<p>GEB - the back up plan is definitely in the works. Any tips on great ROTC programs out there? My son has visited a few ROTC programs already.</p>
<p>There are several regional universities that have a military heritage with ROTC programs that would likely have an edge over other more traditional colleges. These typically maintain a Corps of Cadets and would likely offer a more rounded leadership program. However, all of the ROTC programs produce the same end result. Good luck.</p>
<p>Thanks for the balanced advice GEB - good luck to your son. Having been through this process twice you must be well aware of the rollercoaster effect of the admissions process…</p>
<p>Ann:</p>
<p>Understanding the admissions process at the USMA can be a daunting task. At the risk of information overload, hear’s some of what I have been able to gleen about the process during the last year.</p>
<p>While candidate ranking is mostly an objective process with the congressionally mandated whole candidate score system, there are several other factors that impact a given candidate’s chances of receiving an appointment. One of those factors is the “desired composition and diversity” goal you mentioned. If you look at the approximately 1250 slots available, you can see that the number of spots available for candidates not in the recruited athlete, prior enlisted, women, or minority classification is probably under 600. Someone with better information can confirm or correct my estimate.</p>
<p>I base this estimate on the following:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Recruited Athletes (250+). I base this estimate on some of the news releases issued by various coaches. The Class of 2009 had 77 recruited athletes for football alone (29 of those 77 came from the USMA prep school); wrestling(15), baseball(13), men’s soccer(13), and women’s soccer(9) </p></li>
<li><p>Prior enlisted Personnel (200). A certain number of “slots” are assigned to candidates presently in the military.</p></li>
<li><p>Women (189). About 15% of the admitted candidates were women. </p></li>
<li><p>Minority Groups (approx 300 per WP June press release). </p></li>
<li><p>Military Prep School Graduates (200+). For the most part, a candidate who completes the one year program at one of the military prep schools is assured a slot at West Point the following year.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>There is certainly some double/triple counting since some candidates would likely fall into two or more of the above classifications. </p>
<p>Hold on to your hat for this next part. It may be confusing, but it it vital to understand since it will have a tremendous impact on a candidate’s chances of receiving an appointment. </p>
<p>The part of the appointment process I refer to is the impact of a candidate’s geographic location. By Federal law, the academies have to distribute appointments to qualified candidates in each congressional district based on the relative qualifications of candidates within that congressional district (or the preference of the member of congress if that member makes a principal nomination). As a result, a “more qualified” candidate in a highly competitive district may not receive an appointment while a “less qualified” candidate in a less competitive district does. While most congressional districts are roughly equivalent in size, there is great disparity in the number of qualified candidates in each district.</p>
<p>In summary, getting an appointment to West Point (or any of the academies) is highly competitive both on a local and national basis. That is why so many of the posters have encouraged candidates to retake SAT’s, pursue athletics and participate in leadership positions. Hope this is of some help.</p>
<p>Aspen - thanks that helps. The great news is my son has just received his LOA in the mail…</p>
<p>Woohoo!</p>
<p>Nothing like making the discussion academic (although that was a great summary, GEB). Congrats, Ann.</p>
<p>Thanks KateLewis</p>
<p>Ann - Congratulations to your son. I bet the receipt of the LOA has taken a great weight off of your son’s shoulders.</p>
<p>Perhaps the earlier discussions were indeed academic, but they may help others.</p>
<p>Your son should still strive to do his best in the coming year and complete the required application process. DODMERB also presents a challenging process. With a LOA the nomination should be a given. However, he should take the nomination process seriously or he could be sidetracked there also.</p>
<p>While LOAs are not given to those that ask for them, but are earned by past accomplishments. They can also be taken away with just cause.</p>
<p>Congrats to your son Ann!! (and also to you!!)</p>
<p>Ann,</p>
<p>Congratulations to your son on receiving the LOA! It will likely take some of the pressure off him (and you) during senior year. </p>
<p>Out of curiousity, have you already provided WP with the documentation on your son’s martial arts? Or did you receive the LOA before turning this in?</p>
<p>Thanks for all the great advice and support. Yes, my son is very relieved but knows that there are still challenges to come in the admission process. The martial arts documentation only arrived at WP on Friday so I’m not sure how the martial arts factored into the equation. They were aware of his rank and accomplishments from the pre candidate questionare. He passed the CFA (PAE) at SLS. While he has done well in TaeKwonDo, his academic and leadership credentials are strong.</p>
<p>I found this score breakdown on the westpoint.org site.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.west-point.org/academy/malo-wa/educators/faqs.html[/url]”>http://www.west-point.org/academy/malo-wa/educators/faqs.html</a> </p>
<p>“Whole candidate score - that by which USMA admissions judges the candidate is made up as follows: 60% academic, 30% leadership and 10% PAE. The 60% academic is comprised of the SAT/ACTs, the candidate’s transcript and the level of difficulty of courses the candidate has taken, and the level of competitiveness of the candidate’s school. The 30% leadership comes from extracurricular activities, athletic activities, community service activities, teacher recommendations and the interview conducted by the field force officer. The 10% PAE is the physical aptitude test referred to above.”</p>