How long to wait for Appointment before commiting elsewhere?

Colleges & Universities United States Naval Academy (USNA)
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<p>I know this is a loaded question - i.e. if Annapolis is your real and only choice, then you wait until I-day passes before going to your backup plan (i.e the ROTC scholarship). But what do you suggest if you have other acceptable SA Appointments that will need to be committed to earlier than June 28th?</p>

<p>I guess what I am saying is this - when are the majority of NA Appointments out by? April 1? April 15th? I know some loose ones may come out later than this date (due to commitments elsewhere, etc) but if your s/d was needing to make the call between SA’s what date would you suggest that they assume a NA appointment is not coming…?</p>

<p>Dknightfam</p>

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<p>DK,</p>

<p>I have been told that this week and next week are very busy times for appointments. Supposedly a lot of vision waiver candidates were being reviewed this week and last. I have also been told that traditionally a lot of appointments are given in the month of March. We are still playing the same waiting game as you, with similar concerns. Keep the faith and hang in there.</p>

<p>Michdad</p>

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<p>Not necessarily a loaded question, but one with several scenarios…</p>

<p>April 1st is generally considered the deadline for acceptance notification… having said that, some schools will notify as late as April 15th, but that is not the norm. USNA abides by the April 1 deadline.</p>

<p>May 1st is considered by most schools as the deadline for the applicant to accept or decline an offer of admission; USNA included.</p>

<p>So what to do if USNA is your first choice, and you have not heard anything by 4/15.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Contact BGO. Get a feel from him/her as to the status of your application. “Is there any chance left for 2011” would be the question to ask.</p></li>
<li><p>If you have been offered an NROTC scholarship at a school “on your list,” do not let it go. Respond by the stated deadline or else risk losing it.</p></li>
<li><p>If you have been offered admission to a civilian school “on your list” do not let it go. Send in the notice of acceptance, and any required deposit, to hold your spot. Should an offer to USNA come after 5/1 (which is rare-and something that you should not bank on by any means) - and if USNA is still your first choice, then you can always notify the civilian school that you will not be attending- the worst that will happen is that you lose your deposit. In this regard, you may want to wait until you are well into plebe summer…who knows…you may get there and decide USNA is not for you afterall, or you may not successfully complete the program (class of 2010 lost 23 kids over the summer- extremely low attrition rate, but if you are one of those that find yourself in Tango Company over the summer it would be good to have a “seat” at another school on your list)</p></li>
<li><p>Whatever you do, do not go past May 1st without accepting an offer of admission SOMEWHERE, or risk finding yourself without anything. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>Lastly- should an offer not come from USNA for the Class of 2011, give yourself a week or so to “get over it” and then do some serious soul-searching. Do you still want it bad enough to work your buTT off at whatever-college to get what you need to make yourself more competetive for the class of 2012? Do you have the stamina to go through the application process for a second time- or even a third to get what you want? Just how motivated and determined are you?</p>

<p>Keep in mind- every year, 1/3 of those reporting on I-Day have at least one, if not more, of post-hs education behind them. College, PG year, NAPS, etc. That is roughly 400 out of 1200 reporting. Many will have applied for a second time, and a good handful for a third time. </p>

<p>So if you find yourself at “college elsewhere,” buy yourself a St. Elsewhere sweatshirt, wear it with pride, approach your studies with entheusiasm, and post some awesome grades, in classes that will mirror plebe year (chem, calc). Use the time to work on any weaknesses in your application. </p>

<p>Best of luck. Sitting here hoping the fat letter comes for all of those still waiting… but a thin one does not mean the end of the road, unless you decide to make it that. If USNA is “it” for you, then “Don’t give up the ship”… the class of 2012 is right around the corner, believe it or not!</p>

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<p>The USNA website specifically states:</p>

<p>Most candidates will be notified of their final status by April 15. </p>

<p>\\\&lt;/p>

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<p>navy2010,</p>

<p>Excellent as well as very much appreciated advice. Here’s to the waiting game.</p>

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<p>Navy2010 - as usual, a very frank and qualitative response from one of the great supporters of this forum! Thanks for your long post.</p>

<p>You stayed away from the unspeakable question, however, i.e. what to do when your s/d wants Annapolis but has an Appointment or 4-yr ROTC scholarship elsewhere else when April 30th roles around - that’s gonna be the tough one, and one that many of the great kids on this forum probably have hanging over them alongside of us. I.e. do they take the “acceptable” Appointment OR ride things out over May and June in hopes for (a) a late Naval Academy Appointment or (b) ignore them all, go to a local college, and run the “2nd time around” 2012 gauntlet you correctly outlined as a gameplan. I’m 100% sure there is not one correct answer to this situation, as it totally depends on the s/d’s wants and wishes for his/her military career. But it’s good to know that there are other’s out there thinking along the same lines as us…</p>

<p>Thanks again for the thoughts, deadlines, and suggestions. </p>

<p>Dknightfam</p>

<p>PS: Does USNA also try to get “rejection” letters out by the 15th too?</p>

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<p>

</p>

<p>Yes. There are still many, highly qualified candidates, including those with multiple noms, who are still waiting to hear. I’ve had 2 candidates in 7 yrs get offers after April 15th. One was waiting for a medical issue to clear and was told he would get the appointment once it did clear. The other was notified not long after Arpil 15th. Thus, it happens, but is very rare.</p>

<p>I agree with Navy2010 that, if a deadline for an alternative school is approaching and you haven’t heard (either way) from USNA, it’s a great idea to accept something. However, in all likelihood, you should hear by April 15.</p>

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<p>I’m in this situation. i have an appoinment to USCGA, and although i will gladly attend either, USNA is my #1. I’ve decided to wait until the 15th. if i havent heard anything yet I’ll call my BGO, if for some reason he doesnt know either way ill wait just a couple more days, (in case the mail was a little late :)). im thinking around the 18th/19th is my cutoff date</p>

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<p>Congrats on the CG appointment! Some have said that one is tougher to get than NA, but here’s to hoping you get that higher calling too!</p>

<p>Dknightfam</p>

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<p>If you have NROTC, accept it/ pay deposit to school even if you receive an appt because many things can happen right up to I-Day ie injuries,illness, family emergencies etc…</p>

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<p>thanks. unfortunately, “succient” is something i still struggle with. :o</p>

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<p>It is not that I stayed away from this question, it is just that I lack the experience to comment on this one. Our mid did not go the NROTC route… specifically because he wanted to study a specific major, plus lax, and the combo produced 6 schools to look at… one of which was USNA, and the rest did not offer NROTC programs. </p>

<p>What I did suggest was that “If you have been offered an NROTC scholarship at a school “on your list,” do not let it go. Respond by the stated deadline or else risk losing it.” I still think that applies, even if USNA is in the running for class of 2012. “a bird in the hand” comes immediately to mind, and there are no guarentees that, even with a repeat application to 2012, it will happen…many kids have gone 3 rounds and still come up short.</p>

<p>But most important… I would not let May 1 roll past without accepting some school on your “list.” DO NOT fail to act in the hopes of getting some last-minute appointment to USNA…that, IMHO, would be a huge mistake.</p>

<p>Whatever you do, the best advice I can offer is to support your kid, ESPECIALLY if the fat letter comes…</p>

<p>…and EVEN MORE SO if it doesn’t. Let him/her grieve (and parents grieve too)…but limit the time… and then get behind them 100% at whatever school they choose. Go and visit that school again- buy the sweatshirt and put the sticker on the car. Embrace it and support it, and let the dissapointment over USNA fade. Let them get settled at their new home, no matter where that may be. If USNA remains a desire, it will declare itself…but let them come to that. If the parent is the one to ressurect the application to USNA, the message to the kid might just be that saint elsewhere is “just not good enough” and that somehow they “failed” you…when in fact there are many, many other factors that come into play that are in no one’s control. So be sure to jump up and down and make a fuss no matter what acceptances come their way… and do it with joy in your heart. </p>

<p>USNA is great- we are so lucky- but we could have been just as unlucky, and sadly there will be lots of steller kids turned away. And while I may bleed Blue and Gold, there are other just-as-terrific schools out there where your kid will thrive…and where they can still end up as Naval Officers if that is the path they have chosen. Some will even swear that route proved better for them in the long run- who’s to say!</p>

<p>As for USCGA- best of luck br2011- I dated a coastie many moons ago…( I will spare you the details!!) and just remember, you do have bragging rights to THE BEST SHIP on the water barr none!!!
(ps…did you know connecticut college is right across the street??? opens up lots of unforseen opportunities… just ask Boss051…his son rows for the crew team, and the reason their boat is so fast is that they are busy chasing the connecticut college’s girls team down the thames!!!) LOL!!! :)</p>

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<p>He’d best be careful. They generally row just fast enuff to get caught. And then they gotta swap shirts. :eek::cool:</p>