Multiple Offers? What are your thoughts?

Maplerock

Maplerock

Proud to be an American
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Some lucky kids are sitting on multiple offers. Good for them! These are generally really successful, high achieving young people. If such kids are undecided then they have every right to wait and make a decision on their own timeline.

Once a decision has been made however it is customary (and gracious) to decline the other academy offers. If one waits until the last minute to decline, using all offers as safety valves, it is detrimental to others, especially within their own congressional district.

If an appointee holds all the other offers in reserve in case of an injury, he/she should know that an injury excluding a student from one academy would do the same elsewhere (except in rare cases.)

The lucky appointed ones would not be so lucky if a candidate ranked above them sat on an offer until the last minute rather than decline so as to let the academy and the other applicant move forward.

The argument will be made "they earned the right" etc. True. But is it the right thing to do? Food for thought.
 
Maplerock said:
Some lucky kids are sitting on multiple offers. Good for them! These are generally really successful, high achieving young people. If such kids are undecided then they have every right to wait and make a decision on their own timeline.

Once a decision has been made however it is customary (and gracious) to decline the other academy offers. If one waits until the last minute to decline, using all offers as safety valves, it is detrimental to others, especially within their own congressional district.

If an appointee holds all the other offers in reserve in case of an injury, he/she should know that an injury excluding a student from one academy would do the same elsewhere (except in rare cases.)

The lucky appointed ones would not be so lucky if a candidate ranked above them sat on an offer until the last minute rather than decline so as to let the academy and the other applicant move forward.

The argument will be made "they earned the right" etc. True. But is it the right thing to do? Food for thought.
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I agree, except that I can't think of any case to be made to hang on to offers from other academies. There is no advantage to it as an injury that will keep you from one will keep you from the others. Once a decision has been made the other academy offers should be declined.
 
The flip side the coin is that this is a very big decision not just about where they will go to college, but where they will work for at least 5 years after that, so taking the time to evaluate all options is a very wise thing.
 
There have also been some cases where kids have accepted an offer from one academy and then changed their mind prior to the May 1 deadline to accept at a different academy. If they had declined earlier than that option would no older be available.


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I see...

Reminds me of a Girl that told a boy she would go to the prom...
Other boys asked her later and she didn't turn any of them down. She planned on going with the first one, but hey... maybe she would change her mind.
 
but a prom is not a life changing event, this could be one of the most important decisions a young man or women makes. The academies know this happens every year and give out more offers then there is room in the class, so if someone does turn down an offer it may not be given to someone else.
 
Haz I understand...

What you're saying... But don't agree. It seems selfish IMHO.

And, my prom WAS a life changing event, for 41 years now :)
 
Useful post. I probably would have forgot about declining the other academy if it wasnt for this post. I'm going through the decision of choosing usna or usma, and I am having a very difficult time. I'm usually not indecisive but like mentioned above, this really isnt only about choosing between two colleges, but also choosing between two careers and I guess I'm just nervous. I can't speak for everyone, but I am unsure of what my future holds for me. When I ask how I should be deciding, it's always the same (sound and reasonable) advice: where can I see myself in the future, on ships for extended periods of time? or do i see myself in the army? Do i see myself as a navy officer or an army officer? etc. But I really have no idea, I guess it's just inexperience and nervousness about making the wrong career choice. What other factors should I be considering?
 
Of course everyone should take as long as they need to make a decision. They earned the right to do so.

StayingPositive - I'm sure you've made the lists of pros and cons and weighed them, etc. I've found that sometimes it's impossible to make a rational decision and you have to end up relying on the irrational aka your gut. We do it all the time in life. I don't think most of us make rational decisions when choosing our spouse, we rely on the irrational gut (sometimes to one's chagrin :rolleyes:). You may end up having to do just that. When you do so, don't look back but embrace your choice. One last thing... and this is something my wife does all the time. Do not worry about making the wrong decision. Just worry about making the decision. And there probably is no wrong decision here, just a choice between two excellent paths. Notice "choice" and not "decision". It's like choosing chocolate or vanilla ice cream.

Hope my ramblings might trigger something in yourself that you find helpful as you struggle with this.
 
I'm sure this has been on your mind and in your heart for months if not years. Go with your gut - your passion - will shine if you go with your heart.
 
NJ-USNA2018hopeful +1

Maplerock ...my prom WAS a life changing event, for 41 years now :)
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Maplerock +1 (my prom wasn't but glad yours was!)

DS had offers from two academies. He made the call and signed USNA right away. The second offer came later, and I had actually asked him to wait, keep his options open, and pray. He prayed about it so I guess he was 1/3 on my advice. He knew what was best for him so I am proud of him for making the call and I am glad I didn't screw it up. I know for me, sometimes in my effort to help, well, you know...

I think for some kids it might not be so clear cut. They may need more time to figure it out. It is a big decision. As far as numbers, I think USNA, and the other SAs, have a target class size, so X number of folks are going to get in. Now, can someone holding an offer and rejecting it at the last minute impact someone; I don't know but maybe it could.

I am just glad to be thru with the application processes. Now if my wife and I can survive the rest of Plebe year :smile:. Cannot wait for Herndon...

Hey Vista - did ya'll get another snow day???

bandad
 
DD has an offer from USNA and USAFA. She'll make her final decision after her appointee visit to USAFA in 2 weeks. She went to USNA's CVW in January. This is a very stressful decision for her and she wants to be sure that her choice is the right one.

Having said that, she is aware that someone is waiting on one of those slots to open up. That's why she told me that she'll decide shortly after getting back from USAFA. This isn't a decision that can be made lightly.
 
USAFA83GradWife said:
DD has an offer from USNA and USAFA. She'll make her final decision after her appointee visit to USAFA in 2 weeks. She went to USNA's CVW in January. This is a very stressful decision for her and she wants to be sure that her choice is the right one.
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My son has a choice between USMA and USNA. Going into this whole process his interest had always been USMA -- I encouraged him to apply to USNA just in case. We had done a day visit to USMA in the Fall. He got his BFE from USMA first and was 90% sure that's where he would go -- when he got his BFE from USNA I suggested he do a CVW to make sure he wasn't missing anything.

He just did the CVW this past weekend and had a great experience. He went in thinking 80% chance for USMA. I guess the Mids really worked him over because he came out only 60% for USMA. He's struggling through the decision -- although at this point he wants to wait at least another week to "cool off" from the experience -- he recalls how jacked up he was after our visit to USMA this Fall.

I know there are a lot of factors, but it is hard to go wrong. In one of the parent sessions there was a panel of Mids, one of whom attended West Point this past Fall -- I asked her what she felt the differences were between the two schools and and her answer surprised me. She focused on the similarities -- most importantly you are attending school with other people who are highly successful and want to serve the country.

Good luck to your DD!!!
 
My son has an appointment to USNA as well as an NROTC scholarship. He is still waiting to hear from some colleges before he makes his decision. He has definitely decided he wants to be a Naval officer but how he gets there is still up in the air right now.
His visit to the Academy in January was a very positive one. Yes, he is lucky, but he has worked really hard to be in a position to have options. He has invested too much to not give this important decision the proper discernment it deserves. I recognize that some people are on pins and needles waiting to hear their status but I don't think it's necessarily fair to pin that anxiety on the undecided at this point.
I am praying for great news for all of you.
 
:thumb: hthp37
This is not a decision about one night -- it is a decision about the immediate future (college) and beyond (re. which branch of service). I say take all the time you need. Weigh the pros and cons of your choices. Research your options/opportunities further. And be comfortable with your choice because in the end you're the one that has to put forth the effort and commitment, whichever option you choose.
 
Team work and Sacrifice

Complicated issue, but important one. Given the remaining 4-6 weeks for appointments, it's good to remember that a SA sppointment is an honor and a privilege granted to dedictated students who have displayed exceptional qualities and characteristics. To those to whom multiple appointments have been bestowed, congratulations. Awesome. But realize that the academy's decision was based on numbers, location, demographics, a little pixie dust, maybe prayer (as I've read in these threads), but things out of your control. So, in total, the selection was due to hard work, and a bit of good fortune, given to an exceptional kid. The problem is, there are perhaps 2000 remaining exceptional students, with perhaps decimal points between them, who equally deserve the honor, but may have lacked the pixie dust.

The service academies are predicated on service, which is entirely made up of teamwork and sacrifice. Holding an appointment till April in order to continue to make the "greener grass" decision (when a military officer should really be exhibiting an ability to be decisive), is in my opinion, a bit selfish. This is not a "in case of" situation, unlike holding ROTC scholarships could be.

Just one dude's personal opinion...
 
Striker said:
Complicated issue, but important one. Given the remaining 4-6 weeks for appointments, it's good to remember that a SA sppointment is an honor and a privilege granted to dedictated students who have displayed exceptional qualities and characteristics. To those to whom multiple appointments have been bestowed, congratulations. Awesome. But realize that the academy's decision was based on numbers, location, demographics, a little pixie dust, maybe prayer (as I've read in these threads), but things out of your control. So, in total, the selection was due to hard work, and a bit of good fortune, given to an exceptional kid. The problem is, there are perhaps 2000 remaining exceptional students, with perhaps decimal points between them, who equally deserve the honor, but may have lacked the pixie dust.

.
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I really like the way you said this! Thank you!
 
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Striker said:
Complicated issue, but important one. Given the remaining 4-6 weeks for appointments, it's good to remember that a SA sppointment is an honor and a privilege granted to dedictated students who have displayed exceptional qualities and characteristics. To those to whom multiple appointments have been bestowed, congratulations. Awesome. But realize that the academy's decision was based on numbers, location, demographics, a little pixie dust, maybe prayer (as I've read in these threads), but things out of your control. So, in total, the selection was due to hard work, and a bit of good fortune, given to an exceptional kid. The problem is, there are perhaps 2000 remaining exceptional students, with perhaps decimal points between them, who equally deserve the honor, but may have lacked the pixie dust.

The service academies are predicated on service, which is entirely made up of teamwork and sacrifice. Holding an appointment till April in order to continue to make the "greener grass" decision (when a military officer should really be exhibiting an ability to be decisive), is in my opinion, a bit selfish. This is not a "in case of" situation, unlike holding ROTC scholarships could be.

Just one dude's personal opinion...
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Military officers olso analyse all options and posible outcomes before a decision is made. To call someone selfish for taking their time to make a life changing decision is just rude, especially a 17 or 18 year old. Do you believe the same for the kids that are trying to decide between an SA or Ivey college?
 
Let's remember that we are speaking of 17 or 18 year olds. This is the biggest decision of their life, and one that will direct the next 9+ years of their life. I'm sure none of us would want anyone to take that decision lightly. While some people are set on one branch of service or another, there are many applicants who have no military background at all. They also have little or no input in this process from their parents. Quite a weight to bear when they are getting input from various opinions, and then they have people on a forum call in to question their integrity for taking time to make a decision. I understand you may have a DS/DD waiting in the process, but that doesn't mean you should question another person's action that they have every right to exercise.

As for the OP, they themselves have two children already in attendance at USNA. They of all people should understand the importance of making this decision.
 
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