When and How? Contacting the BGO

Padre101

Parent
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My DS is a junior. Went to CVW last fall. Sent an email introduing himself to his BGO. No response. Just applied to NASS. Should he try to contact his BGO again? Is this a good time? Is email the best way?
 
email is usually the best way. I would wait a few more weeks. Nominations for candidates are due to the academy January 31, which is also the deadline for applications. Your BGO may be involved and/or consumed with that process.
 
No reason to send anything this early. I'd just leave it alone for now. BGOs may have their hands full with current applicants.
 
I had a feeling that BGOs would be busy with current candidates, but during CVW, the USNA admissions folks recommended reaching out to the BGO. I will tell my DS to standdown for now.
 
No reason to send anything this early. I'd just leave it alone for now. BGOs may have their hands full with current applicants.

But IMHO Feburary would not be too early. The BGO is there to support both the academy and the candidate. They may be able to supply some constructive advice that your DS may be able to act on while he is still a junior. Like going to Boys State.
 
Agree making contact early is great. Let the BGO wrap up this years class first. Everything is due at the end of January, give him weeks into February and then re-engage.
 
Agree making contact early is great. Let the BGO wrap up this years class first. Everything is due at the end of January, give him weeks into February and then re-engage.
Copy that. Thanks everyone.
 
I'm a BGO. Personally, I've always taken the time to educate a candidate any time of the year. I'm also the guy that runs the USNA Candidates Facebook group. Some days, I wish my own candidates were as enthusiastic on reaching out than waiting for me to contact them. I live in NE Ohio - and when they google my name, I hope they take this comment to heart.
 
I'm a BGO. Personally, I've always taken the time to educate a candidate any time of the year. I'm also the guy that runs the USNA Candidates Facebook group. Some days, I wish my own candidates were as enthusiastic on reaching out than waiting for me to contact them. I live in NE Ohio - and when they google my name, I hope they take this comment to heart.

I agree with Doug. I am also a BGO, and I spend a lot of time counseling candidates early in their process. Frankly, I would prefer to make contact with sincerely interested prospective candidates in their freshman or sophomore years. When I visit schools, I usually ask the guidance office to allow underclass students to make appointments with me. Unfortunately, many schools only afford those opportunities to juniors and seniors.
 
I agree with Doug. I am also a BGO, and I spend a lot of time counseling candidates early in their process. Frankly, I would prefer to make contact with sincerely interested prospective candidates in their freshman or sophomore years. When I visit schools, I usually ask the guidance office to allow underclass students to make appointments with me. Unfortunately, many schools only afford those opportunities to juniors and seniors.
You are a rare gem. DS' BGO put him off until he saw that his online app was 100% complete even though my son proved he had been selected for NASS. Said he didn't want to waste his time with youngsters who do not complete their apps.
 
Really? I went to an info session and my BGO contacted me before I contacted him.
 
I reached out to mine after I was rejected from Summer Seminar, asking him what I could do to improve chances for admission. My BGO was open to contact/giving advice as soon as I became an official candidate, however said at the outset that he doesn't interview any candidates until they are at least 50% complete with the app, preferably with the personal information section with the essay also completed He has been immensely helpful, and gave me some great personal stories from the academy and the fleet during the BGO interview, which lasted nearly 3 hours. In my opinion, getting to know my BGO very well was immensely helpful, and he was one of the first people to reach out to me after my MOC notified me this past week that I had been appointed to USNA for the class of 2020
 
@suddensam and Doug, you guys are special.

My DD reached out to her BGO in the spring when she became an official candidate....but was sent an email that she must have 50% of her application complete before any further contact. Sadly for my daughter, she didn't turn 17 until July so she could not actually log on and start the app (the wait was excruciating!), but DD had her application mostly finished within a week of her birthday, except for teacher letters. BGO interview was scheduled, and it went fantastic - the BGO told DD she's exactly what USNA wants and was going to give her a great report. The BGO did complete the interview and it was uploaded within the week.

And then....nothing. That was around the first week of August.

My DD got herself a speeding ticket in late September (going 55 in a 45, grrr), and was in a panic that it could ruin her chances, so she called BGO. Left a voice mail. Nine days later the BGO emailed her that it was nothing to worry about. For nine days my daughter thought USNA was gone from her dreams. BGO said in the email that a note would be made in her file but don't sweat it.

When DD got a nom from our MOC, she called BGO, left a voice mail that she got a nom. And....nothing. Zero further contact.

I understand that BGO's have jobs, families, etc. however I'm wistful that my DD did not get the great feedback, support, and just the "mentor-ism" that many BGO's offer.

For those BGO's that go above and beyond just doing the interview - you are appreciated!!!

(Maybe my next kid will have that kind of BGO :) )
 
My BGO has been very slow to respond to emails, so I made sure to send him an extra email(or 2) if he hadn't replied to one in 2 weeks. In fact, he said this was a positive thing and also said that he would make a note of my persistence is his BGO write-up. Unfortunately, I have a friend with a different BGO who did not respond to any contact after the interview, which took place way back in August.
 
If your BGO is unresponsive or unreachable, try contacting the BGO Area Coordinator. Sometimes a BGO can become unresponsive due to any number of situations - they are volunteers. The Area Coordinator list can be found on the USNA website.

I'm guessing your DS is a recruited athlete since he had a CVW before applying for NASS? If so, I'm not familiar with process for recruited athletes. Might be different.
 
I don't know the full details of the sequence of events and such with Norfolk's BGO but he has a legitimate reason for his non-contact until an application is complete or mostly so. Most BGOs take their job seriously and try to do their best for both the candidate and the Academy, however, a distressing number of candidates are very casual applicants. Half way through the process, they bail out for Civilian U or they focus on another service academy, their USNA application hangs in limbo, and the BGO gets blown off. In the meantime, the BGO may have had numerous contacts or an interview (and subsequent write up and submission) and their work then becomes nothing. Attendance at NASS or STEM is no guarantee that an applicant will follow through. With all the wackos at all levels of society combined with the fact a BGO deals with young teenage males and females, sometimes the most innocent series of phone calls can be misconstrued by protective parents. After an initial contact many BGOs (myself included) do not call candidates but do make themselves available for the candidate to call or email them. There are good reasons for a prudent BGO to require a large % of the application to be done before an interview and to seem "non-communicative", however, a good BGO always responds to questions and concerns.

By the way, the BGO, by Academy direction, is NOT an agent, helper, or mentor of a candidate. The BGO represents the Academy not the candidate. What the BGO does do is identify good candidates, guide them through the application process, answer questions about the Navy and USNA, and give an interview on behalf of the Academy for the benefit of the Admissions Board. I will admit there are BGOs that do not do this and get way too chummy, but they are not helping the Academy nor their fellow BGOs.
 
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