applying in college

[GraysonP1204]

hello all, just wanted to get some perspective to see if I would stand a chance of getting an appointment to usna. right now, I'm a freshman at my local 4-year college and am not taking any "plebe" classes this semester because of my late orientation date and all of those classes being full (so my math is Quant. Reasoning and Skills, I'm taking a US History class, Psych, French, and Film as well since that is what was basically left), but I will be choosing all plebe classes for next semester since Spring Reg is open now. Now for the past, in high school, I had a 3.4 GPA (1 AP) and didn't play any sports, I also went to different high schools every year, my SAT was abhorrent, so I have been practicing every day to raise it to the score I know it can be and needs to be. It was toward the end of my senior year that I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in the Navy. I know I'm leaving my motivation and want to serve and attend the academy out, and that that is taken into consideration for applying, but I kinda just wanted to see if my numbers/resume would be on par with other applicants.
I also was wondering if anyone had any tips on how I can get leadership in 2 years. It sounds like a bit of a stretch to do since I'm giving myself two years(my birthday is January 2005, so enough time, but not a lot) to make myself a competitive applicant because right now, I would get passed over so fast it would be hilarious. I want to volunteer around and join clubs, but I have 2 jobs and am a full-time student, so hopefully next semester I'll have more time and transportation to get more involved. Also, would me working have an impact on my application, say, could I use that as an extracurricular and talk about the things I do? I have read the other posts about college applicants and have taken note but I also kinda wanted some perspective on me specifically.
My apologies for this jumbled post, I had been sitting with these questions and had no one really to ask because I hadn't found this forum, so thanks for any response/advice G.P.
Also, my college doesn't have ROTC, just to throw that out there.

 

[Old Navy BGO]

If I am reading correctly, you would have completed 3 years of college before you start at USNA.
The first rule, the only way to know whether you could get into USNA is to apply... the only absolute in the whole process is that 100% of those that don't apply don't get in. If you did great in college, strong GPA, leadership activities, etc. in a heavy STEM program, you could create an interesting narrative of how you overcame a weak HS career and slow start , set out to achieve a goal , and are competitive.

That said, you've got a large hole to climb out of, and the first rule of holes is to stop digging. Your post above makes a lot of excuses for poor HS record, not taking STEM classes (your current class load is meaningless...what job are you planning to get when you graduate with classes like psych, film and French?). In addition, I suspect that being a first time applicant with 3 years of college will raise some questions you need to be prepared to answer. Bottom line, if you are serious about USNA, stop making excuses, set your goals and a plan of action, execute and you may have a chance...although to be perfectly honest, its likely to be long shot.

Finally, if your objective is to be a Naval Officer--there are alternatives. First, look into OCS programs, evaluate eligibility criteria and work towards making yourself as competitive for those programs as possible. I don't know anything about the criteria, but suspect that they really don't care about your HS record as much as college. If you are interested, I would suggest reaching out to an Officer Recruiter and talking to them. Finally, your post simply refers to a "career" int he Navy, and doesn't specify as an Officer. There are some great career opportunitities available enlisting in the Navy. Again talk with a Navy Recruiter and they can give you some great guidance.

Good luck.

 

[Don't Give Up the Ship]

@Old Navy BGO, has given you are realistic picture. College applicants that don't take courses that are similar to subject and rigor as a USNA Plebe schedule have a significant weakness. Look at the Class Portrait on USNA's website to see the typical candidates profile: 90% played one or more varsity sports, 68% were a team Captain/Co-Captain, etc. look at the range of SAT/ACT scores. You have to overcome these to be competitive. You will also be competing for a Nomination. It can be done, but you are in a tough position. Don't Give Up The Ship...consider OCS as plan B.

 

[MidCakePa]

Nothing wrong with being a late bloomer and realizing only recently that you want to serve as a commissioned officer. Few people truly know what they want when they’re 17, 18, 19. Good for you for exploring options with a more mature perspective.

Now, part of maturity is knowing how to work with what you’ve got. Also, knowing how to take the path of least resistance. As others said above, a USNA appointment is possible but likely an uphill battle. You don’t have the college credentials of most candidates seeking an appointment post-high school. This is not meant to discourage you from applying, but to paint a realistic picture.

But you may be a great candidate for OCS. So look into that option while exploring USNA. It may be the ideal path. It gets you those butter bars, and in the end, no one really cares how you got those butter bars. Best of luck.

 

[jrpoint21]

hello all, just wanted to get some perspective to see if I would stand a chance of getting an appointment to usna. right now, I'm a freshman at my local 4-year college and am not taking any "plebe" classes this semester because of my late orientation date and all of those classes being full (so my math is Quant. Reasoning and Skills, I'm taking a US History class, Psych, French, and Film as well since that is what was basically left), but I will be choosing all plebe classes for next semester since Spring Reg is open now. Now for the past, in high school, I had a 3.4 GPA (1 AP) and didn't play any sports, I also went to different high schools every year, my SAT was abhorrent, so I have been practicing every day to raise it to the score I know it can be and needs to be. It was toward the end of my senior year that I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in the Navy. I know I'm leaving my motivation and want to serve and attend the academy out, and that that is taken into consideration for applying, but I kinda just wanted to see if my numbers/resume would be on par with other applicants.
I also was wondering if anyone had any tips on how I can get leadership in 2 years. It sounds like a bit of a stretch to do since I'm giving myself two years(my birthday is January 2005, so enough time, but not a lot) to make myself a competitive applicant because right now, I would get passed over so fast it would be hilarious. I want to volunteer around and join clubs, but I have 2 jobs and am a full-time student, so hopefully next semester I'll have more time and transportation to get more involved. Also, would me working have an impact on my application, say, could I use that as an extracurricular and talk about the things I do? I have read the other posts about college applicants and have taken note but I also kinda wanted some perspective on me specifically.
My apologies for this jumbled post, I had been sitting with these questions and had no one really to ask because I hadn't found this forum, so thanks for any response/advice G.P.
Also, my college doesn't have ROTC, just to throw that out there.

Hey! I just wanted to respond to your post because I'm in a similar situation of applying while in college. But a few different circumstances. For instance, I graduated high school this May and also received my associate of science degree as well. The whole reason that I didn't apply last year to USNA was because of family issues and other things. The good thing is if you take a gap year/years, you can explain that to the academy with why, and what you are doing in the meantime. So I will be straight honest. A 3.4 weighted? Or unweighted? Isn't the best, BUT it can also depend on what classes you took during high school (STEM classes, etc). Because if you took a lot of rigorous STEM classes then you could be eligible for NAPS. Along with that, TAKE STEM CLASSES! On the USNA website, you can see a plebes class schedule, so I would recommend taking those classes and getting mostly A's/B's in them. Because if you don't have a good number of STEM classes with good grades, you will be overlooked.

Now for the SAT, that is a little harder but in hopes of encouraging you, I know a lot of individuals who get into NAPS with 1100-1160 SAT scores. And keep in mind an SAT won't 100% make or break you, but it will definitely help their overall view of you. Because you've probably heard that they take into account the WHOLE person. Not just your SAT scores. The average SAT score for USNA is 1250/1260. So if you're below that, I would recommend taking the SAT again just because you might have to slightly compensate for the 3.4 GPA with a better SAT score, just to make your application more even. I had to take the SAT 4 times to get a "good" score so don't be disappointed if it takes multiple attempts.

For your ECA's those are HUGE!! I can't stress that enough!! In college, since you can't obviously go back to high school, volunteer, maybe start up something, get a supervisor position at work... and I would say join a sport! just because athletics are so big over there at USNA. But yes you can talk about the jobs you worked on your applications. Honestly do whatever you can in order to get more ECA's like join student government at your school and get an officer position! They love things like that and that would look so good on your application! ALSO become buds with your STEM teachers for the LORs you're going to need for your application!!

Finally, I understand all the stress because I'm in the application process right now! And oh my gosh is it stressful! Something I would say is don't listen to what others have to say about your chances of getting in. (I need to do better with that) and just work hard to get there!! Honestly, you might consider applying this year for 2028. HEAR ME OUT, even if you're rejected, they will be impressed when you reapply with all of your STEM classes and more ECA's that they will see the want you have to go to USNA and your chance of an appointment might be slightly higher then if that is your first time applying! Best of luck, and DM me if you have any questions! I'm also going to USNA this coming week for their inspire program so if you'd like me to ask any questions, I would be happy to do that!
Best of luck!