Things You Should Have Accomplished by Now

GMRobertson

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For the Class of 2016 admission you should have already acocmplished the following:

The online West Point application is now as complete as possible.

Your nomination is in process with the Congressional staffer who handles the nomination already aware as to who you are and your intentions. You know the name, email address and phone of the staffer. You have already reached out to the staffer via any way possible. If an interview is to be held you know the date and are scheduled. Your request for your senator to provide the nomination is complete, either with their online process or via mail. You know the email address, phone and name of the staffers who manages your senators nomination and you ahve already shceduled a meeting or reached out as best you can.

You have already sent a few "updates" to your Congressional staffers as to your progress and achievements via email and mail. You will provide such updates regularly, every two to three weeks, until the nomination is granted.

You have completed your DODMERB exam or knwo the reason why you are not scheduled as of now or you have a scheduled appointment upcoming. If you were disqualified, you have alreayd started the process for waivers.

You know the name of your admissions local volunteer who will be either a reserve officer (MALO) or a civilian (retired alum usually) member fo the Field Force. You know how to contact these people and you have already scheduled a meeting to introduce yourself or have already done so. These people should at the very least know your name and your intent. You will keep them posted regularly until you gain an appointment.

You have already arranged for your teacher reference letters via the onsite email process or will do so as soon as school opens. You will be responsible for, not assuming West Point admissions or the teacher will be responsible (they are not).

You have either already passed the CFA or you are training diligently in all the tests. You are on your way to success but if you are not ready you already have a couple months under your belt in training. If not start immediately.

You are scheduled for all SATs (ACT) upcoming and have already take at least one set. Unless you have SAT scores (or comp ACTs) in excess of 750, you will keep taking every SAT set available until the Feb 2012 winter deadline. West Point will tkae the highest idividual test score for the file.

You are carrying on with activities like Boy Scouts or church groups and sports. Ask every leader who you repect and value to write you a letter of recommendation and submit it either via the Field Force contact or through additional info tab on the online site.

No matter whether or not it is requested in the online application, you have already submitted any document or information which sheds light on SLA qualities. Until admitted you will submit any all all new data which defines your SLA qualities.

You know already what SLA means.

You have approached all your friends and family and have asked for help in this application process. Friends should be informed that you have "0" tolerance for any misdemeanors or infractions at school or with the local police. Ask for their support, understanding and help. Tell them West Point in the end will find out all, first because you are obligated to report to admissions any problems. You are already fiercely defending your reputation and record from anything that might be adverse to considering your character. Every year there are those who experience great personal tragedy because they did not defend their record and reputation.

You have determined that what the issue here is not West Point, but that you wish to become a career US Army officer. Your objective is mature and tis is the career you seek. You ahve already complete the ROTC scholarship application and you are seeking the that scholarship with every but the same intensity as you are the West Point admission.

You understand that West Point cut off is that you must be under 23 on R-Day and this means you can take on full responsibility for your eventual success in gaining admission or complete satisfaction in other roads to becoming an officer in the US Army
 
Got everything, except DoDMERB and... SLA? The author? lol I don't know.
 
GMRobertson,
Thank you very much for the excellent summary!

One question on where you stated "Ask every leader who you repect and value to write you a letter of recommendation and submit it either via the Field Force contact or through additional info tab on the online site."

Do you suggest additional Letters of Recommendation be sent to the RC or to Directorate of Admissions, Colonel McDonald? How are the letters processed/read?

Thanks again!
 
I think it would be a good idea to sent extra LORs to your MOCs. At least that's what my Senator's constituent services counsel said, "letters that can help to judge your character".
 
From a mom's point of view......you will purchase/obtain nice, dignified thank-you notes and handwrite a nice, dignified personal note of thanks to the people who went out of their way to help you in your goal of West Point. You will, in particular, write a personal note to the teachers/coaches/Scout leaders, etc., who took the time to sit down and compose a letter of recommendation for you.

Everyone likes to be appreciated and everyone likes to receive a personal note.
 

Your request for your senator to provide the nomination is complete, either with their online process or via mail.
You have aleady sent a few "updates" to your Congressional staffers as to your progress and achievements via email and mail. You will provide such updates regularly, every two to three weeks, until the nomination is granted.


I'm not sure this is appropriate in all cases. Our Congressional staffers (Rep. and Senators) all told us pretty much the same thing: the nom list is generated by a committee of service academy alumni and veterans that does not see any submissions or meet until after the deadline for nomination application submission. Early submittal plus supplemental updates means more work for the staffers in filing, and the applicant's risk that all information will not be appropriately compiled. The staffers said that they preferred a single complete packet submitted within the few weeks before the deadline.

Note that we were also told in one office that two recommendations were enough; more than that, and the committee would simply read the top two.

There's a fine line between being the totally prepared applicant and being the office pest; make sure you know where it is.

And add to the original list of things you should have done:
Begin work on Plans B and C - other colleges you would like to attend.
 
WAIT. STOP. I FIGURED IT OUT: Scholar-Leader-Athlete. Sorry 'bout that.
 
Haha! You thought about it for 11 minutes before figuring it out, right? haha
 
Haha! You thought about it for 11 minutes before figuring it out, right? haha

I was working on ap physics hw and it was just mulling around in my head. until... eureka. The human mind is wonderful isn't it?
 
I was working on ap physics hw and it was just mulling around in my head. until... eureka. The human mind is wonderful isn't it?

Haha yes it is.

I was just reading thie psychology book in July - it is actually true that, when you are trying to remember something, it is better to do something else rather than conciously and actively trying to remember whatever it is you want.

Ie. What happened to you is an amazing feature of the brain. Which's pretty awesome!
 
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