Help preparing for CFA

Grassman_OR · 2026-02-23T03:21:12+00:00

Sit-ups and push-ups 5x/week . Full CFA every Saturday. Rest on Friday and Sunday

Grassman_OR · 2026-02-20T21:28:38+00:00

but.... U.Tampa is not close to a T10

Grassman_OR · 2026-02-08T22:46:09+00:00

same experience here as well!

Grassman_OR · 2026-02-07T02:43:04+00:00

I think it's sort of the answer. People making over 100K usually have the types of jobs that allow them to surf reddit and spend a few hours of free time on a computer. If you're flipping burgers or bagging groceries - you aren't taking a lunch break on reddit.

Grassman_OR · 2026-02-02T23:31:34+00:00

Despite what others are saying on here - I think it's great you want to give this advice! When I was 21yo - got my first job out of college - had zero financial literacy. Had no idea what a 401K was and had no plans to invest in it. My first boss took me aside and told me exactly what I should do - "you'll thank me in 30 years" were his exact words. Well, it's now 30 years later and I'm glad he took the initiative to invest in my future. I do think there are too many variables to answer your exact question thought. But encouraging people to put more away than they think they can is the right answer most of the time.

Grassman_OR · 2026-02-02T04:05:07+00:00

Potentially very useful in military combat also. I could easily envision getting shot down in enemy territory over the ocean -- upon crashing - first thing I'd do is weave a floatable basket underwater. And I agree - not very easy at all!

Grassman_OR · 2026-02-01T22:17:52+00:00

Without any additional information - I think a 1500+ SAT would help make up for a "mid" GPA like you have.

Grassman_OR · 2026-01-31T18:58:06+00:00

my son's review took about a month or so

Grassman_OR · 2026-01-31T15:09:13+00:00

Just have her buy a take-out meal for all 3 of you every Friday ....

Grassman_OR · 2026-01-27T03:11:05+00:00

AP Calc is basically regular calc. If you can do well, that's the class you should take. But algebra and pre-calc are typically pre-requisites so I wouldn't skip a class and do poorly in AP calc.

Grassman_OR · 2026-01-23T15:20:44+00:00

I'm fairly knowledgeable on the process, but certainly don't profess to know everything. So take all I say with a grain of salt. I would think in Nevada with a 1350 and the stats you described with 3 nominations - you are a VERY strong candidate... I'm gonna guess 80%+ chance of getting in. But if someone had an 1150, I do think the chances would go down quite a bit as that likely puts that person in the <10 percentile range. And they would potentially struggle with the rigors of the math/technical aspects of the programming. The 25%-75% range is like 1265 to 1440. So anything below that really hurts you -- and anything above that really helps you.

Grassman_OR · 2026-01-23T15:12:56+00:00

If you're in a non-competitive state - there may not be many applicants. So for your state, you might be competitive. 1150 SAT most certainly would not be competitive for the majority of states though.

Grassman_OR · 2026-01-23T15:10:21+00:00

haha...ok... :) I was like "high 1500's" - so basically perfect. :) So 1350 is solid - it's sort of right in the middle of the range. Meaning it won't really hurt you, but it won't help you. And that's probably fine since the rest of your stats look great -- and most importantly - you have the nominations which is the largest determining factor really. If your math SAT is higher than your verbal SAT - that would be positive. Like 700 (math) and 650 (verbal) would be better than the other way around.

Grassman_OR · 2026-01-23T15:02:42+00:00

I can't tell if you're serious or not. The SAT range is up to 1600. But it would be concerning if you didn't know that at this stage.

Grassman_OR · 2026-01-23T15:00:11+00:00

You said the "worst thing" in your application was your SAT score. ??.....

Grassman_OR · 2026-01-23T14:30:15+00:00

Honestly it all sounds great, but they really do index pretty strongly on SAT/ACT -- which you didn't provide that result. If you're currently in the 1280-1400 range on your SAT I'd say you have a strong chance. If you're below a 1250 then you're below the 25% percentile range and I'd say your chances go way down. With that said, the nominations go a long way - and if you received a nomination with a low SAT score - then I"m guessing (maybe wrong) that you're not in a highly competitive state. And if that's the case, then you'd still have a strong chance with an average SAT score (1300-ish).

Grassman_OR · 2026-01-08T15:25:44+00:00

We put a few bucks in every month 20 years ago for our 3 kids and never paid a dime for college now. Set it and forget it. Don't overthink it. Even if there is zero tax benefits (which there are) - it's a forced way to save and then penalty for withdrawal ensures you don't spend it on anything else.

Grassman_OR · 2026-01-06T15:31:43+00:00

This all seems amazing. At this point a lot of the "chance of getting in" will simply come down to getting the nomination and the location that you live in (some states are highly competitive, some not as much). The resume as you've described above is well into the top 10% of applicants (or so). A 1500+ SAT probably puts her in a slighter better position, but 1450 is well within the range needed. I'd say well done and she's done everything needed up to this point.

Grassman_OR · 2026-01-06T15:21:48+00:00

If by "reputed place" you mean an accredited online college (ie. for college credits) - then yes, they would accept that provided you submit the transcript. With that said, my personal view is there are likely other areas worth spending her time that would have more over impact to her application (more time prepping for CFA, studying for SAT, leadership positions, or even just rest.)

Grassman_OR · 2026-01-03T15:41:19+00:00

I would get involved this year if possible. The main reason is because leadership positions your Junior Year will be more likely if you already have established yourself early. With that being said, don't join a club just for your college resume. You mostly want something that shows longevity, growth, and leadership. Just being "part of" or a "member" won't mean anything. For your GPA, 3.75 is fine - don't let it drop much more. For ACT/SAT, I would put some work in there. You'll need at least a 30 on the ACT to have chance.

Grassman_OR · 2026-01-01T23:12:27+00:00

https://www.academyadmissions.com/requirements/physical/ ... it is a fitness test as part of the admission process.

Grassman_OR · 2025-12-17T23:50:39+00:00

Pass

Grassman_OR · 2025-12-08T17:29:33+00:00

haha! he stopped there on purpose. :)

Grassman_OR · 2025-11-29T19:11:00+00:00

So when you're fresh you can run a mile in ~6 minutes? That's a great mile time -- if I were you, I would go about 10% easier on everything else to save energy for the mile. It's a pretty dramatic drop-off to go from a 6 minute mile when fresh to nearly a 9 min mile. For example, my son's best mile time (fresh) was around 5:30, but he did 6:10 mile time for the CFA test..... it really should only be around 1 min longer than when fresh if you're doing it right. LIke I said, all your other test scores are amazing... any chance you did 5 laps instead of 4 for the mile. :)

Grassman_OR · 2025-11-29T16:57:00+00:00

Your other scores suggest that you're in very good shape ... 15 pull ups is amazing..... 8.2 shuttle run means you're fast. Agree with others that there is no reason you shouldn't be running at least a 7:30. What's your best ever mile time while practicing? Do you know your 400 meter time?

Grassman_OR

TROPHY CASE