USNA Candidate Visit Weekend

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stretch95

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My candidate visit weekend is tomorrow. Does anyone have any tips that they could give me? What to wear? What to expect? What the schedule is like?

Thanks
 
Wear nice but not fancy clothes; like you'd wear to work. Bring some workout gear. Sweats to lounge and sleep - you'll probably be on a cot. A jacket - not your letter jacket! Leave anything with a printed name (HS, college, company, etc ) across it at home. The key here is to not stand out as "that guy" (advice you'll hear often if you choose to attend.)

Oh yeah - I almost forgot the most important thing: BRING COOKIES
 
stretch95 said:
My candidate visit weekend is tomorrow. Does anyone have any tips that they could give me? What to wear? What to expect? What the schedule is like?

Thanks
Click to expand...

The hosts for candidates are always Plebes. Do not be overly influenced by whomever your escort is. Try to take a broad view of everything going on around you. Sometimes the Plebes can be very negative about the academy and they can scare a candidate. Or, sometimes they can be very cavalier and leave you with the false impression that it is all just a piece-of-cake.

You may not have the same strengths and weaknesses of your escort and you may have a completely different experience as a Plebe. Also, the experience does not come close to getting any perspective of what Plebe Summer is like.

CVWs can be valuable or they can give the wrong impression.
 
CVW

Dress nicely. Bring a sport coat. Open collar polo shirt, khakis. Comfortable shoes. No jeans. Lettermen's jacket would be smart.

Also - bring some cookies and other goodies for your host and his/her roommates.:thumb:
 
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Norfolk63 said:
Dress nicely. Bring a sport coat. Open collar polo shirt, khakis. Comfortable shoes. No jeans. Lettermen's jacket would be smart.

Also - bring some cookies and other goodies for your host and his/her roommates.:thumb:
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High school Lettermens jacket would be smart? That's probably the most tool-ish thing to wear at the naval academy.
 
I have to agree on the Letterman's jacket. Keep it in your closet...you're not going to impress anybody in the yard.
 
I'll be going too!

Hey! I'm going to be attending te CVW tomorrow too! I think what I'm going to do is bring a sleeping bag instead of sheets. Years of camp taught me it's always easier with a sleeping bag. Remember a towel! I forgot one and am going have to steal one from the hotel haha. The email said casual clothes, so that's all I packed. It's kinda too late for me considering I have to fly out there and am already driving to Dallas from Oklahoma...
Anyway, I think attitude is also important. Don't go there trying to prove anything. Just be yourself and be friendly and outgoing. If people tease you- it means they like you. At least that's what I think. I brought my mid little Oklahoma shaped chocolates, and am going to a grocery store tomorrow in Annapolis before check in to get some more junk food. Heck if they don't want it I'll eat it! I'm starting to regret only packin jeans and cowboy boots... Another person who I know is going told me that she had talked to a mid and they told her to wear khakis and polos. Wish I would have known that before I left!!
You probably got the same vague schedule as I did. But I think we're goin to class at 7am- maybe some PT before. Then whatever sports practice they go to. I don't know. I don't mind a surprise here and there.
Don't be nervous! I think it will be tons of fun. I'm excited!
 
Sooner Spirit

Gentry said:
Hey! I'm going to be attending te CVW tomorrow too! I think what I'm going to do is bring a sleeping bag instead of sheets. Years of camp taught me it's always easier with a sleeping bag. Remember a towel! I forgot one and am going have to steal one from the hotel haha. The email said casual clothes, so that's all I packed. It's kinda too late for me considering I have to fly out there and am already driving to Dallas from Oklahoma...
Anyway, I think attitude is also important. Don't go there trying to prove anything. Just be yourself and be friendly and outgoing. If people tease you- it means they like you. At least that's what I think. I brought my mid little Oklahoma shaped chocolates, and am going to a grocery store tomorrow in Annapolis before check in to get some more junk food. Heck if they don't want it I'll eat it! I'm starting to regret only packin jeans and cowboy boots... Another person who I know is going told me that she had talked to a mid and they told her to wear khakis and polos. Wish I would have known that before I left!!
You probably got the same vague schedule as I did. But I think we're goin to class at 7am- maybe some PT before. Then whatever sports practice they go to. I don't know. I don't mind a surprise here and there. Don't be nervous! I think it will be tons of fun. I'm excited!
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By the looks of it I can tell your Sooner spirit will ensure you have a good time at USNA. Take it all in and enjoy yourself and the Yard. Just in case you get my son as your plebe guide, his favorite cookies are white chocolate chip with macadamia nuts;-) Cheers...
 
Bring reading material. DS's plebe host was busy doing homework and studying for tests at night.
 
And it would be wise to leave behind the disrespectful attitude and language as displayed by several posters on this thread.
:wink:
 
I don't think anyone on this thread has been disrespectul or has used disrespectful language
 
Thanks a lot for all of the advice! I've never been to annapolis before & all of my teachers & friends have been telling me great things about the town & the Naval Academy so i can't wait to get there
 
Bring the treats for the Plebes.:thumb: Haven't seen any disrespectful attitude or language on this thread? Reading material is a must as you will have a lot of down time while your Plebe is studying. Sleeping bag is a great idea since you will probably only get a cot. They hate Letter Jackets. Remember this is the worst time of the year for Plebes. Winter after Christmas break and not yet Spring. DD still loved CVW and it was a deciding factor.
 
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Our DD went to CVW in October of 2011. The plebe she shadowed, and her roommate were great! When our DD was Wait Listed and did not get in they were both very sweet and encouraging. This year DD reapplied, and got an appointment. In the end though her decision to attend USNA was much more difficult than she anticipated. She had some career choice decisions to reconsider, and loves TAMU. As they say here in Texas we drank the Kool Aide, and some "Johnny Football" did not hurt either! She chose USNA but
before DD made that decision she wanted to pray about it, consider all her options, and go back up to Annapolis. She was able to meet the plebe she shadowed at CVW for almost 2 hours.
During our stay in Annapolis we were sitting next to a couple at dinner. Started talking, and sure enough he works for USNA in Admissions. He told our DD that they put a lot of thought in pairing up each candidate and plebe. It worked out for our DD. Have fun, and by the way when our DD went to CVW she brought cookies too!
 
Also, I just wanted to say, if you know a mid at NAPS who will be a plebe next year, he can hook you up with a mattress. CVW should be more fun since I went to school with the plebe I will shadow.
 
Hurricane12 posted a great CVW "do's and don'ts" synopsis a while back....if you search for it, I'm sure you can find it. Don't wear a letter jacket, Navy apparel, etc.

With that being said.....BE INQUISITIVE!!! If a plebe says they are having difficult times (sometimes it will be expressed in other words), then ask why....try to get a good understanding of the pros and cons (challenges and benefits) from their experiences --- but you won't get the truthful answer if you don't dig deep enough.

Also, try and meet MIDN from different classes and ask them about their experiences, too.
 
Does anybody know how many kids are invited to each CVW? If you aren't able to attend the weekend that you're sent an invitation to, will you be invited to future visits or can you ask for a future invitation?
 
jalusna...what a coincidence! We are from Texas and my DS has received an Appointment to USNA and he will have his CVW in early April...and he was also admitted to A&M! All of his friends are going to A&M and they are pressuring him and playing up football weekends! He is looking forward to his visit to Annapolis...none of us has ever seen the campus. Sounds like cookies and snacks for the host and other room mates is in order!
 
What an experience my CVW was! Going in I was undecided on if i wanted to accept my offer to attend NAPS or turn it down, my weekend visit without a doubt answered this decision for me. I loved it -the atmosphere, the plebes & midshipmen I interacted with, the classes- EVERYTHING! It felt like home to me & it was helpful that the Plebe I shadowed attended NAPS as well as one of the Leadership teachers I attended class with. They were both able to give me a vivid insight on everything at NAPS & the Academy. If I have to go through NAPS to be at USNA, then so be it! It is DEFINETELY where I want to be
 
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