I had good grades in high chool, I was easily in the top10% of my class but my SAT I took as a junior wasn't stellar. I took the ACT as a senior and completely crushed it. That's when the Ivy League schools, service academies and the Dukes and Stanford's of the world started calling me.
But ya-- I had no idea you had to have a Congress person sign off on you. I didn't have anyone in my life at that time that had ever gone to one of the academies.
