Summer Leaders Seminar June 2008

O2B@C · 05-09-2008, 10:36 AM

My daughter will be attending SLS session 2 in June. Any other parents out there who will have a child attending?

For folks whose student(s) attended in past years - What was their impression of the experience? Should an attendee prepare for this? Like lots of running or pushups? Any prep information would be appreciated.

Thanks

enjoylife · 05-09-2008, 05:43 PM

My son is attending USMA's SLS session 2. We are from SoCal and my son is having to fly redeye friday night and get there saturday morning to check in and have a full day of activities (it will be interesting). He is taking his finals early and missing the last week of school to attend SLS. He is so excited.

Are you attending the last day ceremony? We are debating on this.

O2B@C · 05-09-2008, 10:33 PM

Hi EL (enjoylife),

Our D is also missing the last few days of school. Luckily, we have family that lives close by in NJ so she will fly in Friday and spend the night at her uncle's house. They will drive her to WP on Saturday and then pick her up the following Friday. I was very grateful not to have to send her on an overnight red-eye (although she would be happy to do it). From what I have read, it doesn't seem like there is much of a ceremony on the last day.

Have you and your S been to a local informational meeting about WP? We attended one locally a couple of weeks ago. It sounds like there is a very helpful network out there for these kids and their families.

Has your S told many people (peers) that he is doing this? I think my D has only mentioned it to close (girl) friends. I think they all expressed shock. I think she hasn't broadcasted it because it might scare away guys. Kids are funny!

Is your S doing anything to get ready for this? We've been encouraging D to do more to prepare physically. She is a soccer player, but still.... I don't want her to go there and overdo it and get hurt. But, I'm just the Mom, what do I know?!

Thanks for your relpy. Keep in touch!

momoftwins · 05-10-2008, 07:05 AM

There is an opportunity to take the CFA during SLS. It's a freebie chance so if a participant doesn't pass, it's okay. However, if you can pass the CFA during the summer, it takes a lot of pressure off during senior year. You'll find lots of info on techniques right here and also on the usma.edu website.

Other than that, tell her to have a great time. Let us know how it goes. My daughter said it was the best week of her life.

aspen · 05-10-2008, 11:00 AM

O2B@C,

Our son (Class of 2009) attended the SLS and felt it was a great experience. In addition to learning more about the USMA, he thought one of the most valuable parts of the experience was meeting the cadets leading SLS and the SLS participants. During the week he was able to assess how he felt he would 'fit in' with the other cadets at West Point.

Relax, if that's possible, about the physical demands of SLS. It is nothing like the intensity of Beast. Most of the time is spent familiarizing the participants with USMA's academic program and facilities. While there is time set aside for physical exercise and taking the CFA test, SLS is more of a public relations event than a training or testing event. That said, it's always good to do a few more pushups and running to prepare for USMA.

Finally, I would not make a special trip to attend the SLS graduation ceremony. Save your trips for the candidate visitation, R-Day, Parent-Plebe Weekend, Army-Navy Games and Graduation.

O2B@C · 05-10-2008, 02:56 PM

Hello momoftwins and aspen,

Thanks for your replies. My daughter is looking forward to her week at SLS. I think it will be an amazing experience for her. I'm guessing that after a week at WP the participants are not ambivalent about their decision to work towards a nomination to attend. It's either 'OMG I really want to attend West Point', or it's the quiet realization that WP is not the right fit for the student. Our family toured West Point when D was in 6th grade. I remember her just being quiet as we rode in the tour bus. But I also remember her coming home in 7th grade telling me that when a substitute teacher took a poll of the class asking where they wanted to go to college she said, "West Point".

Thanks for letting me know not to worry too much about the physical level of SLS. I will encourage her to prepare a bit more for it, but I won't push her. She will figure it out for herself once she gets there!

Congrats to you both as twinD and aspenS finish up their 3rd year at WP. Next year will be a busy one for all our kids as your kids begin their last year at WP and enjoylifeS and my D finish HS.

Thanks again for your replies!

shaunPC · 05-12-2008, 10:20 AM

When did your son or daughter receive their offers to attend the SLS?

enjoylife · 05-12-2008, 11:20 AM

I hope everyone had a great mother's day.

Thanks MOT and Aspen. I'm so glad to hear that we shouldn't waste our money on the SLS graduation ceremony. Because we were kind of feeling guilty about it.

To O2B@C,

We did attend one of those local informational meeting in our area. It was very informative and interesting. I think the parent network you're talking about is for the parents with kids already attending WP I'm not mistaking.

My son stopped telling people his desire to attend WP after experiencing a very negative reaction from his guidance counselor. Her reaction was why would you want to go to WP (or any other service academy for that matter) when you could go almost anywhere.

My son's been very busy with AP tests, baseball playoffs, SAT II's, and club activities. So he hasn't been able set a side special time for physically getting ready for SLS but he's been working on his pull-ups for the CFA at SLS. He is so looking forward to this.

To ShaunPC: My son received his invitation to SLS in December.

USMA08Mom · 05-12-2008, 12:39 PM

enjoylife,

Although in order to be a member of the parents club you must be the parent of a cadet/graduate, it is part of the mission of the clubs to encourage and inform candidates and their parents. Here in the Atlanta area we welcome both the parents and those considering West Point to attend any of our functions, and are avaialble as a resource to them as they go the the decision process, and later can help with questions that might come up during admissions. I am sure your local parents club would be the same!

enjoylife · 05-12-2008, 06:00 PM

Oops! there's word if is missing in front of "i'm not mistaking".

USMA08Mom- Maybe I misunderstood but the impression I got was that the parent network is for the parents of present/graduated cadets. Thanks for clarifying this.

O2B@C · 05-14-2008, 05:03 PM

shaunPC,

My D applied just before Christmas, she received a letter by mail saying they needed test scores (she had taken the PSATs, but hadn't yet received the scores). The scores arrived shortly thereafter and they were sent in late December. She received her invitation mid January.

enjoylife,

In our state, there is a WP support group that helps not only WP cadets and families, but potential cadet candidates. They offer guidance and support to the HS applicants. They have already been intouch with my D. I would imagine that they know that she will be attending SLS and they will check in with her after she returns. I didn't know of them until one of them sent an email to my D reminding her of the local WP informational meeting. They seem very nice and very efficient.

enjoylife · 05-16-2008, 12:01 AM

I don't know unless I missed that part of the presentation, we(son & I) don't recall them saying anything about future candidates & family being part of their local parent club. And no one's contacted us about anything since the meeting about two months ago even though I'm pretty sure they have our contact info.

p-piper · 05-16-2008, 09:30 AM

Parents should feel free to contact their local West Point Parents Club and their state's West Point Society for help and information. Both of these organizations will have one or more individuals involved with mentoring. The West Point Society will have Field Force Representatives who actively work with potential candidates.

KateLewis · 05-17-2008, 07:09 PM

I'd echo MOT's advice. Our D actually worked on her CFA exercises prior to SLS and passed the CFA while there. Two benefits for sure - one, it means she doesn't need to do it later, and two, her squad leader's likely to give her a much better recco (she'll seem like a much more serious candidate, especially if she's a female in good shape).

I suspect that it also increases the likelihood of an LOA, but can't prove it. Certainly didn't hurt for our D.

Good luck. Our D loved it.

O2B@C · 06-07-2008, 11:06 AM

Enjoylife,

Is you son getting excited about SLS next Saturday? My D is trying to finish up all her school work and take all her finals a week early (she will be missing finals week to attend SLS). She has SATs this morning and prom tonight. I don't know how these kids do it all.

KateLewis, does your D have any suggestions for what the young women should wear to the dance/mixer? I'd like D to wear something that she thinks is attractive, but from a mom's perspective not too attractive in a 10 to 1 guy/girl ratio. : )