officer

Anyone willing to post SAT scores, I'm especially nervous about the Essay portion.

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Also did anyone get accepted without doing the interview in person? What types of questions did they concentrate on?

Thanks,

Future Class Mom of 2014

zachogden

IIRC, USCGA (and most other universities for that matter), don't consider the essay portion even though they ask for it... currently (at least for the past few years that they've required it) it's been to compile data on score ranges.

For what it's worth, I got a 33 ACT composite (don't remember all of my subscores off the top of my head) and a 2090 SAT composite and received an appointment in December.

I did not have to do an interview for the Coast Guard Academy, I believe it is still optional.

officer

Good Job and congrats on your appointment. My son is a little nervous about the essay portion of the SAT, but we'll just keep practicing.

tman135

Keep practicing! It will pay off!! My application was great, until someone saw my low ACT and SAT scores, that was a red flag. I personally felt they did not reflect my true knowledge, however the Coast Guard Academy is a numbers game the higher the number the better. My best SAT is 1620, and my best ACT composite is a 26. However, due to my potential of being an outstanding athlete, I might be considered for prep school. I am still playing the waiting game and praying.

CGAMOM2012

My D was accepted Early Action 710 reading, 660 math, 670 writing.

propeller

Officer,
I've said this before in a previous posts, however I'll point it out again that getting accepted is not all about high sat scores, and GPA's. My Sat score was around 1700 and my GPA wasn't especially high. As I've told some of my friends that are applying it is NOT just a numbers game, i didn't get my appointment based off academics, rather i got it from all of the extracurricular things i do. I dont think my sat scores and really my GPA for that matter reflect my true knowledge or how hard i work, which is why i felt the personal statements were the most important part of the application. Regarding the interview, i didnt do one until after i received my conditional appointment. Neither the interviewer nor myself were quite sure what the logic was behind conducting an interview at the point, other than the academy just wanted one on file. My interviewer came up with his own questions about things like my hobbies, examples of times when i made the right choice, that wasnt exactly "following the crowd" (ie. peer pressure), times that i've dealt with adversity, diversity, as well as questions to get to know me, how i first became interested in the coast guard, what i might want to major in etc.. thats all i can think of at the moment. Good luck to your son.

tman135

I am confused on how it is NOT a numbers game.... Not trying to pick a fight, but a lot of people have told me how they score things, and it sounds like everything is worth a certain amount of points. The one with the highest scores are the most likely to be successful get in to the Academy, if there is a tie in numbers, they then would probably review the file and read the personal statements and such. For example the Air Force Academy will NOT even look at my file because my English is below there minumum standards. I don't have a high enough number for their game.

suzannegra

For the Class of 2011 I don't believe they took the writing part of the SAT into consideration. Maybe for future classes they are, but before you worry about that part of the SAT check with admissions. That way you can focus on the part of the test that counts.

bulletandpima

You are all perfectly right and looking at it from different key words. The AFA (yes, I know this is CGA,)states normally if your ACT is below a 25, and your SAT is below a 570. Here'e the reason why, 60% of your WCS is based on your PAR., 20% on ECs. If you have a low SAT score, you need to have a very high GPA and class rank, and you will need to be able to max out the points for EC and recs. Low SAT, gpa, and rank would be very hard to recover even with great ECS (Eagle Scout, 4 Varisty letters, Team capt, Boy State etc.) because the PAR is worth 3 x as much. There is a student in our area that hands down beats our DS in EC, but our DS beats him hands down in PAR, They are both waiting, which means to me that the WCS puts them in comparable numbers.

In the end if you have a low PAR and get low points for EC's, than it would be very difficult to get the points needed for an appt. Remember the real key is the WCS that is why evryone says they look at the WHOLE CANDIDATE

I don't know about the CGA, but I believe the AFA and the USMA will be counting the writing for next year...I am one of those parents against the writing portion....why...it is subjective, if the College board requires that every essay is scored by 3 different people, a 4th if the 3 have a certain point spread, then it is nothing more than subjective. Many universities still do not look at that, but ask for essays that their admissions look at...sorry for my little rant

Luigi59

Same for 2012. It wasn't considered, but it had to be submitted on at least one set of SAT scores.

• Class rank is weighted 3 times.
• Math SAT is weighted 2 times.
• Verbal SAT is weighted 1 time.
• Sum = Academic score.

tman135

Thank you for the clarification!

bulletandpima

Thanks Luigi!

Quick question though what about the gpa?

haroldg48

My son's junior year scores were: Critical Reading 620 ;Math 690; and Writing 670. Also had a lot of athletic and extracurricular activity. If my memory is right his class rank = 7. GPA (unweighted) = 3.7.

He's in, early decision.

Luigi59

Transcripts (with GPA) must also be submitted, and a review of the grades, courses and curriculum offered by the school may (will?) result in an "adjusted" class rank to be used in the academic score.

The academic review is objective, the academic score is objective, and it tales place before the CCEB (Cadet Candidate Review Board) conducts a more thorough holistic review.

The CCEB passes their findings to the Director of Admissions, who then makes a appointment recommendation to the Supe, who approves all appointment offers.

zfam

Son's scores were Verbal 740, Math 660, composite 2080. HS rank is 14/326, his GPA 3.96(UW). He did not do AIM or interview in person; however, we did a scheduled admissions briefing & tour last Sept.
We haven't heard anything yet. Keeping our fingers crossed.