Accepting your appointment

Hello,
I received my appointment a few weeks ago and I accepted it and got my BFE. I am definitely going to accept it with the papers they sent me, but I have a few questions. Is it better to send it now or wait? What happens with other colleges that I applied to? Also, by sending that in am I officially committed? I'm ready to do that but I was just wondering how this all works.
Thanks in advance!


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Is the BFE the package you receive after you have been appointed is it only sent to those with full appointments or also those with conditional? Can you only accept your appointment after the conditional appointment becomes a full? I have a conditional appointment, waiting on a few medical things to be cleared away

I don't know if you get one with a conditional appointment, but when I received my (full) appointment I accepted it online and then got a package from them with a nice certificate and papers to send them. I'm not sure if that's what a BFE is but that's the stuff I'm confused about.


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harris15 said:

I don't know if you get one with a conditional appointment, but when I received my (full) appointment I accepted it online and then got a package from them with a nice certificate and papers to send them. I'm not sure if that's what a BFE is but that's the stuff I'm confused about.


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BFE is Big Fat Envelope--all the documents that you recieve with your appointment.

As to your other questions, the sooner that you complete your paperwork, the sooner the Coast Guard can start on your initial security clearance. The paperwork also reserves your slot in the class.

What happens with your other colleges? They don't get any notifications from the academy, so it's possible you could get accepted to other colleges. If CGA is really where you want to go, just notify them that you are not accepting any offers from them.

Are you committed? Yes and no. If you accept your appointment, you are expected to complete all the required paperwork and to report in for swab summer. However, the reality is the Coast Guard does not want anyone who doesn't want to be there. If you decide to accept a slot at another school, or even decide the Coast Guard isn't for you, just notify admissions and they'll pull your slot and give it to someone else.

Congratulations on your appointment. This is a commitment, but one well worth the time and effort. Just ask any Coast Guard officer if it was worth it!

Thank you very much! I absolutely want to be there, I have since eighth grade. I was just confused because I have seen people suggest on here that you put in a deposit at another school in case an injury or something keeps you from reporting until a year later. (That might not be accurate but that's what I remembered seeing)


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I don't think that having a plan B means that you don't want to really be at the Coast Guard Academy. We actually had to put a deposit down for housing at Auburn, because the housing literally fills up before Christmas - before many kids even know they are accepted!!
But, if there is a deadline for accepting a scholarship at another school, I think that is when you have to cut that option loose. Once you send in your BFE paperwork, I think that you are then committed to the Academy. If you change your mind, you should notify admissions immediately, and let that appointment go, so another kid can take the slot in a reasonable time.

Sweetpea704 said:

Once you send in your BFE paperwork, I think that you are then committed to the Academy.

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No, you are not committed until you swear in on RDay (and even then you could quit after 1 day/1 week/1 month etc) without a commitment.

You could sign and send in everything that came in the BFE and change your mind on RDay morning and simply not show up, and there is no commitment.

While Freda'sMom is technically correct, that is not the preferred way to do it, as you have taken a spot from another candidate which cannot be filled. There could also be repercussions should you ever reconsider the Coast Guard.

You have until 1 May to decide. There are people who have committed to other schools, and put down money, because they were wait-listed. Suddenly they are offered a slot at CGA. Some schools will refund non-refundable fees if you are attending a Federal Service Academy.

Although you should have directions inside your packet on what needs to be returned and when, it might be best if Objee would clarify the differences between filing papers now and 1 May. You may also contact your Admissions Officer for help.

Freda'sMom said:

No, you are not committed until you swear in on RDay (and even then you could quit after 1 day/1 week/1 month etc) without a commitment.

You could sign and send in everything that came in the BFE and change your mind on RDay morning and simply not show up, and there is no commitment.

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Wow, from a mom of a kid on the waitlist, please don't wait till R Day to change your mind!

Sweetpea704 said:

Wow, from a mom of a kid on the waitlist, please don't wait till R Day to change your mind!

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Oh my! I would never say that is the way to do it!

My comment was responding to your comment about a "commitment" once you send in your paperwork (which there is none).

We were told anyone with an appointment can wait until May 1 to decide, with no penalty or reward for accepting earlier or waiting until then.

Yes, those on the wait list would prefer those who are undecided to make a decision sooner then later but those with the appointments get to take all the time they need, they earned that right.

Freda'sMom said:

No, you are not committed until you swear in on RDay (and even then you could quit after 1 day/1 week/1 month etc) without a commitment.

You could sign and send in everything that came in the BFE and change your mind on RDay morning and simply not show up, and there is no commitment.

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You are not committed until RDay and yes, it is always a good idea to have a back up plan with a college you have been accepted at up until that day.

So if there is a deposit required to keep your spot at that planX college, keep it there until sworn in. Your colleges won't know you plan on attending CGA unless you tell them. It will be money well spent if the below happens.

Anything can and does happen between the time you accept your appointment and RDay-you can get DQ'd for medical or some other life event. Trick is to stay, healthy, happy, drug and law enforcement event free and get good grades until you raise that right hand but enjoy your last few months of high school(or college if accepted from there).

Read posts here and on other SA strings, it does happen(rarely) so just control what you can and have that contingency covered.

All the best.

Trust me, my heart is 110% in this. I wouldn't take a spot from someone if I wasn't. I was just confused about what I was supposed to do about other schools and whether it was standard to have a backup in place in case of something bad. Thank you everyone for clearing it up for me!


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harris15 said:

Trust me, my heart is 110% in this. I wouldn't take a spot from someone if I wasn't. I was just confused about what I was supposed to do about other schools and whether it was standard to have a backup in place in case of something bad. Thank you everyone for clearing it up for me!


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I highly recommend having a backup. You can get hurt during Swab summer.