<p>Right now I'm a pre-IB sophomore at a semi-competitive high school in Florida. I was hoping you could help me figure out what to improve on in the next year in order to get into Annapolis. Here's what I have so far:</p>
<p>Academics:
GPA: 3.9
PSAT: 70 Reading, 68 Math, 62 Writing
I'm in the top 5-10% of my class.
For my IB HLs I plan on taking English, History, Math, and Chemistry.</p>
<p>Athletics:
Freshmen year I played on my school's Varsity Lacrosse team, however I quit this year due to personal reasons. I received my Varsity Letter. Next year I plan on joining my school's Varsity Weightlifting and/or Cross Country teams.</p>
<p>ECs:
Community Problem Solvers - 9th and 10th grade so far; 1st place at State competition and 2nd place at International Competition last year. Plan to continue next year.</p>
<p>Mu Alpha Theta - 10th grade. Plan to continue next year.</p>
<p>Next year I also plan to participate in our student government and Model UN.</p>
<p>Recommendations:
My Economics teacher, who is a retired Marine Colonel, my Community Problem Solvers coach, who was runner-up for teacher of the year, and my Chemistry teacher, who was a scientist for the Army, have all said that they would give me recommendation letters.</p>
<p>You look good. Keep doing what your doing. The weights and running will keep you in shape. Keep your grades up and apply next year for the Summer Leadership Seminar. It's a great intro to the academy. Start taking the SATs early; you can take them as many times as necessary and the academy superscores the results to maximize your overall score. Good Luck.</p>
<p>Hey, welcome to the forum! Stick around, you'll find lots of good info here. :)</p>
<p>He-he, so you're IB-4HL-wannabe? That's good, since very few people are motivated enough to even try it. Be aware though, even if you are good at time managing, you'll find it difficult to stay dedicated to academics, athletics, and other activities simultaneously. I had Physics as an extra HL subject, but ended up transfering to SL b/c I physically couldn't spend enough time studying w/o actually cutting back on something.</p>
<p>Once the EE, TOK, IA, and CAS deadlines roll about, you'll find yourself burning less calories and more midnight oil, so don't neglect this. Focusing on academics alone will unlikely yield a strong application since the academy puts a lot of emphasis on EAs, especially on any leadership roles that you might have. </p>
<p>I'd tell you more, but tomorrow is a big day for me. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions. I'm sure everyone on this forum will be more than happy to assist you as well.</p>
<p>Sincerely,
Arkadiy</p>
<p>you are on the right track- make sure to do a sport other than weight lifting- something that will keep you flexible would be good, and running track would be good.</p>
<p>Leadership positions-try and hold an office in one of your ECAs -participation is good, but holding a leadership position is desirable. Best of luck- keep up your grades and prep for the SATs over the summer!</p>
<p>You are definitely on the right track. Agree with 2010 that you want to participate in a sport (in addition to weight lifting) that includes running and more of a "team" concept. </p>
<p>
[quote]
My Economics teacher, who is a retired Marine Colonel, my Community Problem Solvers coach, who was runner-up for teacher of the year, and my Chemistry teacher, who was a scientist for the Army, have all said that they would give me recommendation letters.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Although USNA accepts letters of rec other than the two they require (English and Math teachers), they aren't necessary and typically don't help much. Before asking these people to write letters to USNA, consider: (1) whether the person knows you well and (2) will the recommendation address something that is NOT otherwise contained in my packet? If the answer to both is "yes," it may be useful to submit the add'l rec. For example, a letter of rec from your pastor discussing how you conceived of and led a year-long church-related activity that helped benefit inner-city youth would be useful. A letter of rec from your 10th grade biology teacher discussing how you are as a student, not so much so as this is already covered by your two teacher recs.</p>
<p>Where the other recs may be helpful is in your MOC nomination packets -- depending on what they request. If they dictate who must complete the recs, be sure to ask if you can submit additional ones. If the MOC doesn't allow it, you want to ensure you follow directions.</p>