Appointment Acceptance

Joined
Dec 3, 2015
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25
If I accept my appointment, do I have the ability to back out come May or June for example? I know that I would be taking up an appointment for someone else, but I'm wondering what kind of effect it would have on me.
 
You can back out any time up to the first day of junior year. The effect it will have on you is that you will not become an Army officer.
 
Whats going on? Whats driving this? Are you having cold feet about going to WP? Is going to another college seem more appealing? ROTC program seem more appealing?
If going to a another college feels like a better option, thats ok, however let WP admissions know early so your seat can be refilled.

Push Hard, Press Forward
 
I agree with tug_boat. More than one month has passed since you first asked this question, and you still are having doubts. This indicates that you are not "all in" and are leaning towards a different option. There is no shame in deciding West Point is not the right fit for you. Saying "yes," taking up a spot, and potentially depriving another candidate that is "all in" of an appointment reflects on your character. The choice is yours to make. Exercise good judgment.
 
I agree with tug_boat. More than one month has passed since you first asked this question, and you still are having doubts. This indicates that you are not "all in" and are leaning towards a different option. There is no shame in deciding West Point is not the right fit for you. Saying "yes," taking up a spot, and potentially depriving another candidate that is "all in" of an appointment reflects on your character. The choice is yours to make. Exercise good judgment.

Can't say it any better.
 
Reading this thread compelled me to log in and reply to your question. I wholeheartedly agree with the previous responses and I would like to add a little to them.

If you are still having doubts about accepting an appointment, even after posting this same question a month ago, you need to do some soul searching and really ask yourself why you want to go to West Point. Is it to become an Army officer? Is it because someone wants you to go there? Is it because you think it's a great way to get a great education? Was it just to see if you could get accepted and now that you have, now what? As a USMA grad, I can honestly tell you that you have to want to join the long gray line for reasons bigger than yourself. You have to want it more than anything. Those four years were some of the toughest, yet most rewarding times of my life. Those times were what I needed to be the best Army officer that I could be. If you don't want to be there more than anything, it is extremely difficult, and maybe some would say impossible, to survive those four years.

Now, I'm putting on my "mom" hat and am speaking to you as a mom of daughter who accepted her appointment about six weeks ago. She has wanted to go to West Point since she was in sixth grade. She has been working her entire "school" career to prepare herself to not only be chosen as a candidate but also to prepare herself to be the best cadet that she can be. There are countless others out there that have done exactly the same thing. Many of those have already been offered appointments, but there are many of those who are sitting on pins and needles waiting for a phone call or a status change in their portal every single day. They want this (an appointment to West Point) bad. They want this more than anything. If you don't want an appointment more than anything, why deny that from someone who does? Embrace your decision to join The Corps or give someone else the opportunity to do so.
 
If you are still having doubts about accepting an appointment, even after posting this same question a month ago, you need to do some soul searching and really ask yourself why you want to go to West Point. Is it to become an Army officer? Is it because someone wants you to go there? Is it because you think it's a great way to get a great education? Was it just to see if you could get accepted and now that you have, now what? As a USMA grad, I can honestly tell you that you have to want to join the long gray line for reasons bigger than yourself. You have to want it more than anything. Those four years were some of the toughest, yet most rewarding times of my life. Those times were what I needed to be the best Army officer that I could be. If you don't want to be there more than anything, it is extremely difficult, and maybe some would say impossible, to survive those four years.
usmacandidate2020, I hope you will reread what ksjmk wrote and see if one of her questions applies to your indecision. You received an LOA and you have an appointment so West Point definitely wants you.... but do you really want West Point?

And please know that it's completely natural to have an attack of nerves and doubt your abilities when you think of the unknown---it's happened to all of us.
 
Not for anything, but I have always wanted to go to West Point. I really got the idea set in my head in 4th grade. So wanting to go is not the issue. The "problem" is that I received a 4year ROTC scholarship to an Ivy League school, so I happen to have other opportunities to achieve my goal of becoming an Army Officer with a world class education. I am not sure which route I want to take to achieve that goal, and I wanted to know if there was any problem with accepting my WP appointment so that I can get all of the tedious paperwork done early, but still have the option to go the ROTC route. I am not having cold feet about WP, or certainly the Army Officer route. I am just weighing my options
 
If you've always wanted to go to West Point, and you're in, doesn't that outweigh another school? This is your dream career and school, wouldn't the Ivy league ROTC school leave you with a dream career, but not a dream school? If you go to West Point, you're 2 for 2, but ROTC leaves you 1 for 2. That's just how I see it, at least.
 
Being a candidate on the NWL I would kill for an opportunity like yours. I fully feel that if I receive an appointment I will accept it that day. I'm not discouraging you from accepting your appointment but in my opinion if you are thinking about West Point just because of its namesake and aren't ready to fully commit yourself to the lifestyle of the US Army every day of your college career, then please give others the chance to fulfill their dream.
 
Not for anything, but I have always wanted to go to West Point. I really got the idea set in my head in 4th grade. So wanting to go is not the issue. The "problem" is that I received a 4year ROTC scholarship to an Ivy League school, so I happen to have other opportunities to achieve my goal of becoming an Army Officer with a world class education. I am not sure which route I want to take to achieve that goal, and I wanted to know if there was any problem with accepting my WP appointment so that I can get all of the tedious paperwork done early, but still have the option to go the ROTC route. I am not having cold feet about WP, or certainly the Army Officer route. I am just weighing my options

You should make your decision before you accept your decision. You have almost 2 months left to figure this out. If you accept you appointment and then you also enroll at the Ivy league School, you need to make sure that school counselor is on board with this. I can tell you from personal experience that ours was not and felt it would have been an ethical issue to accept the appointment to West Point while also enrolling at the university. She required my DS to get written agreement from both West Point and his "Plan B" school to allow it and to be willing to send the final transcript to both institutions following graduation. Also remember if you show up to R-Day, your 4-year ROTC scholarship in voided for the Ivy League school. Surely you can make a final decision within the next month and a half before committing.
 
Have you been accepted to the Ivy League school yet? Most have some sort of Preview day that includes overnight experience with current students that might help you with the decision.
 
Part of the growing up process is making decisions. It's almost time to make one...you have a little more time before the deadline. Once you decide, throw your heart and soul into what you decide. Then, emotionally burn the boats so there's no turning back.
 
One thing to consider is that only a small percentage of ROTC grads become part of the Active Army; most remain in the Army Reserve (that is what the 'R' in ROTC means).
 
The idea of a Plan B backup school is something that really concerns me. My DS accepted his appointment to WP two days after receiving his appointment offer in January. He is committed 1000% to attending WP.
That said, what if something happens between now and R Day (injury while rowing, running, beach week (!) etc.) that keeps him from attending at the last minute? Doesn't it make sense to also accept at a Plan B school?
He received a few 4 yr ROTC scholarship offers and everything would completely go down the drain if by some fluke he were injured in the next two months -- and could not attend WP.
If the service academy doesn't have an issue with this, it makes sense to go ahead to me ... the enrollment deposit at a plan B school is a small sum to pay for insurance after all the hard work.
I have contacted our school counselor about sending his transcript to two schools at the end of the year -- I would think that she will be okay with it, given the unique circumstances.

If anyone believes that the service academy has issues with this, please post and let others know --
 
The idea of a Plan B backup school is something that really concerns me. My DS accepted his appointment to WP two days after receiving his appointment offer in January. He is committed 1000% to attending WP.
That said, what if something happens between now and R Day (injury while rowing, running, beach week (!) etc.) that keeps him from attending at the last minute? Doesn't it make sense to also accept at a Plan B school?
He received a few 4 yr ROTC scholarship offers and everything would completely go down the drain if by some fluke he were injured in the next two months -- and could not attend WP.
If the service academy doesn't have an issue with this, it makes sense to go ahead to me ... the enrollment deposit at a plan B school is a small sum to pay for insurance after all the hard work.
I have contacted our school counselor about sending his transcript to two schools at the end of the year -- I would think that she will be okay with it, given the unique circumstances.

If anyone believes that the service academy has issues with this, please post and let others know --


I recommend doing what gives you peace of mind and satisfies your risk analysis. The service academies expect a certain number of appointees to "break," physically, either before reporting, or once at the SA summer training, in a way that precludes continuing. For whatever reason, that appointee will not proceed as a member of 2020. If that appointee knows they want to be in 2021, they will likely want to embark on a course that moves them forward and keeps the glow on their resume. Having a back-up plan would not surprise or concern a SA in any way.

I am sure someone with direct knowledge will comment on how Admissions views these appointees WRT 2021.
 
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The idea of a Plan B backup school is something that really concerns me. My DS accepted his appointment to WP two days after receiving his appointment offer in January. He is committed 1000% to attending WP.
That said, what if something happens between now and R Day (injury while rowing, running, beach week (!) etc.) that keeps him from attending at the last minute? Doesn't it make sense to also accept at a Plan B school?
He received a few 4 yr ROTC scholarship offers and everything would completely go down the drain if by some fluke he were injured in the next two months -- and could not attend WP.
If the service academy doesn't have an issue with this, it makes sense to go ahead to me ... the enrollment deposit at a plan B school is a small sum to pay for insurance after all the hard work.
I have contacted our school counselor about sending his transcript to two schools at the end of the year -- I would think that she will be okay with it, given the unique circumstances.

If anyone believes that the service academy has issues with this, please post and let others know --


It is my understanding the ROTC scholarship is good until you turn it down, or attend even one day at a Service Academy. I had/have the same concerns for my son. He's going to enroll at his plan B school, and even choose classes just in case he hurts himself before, or during the summer. That way he can still go to school while he is recovering from whatever injury he has, God forbid, and will be ready to go to WP the next year if they let him.
 
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