You don't have to be top notch to shoot an Appleseed. That isn't the point of these clinics. The point is to learn. 90+% of participants do not earn the Rifleman patch at any given event. Those who do earn it are usually repeat participants.
If you want to get a head start on an Appleseed, watch this video:
This is just an excerpt. The whole video can be seen here: http://www.archive.org/details/Rifle_Ma ... fle_Part_1