct. The form will not ask when you had your last attack but IF you ever had one....at any time...ever.</p>
<p>Not mentioning it is not an option.</p>
<p>But as envee also explained, you can take the methacholine challenge test when/if you are initially disqualified medically. Medical issues can be stressful and certainly time consuming, but applicants need to keep pushing through the process with determination.</p>
<p>When the time comes, try to get your medical exam as early as possible. That way if you get DQ'd you have a little more breathing room to set up tests, appointments with doctors, etc. USMA has a rolling admissions policy and the sooner you have everything completed, the sooner they will consider you for a waiver (assuming you are otherwise qualified).</p>