Ohio parent of freshman interest in USNA

My son just let me know he was intersted in the USNA before we visited DC on a family trip. He is currently holding straight A's, participates in Cross Country in HS, and is a life scout hoping to get his eagle.

Not sure how to help him in this quest- 3Q's, NASS, and other terms I guess I need to get used to.

Thanks for any support to a newbie.

jmt

jmt said:

My son just let me know he was intersted in the USNA before we visited DC on a family trip. He is currently holding straight A's, participates in Cross Country in HS, and is a life scout hoping to get his eagle.

Not sure how to help him in this quest- 3Q's, NASS, and other terms I guess I need to get used to.

Thanks for any support to a newbie.

jmt

Click to expand...

I think we parents have to work just as hard as the kids in finding all the things that make them competitive. Some things I have learned so far (my son is an 8th grader and USNA is his dream) in my research that are supposed to help in that whole person thing.....your son has an individual sport, he needs a team sport as well if possible. Look into STEM for the summer (might be pushing the deadline to apply this year, but keep in mind for next year) and the Sea Cadets. If there is a JROTC at his high school, he might want to join that.

I highly recommend reviewing the Stickies at the top of the Naval Academy forum, as well as getting familiar with all five federal Academies. Slog through previous threads and get a feel for the rhythm of the application, nomination and appointment process. The usna.edu Admissions page is a place to start, as well as your Congressional representatives' web pages for Academy nominations. You will see many candidates seek to attend Naval Academy Summer Seminar (NASS), held in early summer between junior and senior years. That's a great introduction to USNA. Navy sports camps (found on www.navysports.com) are also a good way to get a look at USNA. The more information your son has, the more able he will be to make a decision that's right for him. There are plenty of Class of 2014 appointees on here who have just made it through the process, as well as other well-informed posters and parents. Though it's early days, your son should start thinking about whether the goal is to be a military officer, more specifically a naval officer, and get smart about all the paths to that goal. USNA, while an admirable goal in and of itself, is a 4-year way station to a minimum 5 year commitment to active duty service - that's the real question to answer, from the long-range perspective.

Capt MJ,

Thanks for the tip on the sports camps. I didn't know about that one. My son will be thrilled.