About Bill Taylor Expertise I can answer questions about admissions to West Point; about the history of West Point; about how to travel to West Point, where to eat, where to stay, etc.; and about West Point`s alumni organization, the West Point Association of Graduates.
Experience I am a 1970 Graduate of West Point. I served six years on active duty and another 8 years in the active reserve. I have been actively involved as a Field Admissions Representative for over 15 years and have participated on my Congressman's Academy Selection Panel for over 20 years. I am actively involved in West Point Alumni affairs, serving in roles both with the West Point Association of Graduates and the local alumni chapter in Annapolis, MD. I also have two sons who graduated from West Point in 1995 and 2001. Both are veterans of the Iraq war and continue to serve on Active Duty in the Army.
Question Could you please tell me what a good SAT/ACT score is needed for my son to attend USMA. My son is well rounded in all areas of his life. (Sports,work,volunteering,school) He intends to take both tests as often as needed...Thank you
Answer It's good to hear from you, Michael. Thanks for your interest in West Point on behalf of your son.
As you know, West Point is looking for well rounded young men and women who are good students, good athletes and good leaders. Having a balance in all three areas is important.
In the arena of academic evaluation, SAT/ACT scores are second in importance. Most important is the candidate's rank in his/her class; this metric communicates how well a candidate has competed against THEIR peers in THEIR high school. Third in academic evaluation importance is the candidate's GPA. As grading systems are all over the place with little standardization, this is the least important metric.
So, to finally get to your specific question, the best measure of competitiveness is the profile of a recent class. The entire profile is found at:
In the SAT arena the average scores are 631 Verbal and 646 Math for a total of 1277. Note that for the SAT only the Math and Critical Reading components are utilized in evaluating candidates for admission. The Writing test is NOT considered, as admissions utilizes an essay written by the candidate to evaluate their writing skills.
In the ACT arena the average scores are 28 English, 28 Math, 27 Science Reasoning and 30 for reading.
I strongly recommend that your son take BOTH the SAT and ACT as many times as he can stand it in order to maximize his scores. West Point takes the highest individual score from the combination of all tests taken.
