As someone who validated almost the entire plebe year, I think I can comment with some relevance...
WANNABE- Excellent post. I thought I was being helpful, but your post really explained the details. Great contribution.
TERP- I don't think you understood USNA's post. Nobody thinks information is 'unimportant'. It is just that there are only so many hours in the day, and days in the year. How much time is wasted by students learning to shine shoes and memorizing rates before being accepted or Appointed is simply stunning. There are actually books and websites that promise to give you all this REALLY IMPORTANT information that will help you get into the Academy. THEN they give you these crazy specialized knowledge tips that will do NOTHING to get you accepted, and technically do harm since they are sucking away time from application efforts that count.
What efforts count? Re-read USNA's post. THAT is good info. Details about Validation, while interesting, should play no part in the application, just like shining your shoes REALLY WELL won't help anybody get accepted.
If you think your kid IN ANY WAY would have chosen the Academy if she knew about Validation, well, it would have been a bad choice (in my opinion). People don't accept going to the Academy/Joining the military/ spending the next ten years with a military ID card ... on the theory that is going to be easier since you took AP Spanish. And if they get in, they find out pretty quickly that NOBODY gets it easy.
Plus, the Validation info is out there. It is not a secret found only here. Shame on you for not doing the research.
The end is that things always work out. Your daughter is in a better place from everybody's standpoint. She's at a great school. Bravo. St John's is a great place and Midshipmen often smile when thinking of it.
USNA, I wish I had added your remarks to my own when I originally thought I was being helpful. The minutiae can really take over when you focus on the the things you know...
Good Luck to all. And instead of responding to me (students), re-read USNA's post and get to work!