so. much. stress. and. work.

che527

Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2016
Messages
180
i'm an incoming junior in high school and i'm interested in applying for USNA. the problem is, it's very frustrating. i'm in the dilemma of if i do get accepted, then that's great. but if i don't, then i'll either be in ROTC or another nursing school. but what i don't get is how candidates prepare for both plan a and b at the same time.
while i would be preparing for my naval academy application, i'm supposed to be preparing for another ROTC scholarship program application, as well as looking into nursing school. how do people organize and handle this?
 
I cannot tell you what is best for you but I can explain what DS did. At your phase in the process he worked to further his potential as a USNA candidate. Mainly by constantly striving to better himself and become the best all around candidate he could be. This included everything from academics, to clubs, to sports teams, and community involvement.

In the end I think it worked since he is now a part of the Class of 2020 enjoying a lovely summer in Annapolis. The same qualifications that made him a good candidate to the Academy also made him a good candidate to his plan A and plan B schools. He received a NROTC scholarship and was accepted to both MIT and Rice.

When it comes to filling out the applications I suggest that you pick 3 or 4 realistic options and go for those. The key here is being realistic if the average SAT for a school on your list is 2200+ and you have a 2000 then you are not being realistic. In my humble opinion it is ok to include one big stretch in your 4 schools but if you do so you should also include one fall back option such as the local state school. Most school and scholarship applications asked for pretty much the same thing with minor variations. For DS once he filled out the USNA application all of the others were pretty easy.
 
The way I did it was use word or excel to write down what exactly each school/program needed for the application (essays, act/sat, writing supplements, common app vs school app, etc) and the deadlines. Then, I devoted 2-3 hours a week to finishing all the components throughout junior year summer/senior year fall semester. Really junior year was more of a time to take standardized tests so I could save myself the time and stress during senior year.

I have a friend who was in your situation who's at USMA (got into USMA + USNA) right now. He used junior year to take the SAT/ACT multiple times. Once he got that out of the way, he attended USMA's SLE then used the rest of junior year summer to finish all of the USNA/USMA applications. Fastforward to beginning of senior year, he finished all his other college applications and the ROTC application in the early fall-November. He used junior year to excel in school, gain leadership positions, and do sports. He had a lot on his plate but he definitely spaced it out and made it doable by attacking one thing at a time. Best of luck!
 
You eat the elephant one bite at a time (a favorite phrase I pirated from another poster).

Figure out where your time goes. Eat, sleep, PT, sport, school, ECs, NROTC/USNA/college apps, other needs. Wants: extra sleep, gaming, goofing off with friends, social media. You decide what is important and invest accordingly. Thousands figure this out each year.

Get organized in a way that suits you. Planners, folders, online project planners. Set waypoints and deadlines on a Master Schedule.

The application process itself is a test of your determination, attention to detail, org skills, ability to follow directions and timeliness. Same skills you need as a mid, a cadet or a military officer.

Good luck!
 
As for the nursing component, find a school with an ROTC nursing program. I believe the Army, Navy, and AF all have that option.
 
I just went through what you're going through. I'm headed into my senior year and am stressed with finishing up taking the ACT/SAT and summer homework and sports and civilian college apps. Like everyone else said, take it one day at a time and chip away at it a little each day. Your application portals won't open for a while, so there isn't much need to stress about those right now. Focus on what you can do for yourself to become the most qualified and competitive candidate you can. If I can give you one piece of advice, definitely do NOT procrastinate on starting and finishing your applications for USNA/NROTC. I finished both of mine a week or two ago, and feel very relieved I won't have to stress about them during the school year. Getting your apps in early can also give the admissions/review boards a chance to give you an LOA or an Immediate Scholarship Reservation, or recommend ways to improve your application.

For now, take it day by day and keep working on yourself. Prioritize your activities and find out what you really want. Create as many paths for yourself as you can by challenging yourself in school and sports and being active in the community. Junior year is no easy ride, especially for those getting ready to apply for Service Academies or ROTC.
 
Thanksgiving break. Seriously- I finished up nearly all my apps during that time, and what I didn't was done by Christmas.
 
You eat the elephant one bite at a time (a favorite phrase I pirated from another poster).

Figure out where your time goes. Eat, sleep, PT, sport, school, ECs, NROTC/USNA/college apps, other needs. Wants: extra sleep, gaming, goofing off with friends, social media. You decide what is important and invest accordingly. Thousands figure this out each year.

Get organized in a way that suits you. Planners, folders, online project planners. Set waypoints and deadlines on a Master Schedule.

The application process itself is a test of your determination, attention to detail, org skills, ability to follow directions and timeliness. Same skills you need as a mid, a cadet or a military officer.

Good luck!
This exactly.

My son applied to USNA, USAFA and USMA , as well as ROTC. Most of the requirements are somewhat duplicative, with variations. Between those applications and the nomination applications there were a lot of essays, but you just start writing and rewriting. He did his CFA one day, and a week later took the fitness test for ROTC. Letters of recommendation from mostly the same people, but changing the addresses .

I don't understand the dilemma though. It really isn't that bad doing these applications at the same time. You want good test scores for both, but it's not like you need to take different ACT tests for each application.

Just grind it out like everyone else.
 
As a parent of a rising senior who just completed her applications for both the USNA and the NROTC scholarship, my advice to you is to start EARLY. During your junior year, you should be taking the required standardized tests, visiting colleges, and researching who your nominating sources are what your nominating sources require. Get a much done as you can before school starts.

Here is the timeline my DD followed her junior year to give you an idea:
September: Registered to take the ACT in Oct. Dec. Feb. and April
Signed up for a CVW. Dad had to request two days off of work to drive out.
October: Took ACT. Score not too bad, but room for improvement.
November: Visited USNA
December: Took ACT for the second time. (Score improved 10% in English and 30% in Science)
January: Researched colleges, wrote resume, started asking teachers for letters of references
Applied to NASS on the first day the portal opened.
February: Did not take the ACT due to illiness.
Went on college visits. (Brrrr!)
Got notified of acceptance to NASS
March: More college visits!
Reminded teachers for letters of references
April: Took the ACT again. Refused to ever take another test. Mom very happy with results.
More college visits!
Met with high school guidance counsellor to find out the process for requesting transcripts
May: Got notified by USNA of official candidate status
Requested transcripts from guidance office be sent out
Letters of references received and uploaded
June: Went to NASS
Completed application for NROTC
Completed application for USNA
July: Met with BGO, scheduled required physical exams, had interview with NROTC
Sent out completed packets to nominating sources

It's now the beginning of August and DD is completely done with the application process for both the USNA and NROTC. Her BGO complimented her on being the first candidate this cycle to get all of her paperwork in. The Common App portal just opened so DD is currently working on applying to the colleges she selected. Her goal is to be completely done with everything before the start of senior year in two weeks.

I hope this timeline is helpful to you. Keep in mind that with all of your activities and responsibilities, you should not wait until the last minute to get things done. My DD had to work around her sports practices, Sea Cadet drill schedule, work schedule, holiday orchestra concerts, and The FAMILY schedule for things such as college visits and it was very, very difficult to align everything. With over 5000 students in her high school, it took DD a few weeks to get an appointment with the guidance office, and DD's English teacher didn't write a letter of reference until the teacher had finished grading 300 final essays.

Yes, the process is long and complicated, and at first glance, it can be very overwhelming. Work with your parents and come up with a timeline. By breaking down the process into small manageable steps, you will complete the tasks, keep your sanity, enjoy Thanksgiving break, and enter your senior year confident!

Best of luck to you!
 
Add to the timeline listed above:
October (?) Took the PSAT to see if DD qualified for the National Merit Scholarship. Results very favorable but will not know status until Fall, 2016
May: Took AP tests in school. Results excellent! Will not help with the USNA application, but may be important if plans B-Zz need to be activated.
 
As a parent of a rising senior who just completed her applications for both the USNA and the NROTC scholarship, my advice to you is to start EARLY. During your junior year, you should be taking the required standardized tests, visiting colleges, and researching who your nominating sources are what your nominating sources require. Get a much done as you can before school starts.

Here is the timeline my DD followed her junior year to give you an idea:
September: Registered to take the ACT in Oct. Dec. Feb. and April
Signed up for a CVW. Dad had to request two days off of work to drive out.
October: Took ACT. Score not too bad, but room for improvement.
November: Visited USNA
December: Took ACT for the second time. (Score improved 10% in English and 30% in Science)
January: Researched colleges, wrote resume, started asking teachers for letters of references
Applied to NASS on the first day the portal opened.
February: Did not take the ACT due to illiness.
Went on college visits. (Brrrr!)
Got notified of acceptance to NASS
March: More college visits!
Reminded teachers for letters of references
April: Took the ACT again. Refused to ever take another test. Mom very happy with results.
More college visits!
Met with high school guidance counsellor to find out the process for requesting transcripts
May: Got notified by USNA of official candidate status
Requested transcripts from guidance office be sent out
Letters of references received and uploaded
June: Went to NASS
Completed application for NROTC
Completed application for USNA
July: Met with BGO, scheduled required physical exams, had interview with NROTC
Sent out completed packets to nominating sources

It's now the beginning of August and DD is completely done with the application process for both the USNA and NROTC. Her BGO complimented her on being the first candidate this cycle to get all of her paperwork in. The Common App portal just opened so DD is currently working on applying to the colleges she selected. Her goal is to be completely done with everything before the start of senior year in two weeks.

I hope this timeline is helpful to you. Keep in mind that with all of your activities and responsibilities, you should not wait until the last minute to get things done. My DD had to work around her sports practices, Sea Cadet drill schedule, work schedule, holiday orchestra concerts, and The FAMILY schedule for things such as college visits and it was very, very difficult to align everything. With over 5000 students in her high school, it took DD a few weeks to get an appointment with the guidance office, and DD's English teacher didn't write a letter of reference until the teacher had finished grading 300 final essays.

Yes, the process is long and complicated, and at first glance, it can be very overwhelming. Work with your parents and come up with a timeline. By breaking down the process into small manageable steps, you will complete the tasks, keep your sanity, enjoy Thanksgiving break, and enter your senior year confident!

Best of luck to you!
Congrats to your DD making tremendous strides with the apps. My DS is making progress with his 3 applications and NOMs but not at a pace that a parent would like. Giving him some break as his June month was shot between SLE, Boys State and NASS. Good luck to your DD.
 
I cannot tell you what is best for you but I can explain what DS did. At your phase in the process he worked to further his potential as a USNA candidate. Mainly by constantly striving to better himself and become the best all around candidate he could be. This included everything from academics, to clubs, to sports teams, and community involvement.

In the end I think it worked since he is now a part of the Class of 2020 enjoying a lovely summer in Annapolis. The same qualifications that made him a good candidate to the Academy also made him a good candidate to his plan A and plan B schools. He received a NROTC scholarship and was accepted to both MIT and Rice.

When it comes to filling out the applications I suggest that you pick 3 or 4 realistic options and go for those. The key here is being realistic if the average SAT for a school on your list is 2200+ and you have a 2000 then you are not being realistic. In my humble opinion it is ok to include one big stretch in your 4 schools but if you do so you should also include one fall back option such as the local state school. Most school and scholarship applications asked for pretty much the same thing with minor variations. For DS once he filled out the USNA application all of the others were pretty easy.
That's great to hear. And thanks for the advice!
 
The way I did it was use word or excel to write down what exactly each school/program needed for the application (essays, act/sat, writing supplements, common app vs school app, etc) and the deadlines. Then, I devoted 2-3 hours a week to finishing all the components throughout junior year summer/senior year fall semester. Really junior year was more of a time to take standardized tests so I could save myself the time and stress during senior year.

I have a friend who was in your situation who's at USMA (got into USMA + USNA) right now. He used junior year to take the SAT/ACT multiple times. Once he got that out of the way, he attended USMA's SLE then used the rest of junior year summer to finish all of the USNA/USMA applications. Fastforward to beginning of senior year, he finished all his other college applications and the ROTC application in the early fall-November. He used junior year to excel in school, gain leadership positions, and do sports. He had a lot on his plate but he definitely spaced it out and made it doable by attacking one thing at a time. Best of luck!
Thank you.
 
You eat the elephant one bite at a time (a favorite phrase I pirated from another poster).

Figure out where your time goes. Eat, sleep, PT, sport, school, ECs, NROTC/USNA/college apps, other needs. Wants: extra sleep, gaming, goofing off with friends, social media. You decide what is important and invest accordingly. Thousands figure this out each year.

Get organized in a way that suits you. Planners, folders, online project planners. Set waypoints and deadlines on a Master Schedule.

The application process itself is a test of your determination, attention to detail, org skills, ability to follow directions and timeliness. Same skills you need as a mid, a cadet or a military officer.

Good luck!
Thank you for your tips!
 
As a parent of a rising senior who just completed her applications for both the USNA and the NROTC scholarship, my advice to you is to start EARLY. During your junior year, you should be taking the required standardized tests, visiting colleges, and researching who your nominating sources are what your nominating sources require. Get a much done as you can before school starts.

Here is the timeline my DD followed her junior year to give you an idea:
September: Registered to take the ACT in Oct. Dec. Feb. and April
Signed up for a CVW. Dad had to request two days off of work to drive out.
October: Took ACT. Score not too bad, but room for improvement.
November: Visited USNA
December: Took ACT for the second time. (Score improved 10% in English and 30% in Science)
January: Researched colleges, wrote resume, started asking teachers for letters of references
Applied to NASS on the first day the portal opened.
February: Did not take the ACT due to illiness.
Went on college visits. (Brrrr!)
Got notified of acceptance to NASS
March: More college visits!
Reminded teachers for letters of references
April: Took the ACT again. Refused to ever take another test. Mom very happy with results.
More college visits!
Met with high school guidance counsellor to find out the process for requesting transcripts
May: Got notified by USNA of official candidate status
Requested transcripts from guidance office be sent out
Letters of references received and uploaded
June: Went to NASS
Completed application for NROTC
Completed application for USNA
July: Met with BGO, scheduled required physical exams, had interview with NROTC
Sent out completed packets to nominating sources

It's now the beginning of August and DD is completely done with the application process for both the USNA and NROTC. Her BGO complimented her on being the first candidate this cycle to get all of her paperwork in. The Common App portal just opened so DD is currently working on applying to the colleges she selected. Her goal is to be completely done with everything before the start of senior year in two weeks.

I hope this timeline is helpful to you. Keep in mind that with all of your activities and responsibilities, you should not wait until the last minute to get things done. My DD had to work around her sports practices, Sea Cadet drill schedule, work schedule, holiday orchestra concerts, and The FAMILY schedule for things such as college visits and it was very, very difficult to align everything. With over 5000 students in her high school, it took DD a few weeks to get an appointment with the guidance office, and DD's English teacher didn't write a letter of reference until the teacher had finished grading 300 final essays.

Yes, the process is long and complicated, and at first glance, it can be very overwhelming. Work with your parents and come up with a timeline. By breaking down the process into small manageable steps, you will complete the tasks, keep your sanity, enjoy Thanksgiving break, and enter your senior year confident!

Best of luck to you!
Sorry this is a really late reply, but when did you take the SAT?
 
If commission via USNA isn't your primary goal, then don't apply!!!

I say this as a former USN enlisted Sailor turned USMC Company Grade Officer who fought tooth and nail to earn my commission from USNA via NAPS.

NROTC, OCS, and other specialized commissioning programs produce outstanding Naval Officers (USN & USMC) of all specialties and sub-specialties.

If you don't want to be a warrior leader, I personally recommend you don't apply to USNA.

USNA exists to primarily provide combat leaders.

Semper Fidelis & Beat Army,
Grilled Cheese
 
but what i don't get is how candidates prepare for both plan a and b at the same time. ... how do people organize and handle this?

I'm not sure how you could not do that. I mean, my son applied to 14 colleges, including USNA. He was prepared to go to a large school strictly as a student, musician and outdoorsman. He prepared for smaller schools where he would also be a varsity athlete. And, of course, he prepared for life at the USNA. He didn't apply to any other service academies nor did he even consider ROTC. So while I appreciate GrilledCheese94's position, it's certainly not the only one.

But the bottom line is, you have to have a backup plan and that applies if USNA is your #1 choice or Harvard is your #1 choice. My son got accepted to 13 of the 14 colleges he applied to. Why not the 14th? Dunno. It wasn't the most competitive one. But the had their reasons. You have to prepare your options.
 
It is important for you to identify what you plan to study. By reading your initial note, it sounds like you are planning on a nursing degree. If so, USNA does not offer nursing as a major. ROTC (Army, Air Force and Navy) do offer the ability to get your BSN. So you might need to re-evaluate what you want, what type of major are you interested in, those type of things. Good Luck.
 
Back
Top