<p>I know SAT's play a moajor role in your acceptance but there are a few things I want to clear up. When is the best time to start taking them? Also, if I plan to submit a preliminary application as soon as it opens next year, when do I need a solid score by? What if I get a better score while I am applying? Also, what are recomendations for online SAT prep courses?</p>
<p>Wow...lots of important questions with important answers.</p>
<p>First, take the SAT's as much as possible (within reason, of course), to try and get the best score. Don't forget about ACT either, it is easier for some. I took four SAT's and an ACT before I got satisfactory scores.<br>
On a side note, if you can, apply for Summer Seminar, do it. That app. counts as a pre-app. You don't need a solid score untiul about Jan. of your app. year. And NASS is a great way to get to know the Academy (and give them a chance to get to know you).
More info never hurt, so if something improves while applying, inform the Academy ASAP. It will only help your chances.
I took an opnline prep course, bought some books, and had twenty hours of tutoring before I got acceptable scores. It all depends on how well you do on standardized tests.
There is a great timeline by dictatoranna on the "What comes next?" thread.</p>
<p>Hope this helps.</p>
<p>The academy will look at your SAT scores to determine whether you are good enough or not to apply. Last year the academy said I wasnt competitive enough to apply while I only had bad PSAT scores. When I sent in my new SAT scores they sent me a Candidate number. No-doubt SAT's are VERY VERY important in their decision to appoint you or not. I think (not totally sure) that Math SAT is the second consideration after class ranking and verbal SAT is the 3rd consideration. Of course you can always send in better scores throughout your application process but all I have to say is earlier is better. The second time you take the SAT you will do better, believe me. Also no-matter what people tell you, you can study for the SAT. I took an online course with Princeton Review and I thought it was a waste of money. Most of the course is for your average high school student which will give people dramatic improvements from low scores. If youre already scoring pretty high then don't go to a course. What I DO reccomend is that you get ahold of a book of practice SAT's. Take them as often as possible before you take the SAT. Go back and look at your answers each time and see what you did wrong. I guarantee your scores will improve. I had a book of 11 practice SAT's. I took one test almost every day starting 11 days before I took the test. You don't have to go this crazy but you do start to recognize the same problems coming over and over again with different numbers. That got me an 800 in math.</p>
<p>Wow, thanks alot. I gotta get me a book. I had somebody from my highschool get accepted there last year and next year I will be able to visit him and talk to some people there. Of course I will do the the summer seminar. If I am accepted as a canidate when should I get my application package? Also, should I apply for a nomination before or after I get my package? These must be stupid questions but I want to learn the ropes early so I know how to plan.</p>
<p>look under the thread titled "What comes next?"</p>
<p>There's a really good timeline listed there that many people here have followed.</p>
<p>What advice I will tell you is to buy this one book. My BGO told me this the first time I met him. The book explains everything about the application process in detail. I must have read it 3 or 4 times. Its called "The Naval Academy Candidate Book"</p>
<p>Yeah, I second Davey on that book, it helps a lot. As far as an app., you can't start an app. until you get a candidate number. It will take place all in good time, just take it one step at a time.
Oh, and just stay in casual contact with your MOC, do a little PR and they will send you an app. for a nom. packet.</p>
<p>i took the SAT just in may of my junior year, so definitely take it on either the march or may date. if you score well the first time, that will make senior year a LOT less stressful, but if you don't do as well as you had wanted then you have a lot of time to prepare and improve. i took the Kaplan course, and i went up 100-200 total points from my first practice test to the actual SAT.</p>
<p>Would people mind sharing their SAT scores here as well as anything they find that helped them increase their scores.</p>
<p>Any info or help would be great, especially for current mids and such! (like what they were accepted with having)</p>
<p>Like I said, Kaplan helped me a lot. Do the practice tests as well. I got 730V, 720M (I wanted to retake to score higher, but my mom wouldn't let me because she thought I was "obsessive" or something...then again I could have gone down the second time, as the statistics of people who got my scores the first time predict...but whatever, it's done now!) Good luck!
-shawna</p>
<p>oh yeah and I got an LOA in September and Appointment in December, to give you an idea of what they're looking for.</p>
<p>yea but thats Really Really good score, lol</p>
<p>I was getting mid-600's until I sat down with the CollegeBoard Blue Book and studied for about a month. I did all eight practice tests and worked all of the sample problems, and even looked at the forum on this site about SAT preparation and I read about the "Xiggi Method", which is stickied at the top of that forum. I suggest you go look at than and try to glean any information you can from there, because there is no way to better study for the SAT than to immerse yourself in its logic and the questions that they ask...after all, the SAT doesn't measure academic ability, it measure how well you take the SAT. After all of my preparations I got 730M 740V 750W...and got appointed in November. Good Luck!</p>
<p>I have 770 Math 670 Verbal (wish I could have taken it one more time). The new Kaplan SAT books are awesome. I don't even think you need to read the advice as much as just take a few full practice tests. I recommend sitting down, following the timing (walking around, etc during breaks), and cranking out a whole SAT. Although I am triple Q'd, I have not been appointed so you may want to strive for above 1440.</p>
<p>Well, I don't really compare to the rest of you. I started with 560's in both M and V last March. I took the SAT 4 times. I got up to a 660 in M and a 670 in V by Nov. I took an online course, and 20 hours of tutoring, both through Kaplan. The tutoring interlaces 4 free Diagnostic tests to track your progress. It's a pretty cool thing. Anyhow, I got my appointment in late December.</p>
<p>I took the SAT 3 times, started out with a 610 M 660 V. I later got a tutor for about a month and increased it to 680 M 660 V.</p>
<p>It's really just an endurance test. If you practice a lot before hand, and understand the 'tricks' that can be employed, you'll do better.</p>
<p>Our kiddo took the SAT twice
610V-660M first time plus 700W
660V-720M the 2nd time plus 720W</p>
<p>Call me mean but I wouldn't let her take it again. I think the Academy got the idea of her abilities from these 2 results. Things like : Hmmm, basically above average....learns and improves on retakes....is a great writer.... And I think I was correct. Only taking the test twice didn't stop them from issuing an LOA on Oct. 3rd and an Appointment in Jan.</p>
<p>Some of you have taken the test 10 times. I am not at all sure this actually improves your chances before the Board. I would love someone from Admissions to weigh in on this. I would urge those of you with some basic 1300+ scores to improve your overall point scores to USNA with higher CFT, more leadership, better GPA's if that is possible, and try to improve your class rank - especially if you are still in your junior year.</p>
<p>A lot depends on the pool of candidates you are competing against.</p>
<p>The USNA is quite open as to their recruitment efforts in enrolling females and minority candidates, and the requirements for admission often reflect the desire to increase diversity and female representation within the brigade. White males make up the bulk of candidates competeting in the most competetive pool for admission- so retaking SATs may be advantageous, considering what pool you find yourself in. </p>
<p>While taking them 10 times is extreme, if you are not satisfied with the scores and think you can improve by a reasonalbe amount (not just 10 points here or there) then its worth trying them again- 3 times is within reason, unless you think you have maxed-out.</p>
<p>I took mine 5 times--the old test three times and the new test 2 times, so for USNA I'd say that 5 is within reason depending on how much your scores need to improve to be competitive in your specific "group", as navy2010 mentioned.</p>
<p>that's more times than anyone i've met at the academy took them. but it's admirable that you kept at it. lol i took them once and was like, no more.</p>
<p>All of the female mids whom I know have qualifications that often exceed white males since the women make up only 19 percent of the Brigade, which is 81 percent male. One of the four recent Rhodes Scholars was female too. I really have to hand it to the service academy women who continue to excel in what many would consider a hyper-masculine environment! :)</p>